I would like to install roof mounted 'round' driving spot lights/lamps on my Discovery II year 2000. Please advise on the following:

a) Do I need any additional power source, e.g. addititional battery
b) How is the wiring done (neatly and hidden)
c) Is it possible to use one of the 'blank' switches to operate the lights

Any other useful information will be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Yes you can use the "blank" switches, just replace them with new fog light switches.
No you do not need another power source.
To run a discrete mount I think that you would have to run the wiring from inside the truck and through a hole in the roof.
I am sure that there is another way to run the wiring, but I do not know what it is.

 

Here is what I did for lights on my roof rack. There is 2 methods ref switching, Using D1 and D2 switches....also, I had to do mine so when I took the roof rack off, it is all easily disconnected

http://www.discovery2.co.uk/roofracklights.html

 

Nice looking guide Panzer

I use the following as rules of thumb for auto lighting:

Example assumes 2 x 100W halogen spot lamps, as per my own install. 100W / 12V = 8.33 A per spot so a total of 16.66A for the pair.

Amperage of cabling = total max amperage of load rounded up to nearest 10 and add 10. e.g. 16.67A load, round up to 20A then add 10A = 30A cabling

Amperage of fusing = total max amperage of load rounded up to nearest 10. e.g. 16.67A load, round up to 20A = 20A inline fuse

Amperage of relays = total amperage of load, doubled and rounded up to nearest 10. e.g. 16.67A load, doubled = 33.34A rounded up to 40A relay.

The way this protects is pretty easy to see - the fuse blows cutting the live before the cabling max is exceeded. The overkill on the relays is to avoid 'hot spots' if you're grounding them to a local earth instead of back to the battery.

If you're likely to take the car deep wading - use plenty of vaseline (petroleum jelly) on every potentially exposed joint (e.g. bullet connectors etc.)

Hope that's useful

 

I'm going to be doing this in the future so I might as well ask now while the topic is up. I'm going to be getting 4 Hella Rallye 4000's Euro beams for the roof rack and 2 of the same fog lights for my bumper in a bit. Will it be easier to just buy the easy (but expensive) wiring kit or go out and buy a bunch of cable and fuses and do it myself? Note that I'm by no means an electrician, I can barely decifer a wiring diagram for anything.

 

I'd get the Hella wiring harness for the fogs and see how it's put together. Then copy it for the lights on the roof rack. The Hella wiring harness isn't long enough to run up to a roof rack, but I could be mistaken.

 

Well, I'm fine with just cutting and connecting some wires to make them longer, it's dealing with fuses and relays and what goes where that I'm worried about. Thanks

 

It's really not much more than cutting and connecting a few wires Mitch. If you can crimp spade and bullet connectors on and do some basic math... you'll be fine

 

Hmm. Ok well, I've got a while to think about it anyway, I still need to BUY my rack and bumper first