REQUESTING FORMAL HOW-TO FOR LIGHTING

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

I've been reading a lot, but still don't feel comfortable tackling my own extra lighting. Can someone do a formal HOW TO and post it to the tech section? Relays, switches, amperage, wattage, running wires, etc etc etc. Im personally looking to do 4 Hella FF75's.

If someone can do this, put some time into it with good info and PICS, I know I and a whole lot of other "not so electronically inclined" would appreciate it.

Perhaps even a tutorial about electronics...amperage, volts, etc

unixxx · **Posted:** Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:08 pm

The Basic Car Audio Electronics guide is like the free bible of 12V vehicle electronics:

http://www.bcae1.com/

One of the most useful things to know is the relationship between wire gauge, maximum current, and voltage loss:

http://www.bcae1.com/wire.htm

The most important thing to know is proper fusing:

http://www.bcae1.com/fuses.htm

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

thanks!

Request still on though!

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 9:32 am

I put this together for Hydepin when he asked how to make his lights come on with a regular switch, but also be able to set them to come on ONLY when the high beams are on for inspection purposes.

1) To get rid of the high-beam "kill switch", remove everything on that diagram starting at the 'High Beams" box to the NC relay. Wire would just go from the parking lights to Sw2.

2) "Parking Lights" can be any power source depending on your needs. If you want the lights to only be able to come on when you parking, or headlights are on, then tap your switch wire off the parking lights. If you want to be able to turn them on whenever the Jeep is running (like i did), I like to tap into the radio "car is on" power source. If you want to be able to turn them on ALL the time, even if the car is off, I like tapping into he radio's battery wire.

3) "Fuse Block" can be a wire direct from the battery or a spare at the fuse panel. I prefer to get all aftermarket power direct from the battery. Just make sure you put a fuse as close as possible to the battery on the wire that will bring you your real power.

ok, now basics...

You need a switch, a relay, and the lights, plus wiring needs (Wire, fuses, etc...)
a relay has (usually) 4 inputs. Pins "85" & "86" are your battery pass-thru. "87" goes to ground. Pin "30" is from your switch.
Run a wire from a small power source to your switch, then from the switch to pin "30" on the relay. Run a wire from pin 87 to a ground. These are your "relay activation wires". When you close the switch, it sends electricity to the relay closing pins 85 & 86 together, thus passing the heavier power wire thru the relay.

A heavy gauge wire connected to 85 will continue thru to 86 when the relay is activated. i.e. your battery power hooks up to 85, your lights hook up to 86.

hope this helps.

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

I bask in your awesomeness

You are a slice of awesome toast, buttered on both sides with full cream awesome.

Seriously, I have two Hella 500's on the way for the bumper, and 4 ff75's on the way for the roof rack, and two more on the back of the rack as backup lights.

What would be the best way to wire these? I want my two hella fogs to come on when I turn stock fogs on, and I want the roof rack to come on at anytime, as do the reverse lights (seperate switches).

I can remove someone's spleen and wisdom teeth, but this electrical stuff is beyond me, so I want to know everything before I go about it. Thanks!!!

unixxx · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:11 am

Gris, you should check out the ExpressSCH component of ExpressPCB. It allows you to make schematics for free and even export them to *.bmp.

Northbee · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:22 am

OMG - csukoh78 - thanks for asking this ... I am in exact the same situation (except I didn't think about 2 backup lights .... yet)

My Mopar roof basket is on it's way. 2 Hella 500 ready to mount on the fromt bumper and 4 FF75s ready for the incoming roof basket ...

I am complete new to this electrical stuff (by the way - thanks unixxx for posting these links) but I wanna give it a try with the Hella lights.

If Kentucky would be a bit closer to Boston ... we could have tried this together ... and writing a report that explains how two electrical newbees wired 6-8 lights on each of their Jeep :wink:

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:24 am

Unixxx, I'm sure that would work better than Paint

Is that online somewhere or a software package I must "purchase"?

csukoh78, give me till the end of the day and I'll do a full-blown schematic for that setup...

It'll show you what to hook up to what, but the wires themselves tend to be different colors on the different model years, so you'll have to figure that part out.

unixxx · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 11:29 am

Both ExpressSCH and ExpressPCB can be downloaded as a package from here:

http://www.expresspcb.com/ExpressPCBHtm/Download.htm

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:19 pm

Awsome program Unixxx!!

How's this Csukoh?

The blank white triangles are a ground unless they say +12v next to em.

For the wire going from the stock fog lights and the radio acc power, you can use pretty much anything. 18/20/22 gauge wire would work fine since so little power is used to activate the relays.

