Ken the electrical guy Q n A

I'll give it a go:

Switch has 4 wires
2 Wires for nighttime switch illumination
---- 1 wire connect to a Dash Nighttime Illumination Power (12V+)
---- 1 wire connect to Ground

2 wires to control relay
---- 1 wire connect to 12 volt (+). I prefer to use an accessory power source like: Cigarette Lighter / USB Power Supply / Heated Seat Power Supply (something that turns OFF when you turn the key OFF).
---- 1 wire connect to the (+) side of the relay.
(If you get these 2 wires backwards, the light on the switch may stay ON)

The harness should also provide connectors to connect to the battery to provide power to the hidden light bar.

 

I still can't achieve what I want. The only 2 wires off the relay are POS and NEG that are connected to the battery. 3 wires go to switch. Black to black and green to white. The light bar will not turn on unless the blue wire in also connected to the red 1 wire from the switch which also illuminates the switch. Then the switch will turn on the light bar. While everything works, I don't want the switch to be illuminated when the truck is turned off. I can tap to a fuse and get the switch to illuminate when the truck is turned on but then the light bar won't turn on because the blue wire is not connected. I've tried other configurations but nothing works like I would like. Does anyone know if there is a way to wire this where the switch still turns on the light bar without it be illuminated while the truck is off? I thought I read in another post where someone cut some wires from the relay and ran a different way to possibly solve my problem but it didn't make any since to me. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks
BTW I have pictures of everything one page back.

 

You have the WHITE and BLUE wires back wards.

The wiring diagram for this switch (/\ /\ /\ ) can be found here (\/ \/ \/ ).
https://www.ch4x4.com/product/ch4x4-toyota-small-push-switch-tacoma-3rd-gen-led-light-bar-symbol/

I changed the descriptions to make it a little easier.


(1) - Green will connect to the BLUE WIRE on the small cable pictured in your post above (BLACK / WHITE / BLUE)
(2) - RED 1 will connect to the WHITE WIRE on the small cable pictured in your post above (BLACK / WHITE / BLUE)
NOTE: The BLACK WIRE on the small cable pictured in your post above (BLACK / WHITE / BLUE) will connect to ground (any screw connected to metal).
(3) - RED 2 will connect to a DASH LIGHTING CIRCUIT ( find a wire behind the instrument panel that supplies power to the dash light, use a T-TAP [OR] splice these two wires together.
(4) - BLACK WIRE will connect to ground (you can use the same screw that was used in the - small cable pictured in your post above (BLACK / WHITE / BLUE).

Hope this helps.

 

You are the man. Simple explanation for those with simple wiring minds. Worked like a charm. Attached the red 2 wire to tail light fuse so it would illuminate with the headlights on. Pic 1 headlights on, pic 2 light bar on and light bar. Sorry the pics aren't great. Parked in garage and not much room plus nasty weather out. Appreciate the help Bud.

 

Can we get a pic of the fuse hook up if possible

 

Here you go. Tapped into the rear tail light fuse so the switch would illuminate with the lights on. Hope this helps.

 

Sweet.... thanks for the help.... 1 last thing are you able to put the fuse box cover on with the add a fuse?

 

You're welcome. Unfortunately the stock fuse box cover wont fit because its not deep enough but meso customs makes one that's deep enough. May end up getting one of those at some point. Good luck with whatever you are installing.

https://mesocustoms.com/products/extended-fuse-cover?_pos=2&_sid=94f7beacf&_ss=r

 

Ok. Not sure if this has been done here and I apologize if theres a thread about it that I haven't found....

I'd like to wire in some under hood LEDs that are ran off a relay and switched with a tilt switch attached to the hood. That alone I think I could do. Here's the tricky part. I'd like to have a 3 prong lighted switch in the cab also. That way, if the tilt switch gets stuck closed, the lighted switch will illuminate and tell me it's on. Also, I'd like the switch in the cab so I can turn the lights off if I were working under the hood during the day for an extended period of time.The whole idea is to just keep the switch in the cab on all the time unless I didn't want them on and use it as an indicator to tell me if they were on.

