Light bar wiring help

My bar has a harness with 3 wires. Red + (inline fuse), Black - (ground), blue rocker switch light.

The toggle switch I ordered has the following diagram:
Would anyone help me with the wiring?

 

I guess a better way to phrase this is, I would like to be able to use my light bar even with the ignition switch off. Would someone be able to suggest a wiring configuration?

My initial thoughts were:

1. Black to black, green 1 and red 2 together to blue (light on switch), red 1 to red
2. Black to black, green 1 and red 1 together to blue (light on switch), red 2 to red

 

There’s a diagram in this post outlining the general theory of what you’re trying to accomplish. Note that your switch and light bar wire colors are slightly different.

 

@Xombie2000 for quick reference, without seeing the exact switch you're referring to, I think you'd want to connect it together something like:

1. Black to black for ground, likely on the frame
2. Green directly to battery with an inline fuse (you always want your fuse as physically close as you can get it to your power source)
3. Red 1 to red
4. If you want the light for the switch, either splice Red 2 into green or Red 2 into Red

This also depends on whether youre directly controlling your lightbar with this switch, or it only flips a relay. If the latter, follow @ElectroBoy linked write up

 

The main question would be does your setup have a power relay or is it using a power rated switch? Many light manufacturers include a three wire harness with a power rated switch. The factory looking square switches all require a relay.

 

Curious as well since I just ordered an SSO Bumper and will be ordering a Baja Designs Light bar at some point. I noticed SSO has the following Universal Harness and diagram.

https://www.southernstyleoffroad.com/product/universal-led-light-wiring-harness/

On their installation they say:
1. connect the the red+ wire from the fuse to battery +; connect the black wire from the relay to the battery -;
2. connect the wire for lights bar from the relay; (red/black correspond to the wire of lights bar)
3. turn on on/off button of switch to test the lights bar.

I'm not sure if that works when the vehicle is off or assumes the vehicle is on.

 

Yes, there is a relay and an inline fuse.

 

It can work either way, depending on how you wire it. If you connect the input power for the switch to the relay (pin 86) from an ignition powered source, it will obviously only work once the key turns past Acc. if you wire input power directly to the battery, it will power on no matter when you flip the switch.

 

The source of the positive lead would determine whether it is controlled by the ignition or not. As many have learned here, the electrical system with all the computers is very sensitive to additions so be careful how and where you attach your loads.

If you are using a relay you will have four wires going to the switch and only two going from the relay to the lights. The diagram ElectroBoy posted is good for what you are doing. Just worry about the function of the wires as the colors will vary by mfg. For example, the Mictuning switches, like the SSOR diagram shows, use different colors than the AOB switches but if you go by function it is easy to resolve any differences.

 

Ok, good explanation. As I understand it:
1. Black to black
2. Green directly to battery with an inline fuse (you always want your fuse as physically close as you can get it to your power source) - Blue/Illumination on the harness?
3. Red 1 to red
4. If you want the light for the switch, either splice Red 2 into green (Blue/Illumination on the harness?) or Red 2 into Red

 

So your OP reads like the blue wire is strictly the positive input for the switch LED by itself. Wherein, how its lit depends on how you wire:
-if you wire the blue to the green (+) in from the battery, it will always be on no matter what
-if you wire it to Red 1, it will only be on once the switch is energized
-if you only want it on when you turn on the car on, find yourself an Add-a-Fuse and wire the blue to the output of that little circuit, probably something coming out of the fuse box in front of your left knee

 

Thanks!

 

This is how I’d like it so black to black, green/red2 to red, red 1 to blue?

 

With the Mictuning switches the color sequence is different but the wiring is the same. Green + power supply into the switch (fuse at 3 amps), Red 1 - trigger wire to relay terminal 86, Red 2 - dash light dimmer circuit for backlighting in switch (not required for operation, switch will light when on without this circuit), Black- ground. If you mount your relay in the engine compartment you will need one wire minimum through the firewall (Red 1 relay trigger), two wires would be better with a power source off the battery and not off the factory fuse box.



PS - the Mictuning switches are not that great as they stick on and often fail to work.

 

@Xombie2000 like @DRH mentions above, MicTuning are well known to be switches that fail quickly. Whether they completely short or just stick in one position, they dont last. While it will change your wire color scheme you've been referencing the whole time, you might consider some more well regarded names: Carling and BlueSea are probably at the top of that list, I've heard better things about Air-On-Board witches, even Nilight from Amazon has good items.

Food for thought

 

Thank you. I'll checkout the two you mentioned.

