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Adding offroad lights what wire?

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Old 10-13-2005, 07:46 PM
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Adding offroad lights what wire?

Guys I am adding IPF lights to the Taco. Which wire is the high beams on a 97 Tacoma? Thanks.
Old 10-13-2005, 07:57 PM
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I'm sure you'll get an answer here shortly, but the answer to all but a few of these type of questions can be found in a Haynes Repair Manual. For about $20 you can tackle all but the most major of repairs, and Yotatech is always here as well.
Old 10-13-2005, 08:07 PM
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I never wire my lights to the high beams, I wire them into the turn signals, you don't always need or want your highs on before your able to use your off road lights. I have a set of IPFs that I wired into my coner/signal lights. That way I have more control, and for the coners it's the solid green wire that you want to splice into. Good luck.
Old 10-13-2005, 08:17 PM
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Stump has a solid point... you will have the ability to turn your lights on anytime the driving lights are on. I have mine wired so the big driving lights can only go on when the brights are on. That way when I'm traveling country backroads at night with my brights and Hella's on and a car comes, I simply dim my lights and they both shut off. Typically if you want light, you want LIGHT.
Old 10-13-2005, 08:18 PM
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i have mine wired so i can turn them on from the swtich never like the idea of having them come on with the high beams
Old 10-13-2005, 08:45 PM
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I did a bad job of explaining. Using the standard 30/40 amp Bosch style relay, you have a ground, a power input, the output, and a "trigger". That trigger is what fires it up (sorry to insult your intelligence if you're familiar). I tapped into my bright's for this "trigger", ran that to a switch in the cab, then ran that to the relay. So, for me to have the driving lights on I must A)have the brights on B) have the switch flipped. Should've clarified the first time... if you're looking for a simple answer like "the blue wire with the red stripe" it'll come.....
Old 10-13-2005, 08:54 PM
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I will be re-wiring my IPFs on the bumper, my forward facing and rear facing rack lights all to a seperate fuse block for power that will draw directly from the battery, so I will never have to turn on anything other than the lights I want. When setting up camp after arriving late at night it helps to be able to just flip a switch and have the rear rack lights, or just the front bumper lights at my discrection w/o having to light up the whole site with IPFs and the brights .
Old 10-13-2005, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by 98LimitedCustomized
Should've clarified the first time... if you're looking for a simple answer like "the blue wire with the red stripe" it'll come.....
Here ya go, it's the GREEN wire coming into your corner light plan and simple. Plus it's a hundred times easier to pop out your corners than it is your intire headlight assembly. For simplicty sake alone, use the GREEN wire from coner lense. I just begane re-wiring things for the new block today, so I remmeber the colors well.

Last edited by Stump1883; 10-13-2005 at 08:58 PM.
Old 10-13-2005, 09:07 PM
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with wiring them into the turn signals, is the only way to turn them on by turning the blinker on, or just when your running the corner lights as running lights?
Old 10-13-2005, 09:17 PM
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If you truly want to run them anytime (almost), use the Bosch relay as I briefly explained before. Put constant or ignition power to the relay, and use a switch as the "trigger" and use it anytime you want. Using power from an ignition source will keep you from forgetting to turn the lights off.
Old 10-13-2005, 09:32 PM
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Man you guys work fast. Now that you mention it I do have a haynes manual around here somewhere. 98LC that is exactly why I want them wired to the the brights. I see you understand my point. I too drive around at night with the big lights on. On my other truck I have to constantly be flipping a switch when I meet traffic. I just feel it would be easier to just dim the lights and they go off. Do you think 4 IPF 900's will light up the dark enough? Stump thanks for all your advice, but I have a different use than you. Everybody is different right. This seems like some good people so far, thanks alot guys.
Old 10-13-2005, 10:41 PM
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Glad you have the same situation as me, I feel like an outsider on her because of where I'm from... 4 IPF's? Cripes, you're set! Where you gonna mount them? All on the bumper? I personally haven't used IPF's but by the specs and other's opinions they are top notch. My next main set is going to be either IPF 900's or 170 Lightforce's. I'd used 10 guage wire from the battery to the relay, whatever guage from the trigger (16-18?), 12 guage ground and to the lights. Those IPF's will light up the sky. If you're using 4, I'd even consider having it so you can choose if you run 2 or 4 with your brights, IE 2 seperate switches. I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I know my stuff. Let me know if you need anything else!
Old 10-14-2005, 03:32 AM
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Go here:

http://the12volt.com/info/recwirsz.asp

...so you don't burn your truck down.

Old 10-14-2005, 04:26 AM
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These lights come with their own wiring harnesses included. Switchs relays and all, per set of two. Since they are aftermarket and not the stock stuff don't you think the wiring should be suffecient or should I upgrade from what they send? Oh yeah they are going on a TJM T17 that I got from Jason B.
Old 10-14-2005, 04:47 AM
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Originally Posted by TACOBRAVO
98LC that is exactly why I want them wired to the the brights. I see you understand my point. I too drive around at night with the big lights on. On my other truck I have to constantly be flipping a switch when I meet traffic. I just feel it would be easier to just dim the lights and they go off. Do you think 4 IPF 900's will light up the dark enough?
yup. that's the way to do it. i have my IPF fogs on the OEM fog circuit and the IPF 900's on the bright light circuit w/ a kill switch. that way, when i hit my brights, the IPF 900's come on automatically and go off when i dim them.

two are MEGA BRIGHT. 4 would prob be overkill in a serious way.

you may want to consider using 2 900's for driving beam (distance) and then get some 924's or something for fogs.
Old 10-14-2005, 05:03 PM
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Good I like overkill. The reason I want 4 is too put 2 facing forwards and 1 on each side facing the fields. I live in the country and deer are horrible around here. Plus I am going to use them to look at deer at night. Best time to see the big ones. I have two Hella 4000's on a Superduty I imagine they are just about as bright as them. But I understand were you are coming from. I am building this rig to mainly be my hunting vehicle.
Old 10-14-2005, 05:50 PM
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FOr my 5 sets of lights, I have 4 circuits, 4 relays, and a 4 gang fuse block (makes it clean), along with 4 LED switched. The 4 switches are powered by a single MiniAddACircuit tapped into the TURN fuse in the cab, with a 5A fuse. THose 4 wires go through the firewall, and each to the 86 pin of each relay. The *% pins of all teh relays are grounded nearby. That way, whenever the ignition is on, i can turn the lights on. I like to be able to control the lights whenever I want, but not leave them on a drain the precious battery.
Old 10-17-2005, 12:50 PM
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Originally Posted by TACOBRAVO
Good I like overkill. The reason I want 4 is too put 2 facing forwards and 1 on each side facing the fields. I live in the country and deer are horrible around here. Plus I am going to use them to look at deer at night. Best time to see the big ones. I have two Hella 4000's on a Superduty I imagine they are just about as bright as them. But I understand were you are coming from. I am building this rig to mainly be my hunting vehicle.
Be careful "looking at" deer at night with bright lights. The lights are easy for Johnny Game Warden to spot and a dead givaway...
Old 10-23-2005, 09:26 PM
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I agree but I am only looking. I feed them all year so I should be able to look at them. (I farm for a living and it is nothing for them to devour acres of soybeans). Plus you can only see some of the big bucks at night. Really harmless unless you have a pain in the @$$ warden. I guess I will see.
Old 10-24-2005, 04:03 AM
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Hella 4000's are 100W each. (200W total)

IPF 900's are 130W each. (520W total )
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