Control Additional Lights with High Beams…Solution Finally?

[Spicygb]

I, like many others here have been trying to find a solution to control my additional forward facing lighting with the high beams. I find the auto high beam feature very useful, and if it could control everything up front it would be super convenient. I’d still wire the lights through the upfitter switches, but this would allow for Automatic control.

Now the issue is the high beam signal is sent over Canbus communication system. So we cannot just tap the 12v source. After much digging, I found a solution from a F-150 forum:

Enter the XBB Canbus Dongle and PowerUnit:

https://www.xbb.se/en/xbb-dongle-xbb-powerunit/

In Europe, especially the Nordic countries that have low daylight levels, they use additional forward facing lighting, and have the same issue we have. High beam is controlled via Canbus.

This Product should solve the problem, it connects to the OBD, monitors what the car is doing, then can trigger a wireless relay.

Only issue….the Bronco isn’t listed as a compatible car, the current F-150, Explorer, Ranger & Ranger Raptor all with LED headlights are listed. I’ve reached out to the company if they have any feedback for the bronco, but I don’t want to be out €200+ for something that doesn’t work.

Has anyone seen a product such as this before?

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[Meloco]

I want something like this too.
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[Mjasi3]

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[Bschurr]

 

[Spicygb]

I received an update from XBB, they are willing to send me a testing and evaluation kit. They think that all the canbus signals are the same across all ford models at this current time. However they have not tested on a Bronco yet, so they cannot say for certain. Once I get the kit, I will report back.

 

[MistaGavin]

The fog lights shut off with high beams. If you have factory fog lights you can use that power as signal and a normally closed relay for aux lights.

 

[Spicygb]

Yes that is true, but that isn’t what we are trying to do, Fog lights are enabled using the factory fog light button, but we want additional control of auxiliary lighting, For ex. Spots, Ditch, Light bar, but we want those to come on when the auto high beams come on.

I already have Bambi Mode Enabled through forscan….Fogs with Highbeams

 

[Arokcrwlr]

I believe it can be accomplished with a relay - would need a wiring diagram of the headlight circuit to figure it out.

 

[MistaGavin]

Yes that is true, but that isn’t what we are trying to do, Fog lights are enabled using the factory fog light button, but we want additional control of auxiliary lighting, For ex. Spots, Ditch, Light bar, but we want those to come on when the auto high beams come on.

I already have Bambi Mode Enabled through forscan….Fogs with Highbeams

I may be confused. The way I described will work if factory fog lights are equipped and FORScan is stock.

If the fog lights turn off when the high beams come on, that signal can be used to get power to aux lighting with a NC relay.

Bambi mode prevents this from working. I’ve found the fog lights pale in comparison to my cannons anyways.

 

[Spicygb]

I don’t see how you can make this work with the high beams being control via canbus. Care to elaborate?

 

[HPNQ420]

I don’t see how you can make this work with the high beams being control via canbus. Care to elaborate?

Open the link in the original post as it is described well

 

[Brian_B]

I don’t see how you can make this work with the high beams being control via canbus. Care to elaborate?

They are using a canbus reader (the device from XBB) to see when the CAN bit for High beams are flipped, and that reader can convert that to a closed contact to operate a relay. In theory, you could program it to look for any bit at any CAN address - so if you have the CAN mapping (Forscan), you could trigger from any condition present in the CAN network.

Kinda spiffy, if I understand it correctly. Could probably do the same thing with a Pi or Adruino -- I have one sitting on my desk I should play with, but haven't had the time. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that's what XBB is doing and just packaging it into something commerical.

I'm sure it would also be possible to tear into the headlamp assembly and pick up off the high beam wiring, that bulb has to get power physically from something after all. But given that the assembly is a closed system - you'd have to seal it all back up and not break anything in the process.

 

[MistaGavin]

I don’t see how you can make this work with the high beams being control via canbus. Care to elaborate?

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/tapping-into-high-beam-wire.62089/post-1732999

 

[67BroncoG1]

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/tapping-into-high-beam-wire.62089/post-1732999

Perhaps I'm missing something but wouldn't that mean whatever the relay is triggering will be on whenever the fog lights are off..... daytime for example.

 

[MistaGavin]

Perhaps I'm missing something but wouldn't that mean whatever the relay is triggering will be on whenever the fog lights are off..... daytime for example.

Turn the aux switch off?

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