Angel eyes E46 install, wiring help

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

Hi,

I have been installing my E46 angel eyes (CE1100018W CCFL rdash.com.tw) that arrived last week this afternoon and I've run into a small issue...

I've got them all hooked up into the lights all good, and the wires are coming out the back etc. but I'm a bit lost as to how to hook them up to get them to work...

All the DIYs I've seen have trigger wires and relays, but my setup has two inverters with two wires coming off each... (bottom right pic is 1 inverter)

My plan was to solder the two positives from each halo set together with 1 wire and the two negatives from each halo set together with 1 wire - giving me 1 negative and 1 positive.

Which is fine, but I'd like to wire them up to my parking lights so I don't have them on all the time. All the DIYs have their trigger/accessory wire hooked into the LCM - can I just hook my positive wire to the LCM? I need power; 12V obviously, so will I get anything from this?

Do I need to introduce a relay/trigger into my angel eyes circuit to get them hooked up to the parking light?

Thanks in advance for any help people can give!!

[Gunner 0]

Hi, You won't have a trigger wire unless you have a relay like those sold by Umnitza Visit My Website. You can probably make yourself a relay or just hook them into the parklights. Originally before I got myself a relay, I just pushed them up into the back of the connectors of the parklights (that foamy stuff) and they worked fine.

Im sure others can correct me if I'm wrong.

[hotwire 352]

If the ballasts are load sensing, they can be connected straight into the park light circuit & remove the original park light bulb. This is what I did.

Technically not strictly legal in this format as the angel eyes are not ECE / ADR approved in the lamp to be used as park lights, but that said, they meet/exceed the WOF park light requirements for light angles & visable distance.

I had this debate with my first WOF after fitting, they agreed with my logic & have never been questioned since.

[gadgetman 0]

Same as Hotwire, straight into the park lights and remove the park lamp. I've had no problem with wof

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

Awesome. Thanks for the replies guys, might try your suggestions this afternoon. Doesn't sound too complicated

[kiwi535 538]

fwiw my 2005 120 ONLY has the angel eyes as front park lights

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

Will it work if I leave the parking light bulbs in? My knowledge on electrics is not the best..

[hotwire 352]

fwiw my 2005 120 ONLY has the angel eyes as front park lights

Yep, so did the the F/L E39, & any BMW with OEM angel eyes. The difference though - these lamps were all "rated" in this state, whereas the non A/E lamps were rated for the standard bulb.

[hotwire 352]

Will it work if I leave the parking light bulbs in? My knowledge on electrics is not the best..

Are your ballasts load rated - eg duplicating the original bulb?

If so - don't leave the bulbs in as you will be doubling the load on that circuit from the LCM.

If not, you will need to load the circuit to replicate the original bulb otherwise you will get "lamp failure" warnings coming up.

You don't want the original bulbs in anyway - it will look naff with them going as well.

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

Yeah good call hotwire, I was going to take them out anyways I think, just wanted to get them working quickly hah. I'll just dedicate a bit of time over the weekend and do them right.

How do I check if my ballasts (inverters?) are load rated? I'm guessing I can just read it off the inverter? Sounds like I want them to be load rated if I'm wanting to be rid of the parking lights anyways. I wouldn't know where to start with loading the circuit to replicate the original bulb lol...

Thanks

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

Are your ballasts load rated - eg duplicating the original bulb?

If so - don't leave the bulbs in as you will be doubling the load on that circuit from the LCM.

If not, you will need to load the circuit to replicate the original bulb otherwise you will get "lamp failure" warnings coming up.

You don't want the original bulbs in anyway - it will look naff with them going as well.

This is the pic of my inverter of the ccfl angel eyes - looks load rated to me?

[hotwire 352]

^^^^Dunno form that. Were they listed specifically for E46?

From memory mine came from the same place (sevaral years ago) & they were..

Anyway, just connnect them up, & remove the original bulbs, if they aren't - you will get the lamp failure warning come up. You will then need to load the circuit.

[samjarvis1987@gmail.com 0]

^^^^Dunno form that. Were they listed specifically for E46?

From memory mine came from the same place (sevaral years ago) & they were..

Anyway, just connnect them up, & remove the original bulbs, if they aren't - you will get the lamp failure warning come up. You will then need to load the circuit.

Thanks for your help Hotwire, they were in fact load rated, so I just spliced into the wires of the parking lights, and success. I've left the parking lights in, but I've just removed the power supply to them ~ safest way to store them I reckon.

But yeah install was easy enough, thanks again.

I tried to take a photo, but she's just too bright now