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Electrical How to wire PIAA's

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Old Oct 2, 2007 | 04:55 PM
  #1  
hemiheaded18's Avatar
hemiheaded18
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How to wire PIAA's

I wanna get the 5430 kit but am unsure which way I should wire them. I can go off the low beams (the proper way) or off of a constant 12V source (the easy way). A friend at work who is confident in electrical says he'd help but I also kinda would just like to mount them and take it to a local shop I trust and say "Wire them off of the lights". PA state inspection says you fail if they don't shut off with highs on.
 
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Old Oct 2, 2007 | 06:21 PM
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I personally don't think you should ever have your driving lights on with your low beams. More than being rude, it's the same thing as bright-lighting on coming traffic & as you said illegal so I wired mine with the high-beams they go on & off with the stalk

p.s... If you search there is an article somewhere on NAM where someone wrote up a very detailed set of install instructions & they included pictures

edit: I found the article for you here Hope it helps.
 

Last edited by bamatt; Oct 2, 2007 at 06:32 PM. Reason: added link
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Old Oct 3, 2007 | 02:18 PM
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Actually, at least in PA, it's illegal to have fogs or driving lights on with high beams. They are only designed to work with low beams on. At a legit inspection station, you will fail if fogs/drivers are on with highs.
Oh, and thanks for the link. I've seen that and been studying it for a few days.
 
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Old Oct 19, 2007 | 08:14 PM
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I tapped mine into the marker lights so I can toggle them whenever I want as long as the parking lights are on.

FWIW the factory fogs on my Ram go off with the high beams, but on my Lexus they stay on. Odd.

As long as you aim them correctly it shouldn't matter when they are on... high or low.
 
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Old Apr 17, 2008 | 08:52 AM
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Originally Posted by chpsk8
As long as you aim them correctly it shouldn't matter when they are on... high or low.
for the fog lights it doesn't matter if the're on with high beams or low beams on, but if you're installing Driving lights then they should not be on with low beams. Correctly aimed driving lights work as high beam.
 
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Old Apr 17, 2008 | 12:34 PM
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I think you're mis-reading the PA state inspection procedures. Here's a link to the full procedures.

In particular,

"(9) Check the lamps and lenses and reject if one or more of the following apply:

(i) An exterior bulb or sealed beam, if originally equipped or installed, fails to light properly, except ornamental lights.

(ii) The turn signal lamps do not flash between 60—120 flashes per minute.

(iii) The turn signal lamps do not properly indicate right or left or hold in position when so switched or do not self-cancel if originally designed to do so.

(iv) The back-up lamps do not turn off automatically when the vehicle goes forward, there is no indicator on dash that lights or there is no audible warning signal.

(v) The lamp shows a color contrary to the lighting chart.

(vi) The lamp or filament indicated at the switch position does not light when the correct switch indicates the lamp should be on.

(vii) The lamp has a missing or broken lens.

(viii) A required lamp is missing.

(ix) The auxiliary equipment is placed on, in or in front of a lamp.

(x) The fog lamps operate with the high beams of the headlamps or are substituted for the low beams.

(xi) The auxiliary driving lamps operate with the low beam of standard headlamp system or alone.


(emphasis added)


So, your car should be rejected if the fog lamps stay on with the high beams, or if the auxiliary driving lamps stay on with the low-beams or can be turned on by themselves without the high beams being on. Having the driving lights "on" with the high beams is actually the normal mode of operation.
 
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Old Apr 18, 2008 | 08:02 AM
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I guess I wasn't aware that there is an inspection in PA.
we certainly don't have thing like this in IL
 
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Old Apr 19, 2008 | 06:31 AM
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Originally Posted by chpsk8
I tapped mine into the marker lights so I can toggle them whenever I want as long as the parking lights are on.
This is what I did as well. I often run my driving lights w/ markers at early dusk or during the day on long highway trips for safety purposes.
 
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