Some advice on wiring etc on 4wd vehicle

A little while ago after feeling a it dejected not wanting to hurt my ute up the Avoca and Wilberforce rivers I decided it was time to purchase an older, but more capable rig for rattling up rivers and into hunting spots. I am now the proud(?) owner of a gen2 LWB pajero.
Attachment 159931
The previous owner had done a bit of 4wd'ing with it and had set it up not half bad so I thought it would make a good base for a hunting rig.
I'm going through a few things and first up is the light bar. When I got the vehicle the wiring had been disconnected as I was told it wouldn't pass wof with the lightbar able to be used whilst low beam headlights were on, ie: it needs to be wired in such a way that it will only turn on whilst high beam is on and not blind someone off the road when headlights are dipped.
Currently it's wired direct to the battery (it does have a fuse in the line) and has a switch on the dash.
The truck has been converted to run two 12v battery's, one as a start only battery, and everything else runs off the "house" battery. The headlights have been rewired completely and run off replacement bosch relays.
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I'd like to run the lightbar through a relay and my very basic understanding has come up with the following plan:

1. Switch on dash draws 12v from the 12v supply on high beam relay (this way the switch will only actually activate the light bar relay if high beam is on... If I'm correct?)

2. Relay is wired up normally other than drawing switch power from the high beam relay.

Is this going to work? (and hopefully be legal?) Maybe I'm not making sense but it seems to work in my head. I don't want to melt shit.

I had also thought about moving the light bar to sit on the winch bar itself instead of up on the bull bar part. I'm thinking maybe it was mounted high like that for a reason? Plenty of light if crossing water and headlights are dipping below the surface? See over scrub etc?

I've been in a few trucks with the lights mounted on the roof racks or roof basket and it's bloody horrible throws light onto the bonnet and is worse than not having the lights fullstop.

I believe to get a wof your "worklight" must be independently switched and not conrtrolled by the headlights ie turns on on full beam and off on dip.
Might pay to tripple check (i had to remove mine to get a warrent) gonna be replaced by 2 spotties eventually to avoid that discussion next time.
Good Choice of truck, they are very very underated

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt..../led-lightbars

This might save you some trouble.

Tl;dr - you can’t have a single lightbar wired up to being activated by your headlight switch. You can have a pair wired in to your high beam, but not a single, must be a pair.

For just one light bar, it has to be on its own independent switch, meant for offroad use only (in theory anyway..) as a ‘work light’.

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Originally Posted by mikee

I believe to get a wof your "worklight" must be independently switched and not conrtrolled by the headlights ie turns on on full beam and off on dip.
Might pay to tripple check (i had to remove mine to get a warrent) gonna be replaced by 2 spotties eventually to avoid that discussion next time.
Good Choice of truck, they are very very underated

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I'd agree with that, very underrated and very stable, not much front end travel but a heap in the bum.
Only selling mine as I'm sick of fixing the C.Vs.......

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if it has 2 batteries then I am guessing its an import?? Manual or auto? does it have rear diff lock button?

The easiest way to sort your light drama is 2 spotties

find a tame auto sparky....pay him some of your hard earned $$$$ and then you KNOW it will be right. a lightbar on roof works IF you take it back far enough it wont light up bonnet...a spotlight on T Bar is far more useful.... the lightbar would be VERY useful if mounted on rear of roof rack facing backwards...reversing in dark shitty place would be a breeze...so would unpacking shit from rear into hut etc... towing cow from bog,hooking on trailer....

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Originally Posted by mikee

if it has 2 batteries then I am guessing its an import?? Manual or auto? does it have rear diff lock button?

The easiest way to sort your light drama is 2 spotties

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Yea it's auto and has diff lock, has the 4H, 4H centre diff lock, and 4L centre diff lock and then rear diff lock on a button. I was under the impression that it's been "converted" to run two batteries rather than factory as all the relays etc in the truck are aftermarket units so seems like someone's done quite a bit of work in that regard but could be wrong if it was an option on some of them. I had a short wheelbase one when I was a young fella and it only had one battery

to get a wof with my light bar it has to be switched independently from the headlights but after its been for its wof its a simple case of swapping a wire and it works off high beam again

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Yea it's auto and has diff lock, has the 4H, 4H centre diff lock, and 4L centre diff lock and then rear diff lock on a button. I was under the impression that it's been "converted" to run two batteries rather than factory as all the relays etc in the truck are aftermarket units so seems like someone's done quite a bit of work in that regard but could be wrong if it was an option on some of them. I had a short wheelbase one when I was a young fella and it only had one battery

