I think you could also use a fuse tap on the highbeam fuse as an alternative to the t-tap, if you're like me and have an aversion to cutting into the high beam wire.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! I've been looking for a way to do this for at least 6 months (clearly I'm not an expert) and everything I've read/watched has either been too vague on the appropriate detail needed or too complex in explanation. Being able to combine the right level of knowledge in an easy-to-understand message (i.e. the KISS principle) is a real skill so many props and thanks, my friend! I'm excited to finally get my light bar wired up the way i wanted! Cheers!!
I remember learning all this a long time ago and had such a hard time with it because of teaching methods, so I always try to keep it simple for others. Thank you very much for the comment and for watching!
With the help of this video I was abl to do what 2 shops couldn't. I've added 2 sets of spot lights each with their own 3 way switch, so either pair can be on, off or controlled by high/low beam. Thanks for putting this video together and keeping it clear and simple to follow.
Dude, can you come re-wire all my cars for me? LOL I love videos like this that do a good job of explaining and demonstrating wiring. I don't know why, but I always have such a hard time comprehending electrical.
I really enjoy wiring, especially complicated lighting setups. I look at it as a puzzle, that could set your car on fire lol. I can do all of your wiring, and I'll throw in my "Brake Light Guarantee" All work is guaranteed until I see your brake lights! Putting keys in the ignition also voids this warranty :) Thanks for watching!
Ok, but how would you do this with an illuminated 3 prong rocker/toggle switch and have the lights in the switch still turn on when clicked to either of the “on” positions?
Great video. Have been looking for awhile and this is by far the best - short, factual and with a live demo not too mention fast forwarding monotonous parts. The only thing that could make it better is a rough sketch circuit diagram of your setup. Do more vids please
Thanks! I'll definitely keep the sketch/diagram idea in mind for other videos. Thank you for watching and if you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos! Thanks again!
Great videos. Thank you. I was told to always use a relay where the relay’s coil is protected, internally, by a diode or a resistor. The reason, from what I understand, was that when an energized coil is de-energized, there is a magnetic field “collapse” that sends voltage (which can be orders of magnitude greater than the original voltage, albeit the current is milliamps) in the opposite direction to the original voltage direction in the relay. This can, apparently, disrupt voltage-sensitive components (such as a blind spot detection sensor) that are “upstream” from the relay. A relay whose coil is diode (or a resistor) protected prevents this.
You can use the standard 2 way switch if you only want the light bar to come on at high beam. Otherwise leave the light bar switch in off position for normal high beam for those that don't want to have a 3 way switch and accidentally leave it on and drain your battery. Also wouldn't it be better using the current off the high beam to trigger the coil on the light bar relay? So you can mount the relay close to the light and not have a single line of wire going back to a switch inside the car. Just a thought.
A lot of people will talk bad about them and tell you not to use them, but I've never had any issue with them. I think they're awesome, thanks for watching!
Love the way you illustrate and show hands on with small scale mock ups!!! Super helpful. I've been struggling with a wiring puzzle. I want to set up a 3-way circuit for lights on my Jeep Overlander to control rock lights, rack lights, etc on the ground level from the rocker panel and/or rear of jeep. But also from up top in the tent. Allowing me to illuminate the ground/area but be able to switch off/on when up in the tent w/o having the switch off before going up top. Or climbing down the ladder in the dark in the middle of the night. Is this something you'd be interested in helping us wrap our head around? Thanks again for tuts!!
I've wired this same 3-position switch in tandem with my highbeams without any issue... until recently. (I used your video years ago. Thank you!) But I swapped out my stock headlights to LED, and now I'm getting a humming noise coming from the lightbar relay when I'm in tandem with my highbeams. After doing some research, it appears installating a capacitor would fix the humming. Are you familiar with this issue of relay humming or the installation of capacitors?
Hi.... exactly the instruction I was looking for. Thank you. Just wondering if the same set-up can be achieved without relay and diode. The fuse box providing power already has a relay. Look forward to more such clear videos. Thank you 😁
Yes you can run 2 light bars on this setup as long as your relay is rated to handle the current draw of the 2 lights, or you can use 2 relays. As for the diode, I've done a bunch of testing after making this video and found that the diode is not needed. I hope this answered your question. Thanks for watching!
Can you please show all the wiring on your video as you can see we can not see on the where is the green and white wire connected. Much appreciated if you can please thanks
Great vid I am fitting a light bar but want it just to come on with high beam switch I want to tap in to high beam wire from headlight I have got a wiring harness do I tap high beam wire into the live wire on harness many thanks 😎👍Alan from England
You would need to find which wire in your harness is the "trigger" or "coil" wire & hook that one to your high beam. This way the relay/light bar is pulling its power from the battery & not your headlight. The trigger/coil wire pulls very little power, just enough to activate the relay, then the relay pulls power from the battery & sends it to the light bar. I hope that makes sense. This is only good if you don't plan on using the switch in your harness. Your light bar harness should still be hooked up to the + & - of your battery. You probably have 3 wires on the switch, one will be power coming into the switch, then power out of the switch going to the relay, then a ground if the switch lights up. You would be looking for the wire that sends power out to the relay, that wire would tap into your headlight.
I have a rigid SR SAE barlight with 5 wires running to the main switch. It's a three way switch. Low,Off and Normal. Any advice on how to wire something like that?
It would depend on what you would like the light bar to do, and the type of switch. Different manufacturers use different switches and I'm not 100% familiar with the pin numbers on whatever switch Rigid uses now.
An actual drawing showing the whole wiring set up would help a lot more , i understand the set up but am a bit confused as to where the light bar wires are hooked to as well as all the wires run on the relay , you didnt show that , great video , have watched it sevral times but still not sure .
Like on an atv cant you just splice the hot wire from the led bar to the hot wire from the high beams then when you put factory high beams your led will light up im talking atv here and not using the bright and led independently or you still need a diode
I want to have it wired to my high beams but still be able to turn it off with the switch (I don't need it to turn on solo at all). Could I do that with just an on/off switch?
