LED driving lights dim

[Matt13]

I recently installed a set of led driving lights. I ran a lead from the high beams through a 30a rocker to a 30 Amp relay. Then ran appropriate wires from battery to relay and on to led lights. The lights work when hi beams are on and rocker in on position... but are very dim. If I bypass relay and connect to battery or hi beam lead, they are bright ... what am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance

[carringb]

Ford switches the ground wires to the headlamps, and the common is hot at the headlight connector. You may need to swap signal wires on your relay.

[Matt13]

Signal wire is hot, it will turn on the lights if I hook directly. BOTH the signal wire and battery wires turn on the lights (bright). But when I go through relay... lights come on, but are dim. I also tried a 12.5 Amp flasher relay for led lights... the lights were bright, but of course flashed. Is there a specific relay I should use?

[Scalf77]

You don't really identify the relay you are using or how it is wired.

Pin 86 should generally should be attached to you hot side, and 85 should be ground. Actually unless you have a relay with a diode it won't matter.

30 to positive battery and 87 to LED lights positive. LED ground to battery ground of chassis. Something like Bosch 0332019110 Normal Open Mini Relays - 4 Pins, 12 V, 30 A

-greg

[Matt13]

The relay is a doorman 84601

[Scalf77]

You could check the coli resistance (ohm between 86 & 85) should be between 50 & 200 ohms. Then check 30 to 87 for continuity both when open & closed (energized). It is possible that when energized it has a high resistance. Is it getting warm.

Your flasher experiment would make you start leaning towards a bad relay.

-greg