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Yeah I reckon your right probably put in to run the winch as that will drain one real quick.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Yea it's auto and has diff lock, has the 4H, 4H centre diff lock, and 4L centre diff lock and then rear diff lock on a button. I was under the impression that it's been "converted" to run two batteries rather than factory as all the relays etc in the truck are aftermarket units so seems like someone's done quite a bit of work in that regard but could be wrong if it was an option on some of them. I had a short wheelbase one when I was a young fella and it only had one battery

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nz ones had one battery but every japper i have seen have 2. They are nearly unstoppable in Lo range with rear diff lock on and auto is even better. I have even seen them fitted with small tractor tyres (off road use only)
Mine is SWB and the only fault I can find is dog has to sit on the deer on way home (I permanantly removed the rear seats in mine) I would buy another in a heartbeat

where you based ryan ???

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Originally Posted by gonetropo

where you based ryan ???

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Waaaaay down south

bugga!! otherwise would have done it for you

If i lived close id do it for you. If you get stuck i could talk you through it on the phone its prerty easy

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Attachment 159969
Here ya go Ryan save you getting a saw neck:thumbsup:

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Originally Posted by Sideshow

Attachment 159969
Here ya go Ryan save you getting a saw neck:thumbsup:

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or a sore one :P

anyways ryan pm me ifff yooo gettt kunfuzed

If there is a sticker in japanese, probably on the rear outside of the paj, it is a winter pack. This can be of several specs. It can mean two batteries, bigger alternator, better insulation, heated mirrors and heater in the bottom of the windscreen
Yours could have some or all of these if you have that sticker.
There are cheap as wiring kits for lightbars with switches and relays etc.
The one I got 4 years ago with the light bar, was a simple on/off. Lead off the battery and switch stuck to the dash.
I thought that was wrong as normal driving lights had to off or only come on when high beam is on, so I bridged a power wire out of the high beam wire at the plug.
Now you can the same loom that plugs In there and does it easy peasy. 30 bucks probably, not worth buying the bits unless you have them of course.
I can still turn it off independently
Always get a warrant but yes it seems to depend on the garage.
Just to be a downer, if it's done over 200k, there is the potential to do a head gasket, and if you are in there do the timing chain.
BUT first up, if you dont know history, do the waterpump, stat and at least get the radiator cleaned possibly replaced and flush the bejeebus out of the cooling circuit

Attachment 159983

Pretty basic, don't forget to fuse the circuits.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/2967904482

Heaps of them like this for under 15 bucks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by csmiffy

If there is a sticker in japanese, probably on the rear outside of the paj, it is a winter pack. This can be of several specs. It can mean two batteries, bigger alternator, better insulation, heated mirrors and heater in the bottom of the windscreen
Yours could have some or all of these if you have that sticker.
There are cheap as wiring kits for lightbars with switches and relays etc.
The one I got 4 years ago with the light bar, was a simple on/off. Lead off the battery and switch stuck to the dash.
I thought that was wrong as normal driving lights had to off or only come on when high beam is on, so I bridged a power wire out of the high beam wire at the plug.
Now you can the same loom that plugs In there and does it easy peasy. 30 bucks probably, not worth buying the bits unless you have them of course.
I can still turn it off independently
Always get a warrant but yes it seems to depend on the garage.
Just to be a downer, if it's done over 200k, there is the potential to do a head gasket, and if you are in there do the timing chain.
BUT first up, if you dont know history, do the waterpump, stat and at least get the radiator cleaned possibly replaced and flush the bejeebus out of the cooling circuit

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Despite being fine I've done headgasket, water pump, new radiator and new/recon alternator on the engine, have also cleaned out intercooler and deleted egr on it. Mainly for peace of mind, it seems the achilles heel of a lot of diesels of the era is cooling problems leading to warped heads or blown headgasket so hopefully she's good to go for another 200,000 now

Mate that's the idea. All of those vintage trucks with cast blocks and alloy heads suffer the same thing.
Too many heat cycles and the head gaskets go.
Hope the timing chain, adjuster and guides were ok but can be done with the head on I think.
Make sure the fan clutch works properly too and fit an aftermarket temp gauge. The oem ones are notoriously slow to read high levels
They go pretty well.
If it's the electronic fuel pump you cant do much to that side of it, if mechanical there is a couple of tricks.
Big one getting some more boost.
Some washers behind the wastegate mounts can get them up to 15psi pretty easily if it isnt there already.
Mine had 4 tops.
Egt gauge is pretty important too if you start to get cranky