If I understand correctly, you could simply tap into your HI beam power wire. Run that wire to your switch. Run a wire back to the power of your light bar. This will cause your light bar to come on with HI beams if the switch is ON. If the switch is OFF, the light bar won't come on. You just need to be sure your switch is rated for enough amps, otherwise you'll need a relay. I hope that is the info you are looking for. Thanks for watching!
I understand wiring and switches, but have no history with relays. Is there a relay part number/MFG you can share, or a terminology for the relay design? source for the part ? Excellent video, thank you for posting and taking the time !
Slightly unsure... I got the most of it but do I or don't I need a diode? I seen a message flash up saying I don't but u also said I do, what the deal?
I’m trying to run this setup for my ram 1500 and I have two questions. 1. How do I know which is the high beam wire and which is the low beam? 2. What other way could I connect the 2 wires without the t tap?
You'll need a test light or multi-meter to test for your high beam power wire, you can try looking it up, but I don't really trust many forums on electronic questions. You can solder into the wire, you can cut the wire and join them back together along with the new wire. There are multiple ways to tap into your high beam wire. I hope that answers your question, sorry I don't know what color your wire is, but thanks for watching!
If your switch has a light in it and you want the switch to light up you can connect the ground. The 3 way switch I show in the video does not have a ground. Thanks for watching!
@@RockyXTV Thanks for the reply. So the ground on the switches are just to light up the switch itself? I learned something new today :). I enjoy your videos. I just discovered you. Keep up the good work
Really great buddy... I follow your wiring instruction and it works the fog lamp and together hibeam and foglamp.. But I used 6 pins to rocker switch ON OFF ON I had a hard time to figure it out how to wire the terminal just to have a standby light when you turn on the ignition.. Can you please give me direction on how to connect the wire.. I already send you pix on your messenger... Thank you buddy have a nice day..
Rocky, I’d like to talk to you more about wiring my light bar to high beams… Do you have an e-mail so I can contact you personally??? I’d very much appreciate it…
Great video! I'm going to add led high beams to my car this summer since base model doesn't come with fog lights so I'll just gonna place them there... :P
Hey buddy, I have a light bar with 18 functions. 3 wires coming out of it but no on off button. I’m trying to get a handle of what type of switch I need, I would like to turn it on / off obviously and I guess another button on the switch to run through the 18 functions. Any guidance would be appreciated if what I mentioned is possible. I don’t mind running a relay and or fuse on the switch, that would actually be fine with me. It’s for my ATV
Advise I want to connect two LED light fitted to front bull bar directly to to head light wire dip beam, on DMax 2024, do I need relay, 4 OR 5 pin and also diode . Also can I connect directly WITHOUT relay, , thanks
Would this same principle apply to interior LED under dash lighting having an on/off and also having them work in sync with the automatic map and courtesy lighting when the doors are opened? I would essentially want the diode on the wire connecting the LEDs to the auto map/courtesy lighting power, correct?
Correct me if i'm wrong, It seems as if the diode serves no purpose in this particular installation. How would a positive current back feed from the 3 way switch?
I wired up a 7-pin illuminated 3-way switch like you showed in the video and my light bar works exactly as it should but I can’t figure out how to make the switch LEDs turn on only when the switch is pressed in their direction. Currently the switch LED for the light bar only position is always on and the LED for the high beams position turns on and off with my high beam selector, regardless of the position of the 3-way switch. Is it possibly to have the switch LEDs turn on only when the switch is pressed? Or is this not possible because we are using the switch opposite of the way it was intended?
Awesome video, so glad I found it for the same reasons as everyone else. Have subscribed and look forward to checking out your other vids. I want to wire up a switch like this in my car to an LED at the rear of a trailer. Want to be able to power the light independently and also have the option to turn it on when the tail (ignition) lights come on. The LED only draws 1.3A, so I plan to omit the relay. My plan is to connect switched battery + (inline fuse) to 3-way switch terminal 1. I'll tap in to the tail light wire at a point just before the tow vehicle 7-pin plug (car side) and connect to terminal 3. I plan on connecting the spare 12V wire on the car/trailer plug (reverse lights not used) between terminal 2 and the positive on the LED. Couple of questions: Will this work? And is the ground on the LED light the only one I need to earth (to trailer chassis)? Cheers Matt
Trying to do a Similar thing hooking up snow plow lights on a truck I want them to switch power from my high and low beam headlights on my truck to the high and low beams on the plow lights , otherwise it will probably burn the wires up because it’s takes to much to run both at the same time any ideas? Thanks
Awesome video, I was able to wire my set up because of this! Ive got a new problem though. Im installing lights on a work trailer. I want them to turn on with backup lights which is easy. But I want to run them off a separate power source for job site lighting. How do you connect the lights to two different sources? Thanks!
Have you seen my other video on reverse lights? If not here's a link for it. Let me know if this helps, thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/hjpucoy0Qxo/видео.html
great videos! but my question is do I have to put a 3way toggle (on/off/on) for 2 switch options? I would like to have led lights come on with high beams and a separate toggle that I can just turn led's on without truck on or running and all the lights/headlights on? thanks!
Hi I was wondering if you can help with a question I have I hooked up auxiliary reverse lights to my truck that I tapped in to the reverse lights to the truck right now it only turns on when I put the truck in reverse I want to add a 5 pin halo switch so I can turn them on with the switch and turn on when I put the truck in reverse.if you could help me I would greatly appreciate it
can you tell me if i understand correct in that there are 2 wires that go to the battery, the white which goes to the toggle and the green which goes to the relay? and if so i would want an in line fuse on both.
I had to go back and look at the video because I couldn't remember what color wires I used. The green wire on the relay in the video is ground for the relay. There is no rhyme or reason to the wire colors I use, just what I had laying around. You are correct though, you would want a fuse on the wire going from the toggle to the battery (white wire) and if you don't already have one on the feed line for the relay (pin 30) you would want one there as well.
You could also just connect them together into one wire as they are both going to the same place. One to power the switch and one to power the relay basically. I hope that makes sense.
