Dumb question on wiring.

[DZLFREK]

I am hooking up some hella back-up lights since my White night system was stolen about a month ago. I am completely ignorant on wiring. No kidding... like dumb as a stump. I have a few options:



One is hooking the system up to:



WHITE NIGHT - "PLUG N GO" WIRING ADAPTER from Geno's







Should you cut the system wiring and add a fuse or relay or something... think dumb it up when you answer.





The other is to hook up:



PAINLESS WIRING KIT - 4 HOT/3 CONSTANT (WEATHERPROOF) from Geno's





Again, don't have a clue how to do it, but with all the different skills on this site, someone can show this "dumb as a stump electrical guy" how to do this.



Thanks everyone!



David

DZLFREK

 

[nick05]

depnds if you bought the pieces from geno's yet.



if not then just mount the lights where you want then splice into the reverse wire on the tailight.

if you want them on when you get out of the truck just run a 12v toggle switch wire up in the cab. one wire on battery to switch, switch wire to lights, switch needs to be grounded (easy right in cab), then from the lights run the wire to tap into the factory reverse wire.



alot of jibber jabber here so let me know if you don't understand.

 

[DZLFREK]

I've been researching this topic for a while now. I haven't received a whole lot of feedback on this topic... almost none. Usually guys will draw you a schematic or give you pictures on almost anything. I'll let you know how it goes when I put the light on the truck. Should be my next task in about 2 weeks.



David

 

[GOlsen]

I installed a set of back up flood lights from KC. The kit included all the wiring and pretty good directions. They used a relay to actuate the lights. I'm not too good on telling what kind of relay one is from a diagram, but this relay has the following connections: 30, 86, 87, 87, 85. 12v power goes to 30. Ground goes to 85. Signal from backup lights goes to 86. Lights go to the rear 87. Switch goes to the center 87. Then, the lights use their own ground, and switch gets its own power and ground. I hope this helps a little bit.

 

[rbattelle]

Usually guys will draw you a schematic or give you pictures on almost anything.

Usually I'm someone who will do this, but in this case I wouldn't know where to start telling you how to connect a painless wiring block, or alone a simple relay-activated toggle switch without access to a chalk board and some time to explain things carefully. Electricity is pretty simple, but the consequences of doing it wrong are disastrous.



Post 22 in this thread discusses how to install a painless fuse block.



Wiring a relay is very simple, if you know how a relay works. A relay is a simple electromechanical switch. By applying a current through a coil of wire you generate a magnetic field, which in turn pulls a switch to activate your lights. So most basic relays have 4 terminals:



(+) for the magnetic coil (terminal 86 or 85)

(-) for the magnetic coil (terminal 86 or 85)

(+) for the lights upstream of the relay (terminal 30)

(+) for the lights downstream of the relay (terminal 87)



You ground one side of the magnetic coil (doesn't matter which side, 86 or 85). The other side you connect to your switch, which is in-turn connected to battery (+).



You ground your lights, then connect the light (+) end to relay terminal 87. Relay terminal 30 is your main (+) power for the lights. It's connected to battery power, normally through a fuse for protection.



Here's a decent diagram of how a relay is wired.



Of course, another option is to host a Cincinnati area Meet/Greet/wrench party and invite a bunch of Ohio goobers over for the evening.



Ryan