How To Install Led Light Bar On ATV
Almost all the ATVs you can buy nowadays come with headlights of heavy and non-heavy intensity lights. But the presence of additional LED lights can help in a broader vision of the surroundings helping you to understand the trail much better. All-Terrain vehicles are meant to be ridden in different types of off-road trails like forests trails, hills, mud-ridden tracks, and even in deserts.
So if you start your trail ride in the morning with your GPS device it is very likely it would take much more time after sunset to reach the end of the terrain.
Why are LEDs Required on ATVs ?
In forest trails, there are lots of shrubs and blocks which are not easily seen with the headlights only.
So if you have an LED light in your atv it would not only give you a broader picture but boost your confidence as well. The LEDs also make the ATV look much more dominant and powerful making it stand out among other ATVs.
Many ATV riders across the globe are adopting the trend of having extra led light bars on the vehicle fitted in the correct places to provide extra visibility and popularity of the ATV among ATV riders groups.
What to check before buying LED light for ATV
Before you think about the question of how to install a led light bar on an atv, there remain a few steps that you need to look into first. Experts always suggest buying the led light bar with some considerations. One of the prime considerations remains that of warranty, never buy a cheap led bar that has no manufacturing warranty.
The other fact which needs to be checked while buying is whether the led light bar is totally sealed or not. If the casing package all around is not proper there remains a high chance of water or mud getting inside, damaging the led bar completely.
Why choosing an led light bar is the right choice
A few years ago when LED was not an option yet people chose other types of lights for their vehicle as to the requirement and the use of extra light equipment was always there. As the power source of the lights was hooked up to the vehicle. Often it would take out a chunk of the ATV or UTVs power and would cause trouble in the trail ride.
The light-emitting diodes are fully electronic-based and are much lower in cost than other lights. The genuine irony is they consume very little power and provide a great intensity of light. The LEDs have successfully replaced the large halogen lights which consumed a lot of power and were dull in looks.
ATV LED Options
The inefficiency of other light options has made the led light bar the ideal choice for ATV riders. The other style advantage that you have is that the LEDs are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes to perfectly fit with the ATV model.
The color options and intensity options are excellent when talking about LED light bars. You get the LEDs in your favorite color and fix them on the vehicle in the right spots to make your vehicle look more unique and customized according to your style and preferences. A lot of led light bars even come with a special color-changing option.
This is allowed by the electronic setup of the LEDs and the programs which are installed for the operation. If hunting is legal in your state then hunters would love this light setup where they can change the color according to the animal’s visibility and use the colors the animal might be blind to.
The common choices for fitting an LED on the ATV come as in the front, in between the space of headlights, or on the top of the vehicle if the ATV or UTV model comes with a roof-like structure.
Many riders out of enthusiasm might get more than one led light bar in a space of ATV but it would be unnecessary and overwhelming. Too much would seem like a party vehicle and you would feel quite odd with it in the middle of deserted trails.
The installation process initiation
When you have finally bought a good quality led light bar from the market you might be wondering about how to install a led light bar on an atv. Many would prefer to take their ATV to a mechanic garage and get it fixed by an expert. But there isn’t an absolute need for that, you can install the led light bar yourself by following a set of simple steps.
You can save some precious money and time for yourself by diving into the initiative of DIY.
DIY Installation of LED Light on ATV
The basic steps
After parking your ATV in a suitable spot preferably a spot like your personal garage the first task will be to identify the right spot based on your design where the led light bar can be fixed easily and sturdily. The spot you choose will the dominant factor in determining how firmly and strongly the led light bar would get mounted.
The led light bar you will buy would often come along with other required parts like a bracket, nuts, bolts, and wires. Along with these, using a wire harness would prove very effective. If it’s not present along with the led light bar then don’t be hesitant to buy one from the electrical store. Refer to the wiring diagram as well if it’s present in the manual along with the led light bar set.
Wire harness for LEDs
When you buy a wire harness along with it comes a switch, power cable, and ground cable of red and black color effectively. Using the wire harness would make you recognize the wires appropriately without getting confused. Some wire harness brands also provide the relay and extra connector wires.
Wiring with Super Bright LEDs Harness Wiring and accessories sold separately
The wiring steps are necessary for each mode for selecting and switching whichever multi beams or twin colour lights bar they use. WH-ATPs22 and ATPs must be wired. WWHP has not the obligation to fulfill all of the above requirements.
Fixing the switch and wiring it
After setting up the required parts, first, you should try to release the wire from the switch and make the switch free.Then you need to make the wire reach the dashboard of your vehicle through the firewall unit. Select a proper spot from where you can easily access it all the time. Along with the help of permanent glue, fix the switch at the spot.
Then you need to reconnect the other end of the wire. The setup is already present with the switch you need to just fix it likewise, very little work is present in this portion. Remember that the wires would go to the ATV battery.
You can use any other system as well which will provide the power.
Connecting the actual LED light bar
Use a drill to make appropriate holes for the bolts to get fixed. Using a marker for marking the spots for the hole is quite necessary. Some errors in the measurement will leave your ATV with extra holes in the body. Then you need to install the slider of the led light bar with the help of bolts.
Followed by the bracket getting fixed with the led bar and sliding the whole bracketed light into the slider. Now it will be time to fix the bolts, carefully put in the bolts while holding the setup as well. In this step, it would be best if you have someone to hold the led light bar setup with you.
The remaining wiring
Ensure that you have enough cable for proper connection of the light bar with the relay bypassing the switch to the power provider. The positive cable red in color would get attached to the positive terminal or red terminal present in the ATV battery.
The black wire can go into the ground or negative terminal of the battery but otherwise, you can connect it to the chassis as well for grounding purposes. You might notice after the wiring setup that some wire is being excess, no need to detach all wires all to make it shorter, just put the excess part along the bay of the engine.
Harnessing and testing
The picture given above would help you a lot in understanding the wiring connection very well.In the end, properly connect the led light bar positive negative points to the wires and do not connect the other end to the battery yet. After doing some adjustments to the light bar brackets you can complete the wire connection totally.
Test the system by putting the switch in on mode and then put it off again. After starting your ATV then test the setup again. If it works fine you have done a great job and acquired a new skill. If something is wrong and the led doesn’t shine then go back to the manual and check the wiring for mistakes.
Conclusion
Setting up a LED light bar in your ATV would provide extra visibility and make your trail rides much more comfortable and easier. Connecting the led light bar is not so complicated as you might have already guessed so trying it yourself would be a great opportunity to learn and become more skillful. If you follow the manual which comes in the box of the led light bar well enough there won’t be any mistakes. By reading all the points mentioned above will make the setup much easier for you.
