How To Wire Up Auxiliary Lamps
12/20/2002

Some light kits comes with everything you need, some don't.
My backup lamps I had to "roll" my own kit from wire and a 30 amp relay I bought.

Parts needed:
Toyota switch part # 00550-35976 (about $12) available from your Toyota dealer. They may have to order them in.
30 amp relay
10 & 14 gauge wiring
switch (I prefer the Toyota ones that fit your dash cutouts)
fuse holder and appropriate amp fuse
butt connectors
wire connectors that fit under screws, bolts

You can also get the Toyota type switch from the maker of them, Cole Hersee.
Painless Wiring also carries them. Scroll down their page here and look for the "Custom Trim Rockers" listed there.

Even with my Hella lamps, I redid much of the wiring to meet my specs.
I used 14 gauge wire in the cab from the switches to where they go.
For the switches you have 3 prongs on them, and you can see the info in the picture on who to wire them up.

For the wire that comes off of the relay and goes to the battery, I use 10 gauge.

Here is the switch installed in the dash cutout.

You will need to mount a relay that comes with your light kit, or if you did not get a kit that came with one, you should wire one up anyway.
Here is what a relay looks like.

Info on how relays work can be found at this site.
Here are my 3 relays under my hood.

Here is a scanned instruction sheet from Hella for the 500s.

In the info in the above picture you will see that they tap the wire from the switch to the high beams as seen # 8.
You do not need to do it this way. The way they have it your auxiliary lamps will only come on with your high beams.
Instead you can tap the wire from the switch to an in cab fuse that comes on with your key only, or a fuse that is live all of the time.
This way your lamps will come on when you want, and not be dependent on your headlamps.
That tap wire also does not need much amperage, as it only is used to energize the relay.

Here is where I use to have my wire taps going to for my 3 switches, CB radio, and my Warn Power Interrupt which is in another tech article on YotaTech.

That worked, but it soon became a jungle.
To see how I cleared up the jungle in there, please see this other tech article by me.
In the above article I now have full time power for all of my accessories without having a key on.

For a look at how what I am explaining here, here is a good animated GIF made by a forum member named John.
In the illustrated GIF however, the wire from the switch goes to the low beams, pretty much like in the Hella instructions.
Again, you don't have to wire it this way.

After you mount your relay under your hood, you can start with your lamps will go.
After you get it all mapped out, then you can plan the wiring and the routing of it.
On my 2nd gen 4Runner are rubber grommets on the firewall.
I run the two of the wires from the switch to the engine bay via the grommet, and the ground wire for the switch I generally ground it in cab to a screw on the dash.

For your relay you have 4 wires that connect to it:
1. A ground wire from it that can be short and ground close by to the relay using an existing bolt on your firewall, or you can drill a small hole and run a sheet metal screw for the ground wire to the firewall.
2. The power wire that goes to your battery and also has an in line fuse on the wire.
3. The wires that go to the + wires of your lamps.
4. The wire that goes to your switch in the cab.

That is basically it. Once you have wired up your first set, it will be real easy the 2nd time if you add more lights, or if you help someone else to wire up some.

Here are some pictures of my two sets of Hella 500 driving lamps.

If you choose to wire up some lamps and if you have any questions  Corey on the Yotatech Forum.

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