Advice needed wiring LED light bar

Hi fellow TW peeps. I received my Apex/caliraised LED light bar and I had some questions about wiring this. I order the premium harness (see attached photo). I am green so be gentle

• I assume that the rings on the harness go on the battery. Take the existing cables off the battery and then slip the rings on the battery per the color coding. Do I do this the very last step to avoid shorting the system?
• The relay box that is in the photo, where does this mount to? There is a metal piece with a hole in it but I am not sure where that goes. Any one have any photos?
• Any other advice when dealing with wiring of my '17 Tacoma?

Cheers,

Guy Gadois

 

Hey guy. You are correct, red to the battery positive and black to any ground. If you follow the ground cable from your battery, there is a short run that bolts to the inner fender. Most people bolt their grounds there. The relay can be mounted anywhere. The metal tab does not need to be grounded or anything, it's just a mounting tab. Really you could just zip tie it wherever you'd like out of the way.
Hope this helps.

 

Thank you for your reply. Is it not recommended to just put the ring at the end of the black cable on the black part of the battery or is this not recommended? Would you do all this after I have everything else hooked up (like the switch and the run to the fuse box)?

 

You could, but there's potential for electrical interference that way. It's best to always ground to actual ground, if that makes sense. I would suggest waiting until you have everything run and hooked up before wiring the main leads; it's easier and safer for you that way.

 

@MDB Taco Is right. Basically, you'll want the cleanest connection that is closest to the source (the battery). While I wouldn't be too concerned with electrical interference for your light install, it would be more important for something like an audio install. Just make sure your connections are clean and are making good contact and you should be fine. Leave the main pos/neg connections for the end once you have all your wires routed as a precaution.

 

Connect battery pos & neg at the very end after running switch& mounting your bar. especially if your new to automotive electronics. You can also bend that tab on the relay 90* back and then mount it on the rod that holds the battery down. Or ziptie/tapping screw.

 

If you look to the port side (driver's side) of the engine compartment you'll see a bolt that is already being used for a ground. Your black wire will fit great there. If you want, drill out that piece of metal so a short 8mm bold will go through it and bolt it to your driver's side fender in one of the two threaded holes aft of your engine-bay fuse box.

SB

 

Ok guys, thank you for the help. I do have another question that I am stuck on. Below is the switch that I ordered. I believe I unscrew the two screw under the drivers side, insert the switch into the free space. Where do I plug the fuse cord (the red one) into? Do I thread the wire back into the engine compartment and go to that fuse box? Do the utilize the fuse box under the dash? The instructions I found here says this which I can't find. Any help is really appreciated.

Lastly, plug your Add-a-Circuit into the TAIL fuse slot. It's on the top row, third over from the left. It uses a 10 Amp fuse and you should use a 3 amp fuse for the one you are adding. Pop out the factory blank, run the green wire clip to he back of the MicTuning switch and snap the switch into the slot. You're done!
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...-and-flush-styles.406017/page-4#post-11492373

Do I need to take off the lower part of the dash on the drivers side to insert this switch or is there a different way of doing it?

I was hoping there would be a YouTube video wiring this type of harness but I haven't been able to find it.

Cheers

Guy

 

Are you talking about the dash area near the cargo light switch? If so that thing pops out with a butter knife. No screws.

SB

 

Some say you can install the switch without taking off the panels, but I couldn't fit my hand up there. There is a third screw under the kick panel to the left.

Also, the instructions you were provided are for a second gen Tacoma. Your third gen TAIL fuse is 7.5A and clearly labeled. Use the panel inside, not in the engine bay.

 

Yes. That one. Do I take it off from behind? Also, is that where the fuse box is I use?

 

No, you just work a butter knife under it an pry it forward. Start with the left side and just go easy.

We're talking about this panel, right?



SB

 

I like green people. They are funny.

 

Thank you for your help. Will the fuse box be under there?

Cheers

 

Kneel down outside your truck and stick your head under the dash (but kinda near that cargo light switch) and you'll see the fuse box. Might grab a flashlight.


SB

 

thank you I got it. What do people usually do with the fuse cover once the new fuse piggyback thing is used? Glovebox?

 

That's what I did.

 

To tell you the truth, I put my fuse jumper in the slot for my left high-beam under the hood so that the LED bar can only come on with the high beams. That requires drilling a hole in the floor of the engine bay fuse box but is no big deal as long as it's sealed.

SB

 

That's interesting...I may try to rewire mine to do that, too.

 

One last question, whan I add the piggy-back fuse I removed the tail 7.5 fuse. Do I add that fuse to the piggy back in the empty fuse space? Does it matter which fuse goes in which slot on that fuse Piggy-back?

Cheers

GG