Side lights

[awdwill]

Has anyone tried to install regular light bulbs or LED lights into the empty side lights on the front of People S 200? Could you give me some tips on how to do that? I am interested in transforming them into either turn signals or just supplementary headlights.

[scosgt]

There are no sockets in mine. I don't think there would be a problem tapping into the wiring, but you need to add some kind of socket. A stick on LED might work. It is a PITA to get to them as well.

[awdwill]

thanks for the good idea. I think i'll use an LED strip. hope that doesn't look too crappy after i am done!

[scosgt]

Contact Admore Lighting. They are on the net.
They have all weather LED strips, and strips that can be cut down to fit into an area.
You need theirs, the ones in stores are a joke. Theirs are cheap and BRIGHT

[awdwill]

Thank you for the help. I actually am very amateurish as you can see.

Say if I want connect the LED so that when I turn on the ignition, they are on all the time, and when i turn off, they go off and stop draining battery. How should I "tap" the wiring? Do I connect the (+)wire of LED to the (+)wire of headlight? And then do I connect the (-)wire of LED to the (-)lead of battery?

Is there a way to set it up so that (1) the headlight wouldn't be dimmed because of this, and (2) I don't cause FIRE!

thanks for helping out with such questions...

[scosgt]

Do NOT connect to the headlights since they are AC!!!

Tap into the running lights circuit.

[abobotek]

Do NOT connect to the headlights since they are AC!!!

Tap into the running lights circuit.

The lights on an S200 (and nearly all modern motor vehicles) are all DC powered.  Note, however, that the headlights are dimmed at low RPMs by the headlight controller.  So you might want to tap the tail or position light circuits.  The wiring diagram is posted in a few places on the Internet.  It's an ideal reference for this type of modding.

[scosgt]

You REALLY should stop giving out wrong information. The headlights on the S 200 are AC repeat AC. They run directly off the AC GENERATOR. They DO NOT light up with the ignition. They ONLY light with the engine running. Because they are AC and run off the AC GENERATOR.

Just look at the wiring diagram in the service manual. They dim on low idle, but it is a controlled dim to save power because the AC GENERATOR does not put out enough power at low idle.

[awdwill]

Set it up so that, with a the $28 LED lights from Amazon.com, the side lights function only when the electricity is turned on; off when the electricity is turned off. No additional switch required! Headlight not affected.

[scosgt]

What did you tap into?

[awdwill]

cuz i don't know anything about wiring and was afraid i might mess things up if i tap into the lighting circuit, i found the only easily accessible thing that can be on/off: the cigarette lighter! i was glad  that it works. So far, no dimming of any pre-existing lights, of course.

[scosgt]

The way the headllights are designed, they probably won't dim unless you REALLY add some stress.

But you really need to replace that brake light with an LED.

[JustWantToRide]

You REALLY should stop giving out wrong information. The headlights on the S 200 are AC repeat AC. They run directly off the AC GENERATOR. They DO NOT light up with the ignition. They ONLY light with the engine running. Because they are AC and run off the AC GENERATOR.

Just look at the wiring diagram in the service manual. They dim on low idle, but it is a controlled dim to save power because the AC GENERATOR does not put out enough power at low idle.

Please show a bit more respect for other forum members when you disagree with them and we will do the same when we disagree with you.

The rotor/stator setup does generate electricity as AC, but converts it to DC through the regulator before it sends it to any other part of the electrics.  The 12v headlights and everything else are DC.  If you look at section 1 page 20 - you will see that the AC generator doesn't connect to anything except the voltage regulator/rectifier.  This is normal by the way...

Kymco People S 125 200 200i

[abobotek]

You REALLY should stop giving out wrong information. The headlights on the S 200 are AC repeat AC. They run directly off the AC GENERATOR. They DO NOT light up with the ignition. They ONLY light with the engine running. Because they are AC and run off the AC GENERATOR.

Just look at the wiring diagram in the service manual. They dim on low idle, but it is a controlled dim to save power because the AC GENERATOR does not put out enough power at low idle.

The alternator (there is no generator on most modern vehicles), runs to a rectifier, where the power is converted to DC.  Once converted to DC, power goes to the headlight controller.  This is quite clearly illustrated in the wiring diagram.  

Based on input from the ignition controller, the headlight controller switches the DC power to the headlights.