Love you videos very informative. Just about to wire up some roof light bars with a 3 position carling Contura II switch. I believe it can be (i)on off on (ii) on on off (iii) off on on Hope I am correct as I would like (iii) Question do I need to use a diode? when splicing into high beam cable. Cheers
I'm not 100% familiar with that switch, but I think you are on the right track. You do not need the diode, it is optional for some newer vehicles but rarely needed. Thanks for watching!
I understand your video but a lot of light bar wiring harnesses have a 3-wire switch that has a positive negative and the third wires the wire that goes to the relay. Does the switch your using just not need a negative wire?
You would just wire the two lights together ( + to + & - to - ) then do the same as the video. I hope that's the info you're looking for. Thanks for watching!
Great videos enjoy them. I see you have a video for reverse lights using the newer 3 way switch . I like the old simply toggle. Can I install this setup for aux. reverse light to come with stock lights or turn them on manually. I have installed a aux. switched power fuse block and will relay
This is what I have been looking for, just a couple things, 1. will this work on a Dodge can bus system? 2. If so then it won't give a "light out" on the dash or burn up the Tipm. any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Great video. Really good way of explaining it all. I've got a light bar to a 2-way switch on its own circuit. I want to make it turn on only with highbeams, I've seen people use a fuse tap as a piggyback off the highbeam fuse to wire to. Do you have any advice for this ? Or how such a thing would be wired ? Thanks
I bought led headlights for my 1991 4Runner, I also bought the harness with relays. But I'm getting power to the lights with the switch being off. What can I do to fix it?
If memory serves me right, Toyota uses a "positive ground system" on their headlight wiring. This usually requires a vehicle specific harness. Unless you wire in some relays to switch your wiring to a more standard style.
I have installed the led light bar a few weeks and ever since was wondering if I could use it the way you've shown it the video... As it's convenient for switching on the led light bar on dark country roads rather than the awkwardly placed auxiliary switches in my vehicle.. Great job. Was just wondering what is the rating of the three way switch you've used? And how many wires have you got coming out of the light bar itself, mine seems to have only 2 wires
There are only 2 wires coming out of the light bar, Positive & Negative. The headlight is the one with 3 wires. As for the switch, the one shown in the video is rated for up to 50 Amps. You can use a better looking rocker style switch, you would just need to add another relay like I did in one of my other videos about aux reverse lights. Thanks for watching!
awesome vid! very informative. How would i replace and wire led pods to factory fog light switch and a separate 5 pin switch as the pods have running lights so running them solely on the factory switch will not give me running light capabilities? Or am i wrong
Awesome video. I dont actually have a light bar, but I am trying to figure out how I can wiring in a 3-way switch for my high beams. My current high beam switch is a foot button, and I want another switch to control the high beams with a finger switch, while still leaving the factory wired high beam switch operational. Any ideas on how I could do that?? Thanks!
That's a tough one, I can't seem to find a schematic for it. You may be able to call a dealership and ask, or get a full repair manual from an auto parts store. Maybe someone in the comments knows, or you could try to find a Camry forum. Sorry I couldn't be of any help.
Hey I'm wondering if you can help me out. I have a 2018 ram 3500 with factory aux switches. I got a 30" light bar from rough country and I'm wanting to wire it to my aux switches, but I'm wondering how I go about that. My light bar has a DRL feature or an On feature, so it came with a three way switch and relay. Can I simply just wire it to two of my aux switches or is there more to it than that? Thanks!
Could you send me an email with a link to the lightbar kit you have? This would help me look into the wiring a little better. ( rocky.tvchannel@gmail.com )
You sure can! Just make sure it can handle the amperage, this was a 20 or 30A switch I think? Its been so long ago that I did this I can't remember. Thanks for watching!
I tried your way with a 3 way switch but I had a problem, which is when clicking on one side the led bar turns ON alone, but when I click it to the other side the headlight turns ON alone without the led bar , what do you think is the isseu?. Hope you answer my question and thanks anyway.
i have done this but once my high beams are on the power coming from the lights is just enough to turn the relay on turning on my light bar if i give some revs to get more voltage to come up it will flick on the realy is there a way to up the voltage to near 12v when high beams are on?
hey man love the video. just wondering if it is possible to make them flick on with the high beam with just a normal switch not a 3 way. if possible a diagram would be awesome!
I couldn't say for sure as I haven't started to modify the JL electrical system yet. I have a few lined up to use on the channel, so maybe I'll have some videos for the JL guys soon. Thanks for watching!
Is it possible to put the diode on backwards... does the orientation matter on a diode Also!! How many watts do you think the light bar setups should be with your setup you have
Diodes do have to go in a certain direction. You have what's called a Cathode and an Anode. The Cathode is the end with the silver band, current can only go through towards the silver band and won't go back the other way. As for the light bar, are you asking about the small one I have in the video? If so it's an 8" Hella Optilux 36 Watt light bar. Thanks for watching!
Sweet and thank you , I was asking: if I used all the same wiring setup you have how many watts could the light bar be potentially without messing with the diode
If you don't use a diode, theoretically you could go as many watts as your relay, fuse and wire could handle. Most standard relays are rated for 30 Amps constant and 40 part time. This would work out to about 400 Watts with one relay, now this would require some bigger wire though.
You could use a lighted switch, you would just have to add some relays. I showed how to do this using this switch because you don't need to use relays (didn't want to make the video any longer by showing how to use relays) I do have another video that might get you pointed in the right direction, thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/hjpucoy0Qxo/видео.html
You could, but the wiring will vary from vehicle to vehicle, and if you have a single bulb for high and low beams or separate ones. I have a video in the making about how to make your low beams stay on with your high's. This has been a pretty popular question as of late so I'll try to get the video filmed and uploaded soon. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for the video, it should help you out with what you are wanting to do.
Anyone that can help me? I got a Audi A6 avant 2001, wired up a ledbar with the relay getting signal from original high beam. Everything works fine when I turn on the high beam, but when I turn them off, the original light turn off like normal, but the led bar has a 1-2 second delay before it turns off... Any idea of what it could be? I tried with two different relays and still the same problem, and the ledbar I have tested on my other car, and it works fine
That is an odd issue... I have no clue as to what it could be other than something with the way Audi powers/wires things? Maybe someone in the comments will chime in. Sorry I couldn't answer your question, but thanks for watching though!
