Whelen 45B52 User Manual

ENGINEERING COMPANY INC.

51 Winthrop Road Chester, Connecticut 06412-0684

Installation Guide:

4500 Series Lightbar

Phone: (860) 526-9504 Fax: (860) 526-4078 Internet: www.whelen.com Sales e-mail: autosale@whelen.com Canadian Sales e-mail: canadiansales@whelen.com Customer Service e-mail: custserv@whelen.com

Safety First

This document provides all the necessary information to allow your Whelen product to be properly and safely installed. Before beginning the installation and/or operation of your new product, the installation technician and operator must read this manual completely. Important information is contained herein that could prevent serious injury or damage.

• Proper installation of this product requires the installer to have a good understanding of automotive electronics, systems and procedures.

• Whelen Engineering recommends the use of waterproof butt splices and/or connectors if that connector could be exposed to moisture.

• Failure to use specified installation parts and/or hardware will void the product warranty!

• If mounting this product requires drilling holes, the installer MUST be sure that no vehicle components or other vital parts could be damaged by the drilling process. Check both sides of the mounting surface before drilling begins. Also de-burr any holes and remove any metal shards or remnants. Install grommets into all wire passage holes.

• If this manual states that this product may be mounted with suction cups, magnets, tape or Velcro®, clean the mounting surface with a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and water and dry thoroughly.

• Do not install this product or route any wires in the deployment area of your air bag. Equipment mounted or located in the air bag deployment area will damage or reduce the effectiveness of the air bag, or become a projectile that could cause serious personal injury or death. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual for the air bag deployment area. The User/Installer assumes full responsibility to determine proper mounting location, based on providing ultimate safety to all passengers inside the vehicle.

• For this product to operate at optimum efficiency, a good electrical connection to chassis ground must be made. The recommended procedure requires the product ground wire to be connected directly to the NEGATIVE (-) battery post.

• If this product uses a remote device to activate or control this product, make sure that this control is located in an area that allows both the vehicle and the control to be operated safely in any driving condition.

• Do not attempt to activate or control this device in a hazardous driving situation.

• This product contains either strobe light(s), halogen light(s), high-intensity LEDs or a combination of these lights. Do not stare directly into these lights. Momentary blindness and/or eye damage could result.

• Use only soap and water to clean the outer lens. Use of other chemicals could result in premature lens cracking (crazing) and discoloration. Lenses in this condition have significantly reduced effectiveness and should be replaced immediately. Inspect and operate this product regularly to confirm its proper operation and mounting condition. Do not use a pressure washer to clean this product.

• It is recommended that these instructions be stored in a safe place and referred to when performing maintenance and/or reinstallation of this product.

• FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE SAFETY PRECAUTIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE TO THE PRODUCT OR VEHICLE AND/OR SERIOUS INJURY TO YOU AND YOUR PASSENGERS!

Automotive: Lightbars

For warranty information regarding this product, visit www.whelen.com/warranty

Page 1

Lighthead mounting holes, fit onto raised bosses on mounting bracket.

LED LIGHTHEAD

STROBE LIGHTHEAD

Clips on bracket snap over edge of lighthead.

Fig. 4

Rotator base sits on tape

Rotator base sits

on tape

Rotator Removal and Installation

Rotator base sits on tape

Tape

Fastex Grommet

Side View

TAPE

Fig. 3

Screws thread into fastex grommet that is inserted into base.

IMPORTANT! The lightbar should be located a minimum of 16" from any radio antennas!

Removal and Installation of Lens and Lenscap

Fig. 2

Remove screws from end of lenscap

Remove screws and lens

retainer, then remove

lens or lenscap

LENS RETAINER

MOUNTING BRACKET

Fig. 1

Mounting the Lightbar

to the vehicle

3/8" X 16 HEX NUT

3/8" LOCKWASHER

3/8" FLATWASHER

3/8 -16 X 1-1/4 STEP BOLT

Installation:

Note: When routing wires, it is important to choose a path that will keep them away from

excessive heat or any vehicle equipment that could compromise the wires integrity.

1. This lightbar mounts with 1-1/4” bolts extending from the rear of the housing. Position the unit in its exact mounting location and use an awl or other suitable tool to scribe the areas to be drilled (Fig. 1).

2. Remove the lightbar. Using a drill bit sized for a 3/8” step bolt, drill a hole in each of the areas scribed in step 1. Return the lightbar to its mounting location and secure it to the vehicle with supplied hardware.

Wiring:

WARNING: All Customer supplied wires that connect to the positive terminal of the battery must be sized to supply at least 125% of the maximum operating current and FUSED at the battery to carry that load. DO NOT USE CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH THIS PRODUCT!

IMPORTANT! All Positive input wires must be individually fused. Due to the large number of possible configurations, each with their own fusing requirements, it is the installation technician's responsibility to determine the maximum current draw for each input wire and fuse that wire at 125% of that value.

Servicing your lightbar:

NOTE: Before opening your lightbar for service or repair always be sure to Disconnect the lightbar from it’s power source. (See strobe light warning below.)

Lens or Lenscap: Removal or Installation

1.To remove a lenscap, remove the 2 screws from the end of the lenscap, and the 2

screws from the opposite side that thread through the lens retainer into the lighthead mounting bracket. Pull the lenscap off (Fig. 2).

