Double switch for high/low beam activiation - Help needed

[NiekN]

@Ohmess Not quite (I think) as the relay is of the momentary changover type, that when it's grounded it changes position (high/low beam). The ground is controlled by the floor and column switch, also both of the momentary type. This should only provide a ground signal to the changover relay when either is pressed, resulting in a switch between the lights. As soon as I let go of the floor or column, the signal is inturrupted and the relay remains in the current position. At least that's how I understand it.

 

[Ohmess]

Got it, so you only want the brights to be on while you are holding a switch. Now I see why you are adding a floor switch.

 

[NiekN]

@Ohmess Almost, the way the relay works is that when the power is interrupted (by releasing the floor/column switch) it remains in the current position. So basically, all I'm doing is switching the output of that relay to channel 56a (low beam) or channel 56b (high beam), almost like a toggle switch controlled by my foot or hand if that makes sense?

 

[Ohmess]

With your description of the circuit, don't you need some form of a reset button to "undo" the latch and turn off your high beams? It sounds like neither your stalk nor your floor switch would operate to turn off the high beams.

And I guess I am confused about your description of the stalk and floor switches as momentary switches. The high beam switch/stalk switch in my car has two positions. In one position, it closes a circuit to enable the high beams, in the other it turns the high beams off. And every floor switch I have ever had in a car did the same thing. Push it and it completes a circuit; push it again and it opens the circuit. Neither of these are momentary switches.

Maybe you have this figured out and you don't need to explain it to me. I'm just raising things for your to think about.

 

[NiekN]

No problem at all! You raising things is making me think about it which is only a good thing

I see what you're saying with the reset button, but I would achieve that by tapping the floor or stalk to send that momentary pulse thereby switching the changover relay's channel position (which results in the highbeam going off and the lowbeam coming on or vise versa). Mind you, I still have the headlight switch included in all this which I'll use to turn the lights off completely which may not have been clear before. I'll try to draw it in a quick sketch which hopefully will make more sense and post it below.

The floor switch will be completely new and will function the same as the horn does for a lack of better comparison. From what I can gather the stalk has the same function; pull it towards you and it makes a momentary connection until you let go (like flashing the high beam at something/someone), push it forward and it remains in that position thereby keeping the high beams engaged. So when I pull it towards me, it'll send that "momentary" signal to the relay and switch the channels to either the high or low beam.

Hopefully I've explained it a bit better and it makes sense now, but do ask away if it doesn't. Like I said, it makes me think about it as well so that's only a good thing.

This is how they discribe the relay on the shop's website:
This relay has internal magnets that allow the changeover contacts to be held in position even when power is removed from the coil. The contacts will remain in their last position until switched back via the application of another momentary 12V pulse across the coil terminals (30 & S ). This can help reduce power consumption as the coil does not need to have voltage permanently applied to hold the contacts in position. A momentary switch is ideal for use with this relay.

In the photo:

• Pin 30: +12V to coil (power feed from the battery)
• Pin S: coil to -ve (ground) (which will have an input from both the stalk and the floor switch, thereby giving me 2 options to momentarily close the circuit)
• Pin 56: Common power terminal (power feed from the headlight switch)
• Pin 56a: Input/output power terminal 1 (low beam output)
• Pin 56a: Input/output power terminal 2 (high beam output)

 

[Ohmess]

Yes, that is a much better explanation. I have two comments on your circuit. First, it appears your circuit will not allow for a momentary flash of the high beams since you are using the momentary function of the stalk as an on/off switch. Second, it would appear that your circuit does not use the push/pull function of the stalk as an on/off switch. Would you simply disconnect this component of the switch?

 

[NiekN]

Glad it made more sense. Correct, a momentary flash will now have to be achieved by 2 "flashes" of the button, which is fine as long as the driver is aware of it. And I'll probably disconnect (or not re-wire) that function on the stalk as it's pretty much obsolete with the new system.