Godzilla

So ive done plenty of reading on this and have previously installed aux. lights but never had the relay charged by the high beams. I plan on having a 3 way switch. 1 tapped into an accessory spot so the lights come on whenever i choose. and 2nd i would like to have the relay on the highs as well. Now the whole switched ground thing is confusing me. Can i not just tap into the wire that leads to the prong for the high beam? or should i tap a high beam fuse? to charge the relay.
This is on a 99 4Runner. Thanks for the help and clarification.

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Yes, but realize that the Toyota wiring is switched ground. That is the high beam "prong" goes to ground (0 volts) when the high beam is turned on:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTri...l#HarnessTypes

AH64ID

I did that on my rig. Using the ground side of the realy switch to the hi-beams, and the positive side to the battery. Works pretty slick...

Godzilla

So then you used the wire going to your high beam prong (which is 0 when lit) to the switch prong that would have been the ground? Not sure if this will work as i want to put in a 3 way switch so when the highs are off there is current to the switch? which wont ground when using the aux. tap? uhh wiring

AH64ID

I too have a 3way switch (hibeam-off-on)... I dont recall 100% how its wired, and its not with me, but relays have a normally open and a normally closed circuit. So however the power works it is dooable. IIRC there is a common 12v+ lead to the headlamp. There are then two grounds. When you turn the hibeams on the hibeam switch is grounded (i dont understand the 0volt part)... but this compleates the circuit. So if you tap into that ground it can be the neg side of your relay. And with the 3way switch you have a contast power source (in my case I used the parking light circuit), then the on lead goes to the lamp realy, and the hi beam lead provides the + power to the hi beam realay, that when the circuit is compleated it powers the lamp relay too..

Godzilla

ok, so thanks for the help so far. Heres my take on your reply. Correct me please.
High Beam way.
1. When switch on high beam, the high beam wire is the ground and connected to the ground part of the switch.
2. Power comes in from the other common 12v to create the charge to relay.

When high beams off, 12v common source way.
1. ground wire will be on where the High beam pos would have gone
2. and now does the high beam wire have charge creating the circuir in this case?

Am i wayyyy off

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Think ground instead of 12 volts. A circuit needs 12 volts and ground to work. So, you are switching the ground connection on and off instead of switching the 12 volts on and off.

Godzilla

yes, i got that, now for the switch...what makes sense to me is to put the ground wire off the switch on to where the input from the constant 12v would be, and the constant 12v on where the ground would be on the switch.
that way when i hit for the highs, the 12v will be there, and the highbeam will create the ground at 0v. when i want the constant 12v source i will have the ground wire to chasis, and the 12v source.

Godzilla

ok so i have a double throw double pole switch, and i would like to use it to have 1 load of the lights/relay, but 2 sources of a +.

heres the switch (scroll down a bit)
http://4x4mods.com/Product/Jeep/Rock...rswitch40.html

So for on for using high beams can 5 be 12v from accessory, 6 to relay and 3 to 0v high beam?
then for when just accessory driven.. 5 12v from accessory, 4 to relay, and 1 chasis ground?

do you need to use all 6 pins? ok so obviously you can see i have no idea what im doin..haha little help?

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

As mentioned earlier, you need to swap all 12V and Gnd connections. So on the relay, instead of it being hard wired to ground and the switch sending 12V to it, hardwire the relay to 12V and have the switch provide the ground connection. One side of the switch sends ground from the high beam to the relay, the other side a hardwired ground, for example.

Godzilla

ok i think i finally got it...ahaha.. so the 12v acc. is constant to the relay, check. the ground side of the relay will go to the switch. on 1 will be to the high beams. on 2 will go to a chasis ground... this getting closer...

Godzilla

so now on my switch,,,lets say 6 would be High beam, 5 is to relay, and 4 to chasis ground

AH64ID

The 3 way swtich will probally only have one prong for power (depending on switch), this power should come from the parking light circuit... then the two "on" leads.. on for hibeam on for on.

The hibeam... This 12+ wire will go to the hibeam relay. It will be the switching power for the relay. Connect that to the 12+ side. Then the hi beam switched ground to the 12- side. This way when the hi beams are on you have ground, and when the switch is in the hibeam position you have 12+.. relay closes and you get power thru the relay to your light relay.

The "on" this goes straight to the light relay, when the parking lights are on and the switch is "on" you get light.

Dont worry about voltage running back thru the wire that powers the light relay, as there is a switch that will be off on either side when the other side is on.

Hope that is clear...

Godzilla

ok that messed me up to when i thought i had it.
i was understanding the following.
have constant 12v supply from an accessory hard wired to the relay. the part that would ground the relay now goes to the switch.
at one circuit of the switch it will connect to the high beam wire. this wire when the high beams are on and switch on will ground causing the lights to go off. when high beams off and switch on i have what going on in the high beam wire?
then on the other part of the switch i will have a ground to chasis. that way when i hit the switch down the ground is made which makes the circuit with hard wired access.
going with the switch below.schematics are down on that page.
so the switch will have high beam wire 6, wire to relay ground 5, chasis wire 4 and do i put in another ground 2 ?
http://4x4mods.com/Product/Jeep/Rock...rswitch40.html

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

When the high beams are on the high beam wire (at the back of the headlight bulb) is ~0 volts. When the high beams are off, the high beam wire is the battery voltage, ~12 volts.

Godzilla

ah...so i guess this doesnt fly then

OFF


haha i suck
HIGHS


ACC/anytime

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

All depends on how you want the aux. lights to work. If you want them on with the high beams (and off with the low beams), then tap into the high beam circuit to energize the relay. If you want them off when the high beams are on, but on when the low beams are on, then tap into the low beam circuit to energize the relay. The low beam wire goes to ground when the low beams are on.

Godzilla

i would like them on when i hit my highs (off with my lows), then on whenever else i would want thats why i used the chasis ground. this ok? i changed the pics above.
I appreciate the help

4Crawler

iTrader: (3)

Sure, then connect to the high beam wire, it'll go to ground when the high beams are on and it'll go to 12 volts when the high beams are off (i.e. low beams are on). That ground then get to the relay coil via the switch and current will flow from the switched power, through the relay coil, through the switch and to ground via the high beam wire (actual ground connection is on the headlight combo switch on the steering column).

Best bet is to arm yourself with an inexpensive volt meter or a 12v test light and probe the various connections you plan to use and see for yourself how the voltages respond in different conditions.

Godzilla

right, so the setup i have there is good, and im not missing anything. although i do plan to put in an inline fuse between the the access power and relay.