This was to demonstrate this process as if you already had a light bar and harness installed with the common plastic switch as shown in the beginning of the video. You always want to use a relay with those switches even if they say 20A. I left the relay in because removing it would cause more confusion to people that are not wire savvy, and having a relay wont hurt. I hope that makes sense, thanks for watching!
This is great! Can you please help. I'm trying to install a light bar but my car doesn't have either hb3 or h4 plug (newer model car) to connect it to. How do i find high beam wiring to connect to? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
With those most likely being HID you would be dealing with Ballasts and such. If you are not knowledgeable about that type of lighting system I would agree with you about having someone take a look at it for you.
Hi I'm installing a 180w led light bar with a 40A relay and a 3way switch as shown here, would a 1A rectifier diode be OK for this application? Thanks in advance
I have mine wired correctly i believe and the lights work like they should. Only problem is my lightbar relay buzzes when the bar and headlights are both on. Any thoughts?
That is odd, relay going out maybe? The only time I've had a relay buzz is when it's on its last leg or voltage is to low on the coil/trigger wire (pin 86)
No its brand new relay. I tried two different ones. Also tried getting my 12v from the batt and tried again from the fuse box. Same thing both times. Checked current levels. Running ~9 amps with only lightbar and ~6 amps with highs and bar. Running to 40amp relay
I think it was like this, Pin30-POS/Battery, Pin85-NEG/ground, Pin86-to center pin of three way switch, Pin87-POS to light bar. If you have five pins then Pin87a-Not used. I hope this is what you were asking for, thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos! I've got a lot more wiring tricks and tips coming this spring & summer, thanks again!
Yes'ir, that's exactly what I was asking for. You could search for days for this setup and find 20 different drawings but with your video, I know its going to work. Got my schematic drawn up and looking forward to my install this weekend.
I don't understand the diode. Me and a buddy of mine did this same thing on my truck and we didn't put a diode on it. This may sound like a stupid question but what exactly does it do?
The diode is only used in some rare cases on newer vehicles. Sometimes the ECU/ECM/PCM/BCM will pick up on the ever so slight current load change and cause issues. Most of the time minor, but like I said it's very rare that you actually need the diode. Thanks for watching, and if you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe and check out the Rocky X TV Facebook page. Thanks again Ashton!
I know the video is 5 years old but it helped me today, thank you for such an easy to follow tutorial.
Glad the video can still help people all these years later. Thank you for watching!
tutorials dont have expiration date, duh...
is the diode necessary
I think you could also use a fuse tap on the highbeam fuse as an alternative to the t-tap, if you're like me and have an aversion to cutting into the high beam wire.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! I've been looking for a way to do this for at least 6 months (clearly I'm not an expert) and everything I've read/watched has either been too vague on the appropriate detail needed or too complex in explanation. Being able to combine the right level of knowledge in an easy-to-understand message (i.e. the KISS principle) is a real skill so many props and thanks, my friend! I'm excited to finally get my light bar wired up the way i wanted! Cheers!!
I remember learning all this a long time ago and had such a hard time with it because of teaching methods, so I always try to keep it simple for others. Thank you very much for the comment and for watching!
Well done. I added an indicator light to the setup for when the bar is on as well . Gotta keep Johnny Law happy .
With the help of this video I was abl to do what 2 shops couldn't. I've added 2 sets of spot lights each with their own 3 way switch, so either pair can be on, off or controlled by high/low beam. Thanks for putting this video together and keeping it clear and simple to follow.
Thanks for watching! If you haven't already, make sure to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos and products, thanks again!
Best video on how to do this I’ve seen so far. I was confused on the switch wiring part and you explained it very well. Thanks for the video
Doing this tomorrow for sure! Thank you so much, even though I know it’s been 5 years since this was posted.
Sorry for the late reply. Did you get it wired up?
Dude, can you come re-wire all my cars for me? LOL
I love videos like this that do a good job of explaining and demonstrating wiring. I don't know why, but I always have such a hard time comprehending electrical.
I really enjoy wiring, especially complicated lighting setups. I look at it as a puzzle, that could set your car on fire lol. I can do all of your wiring, and I'll throw in my "Brake Light Guarantee" All work is guaranteed until I see your brake lights! Putting keys in the ignition also voids this warranty :) Thanks for watching!
Rocky X TV That's more of a warranty than I expected! hahaha
Ok, but how would you do this with an illuminated 3 prong rocker/toggle switch and have the lights in the switch still turn on when clicked to either of the “on” positions?
I’m having this exact problem, did you ever figure it out?
Great video. Have been looking for awhile and this is by far the best - short, factual and with a live demo not too mention fast forwarding monotonous parts. The only thing that could make it better is a rough sketch circuit diagram of your setup. Do more vids please
Thanks! I'll definitely keep the sketch/diagram idea in mind for other videos. Thank you for watching and if you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos! Thanks again!
Saved me hrs of confusion with the diode idea
Great videos. Thank you. I was told to always use a relay where the relay’s coil is protected, internally, by a diode or a resistor. The reason, from what I understand, was that when an energized coil is de-energized, there is a magnetic field “collapse” that sends voltage (which can be orders of magnitude greater than the original voltage, albeit the current is milliamps) in the opposite direction to the original voltage direction in the relay. This can, apparently, disrupt voltage-sensitive components (such as a blind spot detection sensor) that are “upstream” from the relay. A relay whose coil is diode (or a resistor) protected prevents this.
You can use the standard 2 way switch if you only want the light bar to come on at high beam. Otherwise leave the light bar switch in off position for normal high beam for those that don't want to have a 3 way switch and accidentally leave it on and drain your battery. Also wouldn't it be better using the current off the high beam to trigger the coil on the light bar relay? So you can mount the relay close to the light and not have a single line of wire going back to a switch inside the car. Just a thought.
