Addional Lights
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Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Colorado
Addional Lights
Hi to all. 8) This is my first post to this board, excuse me if I make any mistakes. I am wanting to add several sets of lights to my truck, one in the bed, fog lights, and backup lights. I have talked with people who say I need to install relays. Is this true? I was planning on running all additional light through a "painless wiring" set with switches on the dash. If I do this is there any need for relays? If there is a need, how the heck do you wire relays? One more question, is there anyway I can take advantage of the stock wiring for the fog lights. Thanks for any input. 
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Re:Addional Lights
I've got both yellow fogs, and backup lights on mine, and I don't use relays. I did originally, but had nothing but trouble with them, so I scrapped them. Now they are just wired to good heavy duty 30 amp toggle switches and 14 guage wiring to make sure I get lots of current to them. I do intend to build a bar behind and above the cab for about 5 driving lights, but for those I'll have to use relays, because I want to hook them up to the high beam circuit. Anyway, it's probably recommended to use relays, but rest assured, the ones you get with a light kit are junk. Spend the money and get some good ones. I'm going to try using headlight relays from a wrecked truck for my driving lights. Usually there is a wiring diagram that comes with relays, but basically, there is a power wire coming into the relay from the battery, a wire from the switch(or whatever circuit you are tapping into), a ground, and then terminals for whatever accessory you're hooking up. Don't know if any of this helps, but I tried!!!
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From: Sundre, Alberta
Re:Addional Lights
You don't "have to" run relays, but it is more beneficial to use them. Wiring with relays is a bit more involved but well worth the little extra effort. With relays, you have the ability to run full battery power to each light or sets with out the worries of overpowering or overheating switches and related wiring.<br>I'm not sure if the Painless Wiring set up you are intersted in comes set up with relays, but knowing their quality in the street rod market, It's safe to say, relays will be there.<br>With relays, you can get very creative with regards to how the lights will be set up to operate Back in my jeeping days, I had my lighting set up for on with highbeams, on without highbeams, back ups were on with stock , on seperately for working behind the vehicle etc.<br>I'm sure someone else can or will chime in here and add their experience, but most electrical accessory I add to my vehicle will or has relays in the circuit.<br>
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Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Bethpage, Tn
Re:Addional Lights
Get a good set of relays for lights you will be using for at least 20 minutes or so.<br><br>I used my Ram to tow one of my cousins trucks to a mud run in Sept. well after we got rained out (@ a mud run of all things! : ) we were loading the truck on the trailer and I was using my 55watt driving lights I have mounted on my reciever. Must have had them on for a good 20 or 30 minutes while we were loading the truck. As we were leaving the fairgrounds I noticed the light was still on on my switch. I went to switch off the lights and the current had fried the switch in the open position! 
I had the switch positioned between my seat and the center seat so it was easy to find and the wires and connectors were so hot I'm lucky it didn't catch my seat on fire!<br><br>Sorry for the long post but it was to prove a point. :-[
) we were loading the truck on the trailer and I was using my 55watt driving lights I have mounted on my reciever. Must have had them on for a good 20 or 30 minutes while we were loading the truck. As we were leaving the fairgrounds I noticed the light was still on on my switch. I went to switch off the lights and the current had fried the switch in the open position! I had the switch positioned between my seat and the center seat so it was easy to find and the wires and connectors were so hot I'm lucky it didn't catch my seat on fire!<br><br>Sorry for the long post but it was to prove a point. :-[
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From: Sturbridge, Taxachusetts
Re:Addional Lights
I would recommend relays. Parts Express sells 40 amp relays and sockets for about 5 bucks a set. If your truck has the trailer option, there is a beefy wire that has +12V constant that will work fine for supplying voltage to your backup lights. You can tap off of it and save yourself a fresh run up to the front. If you buy a driving light kit, chances are a wiring harness will be supplied with the lights which include the relay. I cut the button off and ran the wire to my backup lights. This activates the coil which pulls the relay in turning on the lights. I would highly recommend potting the connectors and the relay in RTV sealant and/or stashing the relay up in the tail light compartment. My connector lasted 2 snow storms before the salt ate thru the wires.
For the front lights, you might want to look into a Westin Bull bar which has attachments built into it for driving lights.
For the front lights, you might want to look into a Westin Bull bar which has attachments built into it for driving lights.
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Brookston, IN
Re:Addional Lights
I have added relays for all of my extra lights. They are an good safety measure to prevent overloading switches. One key I have found to making relays less troublesome down the road is to mount them in a location that is sheltered from the weather extremes. I know have most of mine mounted under the hood. Another thing that will make them last longer is dielectric grease on all of the wiring connectors when you hook everything up, most of the relay that I hav had fail are from corrosion not electric overload.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Castle Rock, CO
Re:Addional Lights
Another option is to mount them in a project box like you can get at Radio Shack. Then you can put all your relays in one spot and mount the box under the hood somehwere and it is really protected.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: North Pole, Alaska
Re:Addional Lights
Relay Wiring 101:
A relay is composed of 2 circuits, a trigger circuit (turn relay on and off) and a power circuit.
On MOST, like 99%, of relays there is a diagram embossed or printed on the side of them for the pins on the bottom. Also, if you look or squint hard enough the pins usually have their pin number right next to themselves on the bottom of the relay. And those numbers mean:
85: ground side for trigger circuit
86: positive side for trigger circuit
30: 12v IN from battery or known good power point that can handle it
87a: 12v out, when trigger circuit is NOT closed (edit: not all relays have this pin)
87: 12v out, when trigger circuit IS closed
You can install a switch on either the 85 or 86 wires to turn the relay on and off.
Hope this helps you guys out
A relay is composed of 2 circuits, a trigger circuit (turn relay on and off) and a power circuit.
On MOST, like 99%, of relays there is a diagram embossed or printed on the side of them for the pins on the bottom. Also, if you look or squint hard enough the pins usually have their pin number right next to themselves on the bottom of the relay. And those numbers mean:
85: ground side for trigger circuit
86: positive side for trigger circuit
30: 12v IN from battery or known good power point that can handle it
87a: 12v out, when trigger circuit is NOT closed (edit: not all relays have this pin)
87: 12v out, when trigger circuit IS closed
You can install a switch on either the 85 or 86 wires to turn the relay on and off.
Hope this helps you guys out
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Brookston, IN
Re:Addional Lights
Everything that ATEAV8GN said is good information. However there is a version of the relay that is only 12V out when the trigger is closed, both the 87 and 87a pins are internally tied together.
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From: Roanoke, VA
Re:Addional Lights
Where on the front can I tap into to power some L.E.D. lights I want to put on front bumper? I want them to come on with the parking lights. I have a Dodge service manual, but not clear how to read the diagrams. I thought if I tied into the corner lights that the L.E.D.s would blink with them and I don't want that of course.<br>Not good at schematics as you can tell!!!!!
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Re:Addional Lights
Not to get off the subject, but a good multi-meter will help in alot of these situations trying to figure out how the relay functions or what is hot and what is ground, I paid about $350 for my Fluke, but a decent meter can be had for about $20 from Radio Shack.
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