 

Ok I found a Nilight @iamincrediboy. I’d like to turn on the lights any time have an LED when it’s on. So would it be as follows?

• Green and Red 1 on switch to red on harness
• Black on switch to black on harness
• Red 2 on switch to blue on harness

Will this give me led on the switch and the ability to turn on the lights without turning on the ignition?

 

So I gotta double check again, are you using a relay to control the light bar? Or is it just the switch controlling the power? Cause if you are, you need to slightly revise, to be very similar to post 14 above:
-Green w/ small fuse (2 or 3A should be fine) to battery.
-Red 1 to pin 86 on the relay
-Red 2 to Red 1
-Black to ground
-Red on light bar harness to relay pin 87
-Black on light bar to ground

If you do not have a relay, itll be like this:
-Green with light bar appropriate fuse (20 or 30A usually) to battery
-Red 1 to light bar harness Red
-Red 2 to Red 1
-Switch Black to ground
-Light bar Black to ground

Now Im still not quite sure what this blue wire on your light bar is, unless its a dual function (like a Baja Designs S8 Amber + white for example) where two separate sections can be turned on. Is that the case? Itd help to know the make of your light bar

 

I do have a relay. The blue wire is for a switch led. Here is a diagram of the harness.

 

This thread demonstrate why you need good documentation from electrical component suppliers. It seems like you don’t have that. You need to understand the circuits you are connecting and their functions. Do not guess.
That diagram in post 14 shows the typical connections for a switch to control a relay that switches a heavy current to turn on a light bar. This is what you need to accomplish.

If you want the light bar to turn On anytime (that is, if the ignition is either on or off) connect the AOB fused green wire to battery +12V.
The Blue wire coming out of the AOB switch is the backlight illumination and the Black wire is illumination ground. Connect these two as shown from the wiper warmer switch wires. Those wires are very thin gauge so be careful when tapping into them.

Your wire colors are different. So get a hand held volt/amp/ohm multimeter and check out your switch to make sure you understand how it functions, the color differences, and the function of each wire (using continuity mode (“ohms”). Connect a 9 volt battery to the illumination wires to make sure they light and note the polarity. Push the switch button, verify which wires are connected when activated.

Referring to the diagram above, connect the switch to the rest of the harness that includes the relay. Connect the fused switch green wire and the relay fused wire to a 12V battery. Push the switch button to activate the relay, you should hear it click. Connect the light bar to the relay and repeat. It should light.

That’s the way to progressively test out your system before installing it on your vehicle. The specifics of yours may be different.
Get a meter and verify everything before applying power.
Good luck and let us know your results.

 

OK, now that you’ve posted the harness diagram, the question is, you want to use the Nilight switch instead of the supplied push button switch?

 

That’s correct. The supplied switch works however I want a switch like the rest of the ones on the dash.

 

Yes, I tell my installers to understand the electrical concept and how it functions and not worry about the wire colors. If you understand how it works you will be able to figure it out even if the wire colors (brands) change. You would be surprised how many electricians can't do relatively simple control wiring circuits, it is sad.

The relay will usually have a diagram on the side showing the pin configuration that you can reference to determine how to attach to it as shown above.

 

With the supplied switch and a meter determine which two pins, and the corresponding wires, are connected when you flip it On. Also, which wire to the switch is connected to the + pin on the harness.

Without a diagram of the relay connector I’m guessing the +pin goes to the Red pin of the switch. And the Red and Blue switch wires are connected when the switch is flipped. Can you verify this?

 

While I don’t have a diagram here is a photo of the relay.

 

OK, good, that’s a standard automotive relay.

Did you check the continuity of the switch wires as described in post #24? Post your results.

 

Unfortunately the Chinese don't consistently follow any wire color norms. Here is a diagram below of the same model relay (maybe not the same as yours) off Amazon. Black is the trigger, white is ground, red is + supply to the lights and the blue wire positive source.

Without a diagram from your particular relay manufacturer, you would need to pull the relay off the base and then check each wire and record what color goes to what pin location with a continuity tester. With that info, you can plug the wire colors (pin locations) into the relay diagram provided above.




Does your relay really have five wires attached to it as your wiring diagram shows or is it only four wires?

 

You’re correct, without proper complete electrical diagrams for the switch and harness we’re guessing what the configuration is. I’m guessing on the relay connector the two red wires in the middle are connected together. And the Blue wire goes to the relay coil. But the OP has to verify this and the other two questions above.

 

Only 4.

 

I’m going to have to get out with my volt meter and test. I’ll return with results.