I just learned about t-taps. I have no idea how I have missed this my whole life
A lot of people will talk bad about them and tell you not to use them, but I've never had any issue with them. I think they're awesome, thanks for watching!
You’re doing a good job sir! Keep it up. You’re helping us all out.
Love the way you illustrate and show hands on with small scale mock ups!!! Super helpful. I've been struggling with a wiring puzzle. I want to set up a 3-way circuit for lights on my Jeep Overlander to control rock lights, rack lights, etc on the ground level from the rocker panel and/or rear of jeep. But also from up top in the tent. Allowing me to illuminate the ground/area but be able to switch off/on when up in the tent w/o having the switch off before going up top. Or climbing down the ladder in the dark in the middle of the night. Is this something you'd be interested in helping us wrap our head around? Thanks again for tuts!!
If you like, you can send me an email ( rocky.tvchannel@gmail.com ) and I'm sure we can figure something out. Thanks for watching!
I've wired this same 3-position switch in tandem with my highbeams without any issue... until recently. (I used your video years ago. Thank you!)
But I swapped out my stock headlights to LED, and now I'm getting a humming noise coming from the lightbar relay when I'm in tandem with my highbeams.
After doing some research, it appears installating a capacitor would fix the humming. Are you familiar with this issue of relay humming or the installation of capacitors?
Champion tuition great job cheers no more kangaroo accidents
I'm glad the video could help!
Thank you for watching!
Hi.... exactly the instruction I was looking for. Thank you.
Just wondering if the same set-up can be achieved without relay and diode. The fuse box providing power already has a relay.
Look forward to more such clear videos. Thank you 😁
Perfect explanation on how to, but question. Can you use same process with (2)LED light bars, and will a bigger diode be ok to use?
Yes you can run 2 light bars on this setup as long as your relay is rated to handle the current draw of the 2 lights, or you can use 2 relays. As for the diode, I've done a bunch of testing after making this video and found that the diode is not needed. I hope this answered your question. Thanks for watching!
Can you please show all the wiring on your video as you can see we can not see on the where is the green and white wire connected. Much appreciated if you can please thanks
Great vid I am fitting a light bar but want it just to come on with high beam switch I want to tap in to high beam wire from headlight I have got a wiring harness do I tap high beam wire into the live wire on harness many thanks 😎👍Alan from England
You would need to find which wire in your harness is the "trigger" or "coil" wire & hook that one to your high beam. This way the relay/light bar is pulling its power from the battery & not your headlight. The trigger/coil wire pulls very little power, just enough to activate the relay, then the relay pulls power from the battery & sends it to the light bar.
I hope that makes sense. This is only good if you don't plan on using the switch in your harness.
Your light bar harness should still be hooked up to the + & - of your battery. You probably have 3 wires on the switch, one will be power coming into the switch, then power out of the switch going to the relay, then a ground if the switch lights up. You would be looking for the wire that sends power out to the relay, that wire would tap into your headlight.
Why would you need the diode right there? There shouldn't be voltage going toward the headlights. Right?
I have a rigid SR SAE barlight with 5 wires running to the main switch. It's a three way switch. Low,Off and Normal. Any advice on how to wire something like that?
It would depend on what you would like the light bar to do, and the type of switch. Different manufacturers use different switches and I'm not 100% familiar with the pin numbers on whatever switch Rigid uses now.
An actual drawing showing the whole wiring set up would help a lot more , i understand the set up but am a bit confused as to where the light bar wires are hooked to as well as all the wires run on the relay , you didnt show that , great video , have watched it sevral times but still not sure .
Like on an atv cant you just splice the hot wire from the led bar to the hot wire from the high beams then when you put factory high beams your led will light up im talking atv here and not using the bright and led independently or you still need a diode
Can you do this with the newer light bar switches please would be much appreciated
I want to have it wired to my high beams but still be able to turn it off with the switch (I don't need it to turn on solo at all). Could I do that with just an on/off switch?
If I understand correctly, you could simply tap into your HI beam power wire. Run that wire to your switch. Run a wire back to the power of your light bar. This will cause your light bar to come on with HI beams if the switch is ON. If the switch is OFF, the light bar won't come on. You just need to be sure your switch is rated for enough amps, otherwise you'll need a relay.
I hope that is the info you are looking for.
Thanks for watching!
So simple and clear! THANK YOU!!!!
Thank you for watching!
I understand wiring and switches, but have no history with relays. Is there a relay part number/MFG you can share, or a terminology for the relay design? source for the part ? Excellent video, thank you for posting and taking the time !
You can find wiring, switches and relays that I use in my Amazon Storefront - www.amazon.com/shop/rockyxtv Thanks for watching!
Great video, thank you. What amperage does the switch need to be please?
Slightly unsure... I got the most of it but do I or don't I need a diode? I seen a message flash up saying I don't but u also said I do, what the deal?
You don't need the diode. I used it in some testing and it ended up in the video, but it turns out that it's not needed. Thanks for watching!
Rocky X TV thanks a bunch 👍
Why do you not need the diode?
Thank you for this Demo/Howto
Thank you for watching!
I’m trying to run this setup for my ram 1500 and I have two questions.
1. How do I know which is the high beam wire and which is the low beam?
2. What other way could I connect the 2 wires without the t tap?
You'll need a test light or multi-meter to test for your high beam power wire, you can try looking it up, but I don't really trust many forums on electronic questions. You can solder into the wire, you can cut the wire and join them back together along with the new wire. There are multiple ways to tap into your high beam wire. I hope that answers your question, sorry I don't know what color your wire is, but thanks for watching!
What about the ground wire for the switch? Or is that not needed
If your switch has a light in it and you want the switch to light up you can connect the ground. The 3 way switch I show in the video does not have a ground. Thanks for watching!
@@RockyXTV Thanks for the reply. So the ground on the switches are just to light up the switch itself? I learned something new today :). I enjoy your videos. I just discovered you. Keep up the good work
Yep, 99% of the time if your switch has a ground it's just for the internal light of the switch. It's not required for the switch to operate.
