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DIY: Wiring after-market lights

Discussion in 'Technical Chat' started by rhoppas, Mar 6, 2008.

  1. Jan 23, 2017 at 12:51 AM
    #181
    Argo98

    Argo98 Well-Known Member

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    Rough Country 3" spacer lift w/ shocks 285 KO2's wrapped around 16' ProComp Series 7069 Misc. bibbidybob lights
    Just out of curiosity, how would I get the wires to the roof (where my light bar will be)... Also, great thread, very useful, it'll come in handy when I'm installing my light bar sometime later this week...
     
  2. Feb 8, 2017 at 9:56 PM
    #182
    Ryan DCFS

    Ryan DCFS Elevator guy

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    I would Probably go through the dash, up an A pillar behind the plastic, tucked underneath the headliner, and through a discreetly drilled (and repainted for rust), grommetted, and silicone sealed hole near or in the roof rack tracks, in a spot where water would tend to flow away from or be otherwise protected.

    That's just off the top of my head, but if I were doing it I would do some digging using the search function here first; to see what others have done.
     
    duece5811 likes this.
  3. Mar 23, 2017 at 9:20 AM
    #183
    outdoorgb

    outdoorgb (.)(.)

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    I added a bolt once...
    I did something like this a while back when installing heated grips on a motorcycle. A diagram help me understand the need for a relay based on wire size and feed length. I did another diagram from this great write up. Let me know if there any issues and I'll pull it down.

    Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

    wiring%20diagram_zpszvbseebc_d115e7149bfeb4b6d474d65f64f139db489d8d1d.jpg
     
    stbear likes this.
  4. Jul 5, 2017 at 3:21 PM
    #184
    themanbearpig012

    themanbearpig012 Well-Known Member

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    Fox 2.5 Factory Series Coil-Over Reservoir (Front) Fox 2.0 Performance Series IFP (Rear) Method "Mesh" 17x8.5|6x5.50|0/4.75" wheels
    yeah i think i may need more stuff than what my kit came with
     
  5. Aug 16, 2017 at 4:29 AM
    #185
    Canadianguy91

    Canadianguy91 Well-Known Member

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    Krown undercoating, Protect a plate, blindspot mirrors, Reese stainless steel towing ball, Bakflip MX4 tonneau cover, Tufskinz tailgate letter inserts, Console organiser, Tinted windows, LED interiors, Bed lights, Hood lights, Black Canadian flag decal (@bfeth), Oem bed mat, WeatherTech floor liners, Arctic Claw XSI tires, Recovery Shackle, Ultimate LED turn signals V3 @mesojdm, OEM TRD Off-Road tow hook, Bilstein 5100's with ARB's Old Man Emu 2887 coils, ICON progressive add a leaf, General Grabber ATX tires, Fuel ripper rims, Auxbeam F-16 H11 Led headlights, Borla S-type catback exhaust with black tip, custom powertray, vinyl badge inlays, (@rrentrop), Rear diff breather mod, Redarc trailer break controller https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qqN7m1pc6AA
    I was looking into doing bed and hood lights on separate switches so correct me if i'm wrong. I do a fuse tap into a fuse that has constant power because i want to be able to turn these on even with the truck off. after the tap i run the wire to the two switches. after the switches it goes to the relay? That part i don't really get cause you have another fuse again why? after that part it goes to the lights ?
     
  6. Sep 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM
    #186
    bagleboy

    bagleboy Well-Known Member

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    a relay uses a low power switched current to energize a high current circuit. Both need to be fused to protect against shorts since they are really separate circuits. The fuse protects the wire. The lights have heavy gage wire rated for the current and a fuse that matches the draw of the lights. The switch controls a lower current so it has a lower power fuse.
     
  7. Sep 26, 2017 at 4:07 AM
    #187
    Canadianguy91

    Canadianguy91 Well-Known Member

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    I didn't use a relay. Went with a inline fuse and went to both switches then switched to lights then ground on both the switches and the lights. Low led so they don't need all the extra stuff.
    Posted on YouTube if you search Tacoma mods
     
  8. Oct 15, 2017 at 9:59 PM
    #188
    bagleboy

    bagleboy Well-Known Member

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    As long as the wire and switches are rated for the current and protected by the correct fuse you're gtg. A relay is only necessary for currents higher than the switch can handle.
     