I think I've figured out the diagram and was wondering if someone could look it over and tell me if it would work and more importantly, is it safe?



Thanks

Edit: the fuse on the positive side of the batt should be before the split.

 

you won’t need the relay to run leds. You’ll just run redundant switches. The power wire will be
Battery—-fuse——positive lead on led
Inside the truck you’ll find a good ground point.
Ground——input side of switch——output side of switch——input of pressure switch under the hood—-output of pressure switch—-ground wire on leds

 

Thqnks for the reply! Ok didn't know if it would be safer to run a relay... I'd like to keep the lighted switch in the cab on at all times (except for when i want to turn them off during the day) and use it as an indicator light so I dont end up with a dead batt like I see so many others struggling with. I guess I just dont trust the tilt/mercury switch and it'd be nice to have a switch to turn off the whole system.

 

If you’re really worried about it you can get a single led and wire it in parallel with your leds under the hood. You can get a blank switch cover that goes into the factory holes in the dash and drill a small hole and mount it in there. Or mount it where ever u like. If the led is lit the lights under the hood are on

 

I like that idea. I know there are simpler ways to run under hood lights. I think I've read every post haha. I was initially going to just run a simple switch under the hood. I wish I was the type of person that would never forget to flip the switch off but I know I would probably forget. So that thought was the catalyst of trying to figure out a fail safe option

 

I haven’t read all the pages to know if this can be addressed but can you explain diodes? And how do you know which way to install for current flow?

Here is my problem...I installed some overhead CH4x4 Toyota Style push button illuminated switches for my light bars, etc. the switches internal illumination is wired into my dash lights and do work with the dimmer. BUT...the level of brightness is way higher than my other lights and I’d like to get the light level a closer match and I’m wondering if a diode added to the wire feeding those 6 switches is the answer.

Thanks,

Ed

 

This may be late...but I used a mercury filled switch and it’s worked flawlessly for 5 years now. I think I got it on Amazon

angled just right...off when down and on when up.

 

A pin switch on the right side will work just fine. My plan is to install a pin switch with a typical rocker switch close by basically using the pin switch as a fail safe in case I forget to shut off the under hood lights. Others have installed a switch in a hole that already exists and it works great.

 

Ok yeah my tilt switch is also a mercury switch. I might just wire up the hg switch and if it ever fails me, I'll wire in a tattle tell light.

 

I don't believe you need a diode. I think you need a resistor in series with the LEDs. Maybe one of the sparky types can recommend a resistor value for you.

 

Short version: diodes are a way to control the flow of electricity. If you have a circuit that you wish electricity to flow only from one direction you would use this.

longer version: A diode is an electrical component used to control current flow. It has two major components, a cathode and anode. The cathode you define as the negative side of the diode and the anode is the positive side. Direct current or DC Electricity follows from positive to negative; that’s your direction of flow. This can be denoted by either an arrow with a line going through it or more commonly a gray band which tells you the cathode is on that side.

Fun fact: LED = (light emitting diode). That’s why leds will sometimes not turn on when you install them. Flip them 180 in the socket and boom you’re good to go.

I’ve used diodes when I introduce reverse polarity across two wires. I also use diodes with certain ignition systems because what can happen is voltage can “back feed” and keep the ignition hot even when the key is in the off position.

basically without getting into too much more detail and covering other types diodes you won’t ever use that’s what a diode in a nutshell is.

To answer your question about the led brightness. You’ll need to wire a resistor in-line with the led power wire. I would be careful what ohm resistor you used because you’ll burn the led up very quickly i would try small value resistors until you felt it matched the brightness of your other leds.

Warning!!!!!
DOOOO NOT HOLD THE RESISTOR WITH YOUR HANDS TO TEST THEM.

Ok that’s my piece lol good luck

 

Thanks!!