Really great buddy... I follow your wiring instruction and it works the fog lamp and together hibeam and foglamp.. But I used 6 pins to rocker switch ON OFF ON I had a hard time to figure it out how to wire the terminal just to have a standby light when you turn on the ignition.. Can you please give me direction on how to connect the wire.. I already send you pix on your messenger... Thank you buddy have a nice day..
Rocky, I’d like to talk to you more about wiring my light bar to high beams… Do you have an e-mail so I can contact you personally??? I’d very much appreciate it…
Hi! Can you make a video tutorial on how to hook up your light bar to your passing light and also to your horns?
I can sure look into it for a future video. Thanks for watching!
@@RockyXTV That's awesome, man! Thanks! Looking forward on that video. =)
Thank you for this. Very easy to follow. Exactly what im searching for.
Thank you for watching! I'm glad the video could help, don't forget to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos, thanks again.
Great video! I'm going to add led high beams to my car this summer since base model doesn't come with fog lights so I'll just gonna place them there... :P
Sounds like a plan! Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos, if you want to that is. Thanks again!
Hey buddy, I have a light bar with 18 functions. 3 wires coming out of it but no on off button. I’m trying to get a handle of what type of switch I need, I would like to turn it on / off obviously and I guess another button on the switch to run through the 18 functions. Any guidance would be appreciated if what I mentioned is possible. I don’t mind running a relay and or fuse on the switch, that would actually be fine with me. It’s for my ATV
Just found your channel.. you have some great content here. The wiring stuff in particular I am going to check out first. Thank you! Just subbed !
Awesome! I'm glad you like the videos, thank you for watching!
Advise I want to connect two LED light fitted to front bull bar directly to to head light wire dip beam, on DMax 2024, do I need relay, 4 OR 5 pin and also diode . Also can I connect directly WITHOUT relay, , thanks
Would this same principle apply to interior LED under dash lighting having an on/off and also having them work in sync with the automatic map and courtesy lighting when the doors are opened? I would essentially want the diode on the wire connecting the LEDs to the auto map/courtesy lighting power, correct?
If I follow you correctly, yes. Thanks for watching, and don't forget to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos and products! Thanks again!
Correct me if i'm wrong, It seems as if the diode serves no purpose in this particular installation. How would a positive current back feed from the 3 way switch?
As I said in the description of the video, the diode is not needed. The diode was for a CAN-BUS compliant experiment. Thanks for watching!
Important to note, all these LED bars are approved for off-road use only. Too many truck driving hand jobs using these in traffic.
I wired up a 7-pin illuminated 3-way switch like you showed in the video and my light bar works exactly as it should but I can’t figure out how to make the switch LEDs turn on only when the switch is pressed in their direction. Currently the switch LED for the light bar only position is always on and the LED for the high beams position turns on and off with my high beam selector, regardless of the position of the 3-way switch. Is it possibly to have the switch LEDs turn on only when the switch is pressed? Or is this not possible because we are using the switch opposite of the way it was intended?
So much good info here. Was there a schematic for the harness if we want to make our own from scratch?
Awesome video, so glad I found it for the same reasons as everyone else. Have subscribed and look forward to checking out your other vids.
I want to wire up a switch like this in my car to an LED at the rear of a trailer. Want to be able to power the light independently and also have the option to turn it on when the tail (ignition) lights come on. The LED only draws 1.3A, so I plan to omit the relay.
My plan is to connect switched battery + (inline fuse) to 3-way switch terminal 1. I'll tap in to the tail light wire at a point just before the tow vehicle 7-pin plug (car side) and connect to terminal 3. I plan on connecting the spare 12V wire on the car/trailer plug (reverse lights not used) between terminal 2 and the positive on the LED.
Couple of questions: Will this work? And is the ground on the LED light the only one I need to earth (to trailer chassis)?
Cheers
Matt
If I understand everything correctly, I think you've got it!
Thanks for watching!
Trying to do a Similar thing hooking up snow plow lights on a truck I want them to switch power from my high and low beam headlights on my truck to the high and low beams on the plow lights , otherwise it will probably burn the wires up because it’s takes to much to run both at the same time any ideas? Thanks
Awesome video, I was able to wire my set up because of this! Ive got a new problem though. Im installing lights on a work trailer. I want them to turn on with backup lights which is easy. But I want to run them off a separate power source for job site lighting. How do you connect the lights to two different sources? Thanks!
Have you seen my other video on reverse lights? If not here's a link for it. Let me know if this helps, thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/hjpucoy0Qxo/видео.html
Could I tap into the high beam fuse instead of using the diode on the high beam wire?
Do i need a 3 way switch for my led spot lights to just work on my high beams ?????
hi, thank you for your video. i have a question. i saw another video where the guy put a flywheel diode to protect the relay do you really need one ?
How do you know if your vehicle should need the diode or not? 2010 Challenger RT
great videos! but my question is do I have to put a 3way toggle (on/off/on) for 2 switch options? I would like to have led lights come on with high beams and a separate toggle that I can just turn led's on without truck on or running and all the lights/headlights on? thanks!
This is another of my videos that might point you in the right direction, thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/77q9KtjnNTU/видео.html
Hi I was wondering if you can help with a question I have I hooked up auxiliary reverse lights to my truck that I tapped in to the reverse lights to the truck right now it only turns on when I put the truck in reverse I want to add a 5 pin halo switch so I can turn them on with the switch and turn on when I put the truck in reverse.if you could help me I would greatly appreciate it
it would be helpful if you drew a picture with the wires going into each place to confirm. great stuff though very helpful
Thank for the suggestion, you are correct, it would make things a little easier for people. Thanks for watching!
can you tell me if i understand correct in that there are 2 wires that go to the battery, the white which goes to the toggle and the green which goes to the relay? and if so i would want an in line fuse on both.
I had to go back and look at the video because I couldn't remember what color wires I used. The green wire on the relay in the video is ground for the relay. There is no rhyme or reason to the wire colors I use, just what I had laying around. You are correct though, you would want a fuse on the wire going from the toggle to the battery (white wire) and if you don't already have one on the feed line for the relay (pin 30) you would want one there as well.
