Question for the wiring/electrical nerds.

Anyone have any thoughts on how to wire a “kill switch” that would at the very least kill my brake and reverse lights, and possibly all external lights? This would only be used when off road and driving with night vision. TIA!

 

Why go to all that trouble just pull the fuses for those two circuits when going off the Road.Reinstall when the adventures are complete.

Wiring and Switches are just more places to have a failure

 

Righhhhhhhhht.

Sounds more like ridge running to me. Or some other nefarious activity.

 

I would much prefer to have a switch because it’s way easier to flip a single switch than to get out of my vehicle,
start pulling fuses, attempt to not lose said fuses, and then put fuses back when play time is over. With that being said, what fuses would I need to pull to achieve this in the short term?

Oh thats right... I forgot that I was asking this question on Tacoma World, where instead of getting a useful response, I’m more likely to get someone’s unsolicited opinion. Thank you for being concerned about the legal ramifications of this potential mod, but I’m a big boy and can deal with the consequences of my actions just fine.

Here’s my NVG set up just incase you need reassurance.

 

Sorry if you did not like my response !!

As your a Big Boy you will figure it out

 

Jeez, sensitive much? I actually thought you might be able to help based on your semi-useful original post.

 

I’m betting it could be done. Right now, I’m guessing you can kill the external lights by just switching the stalk to “off”? Not sure if you have a Canadian truck or anything. Anyway, if that is the case, you just need to kill brake and reverse, right? There is a harness that might contain both that you can feed through a NC relay (or 2 of them actually). I’m not positive on this though. So let’s ask resident guru @caribe makaira if that’s possible.
Caribe: I’m thinking I saw somewhere that the harness we were using to tap the rear turn signals also had reverse? Does it have brake as well?

 

Thank you! Just a standard US truck, no Canadian tomfoolery. You are absolutely correct in that I can turn off all headlights, DRLs, and fogs, so just the reverse and brakes to really worry about. Using a relay like you mentioned was my initial thought, but I am just wondering if there is a better way.

 

Make/acquire opaque shutters/covers that can be applied and removed.

 

I think a set of relays might be the easiest? Let’s see if caribe chimes in, Caribe knows all

 

Keep light stalk on OFF.
Reverse, Stop & Turns (if you bump the light stalk) would require a relay to cut the ground (they are "bundled" grounds). Very simple. Up front a relay to each side.

 

Not shown but at the rear bumper also is the BSMS, Parking Sonar and towing connector ground.

 

Same for front lamps. Tracing the point where the front lamps ground join is necessary also.

 

Thank you! Anywhere I could find a wiring diagram of those “bundled” grounds to see where I can most easily tap into them?

EDIT: Didn’t see you had provided diagrams.

 

@caribe makaira any info on how to handle the 3rd brake light as well?

 

A remove after magnet-heldplay black out cover

 

@Smooth_Oper8or , update:
Since outside lights are handled by the light stalk in the steering, that could be a starting place, but a bump forward on the stalk would give you High beams. A "cut-off" switch to the light stalk ground resolves it.
The dash illumination has one fuse, you could place this:
GTC060LP
https://gtc.ca/product/gtc060-fuse-socket-connectors-bulk-all-sizes/


With an inline fuse (5A) to cut the Panel Illumination.
The one that won't cooperate for a simple solution is the STOP lamps circuit.

 

I like this idea of working inside the cab as much as possible. I recently saw that there is a stoplight switch right behind the break pedal. Could a “cut-off” switch from the stoplight switch’s ground wire possibly do the job of killing brake lights all from within the cab?

 

I would not recommend it, it would eliminate the necessary input to the stop circuit. (ABS, etc) Not being seen as you loose traction/stopping control.