Just for Ryan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AULohdmr7iE

Quote:

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Originally Posted by csmiffy

Mate that's the idea. All of those vintage trucks with cast blocks and alloy heads suffer the same thing.
Too many heat cycles and the head gaskets go.
Hope the timing chain, adjuster and guides were ok but can be done with the head on I think.
Make sure the fan clutch works properly too and fit an aftermarket temp gauge. The oem ones are notoriously slow to read high levels
They go pretty well.
If it's the electronic fuel pump you cant do much to that side of it, if mechanical there is a couple of tricks.
Big one getting some more boost.
Some washers behind the wastegate mounts can get them up to 15psi pretty easily if it isnt there already.
Mine had 4 tops.
Egt gauge is pretty important too if you start to get cranky

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Yea I didn't replace any of that as it had all been done at 200 anyhow, and yeap would be able to do it with head on, could have damn near done the head gasket with the engine still in the truck but I couldn't get the rear head studs out so slipped it off the bellhousing, unbolted the downpipe and pulled the whole thing forward while I had the old radiator etc out and had the room, saved taking it right out, whether that was the right way to do it or not I'm not sure but I got there in the end. Aim is not to spend a tonne of money on this vehicle but at the same time want a reliable rig that's capable of being a hunt taxi in most situations. I'm currently eyeing up tyre options for it, I have a rear spring lift kit for it and with the torsion wound up and ball joints flipped I reckon it would have plenty of room to run an aggressive 32, it would probably run them as it is but may run into problems with certain steering and flex angles in the front, the tyres on it currently are the good old Kumho KL71s (31s) but they're at the end of their life, had a set on my hilux a few years back and was really impressed with them on and off road, were nice and quiet on the road and very good manners for an MT but damn they wore quick!

Some of the all knowing guys I deal with dont recommend the ball joint flip.
2.8 had a 50mm factory over the 2
5s. Some can get to run 33s with minimal effort others have to do extra.
A certain type of nissan spring and a torsion bar re index does wonders apparently.
Strange you couldnt get the head bolts out.
Had my head off twice no dramas.
Also look out for blow by. They are notorious.
There is a dorky little internal catch can in the rocker cover.
If it has the sintered filters they get blocked and you start blowing oil into the intake.
The later 90s models have small drilled plates in there instead.
Bit of a mish pulling it to bits but very doable and worth qhile

Quote:

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Originally Posted by csmiffy

Some of the all knowing guys I deal with dont recommend the ball joint flip.
2.8 had a 50mm factory over the 2
5s. Some can get to run 33s with minimal effort others have to do extra.
A certain type of nissan spring and a torsion bar re index does wonders apparently.
Strange you couldnt get the head bolts out.
Had my head off twice no dramas.
Also look out for blow by. They are notorious.
There is a dorky little internal catch can in the rocker cover.
If it has the sintered filters they get blocked and you start blowing oil into the intake.
The later 90s models have small drilled plates in there instead.
Bit of a mish pulling it to bits but very doable and worth qhile

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Yaah I'd agree with that
theres only 2 weak parts I've found Ryan and thats the CVs and the ball joints
I am/was running 35s but still its a well known weakness

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I've done a bit more searching round some 4wd forums and seems it will be fine and have plenty of lift and still be able to do a wheel alignment without having to flip the ball joints. Read some horror stories about the bolt that goes through the ball joint giving way whilst on the road with the flipped ball joint mod done and it doesn't sound pretty. I'm going to re index the torsions this weekend so I can just adjust them and have plenty of travel to play with once new tyres are on

I had this issue with my last Terrano. The light bar had to be hard wired into its own switch in the cab, completely separate from the headlights. As previously mentioned it is set up as a “work” light. I just got a wiring loom from kings, was simple as and came with its own relay and fuse. Keep it simple I reckon.
If you go twin spots they can only come on with the high beam (also switched independently inside the cab). Again just buy a pre made wiring loom. This time they just piggy back off the high beam lamp connection to feed the relay.
Depending on where you get the looms they are about $50 each? Yeah you could probably make up a set for cheaper than that, but it just makes it so easy and quick. My 2¢