You could also just connect them together into one wire as they are both going to the same place. One to power the switch and one to power the relay basically. I hope that makes sense.
that makes sense, i appreciate your time and learning a lot from your videos thank you!
Clever just the way I need it , thanks for the video .
Love you videos very informative. Just about to wire up some roof light bars with a 3 position carling Contura II switch. I believe it can be (i)on off on (ii) on on off (iii) off on on Hope I am correct as I would like (iii) Question do I need to use a diode? when splicing into high beam cable. Cheers
I'm not 100% familiar with that switch, but I think you are on the right track. You do not need the diode, it is optional for some newer vehicles but rarely needed. Thanks for watching!
Cheers for reply. Keep the videos coming
How would you do this with a auxbeam switch panel that has a built in relay board
Does the switch go to the hot side of the highbeam or ground? Nice video!
I understand your video but a lot of light bar wiring harnesses have a 3-wire switch that has a positive negative and the third wires the wire that goes to the relay. Does the switch your using just not need a negative wire?
Perhaps I'm overthinking it, but how would I use this method for installing 2 auxiliary lights, not just the one like in your demo?
You would just wire the two lights together ( + to + & - to - ) then do the same as the video. I hope that's the info you're looking for. Thanks for watching!
Thank you!
Great videos enjoy them. I see you have a video for reverse lights using the newer 3 way switch . I like the old simply toggle. Can I install this setup for aux. reverse light to come with stock lights or turn them on manually.
I have installed a aux. switched power fuse block and will relay
This is what I have been looking for, just a couple things, 1. will this work on a Dodge can bus system? 2. If so then it won't give a "light out" on the dash or burn up the Tipm. any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Great video. Really good way of explaining it all.
I've got a light bar to a 2-way switch on its own circuit. I want to make it turn on only with highbeams, I've seen people use a fuse tap as a piggyback off the highbeam fuse to wire to.
Do you have any advice for this ?
Or how such a thing would be wired ?
Thanks
Okay but I’m stuck on another issue. How do I find the highbeem wire to attach the T-tap to? Where is it?
So its possible for current to travel back through the switch from the relay to the t tap without a diode? Can you elaborate on that some more?
Very well described and demonstarted! Thanks
Thank you for watching!
I bought led headlights for my 1991 4Runner, I also bought the harness with relays. But I'm getting power to the lights with the switch being off. What can I do to fix it?
If memory serves me right, Toyota uses a "positive ground system" on their headlight wiring. This usually requires a vehicle specific harness. Unless you wire in some relays to switch your wiring to a more standard style.
@@RockyXTV Yeah I heard that, I'm just gonna have to take it somewhere lol... Thank you
I have installed the led light bar a few weeks and ever since was wondering if I could use it the way you've shown it the video... As it's convenient for switching on the led light bar on dark country roads rather than the awkwardly placed auxiliary switches in my vehicle.. Great job. Was just wondering what is the rating of the three way switch you've used? And how many wires have you got coming out of the light bar itself, mine seems to have only 2 wires
There are only 2 wires coming out of the light bar, Positive & Negative. The headlight is the one with 3 wires. As for the switch, the one shown in the video is rated for up to 50 Amps. You can use a better looking rocker style switch, you would just need to add another relay like I did in one of my other videos about aux reverse lights. Thanks for watching!
awesome vid! very informative. How would i replace and wire led pods to factory fog light switch and a separate 5 pin switch as the pods have running lights so running them solely on the factory switch will not give me running light capabilities? Or am i wrong
Awesome video. I dont actually have a light bar, but I am trying to figure out how I can wiring in a 3-way switch for my high beams. My current high beam switch is a foot button, and I want another switch to control the high beams with a finger switch, while still leaving the factory wired high beam switch operational. Any ideas on how I could do that?? Thanks!
the circuit breaker you put on the cable destroys cables
Great video !!! I have a 2018 Toyota Camry that I have 2, 7 inch light bars on. I have factory projector lights. Which wire triggers the brights ?
That's a tough one, I can't seem to find a schematic for it. You may be able to call a dealership and ask, or get a full repair manual from an auto parts store. Maybe someone in the comments knows, or you could try to find a Camry forum. Sorry I couldn't be of any help.
Is it possible to have two switches (3way switches) to one light? If so, I would love a video on how to do so? 👀
Hey I'm wondering if you can help me out. I have a 2018 ram 3500 with factory aux switches. I got a 30" light bar from rough country and I'm wanting to wire it to my aux switches, but I'm wondering how I go about that. My light bar has a DRL feature or an On feature, so it came with a three way switch and relay. Can I simply just wire it to two of my aux switches or is there more to it than that? Thanks!
Could you send me an email with a link to the lightbar kit you have? This would help me look into the wiring a little better. ( rocky.tvchannel@gmail.com )
I have searched for this exact type of video for so long! Thank you so much!
Can you use a rocker switch like you had on it to do waht you did or not?
You sure can! Just make sure it can handle the amperage, this was a 20 or 30A switch I think? Its been so long ago that I did this I can't remember.
Thanks for watching!
I tried your way with a 3 way switch but I had a problem, which is when clicking on one side the led bar turns ON alone, but when I click it to the other side the headlight turns ON alone without the led bar , what do you think is the isseu?. Hope you answer my question and thanks anyway.
If you send me an email ( rocky.tvchannel ) I can send you over the wiring diagram for this. Thanks for watching!
i have done this but once my high beams are on the power coming from the lights is just enough to turn the relay on turning on my light bar if i give some revs to get more voltage to come up it will flick on the realy is there a way to up the voltage to near 12v when high beams are on?
A really good way you explain this. Great videos you make!
Thank you!
hey man love the video. just wondering if it is possible to make them flick on with the high beam with just a normal switch not a 3 way. if possible a diagram would be awesome!
It is possible. If you send me an email ( rocky.tvchannel@gmail.com ) I can send you a simple diagram. Thanks for watching!
@@RockyXTV thanks for the reply just sent you an email then!
@@RockyXTVcould I also get the simple diagram as well? 2013 Acura TL sh-awd
Nice video. I am planning on adding LED lights on my motorcycle and I would like to use a similar setup. What is the role of the diode?