2.To remove a lens, remove the 4 phillips head screws that thread through the lens

retainer into the lighthead mounting bracket and then pull the lens off.

lightbar’s harness by unplugging the Amp 2 position pin connector. NOTE: It is easier to remove the existing rotator from the extrusion if the reflector is facing the front of the lightbar (Fig. 3).

4. Loosen the two screws that secure the rotator base to the extrusion (2 or 3 turns) and lift the rear of the

rotator base then remove the rotator from the extrusion.

Installation of a New Rotator:

1. Remove any adhesive tape on the lightbar base left from the old rotator.

2. Remove the backing from the piece of 2-sided tape and apply it to the lightbar base in the same location as the previous tape (Fig. 3).

3. Plug the new rotator into the old rotator’s harness plug.

4. Place the new rotator inside the extrusion in the same area the old rotator was removed from but don’t tighten the screws yet.

5. Remove the backing from the tape and press the rotator base down onto the lightbar base firmly, being careful not pinch any wires between the base

and extrusion, then tighten the mounting screws.

6. Reconnect lightbar to power and test for proper operation then return any lenscaps or lenses you had to remove.

Removing an Existing Rotator:

1. Disconnect the lightbar from power.

WAR NIN G: For lightbars with strobe lights, wait a minimum of 10 minutes before proceeding.

2. Remove the lens or lenscap in front of the rotator you wish to replace.

3. Disconnect the rotator from the

Servicing Lightheads: Strobe, Halogen or LED

WARNING: The strobe light power supply is a high voltage device. Do not touch or remove the strobe tube assembly while in operation. Wait 10 minutes after disconnecting the unit from its power source before starting any work or trouble shooting.

Removal and Installation

1. Disconnect the lightbar from it’s power source.

2. To remove the lighthead, first remove the lens or lenscap necessary to access the lighthead you wish to service or replace.

Page 2

CORNER STROBE SUPPORT BRACKET

SCREW, #6 X 3/8" PPHSMS

LIGHTHEAD

TAB

#6 FASTEX SCREW GROMMETS

(Install into lightbar base)

END OF LIGHTBAR

Bracket slides

into lightbar

LIGHTBAR BASE

Fastex

grommet

Clips snap over edge of lighthead.

CORNER STROBE

Snap Lighthead mtg. holes onto bosses on bracket.

Snap

Lighthead mtg. holes

onto

bosses on bracket.

Fig. 5

Snap Lighthead mtg. holes onto bosses on bracket.

Fig. 7

Load Light

Mounting Bracket

Slide grommets into base

A Single light MR11 bracket (each side) is mounted in the single and the center hole of the bottom 3 holes.

A Double light MR11 bracket (center mount) is mounted in the single and center hole of the top 3 holes.

SIDE VIEW

OF BRACKET

Front

Single hole

400 Linear Split LED with MR11 Load Light / TA only

Fig. 8

Side view / Base Extrusion

Housing snaps into base extrusion

Housing is then secured to base using supplied screws

Halogen, Strobe or LED Lighthead

(

New style housing

)

3. Now pull the clips back on the mounting bracket that secure the lighthead as

Fig. 6

Options secure to fastex grommets inserted into extrusion.

Installing Options into Extrusion

you lift the lighthead off of the raised bosses on the bracket (Fig. 4).

4. Being careful not to pull out any wires, lift the lighthead out of the lightbar base, disconnect its connector from the lightbar wiring harness, then lift the lighthead out of the lightbar.

5. To reinstall the lighthead, plug the lightheads connector into the lightbar, snap it back into the brackets and replace any lenses or lenscaps you removed.

Corner Strobe / Removal:

1. Disconnect the lightbar from it’s power source and remove the endcap in front of

the lighthead you wish to replace or service (See strobe warning).

2. Spread the ends of the corner strobe support bracket (A) apart to disengage it

from the tab on the lighthead, and lift this end of the lighthead out (Fig. 5).

3. Pull the clips back on the mounting bracket (B) as you lift the lighthead off of

the two raised bosses on the bracket, then carefully lift the lighthead out of the lightbar base and disconnect the power cord (C), and remove the lighthead from the lightbar.

Corner Strobe / Installation:

1. Plug the lighthead into the wiring harness (C).

2. Insert the end of the bracket into the 2 bosses, and snap the side of the lighthead into the clips in the bracket (B), then

snap the lighthead tab into the corner strobe support bracket (A) and replace the endcap. Reconnect to power.

Halogen Lighthead, Load Light / Rear Facing / Removal:

1. Disconnect the lightbar from it’s power source and remove the lens and/or endcap in front of the lighthead you wish to service.

2. Unscrew the 4 lens screws which hold the lighthead to its 2 brackets (Fig 6).

3. Disconnect the lighthead from power, then remove the lighthead from the lightbar.

Halogen Lighthead, Load Light / Rear Facing / Installation:

1. Plug the lightheads connector into the lightbar harness.

2. Attach the lighthead (and lens) to its mounting brackets using the lens screws you removed.

3. Replace the lightbar lenses or endcaps and the installation is complete.

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