help I need lights

[familyofjeeps]

hey every one I suck at electronics I have 4 tractor lights that have been mounted yay! but I havent a clue to hooking them up to the switch and the power can anyone help me please  :'( I have needed then 8-9 times now

[familyofjeeps]

I have two spot lights that I want on one switch and two flood lights that I want on another.

thanks all !

[4PLAYZJ]

Wire them with 2 switches & 2 20amp relays, make sure to install some fuses.

Princess auto should stock all the parts that you need, probably the cheapest in the city too

[Immortal]

PA was out of relays last weekend... i picked up 2 from canadian tire....

[Stainless]

Wiring is easy once you wrap your head around relays. Before you smoke your equipment, do yourself a favour by doing some reading. Then, once you think you get it, try just "dry wiring" a relay and holding it to your battery directly to make sure it all works the way you expect. You'll probably screw it up your first time, so make sure you use a fuse, and don't hide relays behind panels or whatever before you know your configuration works.

Here are a couple really valuable sites for 12 volt wiring. It all looks complicated initially if you truly have no experience with wiring systems, but if you break it down and read carefully, it's really not bad.

http://www.the12volt.com
http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/relay.html
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/amps-wire-gauge-d_730.html

The most important rules I've learned when I was a car audio installer back in the day are these:

1) Never connect anything that draws power without a fuse. Ever. I have a buddy with a nice burn scar on the palm of his hand because he ignored this rule.
2) Wire that's too thick (heavy gauge) is better than too thin (light gauge). Here's a hint: 55 watt lights draw about 6 amps each. See the last link above for information on why this matters.
3) Learn how to use relays. A $2 relay from Princess Auto is unbelievably versatile, and you'll use this knowledge over and over again in your truck.
4) Use a ground trigger for a relay whenever possible (it will make sense once you do some reading). The fewer live positive wires that you have running through your truck, the better, especially when your bouncing down a trail.

Lights are bone simple to wire, and it's a great, easy first leap into the world of +12 electricals.

You can torch your truck and burn yourself if you don't know what you're doing, so be smart and learn before you actually connect anything. Don't be afraid of wiring, though... you can't electrocute yourself with a 12 volt battery, and you'll wind up getting more free beer than you can imagine if you can be "the guy who knows wiring" in your group of friends. Just ask my poor liver.

S

[familyofjeeps]

thanks finally I can drive around with some real light and not look like a retard that just has lights on his Jeep haha
thanks again but I did find a wire harness and I am using that it works just as good just a Little more water resitant

[familyofjeeps]

hey guys, I have a problem I got the relay and the lights turn on but the switch does nothing the lights just stay on ? I ev checked everything 2-3 times and just cant seem to get it any suggestions ?

[Mudpig97]

Did  you wire your relay right.  What are you using for a relay 4 or 5 prongs?  Anyway 85 goes to your switch then to ground. 86 to an ign.source (keyed). 30 goes to batt. pos. 87 goes to lights( 87a also) Make sure theres a fuse in the 30 wire.

[familyofjeeps]

the relay is 5 that's all the place I went to had, what sould be the the igniton source ? every thing else is all lined up right

[Mudpig97]

The ign source is basically a trigger wire for the relay so you can tap into any small wire that has power with the key on.

[familyofjeeps]

oh ok cool thanks I am going to try it out tomorrow see what happens

[Tinkerer]

Did  you wire your relay right.  What are you using for a relay 4 or 5 prongs?  Anyway 85 goes to your switch then to ground. 86 to an ign.source (keyed). 30 goes to batt. pos. 87 goes to lights( 87a also) Make sure theres a fuse in the 30 wire.

Umm... In a standard automotive relay, 87 and 87A are opposites... 87A is normally closed and 87 is normally open, so if you hook both up to your lights, they will be on all the time... you have effectively shorted the outputs of the relay.  You would use 87 for this application - closes when switch completes circuit to ground.

HTH
Pat

[Mudpig97]

Tinkerers right...my bad.  Anyway I was thinking of a spdt relay which I believe both ouput terminals are labeled 87. If your relay has an 87a terminal just use the 87 and run to both lighs.

[familyofjeeps]

ah, I see I am going to gice that a try and see what happens thanks all let you know if I got it