People who like to explore the bush do so with a vehicle that makes it both possible and enjoyable. 4X4 vehicles are the best when it comes to off-roading since they provide the necessary traction and acceleration to get you out of muddy hills and wet sandy areas. Although 4×4’s are made to be driven off-road you still need to equip yours with certain accessories to make it ready for the challenges ahead.
LED light bars are some of the most needed 4×4 accessories when going off-roading, especially at night. Automotive LED light bars provide a more powerful light that can beam across long distances. This is extremely useful when driving in an area unknown to you. You have many lighting options with LED light bars, and you also get to install a more efficient and environmentally friendly option.
How to Install LED Light Bar in Car
Prepare
To install an LED bar 4×4, you need to first prepare your vehicle. This includes disconnecting your car battery to avoid shorting it. To do this remove the ground terminal first and then the positive one. All LED light bars Australia wide require that you disconnect the battery no matter how powerful or weak of a beam they have. With your 4×4 turned off and the battery disconnected get your LED light bar and start by choosing the location where you want to have it installed.
Installation
1. When you’re done prepping, you should then start with the installation by figuring where the holes for the fasteners should be. To do that you need to ensure that you’ve marked the holes with the light bar placed in the exact location. Make sure the holes are not placed anywhere where rainwater would be able to enter inside the vehicle.
2. You should also avid drilling the holes through any other vehicle parts so you don’t end up buying new ones afterwards. You should mark the holes with a marker. Then, just start drilling. Keep in mind that you should centre punch the holes before you start drilling to prevent the drill bit from moving around as it starts to spin.
3. Once the holes have been made, mount the LED bar 4×4 using the provided nuts and bolts. Avoid using self-tapping screws unless they are one way only. Make sure you incorporate a flat washer under the head of each bolt and each nut. You should also consider including a lock washer which should be closest to the nut.
4. Do not tighten the bolts down for now, as you’ll need to do adjustments later in the installation process. Next, comes the wiring which is essentially setting up the light bar so it works properly when you turn it on. This is why you disconnected the battery in the first place.
Wiring
1. To set up your automotive LED light bars you need to first detach the switch wire segment coming from the main harness. Once you detach the switch wire segment, you then need to route it through the firewall so it reaches the dashboard.
2. When you’ve found the preferred location for the switch, get some double-sided tape and place the switch somewhere on the dashboard where it won’t get in the way of things. After you’ve done that, reconnect the other end of the wiring line of the switch to the wiring harness.
3. Some LED light bars Australia wide are made so that you need to use a bracket to mount them under the dash, usually with some screws. But you don’t need to worry about this since the majority of manufacturers do provide the bracket. If you want to place the switch in an existing blank switch plug, then you won’t need a bracket.
4. After you’ve connected the switch and placed it where you want, you then typically need to position the relay and cables. You can bolt down the relay anywhere you want on the firewall under one condition – as long as it’s close to the battery. After you’ve done all that, connect the positive (red) terminal of the battery and then ground the negative (black) terminal by attaching it to the chassis.
5. Make sure the wiring in the engine bay is neatly tucked away so that it is not exposed to heat. You can find open connection points in some newer vehicles on the fuse panel which makes it easier to neatly store away the wiring. The tidier the wiring the better it is for you.
6. Once you’re done connecting and putting away the wiring you then need to wire the rest of the wires on the harness. These wires are usually the connectors for the LED light bar. You should run them to the light bar and hook them up to it by matching the same coloured wires together.
7. When you have everything connected properly, tighten the bolts that you left earlier on and make sure the angle of the bar is properly adjusted. Double-check every connection and test your light before you close shop to fix any issues while you still have all your tools laying around.
