Calling All Wiring Gurus (Driving Lights Installation Help)

Hey there Tacomaphiles,

So I've mounted up set of IPF driving lights on my new ARB bumper and am in the process of wiring them up. My state allows driving lights to be on with the high beams, so rather than just wiring them into any ol' power source I want to tie them into the high beams so they come on and off together and I don't have to hit a seperate switch to turn off the driving lights every time I come across another vehicle. However, I also would like to have the option of turning them on or off at any time as the situation may warrant. The idea I've come up with is putting a 3 position (on/off/on) switch in the cab with one on position tied to the high beams and the other tied to the ignition switch. Wiring and electricity aren't exactly my strongest skill set so I wanted to get some other opinions on whether or not this setup will work.

Here is the schematic I've come up with (thanks to Rhoppas and his write up http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/6525-diy-wiring-after-market-lights.html for getting me this far)




The one amp fuses on the fuse taps are for the secondary slot to protect the switch (I am planning on using an empty slot on the interior block that is tied into the ignition switch circuit so it should only require the switch fuse)

Here is the switch I am planning on using http://www.sigmaswitches.com/PDFs/pages/260P-260-DPDT.pdf I will be ordering the lighted model so I've run a wire to ground in the schematic.

So do you think this will work? The fuses for the high beams should only be getting power when I've got the high beams turned on in the cab right? Or is there a relay further downline that I would have to tie into? (I'm away from my truck at work for the next few weeks so I can't check) If anybody sees any problems or has any suggestions to make it work better I would appreciate the input.

Thanks for your time!

 

Awww cmon' nobody wants to chime in?

 

Desperation bump

 

I'm trying to figure it out as well on my truck, but I think it's actually easier than your making it.

On the stock wiring kit from my PIAA's, I have the driving lights tapped into the highs, as of right now, but was trying to figure out a way to have them so I can put them on at anytime as well.

My buddy and I, both engineering students, (at the real school since your in the zootown) figure you'd just have to wire the two switches in parallel. So one getting power from the headlamps and another getting power from the ignition. In this case with the highs on, lamps are on, highs off lamps are off if ignition power is off, or on if ignition power is on.

I may be wrong, and may overload the circuit, but I'm willing to give it a try, just need to buy a fuse jumper and another switch.

 

Yay a reply!

I'm not sure I follow you though, what two switches? Are you saying install a second one in the dash as a kind of master switch? I would rather save my switch blanks for future moddage.

Go Griz!!!!!

 

Your diagram looks good except I would make 1 change.

Use a SPST switch. And just run power from the "Interior Fuse block" (ignition switch) to the relay (86). Thats how I wired my air compressor, so I could use it any time my ignition is on.

 

I just looked at your diagram again, what your doing with the on-off-on switch is basically what I was saying to do with two. You should be good to go. Let me know how it works, I may be updating my switch in the future.

FTG!!!!! (I was happy to see the Cats one a game of something during my 4 year stay hear)

 

Yeah but if you are running power from the ignition switch to the 86 terminal on the relay wouldn't that just bypass the switch and energize the relay every time the ignition was on?

 

Yeah I will be at work for a few more weeks so I got some time to ask around and make sure it will work but when I do it I'll post again and let you know how it turned out. Thanks for the 2 cents BTW.

For the record, I'm not really much of a Griz fan...I just like getting a rise out of people Let me know if your ever in the zoo and we can do some trail or something.

 

It mostly looks fine, however you dont need a SPDT. A SPDT in addition to the 87 terminal also has a 87a which is energized when the switch is off in the normally closed position. You wouldnt want that by your description. You can use a SPDT, and just only use the regular normally open 87 though.

A SPST has only 1 87 contact and is only powered when the relay is energized. This is what you want really per your diagram, but a SPDT will work too as long as you ignore the 87a.

If you can find one, even better is a SPST with dual 87 outputs. This would allow a power wire to be ran for each light independently from the relay. You dont have to though, you can combine the power wires from each light into one and connect to the relay off one wire like you have it drawn, but personally if I could find a SPST with the dual 87 outputs (important: totally differant than the 2 outputs on a SPDT) I would do that and run an individual power wire to each of the lights. These usually have two 87 terminals or a 87 and 87b. Plus, down the road if you want to put higher wattage bulbs, the extra load capacity in the wiring will already be there. I would rather have the flexibility and the overkill of running each light on its own 14g wire than one a signle combined on one. (same with the ground btw).

Here is one http://www.rallylights.com/detail.aspx?ID=446


Also, not that it matters but as long as you know, typically on the actual physical layout of a relay, 87 and 30 are across from each other, and 85 and 86 are across from each other. The way you have the wires connected are correct, just the physical locations are incorrect. Just making sure you know that in case.


Your switch set up is fine. You could also use a DPST in this case, and effectively by bridging the outputs on the DPDT you have posted, you are creating one. Doesnt really matter unless you save money by going with a DPST I guess.

When tapping the headlights, personally I would just use one of them and not bridge the two together. Reason being is that should something happen to one of the circuts like a wire shorted out on your left headlight, your are defeating the fuse with the right headlight tied in. Which means if you blow a fuse, you will lose both headlights instead of just one, or worse case scenerio burn both up instead of one. That is, unless you wire in diodes but...

Nice diagram art though

 

i hooked up my reverse lights like how u want to hook up your fogs....
1. ok power source for lights
2. tap in to high beams and install rectifier diode
3. install switch
4. install relay "dpst"
ok run
ur main power to relay then
power wire from relay to fogs
acc wire from fuse panel to switch
switch wire to relay
and finaly high beam tap in w/ diode to relay
boom done and done right n fast

 

Hey thanks for the good input!

Yeah I should have known that about the DPST switch. It is only feeding one terminal on the relay after all. The switch I am planning on using though only comes in DPDT for the on/off/on model so I will probably just end up bridging the outputs per the schematic. I do like your idea about the SPST relay with 2 outputs though, I didn't even know they existed. I was planning on just using the relay that came with the wiring (probably a SPST) but it looks like you can pick the two output ones up pretty reasonably (thanks for the link BTW) so I'll probably end up going that route. It sounds like the extra circuit protection and flexibility would be worth it.

Thanks for the heads up on the terminal positions. Just ignorance on my part. I will be sure to check the terminal numbers before I hook it up.

Yeah I got to thinking about the taps on both highbeam fuses after I posted. I was just thinking that I could save a few bucks and effort by only having one installed. If I had it say on the left high beam fuse and it blew, I could still have the driving lights on by switching over to the ignition power source. But your observations have made the decision much easier.

Thanks again, I'll let you know how everything works out.

Thanks dude! I'm curious why you wired the diode into the highbeam tap? I know what a diode does but why wouldn't you want power to go back into the fuse block unless you were bridging two fuses like Pyrite was talking about above? Also, what is the benefit of having your reverse lights tied into the highbeams or did you tie into the reverse fuse and just typed highbeams for my benefit?