AuxBeam Pods

What AuxBeam Pods Are

AuxBeam Pods are compact auxiliary LED lights designed to add targeted illumination where factory headlights fall short. Most models use 2‑pin Deutsch-style connectors, cast aluminum housings, and weather sealing suited for off-road and utility use. They mount cleanly on A-pillars, bumpers, roof racks, and rear hatches to cover distance, side scenes, or reversing.

When to Choose AuxBeam Pods

• Night trail driving or rural roads where you need distance lighting without a bulky bar.
• Work, towing, or camping where wide, close-in light is more useful than throw.
• Vehicles with limited mounting space—pods fit into grille or bumper openings.
• Modular builds that start small (ditch lights) and expand (rear floods, side scenes).

Beam Patterns & Use Cases

• Spot: Tight, long-range beams for A-pillars or bumper when you need to see down-trail. Use off-highway to avoid glare for other drivers.
• Flood/Scene: Wide, close-in light for reversing, campsite, or job sites. Mount low/rear or on rack sides.
• Combo: Balanced throw and spread for mixed road/trail use (off-road).
• SAE-style Fog: Lower, cut-off pattern for poor weather. Mount in the bumper and aim conservatively for road legality where applicable.

Placement & Aiming

• A-pillars (ditch lights): Aim 10–15° outward and 3–5° down to catch shoulders and wildlife without hood glare.
• Front bumper: Use combo/spot for distance and fog optics for weather. Keep pairs symmetric; avoid blocking sensors.
• Rack sides: Angle floods to overlap slightly for even scene lighting.
• Rear bumper/hatch: Aim floods 5–10° down to light trailers/driveways without blinding others.

Quick fog aim: On level ground, park 25 ft from a wall. Set the top of the bright zone ~4–6 in below the center height of the fog pods.

Wiring & Control

Pods draw modest current, but wire them like any auxiliary light for reliability and safety.

• Relays/switch panels: Use a fused relay harness or a quality switch panel. Trigger relays with low-current circuits (e.g., high-beam, reverse) rather than powering pods directly from factory wiring.
• Fusing: Size at 125–150% of steady current for the circuit. Place the fuse within 6–12 in of the power source.
• Wire gauge: Keep voltage drop under ~3%. For typical pairs of pods:

  Up to ~5 A	16–18 AWG (short runs), 16 AWG preferred
  6–10 A	16 AWG (short), 14 AWG for longer runs
  11–15 A	14 AWG
  16–25 A	12 AWG

• Grounds: Use clean chassis grounds or run a dedicated ground back to the battery/panel.
• Connectors: Seat Deutsch pins fully; a single backed-out pin causes intermittent outages.

Integrating With Modern Vehicles (CANBUS)

• Trigger only: Use factory signals (high-beam, reverse, ignition) to switch a relay coil via add-a-fuse. Do not power pods directly from BCM-controlled circuits.
• Backfeed protection: Add a diode if tying into circuits like reverse to prevent feedback when manually switching pods.
• Error avoidance: If a tap causes warnings, move the trigger to a non-monitored circuit or use a dedicated switch panel.

Noise & Interference

• Route power away from antenna/coax and ECU harnesses; cross at 90° if needed.
• Improve grounds and add ferrite chokes near the pods or panel if you hear radio static.
• Use braided loom and secure with P-clamps to prevent vibration-induced noise or wear.

Runtime & Power Planning

Estimate runtime by dividing usable battery capacity (Ah) by total current (A). Example: Two 20 W pods ≈ 40 W ÷ 13.2 V ≈ 3.0 A. A 60 Ah battery (≈ 30 Ah usable to 50% SOC when parked) yields about 10 hours. Leave margin for cold temps and other loads; plan 7–9 hours in real use.

Installation Checklist

1. Choose optics for the job (spot for distance, flood for work, fog for weather).
2. Confirm brackets/clearances (A-pillar, bumper, rack) and sensor compatibility.
3. Select wiring: individual fused harnesses or a central switch panel with per-channel limits.
4. Add amber lenses/covers for dust/snow and protective covers where required by law.
5. Label harness legs and photograph routing for future maintenance.

Alternatives

• Light bar: Better single-piece coverage on wide open terrain; less modular, may add glare.
• SAE/DOT fog lights: If you need strictly road-legal fog performance, choose certified fog units for the bumper position.

FAQ

Bottom Line

AuxBeam Pods provide targeted, modular lighting that scales with your build. Pick the right optics, mount thoughtfully, and wire with relays, proper fusing, and good grounds for bright, quiet, and reliable results.