Could you use the JL factory auxiliary switches to use the high beams with the bar and also with the switch?
I couldn't say for sure as I haven't started to modify the JL electrical system yet. I have a few lined up to use on the channel, so maybe I'll have some videos for the JL guys soon. Thanks for watching!
Is it possible to put the diode on backwards... does the orientation matter on a diode
Also!! How many watts do you think the light bar setups should be with your setup you have
Diodes do have to go in a certain direction. You have what's called a Cathode and an Anode. The Cathode is the end with the silver band, current can only go through towards the silver band and won't go back the other way. As for the light bar, are you asking about the small one I have in the video? If so it's an 8" Hella Optilux 36 Watt light bar. Thanks for watching!
Sweet and thank you , I was asking:
if I used all the same wiring setup you have how many watts could the light bar be potentially without messing with the diode
If you don't use a diode, theoretically you could go as many watts as your relay, fuse and wire could handle. Most standard relays are rated for 30 Amps constant and 40 part time. This would work out to about 400 Watts with one relay, now this would require some bigger wire though.
Thanks!!!
How would you add a flashing led to only flash when the light bar is on? I have done this mod but sometimes I forget that the light bar is on!
You could use a lighted switch, you would just have to add some relays. I showed how to do this using this switch because you don't need to use relays (didn't want to make the video any longer by showing how to use relays) I do have another video that might get you pointed in the right direction, thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/hjpucoy0Qxo/видео.html
Hi, Can we switch on all together in this particular case. Low, high & the bar ? Thank you
You could, but the wiring will vary from vehicle to vehicle, and if you have a single bulb for high and low beams or separate ones. I have a video in the making about how to make your low beams stay on with your high's. This has been a pretty popular question as of late so I'll try to get the video filmed and uploaded soon. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for the video, it should help you out with what you are wanting to do.
Anyone that can help me? I got a Audi A6 avant 2001, wired up a ledbar with the relay getting signal from original high beam. Everything works fine when I turn on the high beam, but when I turn them off, the original light turn off like normal, but the led bar has a 1-2 second delay before it turns off... Any idea of what it could be?
I tried with two different relays and still the same problem, and the ledbar I have tested on my other car, and it works fine
That is an odd issue... I have no clue as to what it could be other than something with the way Audi powers/wires things? Maybe someone in the comments will chime in. Sorry I couldn't answer your question, but thanks for watching though!
@@RockyXTV yeah, thanks for answering thought 😊
If all power from battery in the start of the video.. why you put a relay on? just for deco?
This was to demonstrate this process as if you already had a light bar and harness installed with the common plastic switch as shown in the beginning of the video. You always want to use a relay with those switches even if they say 20A. I left the relay in because removing it would cause more confusion to people that are not wire savvy, and having a relay wont hurt. I hope that makes sense, thanks for watching!
This is great! Can you please help. I'm trying to install a light bar but my car doesn't have either hb3 or h4 plug (newer model car) to connect it to. How do i find high beam wiring to connect to? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance
What type of car do you have, and do you have a test light or multi-meter?
@@RockyXTV2014 Mazda cx5 with bi-xenon bulb. Thanks I might have to get the professional tobfit it for me.
With those most likely being HID you would be dealing with Ballasts and such. If you are not knowledgeable about that type of lighting system I would agree with you about having someone take a look at it for you.
Hi I'm installing a 180w led light bar with a 40A relay and a 3way switch as shown here, would a 1A rectifier diode be OK for this application?
Thanks in advance
My old switch has a ground wire connected to it, what do I do with it? Do I just connect it to any grounded area in the car?
Yep! Thanks for watching!
Awesome video. Do I need a relay if I’m hooking up small led strips?
You should be fine without using relays with small low power lights. Thanks for watching!
To do this style of switch in a application of reverse lights would you need the diode?
I have mine wired correctly i believe and the lights work like they should. Only problem is my lightbar relay buzzes when the bar and headlights are both on. Any thoughts?
That is odd, relay going out maybe? The only time I've had a relay buzz is when it's on its last leg or voltage is to low on the coil/trigger wire (pin 86)
No its brand new relay. I tried two different ones. Also tried getting my 12v from the batt and tried again from the fuse box. Same thing both times. Checked current levels. Running ~9 amps with only lightbar and ~6 amps with highs and bar. Running to 40amp relay
Shouldn't be buzzing then, you're sure you have the relay wiring correct? Is the relay getting hot?
Relay isnt hot and everhthing works like it should. Im going to try a different style relay tomorrow
Thanks for posting this video was a huge help wouldn’t be able to do it without it :-)
How is the relay wired? I am trying to do the same thing but just do it to my fog light switch instead of headlights
This is another video I did, it should help you out. Thanks for watching! ruclips.net/video/hjpucoy0Qxo/видео.html
Rocky X TV awesome man, I really appreciate the quick response. Keep up the good work!
Fantastic video man! Question..any way you could comment on your relay configuration for this set up?
I think it was like this, Pin30-POS/Battery, Pin85-NEG/ground, Pin86-to center pin of three way switch, Pin87-POS to light bar. If you have five pins then Pin87a-Not used. I hope this is what you were asking for, thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to keep up on all the new videos! I've got a lot more wiring tricks and tips coming this spring & summer, thanks again!
Yes'ir, that's exactly what I was asking for. You could search for days for this setup and find 20 different drawings but with your video, I know its going to work. Got my schematic drawn up and looking forward to my install this weekend.
Good luck on your install this weekend, thanks for watching!
I don't understand the diode. Me and a buddy of mine did this same thing on my truck and we didn't put a diode on it. This may sound like a stupid question but what exactly does it do?
The diode is only used in some rare cases on newer vehicles. Sometimes the ECU/ECM/PCM/BCM will pick up on the ever so slight current load change and cause issues. Most of the time minor, but like I said it's very rare that you actually need the diode. Thanks for watching, and if you haven't yet, make sure to subscribe and check out the Rocky X TV Facebook page. Thanks again Ashton!
Only allows current flow in one direction.