aux lighting

[digglesworth]

So I have a set of off road lights on my brush guard. When I got the truck, the harness was bundled up next to the battery. Nothing was hooked up. I'm gonna see if I can't sort it out tomorrow. There's no switch or anything. I'm gonna go to radio shack and get a few switches. I plan to mount some on my future roof rack so I'll get a few matching ones. I like the ones that light up when on... Can someone give me a quick rundown on wiring? I understand the switch will have a ground plus two wires. What I'm not sure of is where the relay comes in. Do I need one? I'll post pics of what I've got when I start messin with it tomorrow. The harness looks decent. It's all wire loomed and has an inline fuse but I'm just not sure about stuff. I've seen those distribution blocks for powering accessories but I haven't installed one. I could use one cause I've put in a cb already but I wired it to the radio harness when I put in the gmos-04.... That's another topic though.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

none of the wires that go through the firewall are connected to anything. If you need power, you either need to tap from a line inside the cab (for the switch) or use one of the wires from the engine compartment to get power.

I wired mine like this:
1) I put a Ford relay on the passenger side of the truck, then ran a heavy gauge wire to it. I ran all of my lights, air compressors, etc using that as the main power.
2) I tapped the power wire for the brake controller (buried above the gas pedal and towards the passenger side) to run the stuff inside. I run relays for everything.

 

[alrock]

I have a lengthy post on here somewhere, using this picture. You need a relay as most switches (except big, ugly ones) can't handle the power needed to run lights.

Also, rather than getting generic switches consider something from www.otrattw.com.

 

[alrock]

http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...itch-for-Fog-Lights&highlight=i-NbTg5Zz-S.gif
http://www.hummer4x4offroad.com/for...ing-my-Hella-700FFs&highlight=i-NbTg5Zz-S.gif


Lights have a ground wire and a power wire
Relays manage power, as a Switch cannot take the high amperage required to power lights. Relays have four wires

1. Ground wire to chassis (#85)
2. 12V power wire to battery (#30)
3. 12V power wire from switch (#86)
4. 12V power wire to light (#87)

Switches connect/disconnect power and have three wires

1. Ground wire to chassis
2. 12V incoming power wire. This can be from battery, from a switched source (like windows), from an always on source (like 12V accessory sockets)
3. 12V outgoing power wire to switch

Switch
First, find a place for your switch (and find a switch). Many H3 owners use the blanks by the wiper control. Bigunit has the part # for the OEM switch.
Second, find a ground. I recommend running a wire to the firewall by the steering column. There are a few ground points in that area used by the factory
Third, find incoming power. I recommend tapping into the 12V accessory socket right next to where your switch will be

Relay
First, find a place to mount the relay. A good place is on the firewall inside the cab, using the studs in the firewall by the steering column
Second, run a ground. Use the same ground location as you used for the switch
Third, find power. You can't use the same power as you used for the switch as the lights draw a lot of current. I recommend buying an "Add A Fuse" at Auto Zone, putting it in an empty spot in the fuse box under the hood, and run the power back through the firewall to the relay
Fourth, run one power line to the front where the lights will be. You can then split that one line into two for the two lights

Lights
First, find a ground. You might run it back to where the fuse box is grounded
Second, use the power from the relay.

Firewall
I found it easier to drill a new hole in the firewall and run my wires through there. Be sure to drill a big enough hole to use a rubber grommet (pick it up at Ace Hardware) and seal the hole afterwards with RTV sealant. To gain better access to drilling for the firewall, remove the knee bolster.

 

[digglesworth]

AWESOME!!! Those switches are so cool... I should be able to make some sort of sense from all that info... I assume relays can be found a radio shack too? I may rig up a temp switch under the dash just to get them working. Once again Alex, I owe you one....

 

[alrock]

Yes, you can get relays from Radio Shack. Starting with a temp switch is a good idea. Also, plan out ALL of your lights as you might be cutting plastic to mount them, so if you're going to have 2, 3, 4 or more switches, plan for them all now. You'll notice that site has 3 and 6 switch holders, as well as blanks, that might help you with decisions on mounting locations.

Also, if you're going to run a bunch of things, rather than hooking all up to the battery consider an aux fuse panel like the ones from Blue Sea Systems, http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syst...382419176&sr=8-2&keywords=blue+sea+fuse+block

I have all of my lights, my locker, my off road GPS and CB through one of these blocks. All power and ground wires go back to this as well - I run a bit more wire, but it's easier to keep track and later through loom over that wire.

 

[digglesworth]

I plan to have the 2 on the brush guard, 2 forward facing on the roof rack, 2 rear facing on the roof rack. So that 3 switch cluster looks ideal. That panel looks like it really cleans things up. I'll be looking into one once I get more of a handle on this. Then I guess I'll have to upgrade the alternator eventually... This is really becoming an obsessio. Lol

 

[digglesworth]

heres what I got. to the left is coming from the lights. theres a black w/ eye (ground for lights)... red from lights (power) going into relay block. yellow (12v/batt) coming out of relay block... a white coming out of the relay block and a red with an inline 15a fuse coming out. im not sure what the white and red coming out are for. I assume the red goes inside to the switch. does the red use a 12v source ran to the switch to pick or drop the relay? and the white is just a ground for the relay? if that's the case, I should be able to just go get a switch, run a 12v and a ground to it, hook up the red and be good there. then ground the lights and relay and hook the yellow (12v) to the battery...... now for the million dollar question... what kind of relay do I need? I have no info on these lights. they look like cheap ones so I cant imagine theyre very powerful...

 

[digglesworth]

Bump

 

[alrock]

A switch will have three wires:
1) Power in from fuse block
2) Power out to relay
3) Ground (to fuse block)

You've got four wires in that relay socket:
1) Yellow - power to lights (#87 on relay, see diagram above)
2) Black - ground wire (#85 on relay)
3) White - power from relay (#86 on relay)
4) Red - power from fuse block (#30 on relay and you really don't need an inline fuse if you are using the fuse block we discussed)

The red wire would not go to the switch as there's no way you're running 15A through that switch. The wire with the fuse is meant to carry a primary load, which is the power from the fuse block

 

[digglesworth]

that seems all back-asswards... I think it makes sense if I disregard the colors and go off the slots on the relay and relay plug... thanks alex. ill get it sooner or later... gonna try and find a relay tomorrow and see if I can get these cheap-o lights working. got some stuff on order to put in that aux fuse block.

 

[digglesworth]

if I assume theyre 55w lights, then I get like 9.xx amps... but if theyre 100w lights, that almost doubles. can I just get a 20a relay just to be on the safe side, even if theyre only 55w lights?

 

[alrock]

FYI, I didn't base my post on the colors, but on the logic of the wires as you presented them, including the statement that yellow was to the lights. From there everything else fell into place. Don't overthink the colors. Print out the relay diagram above and run one wire at a time from beginning to end.

 

[digglesworth]

this dang one track mind of mine... lol I drew it out on paper and even drew the relay schematic off the one I saw on radio shacks website. which btw, I only see a 12v 40a automotive relay so I guess thatll do... the light bulb over my head is starting to come on.... its dim but on lol