Hello all,

I have exchanged some recent emails with Ian Cull, and in his infinite wisdom he has given me fuel for my fire to make my auxillary driving lights work without the high beams. Now before I ask my questions, I am aware that they are bright, should not be used ***** nilly, etc. I am hoping to use them in place of a high beam when needed and really would like to have them operative more often around here, after all, I did pay for them.

Ok, Ian mentioned the BC1 module. Does anyone have a diagram of this unit? Is it possible to reconnect the lead to another source (i.e. parking lamps or low beams?) When it comes to electrical stuff I am pretty ignorant, so if someone has done this and has any good description it would be much appreciated.

Also, I have two good Porsches for sale. An early 85 944 and a 74 914 1.8L. If you need/want details (of which there are many) please pm me. BTW, cars are in the Chicago area.
Thanks.
TJM

 

The driving lights schematic shows the lights connected to the high-beam's wire from the BC1. Seems to me you should just be able to instead splice to the low-beam wire instead of the hi-beam wire and it would work with the low-beams. The question is which of the wires in that huge BC1 connector is the low-beam's wire?

 

Exactly.

 

There are four connectors going to the BCM, with about 50 wires each. It's not something I would recomend.

 

I've hacked my ECU harness for adding a data logger and wide band. IT's not bad if you're patient. Getting the wiring details for the BC1 connector may be a bit of a pain, there are cryptic notation in the bently manual.

Look at the color code of the wires to the lights at the lights. Go to the connectors for the BC1 and look for those colors. If there are a bunch with them (and there probably are) check with a test probe to see which go live when you put the driving lights on! And then carefully cut and spice, and you're done.

It will be less than a full day if you're carefull.

Matt

 

Alternatively, you could wire the driving lights independent of everything and not have to worry about the BC1 at all.

 

I just wired the relay trigger for my PIAA 540s to one of the high beam
lines.

 

I'm either confused and misunderstanding, or for some reason Ian purposely did not mention his Rally Light Relay module-
http://www.gbmini.net/MINIcircuit/RLR.shtml

In normal use it always enables the driving lights, so they come on with your high beams, you don't have to push the button every time you start the car.
But if you double-click the button, it will turn on the driving lights independent of high beams or even low beams, and I think that is what you are looking for.

Sorry ahead of time for mentioning it Ian if you no longer want to make them.
But I love mine and think it is a needed addition to the driving lights.

 

Josh,
I have about ten people with (presumably) working fine RLR, but I also have two people for whom the RLR never worked properly.
My suspicion is there is more than one factory driving light install - so I don't feel very inclined to risk letting anyone else try it and also having trouble.

 

Separately, here is the wiring pinouts of the BC1 (at least, the BC1 prior to '05 when I think it was significantly redesigned):
http://www.gbmini.net/BC1connections.pdf

Here's an old pic showing where the BC1 lives:


(and click here for closer view)