Wiring an LED light bar

[woodynorman]

Ive got a 30" light bar for the front of my 2014 2500. It will be mounted in the bumper, between the tow hooks. I'm thinking that I would like to wire it in with the brights of the truck.

Whats the best way to go about that? Find the wiring harness, pull it apart, and tap into the proper wire? (If so, is there any easy way to figure out the wire I need). Or maybe tap into a relay for power? Not sure if there is one for the brights? Or?

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[PMcCall]

you have to be careful with these trucks and all the electronics. You should use a relay with a separate power feed, if you don't the the truck will see the amperage draw and think there is a problem. The hi feed could be used to trip the relay without problems, but do you really want the light bar coming on with the high beams? if they come on and you are on a road you will get pulled over. I don't know about you but I try and not give the cops a reason to pull me over My opinion is that the best option is to wire them to a switch that you can turn on or off when you want.

 

[mpaulson]

I found this link that describes the process for wiring the fog lights to stay on with the high beams. This same procedure will work for the light bar as well, just rather than running the wires to both fog lights, you just run the wire from the relay to your light bar. I my case I'm going to do both the fog lights and the light bar, but I will run the relay trigger wire to the cab to a toggle switch then to the relay so that I can turn it off if I don't want them coming on automatically with the high beams. On the 2013 and 2014 trucks with the orange led daytime running lights this will work fine. On the older trucks with daytime running lights, the running light is a low amp version of the high beams and thus will trigger the light bar and or fog lights during the day and would need a switch to override it.

Basically tap into the high beam wire(should be white w/green stripe, one of them, apparently there is two,one is the park lamp) to trigger a relay and run fused power to the relay from the battery to feed the light bar. If you want to be able to override this function, run the high beam tap wire to the cab to a switch first then to the relay.

http://www.ramforumz.com/showthread.php?t=135223

 

[mpaulson]

you have to be careful with these trucks and all the electronics. You should use a relay with a separate power feed, if you don't the the truck will see the amperage draw and think there is a problem. The hi feed could be used to trip the relay without problems, but do you really want the light bar coming on with the high beams? if they come on and you are on a road you will get pulled over. I don't know about you but I try and not give the cops a reason to pull me over My opinion is that the best option is to wire them to a switch that you can turn on or off when you want.

I only use the light bar on back country roads where the critters are more abundant. From what I've found in my research online is that we CAN get away with tapping into the high beam wire only to feed a relay without triggering anything in the trucks system.

 

[woodynorman]

Very nice. Thanks for all the info so far.

 

[TJJEEPER]

I've had various driving lights on several different vehicles, just not the current truck. I've taped into the high beam and ran a relay and added a three way switch on the dash. The switch is a center position off, up is on and down is on with the brights. Since I only use the lights when I'm out in the boonies it's safe and semi legal AND when Officer Friendly wants a check, they don't come on with the brights.

 

[woodynorman]

I've had various driving lights on several different vehicles, just not the current truck. I've taped into the high beam and ran a relay and added a three way switch on the dash. The switch is a center position off, up is on and down is on with the brights. Since I only use the lights when I'm out in the boonies it's safe and semi legal AND when Officer Friendly wants a check, they don't come on with the brights.

I like this idea. Thanks

 

[mpaulson]

I just did this mod last week and it works just fine with no issues at all from the trucks computers. I tapped into one high beam wire just behind the headlight to feed the switch line on a relay that turns on the light bar which the main feed power is one of my aux switches on the dash. So if the switch is on, the light bar automatically come on and off with the high beams. I tapped into the high beam wire on the other head light(to keep the power draw even and to a minimum on each line) to feed the relay that makes the fog lights come on with the high beams as well. For this one I technically joined the right and left light wires on the fog lights in order to feed power to them but it didn't cause and issues with the trucks computer, but likely when one burns out, I probably won't get a warning notice on the dash, I'm guessing because the other light will be drawing off both lines.
So it works with no ill effects.