Banjo Posted May 15, 2013 Report Share Posted May 15, 2013 (edited) Hi beam has just gone in my KE30, and now I can only get high beam by holding the stalk back in the "Flash" position. The problem, as always, is the switch, which invaribale have contact problems with the high current that passes through them by design. I'll fix it properly this time by putting in lighting relays, so that the swich only handles the lower relay current. I've replaced the combination switch assemblies before in other Rollas I've had, only to find they also fail not long after. I've noticed aftermarket ones on ebay from several on-line stores, including Phil's Rotary here in Brisbane, who I've bought items from previously. Just wondering if any one has purchased & used these aftermarket light combination switches before, and what the quality of them is like. Any feedback would be appreciated. Cheers Banjo P.S. Does anyone know if Toyota still sell them, and if so, what they cost. Edited May 15, 2013 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Finally in the last part of completely rewiring the front end of my KE30. The lighting wiring is the bulk of the high current items in the front of the car, but I decided to cut the loom out completely, back to just behind the fire wall, and feed two new "hidden trailer" automotive cables down each side of the car, in the channel in the upper guard area, with the cables coming out at the guard indicator cable holes, just forward of the strut towers, on each side. I'll post a few pictures when I finish it off next weekend. It looks so neat under the bonnet once the harness is removed ! New relays & fuses are located high up on the side wall, just forward of the strut towers. The end result will be no high headlight currents back through the combination light switch, which cause so many problems & burnt contacts. Which brings me back to the reason I've added it to my original post from last year. I want to replace the combination light switch with a new one, so the whole lighting system will be totally trouble free from hereon in. There are a number of merchants on ebay & on-line, selling "after market" KE combo lighting switches from $ 45.00 to $ 125.00, (pictures in my original post above). I don't want to purchase one of these if they are crappy. Has anyone ever purchased & used one of these, and if so what is the quality like, and were there any issues in fitting them ? Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.L.Z.BUB Posted March 10, 2014 Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 I bought a headlight relay kit off ebay for my quad lights. can't fault it. Ceramic plugs so I can run xenon bulbs. I was actually going to make kits but no one was interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Hi Reed, Bad headlight performance is one of those recurring things with KE series, helped in no way by the very basic way it was designed, all to save the addition of one more relay. The high headlight currents running back though the light combo switch eventually result in the contacts erroding & the switch not functioning. I'm surprised more RollaClub guys are not interested in upgrading the headlight system. I know you, and others on here, who have added relays and got rid of the voltage drops created by high currents & undersized wiring, have been amazed at the improvement this mod can make. If no one has bought one of those aftermarket combo light switch assemblies, I might just have to buy one & try it out for myself. Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.L.Z.BUB Posted March 10, 2014 Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 With the kits the only thing the stock switch grounds is the relays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted March 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 10, 2014 Yep ! And that solves the problem, as the relay current is only milliamperes, whereas the headlight currents are big amps. I'm currently connecting it up so that that the lights turn off automatically, after three minutes, if the ignition is turned off, but the lights, (either parking only, or parking & headlights) are accidentally left on. How many times have we accidentally left the parkers on, and come out next morning to find a flat battery. The function also provides for leaving the headlights on deliberately, so you have light to get to the front door or wherever, after getting out, and locking up the car. Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.L.Z.BUB Posted March 11, 2014 Report Share Posted March 11, 2014 I want to do the same thing and also have a buzzer. :y: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay_howie Posted March 12, 2014 Report Share Posted March 12, 2014 I bought a aftermarket ebay one for my ke55. The horn contact was too long and bent the brass ring on the back of my steering wheel and snapped the plastic on the combo switch. Don't recommend the ebay ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damo82 Posted March 13, 2014 Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) I've used one that I got from Nice Auto products previously and don't recall having problems. Can't speak for the ebay ones though. I think I might even have a spare one floating around that I never got around to installing. Yup still got one in its box. Nice Products, part number NBS101. Edited March 13, 2014 by Damo82 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted March 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2014 Hey Damo, Have you got a use for your NSB101, or do you want to sell it ? Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damo82 Posted March 14, 2014 Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Banjo, Happy to sell it, bought it for a KE35 project that isn't going to get off the ground as the KE20 is taking up all time and money at the moment. Damo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted March 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2014 Hi Damo, PM sent ! Cheers Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oh what a nissan feeling! Posted March 15, 2014 Report Share Posted March 15, 2014 I did try one of those ebay column switches, it was no good. The pinout was wrong in the plug as well as the internal wiring, so it wasnt fixable either. Ke30s have both a tailight and a headlight relay, the load of the lights is not through the switch. Do you have a diagram? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ke30rota Posted March 17, 2014 Report Share Posted March 17, 2014 i also brought a ebay one and it was crap wouldnt recomend it at all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banjo Posted April 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2014 (edited) Rewiring the engine bay is one of the best things you can do for your Rolla. The original design leaves a lot to be desired, with undersized wiring in some places, high currents passing through light switches, and high currents running backwards and forwards through switches & relays, from the dashboard to the front of the car. Positioning of existing relays in the system, also could have been better. The best layout is to have all wiring carrying high currents to be as short as possible. That reduces voltage drops, which are the bane of automotive electrical systems. Relays associated with these high loads, should be as close to the battery & load as possible. I finished up getting completely rid of the original wiring harness in the engine bay, altogether. It looks so much cleaner. The wiring that runs back to the dash, is fed through the reinforcing channel in the upper under mudguard area and is completely out of sight. I have a main substantial battery feed to the new fuse boxes on each side, in front of the strut towers. From there the 12 volt power feed goes back to the under dash fuse block, via the little gap in the top of the strut towers on the drivers side. On the passengers side, similarly, going all the way back to the boot area, via the area in behind the kick panel & the plastic door opening foot cover strip. The results have been fantastic ! Brighter headlights, easier starting, louder horn. Also helped by the upgrade to an 85 amp alternator, & the associated wiringing between alternator & battery. After all, it's the alternator that supplies the power to keep running. The battery is really only there to start the engine. The first I had to do was move the ignition coil. That was easy, using the existing bracket and some mount points on the base of the drivers strut tower, directly opposite the dizzy, and under the master cylinder. The secret of doing a rewire is to unwrap the tape around the existing wiring harness, then cut and pull back one wire & circuit at a time. You won't believe how many factory joins & crimps there are, inside the original factory harness hidden by the tape. Don't chop it off at the fire wall. Here a few pictures that gives you an idea of how it all looks & works. I'm currently sketching up the wiring diagram for each of these circuits. I find those "rats nest" wiring diagrams in manuals a pain to follow. It's so much easier to understand, if each circuit is drawn separately. Alternator circuit; starting circuit; head light circuit; horn circuit; flasher circuit, etc. If anyone is interested, give me a yell & I'll scan them and post them on here. Cheers Banjo Edited April 17, 2014 by Banjo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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