Whelen TA4437M User Manual

®

ENGINEERING COMPANY INC.

51 Winthrop Road
Chester, Connecticut 06412-0684
Phone: [phone]

Traffic Advisor™ Systems

Models: TA4437A, TA4437M, TA4437L

Installation Guide:

Fax: [phone]
Internet: www.whelen.com
Sales e-mail: [e-mail]
Canadian Sales e-mail: [e-mail]
Customer Service e-mail: [e-mail]

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.

• 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. Lens 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: Traffic Advisor

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

©2002 Whelen Engineering Company Inc.
Form No.13701D (100406)

Page 1

Installation: Mounting the Traffic Advisor™

Note: The mounting procedure shown here uses the optionally available
mounting kit. If this kit is not used, it is the customers responsibility to
determine the best mounting method/style for their specific application.

1. Remove the two lower brackets of the mounting feet from the mounting kit
and secure them to the upper brackets with the supplied hardware (Fig.

1).

2. Slide mounting feet to their desired position inside the groove in the
extrusion and secure with supplied hardware.

3. Loosen the hex nuts holding the upper and lower brackets together and
place the T/A in the desired position on the proposed mounting surface.
Adjust the lower brackets of the mounting feet to rest firmly on the
mounting surface and trace the outline of these brackets onto that
surface. If the T/A power cable is to pass through the mounting surface,
be sure to mark the area for this passage hole.

Fig. 1

NOTE: Upper bracket of mounting feet slide inside

groove, and can be positioned to fit requirements.

NOTE: The mounting brackets feature 2
holes that can be used when assembling the
lower and upper brackets together to position
the light array assembly at 2 different heights.

MOUNTING SURFACE

#10-24 X 1-1/4"

PPH MACHINE SCREW

1/4" SPLIT

LOCKWASHER

1/4-20 X 7/16"

HEX NUT

4. Remove the T/A from the mounting surface and separate the lower
brackets of the mounting feet from the upper brackets. Align the lower
brackets with the outlines traced in the previous step and trace the
mounting hole locations onto the mounting surface. Make sure that the

lower bracket is facing in the same direction as it was when it was
outlined on the mounting surface in step 3.

5. Examine the back side of the mounting surface to insure that no damage
will occur when drilling the mounting holes. Drill the mounting holes with a
7/32” drill. If a wire passage hole has been marked, drill the hole using a
drill bit sized for the cable and a rubber grommet (customer supplied).

6. Secure the lower brackets to the mounting surface.

7. Lower the T/A assembly onto the two lower brackets and secure both
brackets together with the supplied mounting hardware. Before tightening
the upper and lower brackets together, adjust the T/A to an angle best
suited to its mounting location.

8. Slide the cable through the wire passage hole and route the cable to the
control head mounting location. Refer to your control head manual for
wiring.

Fig. 2

1/4-20 X 3/4" HEX
HEAD SCREW

1/4" INTERNAL TOOTH
LOCK WASHER

#14 X 1/2" PHILLIPS PH
"A" POINT SMS

1/4" EX. TOOTH
LOCKWASHER

MOUNTING
BRACKET

#10-24 WHIZ NUT

MOUNTING SURFACE

Wiring:

CAUTION: Do not connect the T/A System to power until the installation
is completed. When servicing or troubleshooting always disconnect it
from the power source.

Refer to the wiring diagram on the last page and wire as shown.

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!

Servicing the Light Array:

1. Disconnect the lightbar from the power source and remove the end cap
on the side that you wish to replace the lighthead.

2. Slide the lighthead you wish to replace out of the base (Fig. 3).

LAMP 1

Fig. 3

splice and install new lighthead with new butt splices.

Cut old lighthead from wire harness at butt

LAMP 2 LAMP 3

LAMP 4

3. Cut the wires off of the old lighthead (removing the old butt splice).
Then, using a new butt splice, install the new lighthead then slide the
lighthead(s) back into the base.

NOTE: Replacing a lens or halogen bulb does not require
removing the lighthead.

Halogen Bulb Replacement:

1. Remove the two lens screws and remove the lens.

CAUTION: To avoid personal injury, do not replace the lamp with your
fingers. Use the lamp replacement tool supplied with spare lamp kits.

CAUTION: Replacing any bulb requires the use of safety glasses. Do
not handle the bulb with bare hands. Use gloves.

2. Be sure the power is turned off. Locate the removal tool included with

your new bulb. Use the small end of the tool to lift the base of the bulb
assembly away from the socket until the bulb is free. Use either of the
methods shown in Figure 2, depending upon application. Use a pliers to
hold the tool and aid bulb removal.

3. Insert the alignment tab of the new bulb into the bulb holder and press

firmly into socket to lock the new bulb into place.

4. Wipe any finger prints from the glass bulb with a soft cloth or tissue.

Replace lens and lens retaining screws.

Page 2