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Old 02-22-2022, 07:08 PM   #2
shorod
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Re: Inquiries about connecting a LED headlight to my car

You will need to know what LED light you are going to use before selecting a fuse and really before determining if your wiring diagram is appropriate. If you just use an un-focused LED strip you won't achieve better night driving vision. You'll also want to use something that's DOT approved and not just for off-road use, unless you will ONLY use the light when there is no other traffic around.

LED lights typically draw less current that filament bulbs of similar lumen output, but they still may draw more current than your switch is rated for. A safer approach would likely be to install a relay with fused power near the lights, which hopefully is also near the battery. And then I'd recommend powering the switch with power that is only "hot" when the ignition is powered.

If you go with an LED that is rated for something other than 12V, then you're go with either a current limiting power resistor or a boost converter, depending on the voltage. That's not worth your time, and if you did go that route, I'm pretty certain you'd be using something that is not DOT approved. So I'd suggest you not even consider something other than a 12V rated LED light system for the application you described.

-Rod
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