    Canadianguy91 likes this.
  9. Oct 17, 2017 at 10:38 PM
    #189
    LittleLady808

    LittleLady808 Well-Known Member

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    So I’m wanting to have fog lights installed on my 2013 tacoma and no one knows how to do it so we are doing a lot of Tacoma world reading! :) Thank god for that! Lol Anyway which would be the best fuse to tap into in the engine bay fuse box? :confused: TIA!
     
  10. Feb 7, 2018 at 6:15 AM
    #190
    Photo taco

    Photo taco Well-Known Member

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    I have a 2013 sport 4door I want to mount 2 lights to my front runner foo fighters rack. What is the best way to run the wire harness, do I need to drill a hole in the roof? Tacoma World I need some tips!
     
  11. Apr 13, 2018 at 6:57 AM
    #191
    Dubysan

    Dubysan Member

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    I have a 96 Taco that i have wired a set of KC lights to my high beams for when I'm off roading, but i just installed a pair of LED headlights and now the output on the high beam wire is not strong enough to turn on the relay for the KC lights. I thought it was a faulty wire or plug but i put the old headlights back in and it worked fine. Any suggestions on how to make this work???
     
  12. Apr 13, 2018 at 11:24 AM
    #192
    nzbrock

    nzbrock Well-Known Member

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    Your truck has ground switched headlights. This means that both the low beam filament and high beam filament share a common 12V+. Your low beams come on when your low beams are grounded, your high beams come on when your high beams are grounded.

    If you wired your KC lights to your high beam circuit, you are most likely back feeding power into your headlights. Next time you turn on your high beams, look and see if both your low beams and high beams come on at the same time, they most likely do. Incandescent bulbs don't really care which way power is applied (polarity). LEDs act like diodes and only allow power to travel in one direction.

    You need to fix your wiring due to the fact that your stock system is ground switched. There are plenty of wiring diagrams if you just google "ground switched high beam"
     
    Dubysan[QUOTED] likes this.
  13. Apr 13, 2018 at 1:58 PM
    #193
    Dubysan

    Dubysan Member

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    copy that. Thank you for the info. I will look it up now.
     
  14. May 6, 2018 at 7:41 AM
    #194
    Tennessee YODA

    Tennessee YODA Damn pigeons

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    Bull bar nilight light and light bar grill vision rims replacement grill aftermarket headlights
    Little off topic but I disconnected battery terminals while running wires . Didn’t finish and reconnected batter terminal I have 2008 tacoma pre runner I noticed the idle of my truck was off for like 10 min guessing the on board computer had to re learn the idle speed ? Any steps I need to take to make sure it’s correct
     
  15. May 9, 2018 at 3:32 PM
    #195
    Tennessee YODA

    Tennessee YODA Damn pigeons

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    I ordered a wiring harness off Amazon has to relay built in and the fuse all together just got to run positive from the switch to some kind of power source . It says 25 amp on the switch where I’m confused is it’s telling me to run the switch to the battery . I want to tie it in to the fuse box but it’s all small fuses and there’s a 30 amp and a 20 amp . Now the fuse that’s on the harness is that the one for the switch and is it as simple as putting the power wire off the switch to anything that has power in the fuse box I’ve got the relay ran from the battery so I’ll post pic tomorrow what I’m dealing with and maybe y’all can tell me how to run power for the switch
     
  16. May 9, 2018 at 7:29 PM
    #196
    bagleboy

    bagleboy Well-Known Member

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    Please lay out the harness so we can see the wire labels and how they run.
     
  17. May 10, 2018 at 3:55 AM
    #197
    Tennessee YODA

    Tennessee YODA Damn pigeons

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    I have a pic of the fuse box will post more when I get off work
    65D71C22-21AA-4801-A241-42D8AA289A02.jpg
     
  18. May 10, 2018 at 4:27 AM
    #198
    Tennessee YODA

    Tennessee YODA Damn pigeons

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    Bull bar nilight light and light bar grill vision rims replacement grill aftermarket headlights
    D3AE3432-C44B-45E5-A6BB-AF0B7BBB679D.jpg
     
  19. May 10, 2018 at 7:30 AM
    #199
    bagleboy

    bagleboy Well-Known Member

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    Fuse at poc bottom center supplies the main light bar current, fuse to switch supplies only switch led current(illumination~10-50mA)) and relay activation current (~100mA).
     
    Tennessee YODA likes this.
  20. May 11, 2018 at 1:57 PM
    #200
    Tennessee YODA

    Tennessee YODA Damn pigeons

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    Should I use a micro fuse tap I noticed I have small fuses but the picture you have looks like a reg fuse tap ?
     

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