If you want to bumper fogs to work only when you have the fogs on, but would also like to be able to turn em off so they aren't ALWAYS on when the stock fogs are on, just add another switch on the wire going from the fogs to the relay. If you decide you want them to be completely independent of the fogs (which I would recommend, I like being able to turn things on and off whenever I feel like it), run a 3rd line from the radio to a switch, then the fog relay.

That distro block is a common car audio thing. Here's an eBay example...
or can go a little higher end and get one that's fused at each output for a wee bit more protection.

Clicky

The fuse by the battery should be something heavy. It will be carrying the current for potentially 5 sets of lights at once. an inline fuse holder will work well...

Clicky

I'd run 4 gauge from the battery into the cab. Put that inline fuse holder under the hood as close as you can to the battery. Put the distro block in the cabin. Even if you get a distro block for 8gauge (most are that size) you can use 10/12 gauge wire in it just fine. 12 gauge would work thru the relays to the lights, but I'd go with 10 gauge just to be safe.

Let me know if you gots any questions...

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

Wow I'm going to have to study this for a while....I think I may have bitten off too much...haha

I've got my first child on the way and can't afford to blow anything up

Gris · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 8:05 pm

I's not that bad. just looks daunting. Start with the fogs on the bumper, by time you finish them, the rest won't see as scary.

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

That diagram is kicking my butt...I hate to ask for a simpler, more user friendly one, but.....well........... :cry:

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 05, 2007 10:45 pm

The Hellas come with a wiring diagram and color coded wires. Plug everything together *OUTSIDE* the Jeep, connect the two power leads, throw the switch and VOILA! Now, lay everything out next to the Jeep, take one set of wires at a time and run them where they belong. This makes the process really simple for a newbie and by the time you are done the circuit will make sense.

You are really only making simple connections. one hot, one ground at the battery. One splice/tap for the relay to a powered circuit (make it real easy and buy a fuse tap and piggy back right into the fuse box), one ground for the relay. Then one hot and one ground for the lights. Also I think a ground for the switch.

The grounds are the easiest. Simply attach the wires to a screw under the dash for the relay and switch, a good solid grounding point for the lights (or the negative side of the battery) and then the negative side of the battery for the power. When you are done with those it's just 4 simple hot leads.

Then simply do the same for the other set of lights.

It's more daunting then it seems and believe it or not, the hardest thing is not connecting the wiring but physically running the wires so they are neat and out of the way. I like to do all my wiring quick and dirty to be sure it works, leaving all the wires long. Then I go back and shorten wires, add protective sleeving, tidy up the runs, etc.

Gris' diagram is great and I will probl change mine over to that with the dual relays but it's really not neccessary for a newbie. Go with the simple single relay, single switch diagram that comes with the hellas. You can always add the other circuit later. I have my relay wired to an always hot so I can turn on my driving lights even with the switch off. Nice at night if you need it but make sure your lighted switch is where you can see it!

csukoh78 · **Joined:** Thu Mar 08, 2007 10:34 pm **Posts:** 501

thanks all. Now, if I can find a cheap place to buy lights

struggle07 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:50 am

Gris, sorry to be the bearer of bad news...but all your relays are wrong. When I get some time I will try to draw out a schematic.

Gris · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 10:56 am

struggle07 wrote:

Gris, sorry to be the bearer of bad news...but all your relays are wrong. When I get some time I will try to draw out a schematic.

Please explain...

Considering that this is prutty much exactly how my jeep is wired, except mine is a lot more complicated, I have to disagree.

struggle07 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:14 am

For example, you have your lamp in series with the relay coil. Your path goes as follows: batt + to pin 86 (relay coil), out of pin 85 to the lamp, lamp to ground. Since that coil in is series with the lamp, you will restrict your lamp to approximately 125mA. Also, if the top relay is energized, you will be closing your stock fog light signal to ground, thus shorting out your system. It looks to me like you got the relay placed into the schematic wrong. you need your connection at 30 to be at 85, your connection at 87 to be at 86, your connection at 85 to be at 30, and your connection on 86 to be on 87. Your path through the coil should be through the contacts and your path through the contacts should be through the coil.

Gris · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:18 am

SO the graphic is right but I have the pin numbers wrong on it?

struggle07 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:50 am

simply swapping the labels for your pins in your schematic will fix the problem IF the internals (relay coil and contacts) were not shown. but since they are, swapping the pin labels won't show the logic correclty.

also I editted my last post because I had typed in like an extra half sentence that didn't make sense.

REQUESTING FORMAL HOW-TO FOR LIGHTING

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