Beaten by driving light install...2010 GMC

[DaveB]

Well....the easy part turned out to be the hard part...and vice versa. Putting Hella driving lights on the new truck (GMC Sierra 1500)....comes with a pre-wired harness and all the destructions. I got the wires run into the cab...no small feat, switch mounted, light bar on, lights mounted, wiring to lights....then BLACK FLAG! Need a line to go to the high beam circuit....I can almost SEE the backs of the bulbs....but get at them? No chance. Can't even figure out how a guy would change a bulb without breaking the hell outta everything...

Is there an easy place to tie into this circuit? The high beam is supposed to power the switch...which switches the relay...turns DL on, only with high beam....just the way I want it.

 

[sledn]

In the fuse/relay box under the hood.Slip the wire in with the relay socket.Works on a 2004 anyway.

 

[medler]

Well....the easy part turned out to be the hard part...and vice versa. Putting Hella driving lights on the new truck (GMC Sierra 1500)....comes with a pre-wired harness and all the destructions. I got the wires run into the cab...no small feat, switch mounted, light bar on, lights mounted, wiring to lights....then BLACK FLAG! Need a line to go to the high beam circuit....I can almost SEE the backs of the bulbs....but get at them? No chance. Can't even figure out how a guy would change a bulb without breaking the hell outta everything...

Is there an easy place to tie into this circuit? The high beam is supposed to power the switch...which switches the relay...turns DL on, only with high beam....just the way I want it.

Those h lamp assy come out easy ,,if ya know how..

Take the top bumper pad off,,,,,2 7 or 8 mil screws on each side (infront of wheels),,,loosen the grille off at the top,and there is 3 10 mil bolts and one clip that hold the h lamp in (2 on top to the rad support and one on the side under the bumper pad )once these are out the lamp will slide out too the outside DONT PULL IT STRAIGHT OUT AS THE CLIP WILL BREAK(the pad will pull away from the grille) w/o destroying everything,,,but do it in a warm garage,,,plastic gets brittle...Good luck,,,hope this helps

 

[shoppingcart111]

Dave, what type of light bar did you get? and where did you run lines into the cab from? I had a hell of a time running my air lines into the cab. Pics if you dont mind and why do you have to tie into the high beam circuit? will they not run as an independant circuit?

I ask cause I'm inthe process of hooking up some offraod lamps on my 09 sierra.

 

[DaveB]

After some Googling...Medler is right...there's a bunch of dismantling involved to get at the headlights on these bombs.

Went with the KC light bar Ordered out of the US for about 150 bucks shipped USPS. I ran the wires to the switch beside the park brake cable through the rubber grommet....at least I think it's the park brake cable....it's a cable for something. LOL.

I want to be on the hi-beam circuit so I don't forget to turn them off for oncoming traffic...had it this way in the ol truck and liked it. I think there is a legal issue about having more than 4 bulbs burning at once as well....which you could do if the DL were on a stand-alone circuit.

Lights are Hella Black Magic...look real nice on the black bar.... My Hella Lights :: Rallye 1000 Black Magic Series

I'll try to get pics tonight....my temperature has come back down. hahaha

 

[shoppingcart111]

How or where did you get that bar for 150? I was told that your not allowed to have any exposed driving lights in B.C., bascially you have to have covers over them while on the highway.

 

[DaveB]

Bought the bar on-line outta the USA...can't remember where...I'll look at my bills tonight.

edit: pretty sure it was here:

This is where that legal issue about 4 lights comes in. We drive around with low beams and lower driving lights on (factory "fog lights")...this is legal. If your driving lights are wired to the high beams, they are legal....this is how I read it anyways. I had uncovered big Lightforce lights on the front of the 06 for 4 years and never had an issue. (had 'em on countless work trucks in the past too with no issues) Just to be safe...I went with those Hellas I have now because they look black when they are off...be pretty tough for even the most vigilant BC cop to notice they aren't covered when we pass on the highway.

 

[teeroy]

I think it is all about diffused lenses, if they are not diffused then they must be covered according to the law. they even started hassling us in the trucking industry for having backup lights without diffused lenses, but they seem to have mellowed on that.

 

[DaveB]

You're likely right. Non-diffused lights with a good 100w (+) halogen bulb should definately be considered "off road lights". The Hellas have a lense/diffused pattern....I don't think the Lightforces did.

 

[DaveB]

Well got 'er done...WITHOUT tearing half the truck apart. Loosened the grill as Medler described, but never removed anything except the plastic cover on the top of the rad/grill. Got the 3rd headlight bolt by laying on my back...reach up and did 'er by brail. I put tape on all the painted surfaces around the light as I knew some creative wiggling would be involved and it all come out OK. Found the high beam + wire....tied into er, and put everything back together. Instead of running straight to the battery with the main feed, I went to one of the auxiliary power "studs" on the side of the fusebox....one is 30a, one is 40a. The battery is up near the pass side firewall on the new GM's...so the wiring would have been all over the place. Looks clean this way.

 

[shoppingcart111]

I was looking at getting some lightforce from Tonka and the gorgeous parts girl mentioned that she heard it was illegal to run them in bc without covers, I found my old set of Procomp 6" lmaps from a previous truck so I powdercoated the housings and thats what I'm running, they do come with cover though becuase their not diffused. I wish I had known you were ordering that bar cause I would of went in with you and saved on shipping.

 

[UkrainianMudKing]

Dave

I have the same black lightbar for my F350, make sure you keep her real clean, my coating flaked off after 10 months. I then took it to work got the boys to sandblast it and then line-x it.

Just wanted you to know the coating from KC sucks.

 

[DaveB]

Dave

I have the same black lightbar for my F350, make sure you keep her real clean, my coating flaked off after 10 months. I then took it to work got the boys to sandblast it and then line-x it.

Just wanted you to know the coating from KC sucks.

I'll keep an eye on 'er. I've had several chrome bull bars in the past and they always look like crap after a a season or two....with black, brand new is just a spray bomb away.

 

[mel.h]

I think it is all about diffused lenses, if they are not diffused then they must be covered according to the law. they even started hassling us in the trucking industry for having backup lights without diffused lenses, but they seem to have mellowed on that.

teeroy is correct on the diffused lense part, but it also has to have a DOT approved stamp on it. Some of the diffused lights out there do not necessarily meet the legal standards. You can go on the gov't web site but it will just give you a headache. Any automotive inspection station should be able to simplify it down if you wish to take the time to call them.

 

[DaveB]

Here's the lights....they work beauty!

 

[medler]

Looks good!!!