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Author Topic: Looking for offroad light wiring advice  (Read 2468 times)

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Offline SwampSinger

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« on: August 22, 2006, 06:46:09 AM »
Ok .. I would like to hook up my off road lights but after screwing around for a while I realized that I really don't know what I'm doing...and I don't want my wagon to catch on fire because of bad wiring.

I have 4 fairly large lights that I would like to put on 1 switch. I was told to maybe use a celenoid since it can take a fairly large load of power (200 AMP)(I like the idea). Most plans i've seen uses relais and have 2 switches.

I've researched a bit on the net but I can't find anything that I can understand (not because of the lingo  :wink: ... I know I open a can or worm). I did find a plan before but I can't find it now to save my life... it was on the NAXJA site.

ANY HELP is APPRECIATED.


Thanks in advance... :D
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Offline SwampSinger

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Re: offroad lights
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2006, 06:54:29 AM »
I've seen a few thread on this site but I can't visualize it...

http://www.calgaryjeep.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3268&highlight=lights

and a few others by Jeep420


Does anybody have a plan of some sort ?


Thanks
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Offline BlackYJ

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2006, 07:43:14 AM »
Dom you will probably want to use a couple relays but I believe they can be wired to the same switch, since the power from teh switch is low voltage.  Power from the lights needs to come from the battery.  I will try and scan my wiring instructions for my IPF lights tonight for you
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Offline SPOT

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2006, 10:05:13 AM »
They really dont make soliniods for constant duty I have burnt a few of them up,but relays are really easy to wire up.just run 2 switch wires from your toggle one to each relay.a ground to each relay,a heavy wire to the relays from the battery.I use 8 guage split it at the relays power for each one and then power from the relays to the lights and then spilt the power wire again one for each light.I also wire it so that  the 2 out side lights are on the same relay and the 2 inside lights are on the same relay.Also make sure you check how much power(amps) your lights are useing  as well as the total draw from your truck, so you dont kill off your battery.
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Offline cLAY

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2006, 12:42:02 PM »
Quote from: "SPOT"
They really dont make soliniods for constant duty .


Yes they do, they use them all the time in RV applications and I often use them at work for wiring up multiple accesories and dual battery setps. A single selonoid in your case would probably be easier than several relays. Just goto a reliable parts store like NAPA or something(DON"T goto Canadian Tire, they'll just stare at you blankly) and ask for a continous duty selonioid.
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Offline SPOT

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2006, 01:57:11 PM »
I used to be an RV sevice tech.I know which ones you are talking about and I have fried the constant duty solinoids.I find the relays are smaller and work better.If you go the solinoid route make sure you ask for and get the constant duty ones.And dont let them tell you they are all the same.

relay info
-Run your positive wires from each pair of lights to their own relay on terminal 87.
-Run your power from your battery to each relay from terminal 30, each with it's own fuse.
-Run power from the switch to the one relay and jump it to the other for the lights using terminal number 86.
-Terminal 85 is ground for the relay.
hope that helps....
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Offline cLAY

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2006, 02:51:10 PM »
Then you were using crap selonoids or they weren't coninous duty, at the airport I take care about 25 light trucks and another 30 pieces of HD equipment. Every piece of equipment has a light bar or beacon on it and some sort of aux lights. 12 of them have HID lighting, 3 of them have booster packages. All of them I have wired with Cole Hersee selonoids and in 5 years the only ones I've replaced failed due to corosion from bad mounting locations. I you have a high amp draw seloinods are tehy only way to go.

Just look inside any Warn winch selonoid pack, no relays there.
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Offline SwampSinger

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2006, 04:33:01 PM »
Man that's alot of info....


THANKS... :D

I'm still not sure what all the terminals mean (sorry I don't know nothing about wiring stuff) but I'll do some research and I'll find out.

I think I'll go with the HD continious soliniods option... My good buddy from Aperage Tech mentionned it was the was to go (but not the most popular way). I'll let you guys know how it goes....

Thanks again...
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Offline SPOT

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2006, 10:16:45 PM »
the terminals are labled on the relays which is which
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Jaguar

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2006, 11:00:15 PM »
If you go to princess auto, you can get a relay for about 3-4$. 4 terminal or 5 terminal, doesn't really matter, you will only use 4 terminals as per SPOT's instructions.

I just wired up my lights the other week, so I can take pics if you'd like.

Michael
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Offline SwampSinger

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #10 on: August 23, 2006, 05:52:45 AM »
Quote from: "SPOT"
the terminals are labled on the relays which is which
\

10-4... Thanks Nathan

In you instructions (if i'm reading right) your using 2 terminals ... one for each pair of lights...right?
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Offline SPOT

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #11 on: August 23, 2006, 09:16:15 AM »
2 different relays yes.one relay for every 2 lights.
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Offline SPOT

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #12 on: August 23, 2006, 09:36:50 AM »
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Offline SwampSinger

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #13 on: August 23, 2006, 10:02:50 AM »
This is GREAT...

You DA MAN!!
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Offline Vinman

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Looking for offroad light wiring advice
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2006, 10:06:01 AM »
Quote from: "SPOT"


Nice drawing SPOT,
I'm sure it will help a lot of people out.

FWIW, I have been using a constant duty soleniod from CTC for my dual battery setup, over 3 years now and not a problem.
It was designed for the RV's and is rated at 80 amps continous and 160 surge. $20.00 each.

Vince
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