The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay headlights.....on/off with ignition???

I have installed relays on both trucks to run the headlights so that once turned on by the light switch the power comes through the relays instead of through the light switch. Because my switch now carries no amperage through it I was thinking that it could be reconnected from battery power to the accessory side of the ignition switch and the ingition switch would cut power to the lights when the truck is turned off. Could eliminate those dead batteries due to forgetting to turn the lights off. Would also eliminate remembering to turn lights on during rain when the law requires lights and wipers to run together (leave the switch pulled out and let the ignition switch be the switch). Other than extra draw at startup are there any reasons this isnt a good idea??

Carl

That's the way I would do it, hot lead from the accy to the light relay. Then the ignition key controls the on/off. But you'll still need to run a hot lead to the light switch so you'll have tail lights for night driving.

It would work but I put a warning buzzer on mine. It,s available from L.M.C. for less then $20 & is real easy to install.

Accessory power is switched off when the starter is engaged.

Cletis........is that true with the ignition switch for the foot starter switch??

Seon....I'm thinking run the power for the headlight switch directly from the accessory side to the switch and let all lights (front and rear)operate from the key. The headlights will operate from the relays (after initial power up) and the taillights, instrument lights will run from the switch. The idea being to lessen the amp draw through the switch by the relays taking over after initial power up to run the headlights.

Wrenchbender.......how does it wire in to know when there is no power to the light switch???

Carl

Why not try to learn to turn them off automatically. I run mine as soon as I start up and may have forgotten to turn them off once or twice in 10 years. You could also make a shut down check list like pilots use. Lights, heater, wipers,ignition key off, etc.

Excuse me, I thought you were working on the '58 with the V8. On a truck with foot operated bendix there is no such provision,

Sounds like a good idea to me;I used to drive a VW that worked that way,and I really liked it. I NEVER killed the battery from leaving the lights on.
Speed

Carl,

Cletis has asked an interesting question about a foot-starter on a V-8. I think that a foot starter was available up through 1959 on some in-line sixes. Was a foot starter available for a V-8 in 1958? (are you asking about a V-8)?

Vintage V-8s are foreign to some of us.

Tim

Carl. It,s amazingly simple. It has 1 wire goes to the tail or dash lights. One wire goes to a hot lead. It,s small & simple. At my age I need a reminder. I don,t think there ever was a v-8 with a foot starter.

I would raise two issues.

1) Is your charging system up to running the headlights all the time? When motorcycles first started going to always on headlights several people I knew found the charging system did not manage to keep up.

If you are running a recent big alternator it should be no problem at all, but an aged original generator might not be up to the task.

2) What happens if you want to run the headlights but not the motor? Granted that's not something you need to do very often, but when you do its probably important...

When I move back and forth between a modern car that runs the headlights all the time and one that has a switch it is harder to remember to turn them off. So far I've just been lucky, but I'm sure I'll leave the headlights on one of these days and be in trouble...

How about a relay or switch that turns the lights on when you place it in forward gears. A manual shift I generally park it in reverse. That way there is no draw on the battery until it is needed, it can be used with or without a foot starter, and and also be overridden easily and you could place a buzzer to remind you when overridden by the switch.

tclederman,,,,,no V8 with a foot starter. I was asking the question with the idea of doing both trucks, one has V8 the other has inline 6 with foot starter.
Not having the headlights without the truck ignition is the one issue I see. Not so much with the V8 (HEI)but with the 6 because the coil will be energized as soon as the key is turned ON and if the truck isnt running and the headlights are needed the points may burn.

I may rethink and go with a buzzer as suggested by wrenchbender.

Just run another circuit that has power with the key in the "run" position, that way you have "DTRL" and you can still use the switch if you want...

cjoe,

Does the six cylinder have an accessory position on the ignition switch? If it does, you would wire the headlight relay to that terminal. The relay could be wired to turn the lights off when the starter wire to the ballast resistor was enabled.