Need Help with wiring my lights
08-25-2009, 05:38 PM
#1
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Need Help with wiring my lights
Hi Yoters...
When i bought my truck it came with 2 ( I guess 50 watts each) spotlights... they have two letters in the glass SW...
that I havenīt been able to use since they were not conected, can anybodie teach me step by step the wiring and the hardware that I need, Iīve search but havenīt found any info. I donīt want to burn my wires...
hereīs a pict of them, I might put them at the bullbar or high at the rollbar since I have both, I donīt know yet. And another question, How can I know the real voltage of my spotlights?... Iīd tried to open them but they look like sealed...do they worth the effort?
Thanx in advance.
When i bought my truck it came with 2 ( I guess 50 watts each) spotlights... they have two letters in the glass SW...
that I havenīt been able to use since they were not conected, can anybodie teach me step by step the wiring and the hardware that I need, Iīve search but havenīt found any info. I donīt want to burn my wires...
hereīs a pict of them, I might put them at the bullbar or high at the rollbar since I have both, I donīt know yet. And another question, How can I know the real voltage of my spotlights?... Iīd tried to open them but they look like sealed...do they worth the effort?
Thanx in advance.
Last edited by morena67; 08-25-2009 at 06:32 PM.
08-25-2009, 06:51 PM
#2
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Hi Yoters...
When i bought my truck it came with 2 ( I guess 50 watts each) spotlights... they have two letters in the glass SW...
that I havenīt been able to use since they were not conected, can anybodie teach me step by step the wiring and the hardware that I need, Iīve search but havenīt found any info. I donīt want to burn my wires...
hereīs a pict of them, I might put them at the bullbar or high at the rollbar since I have both, I donīt know yet. And another question, How can I know the real voltage of my spotlights?...
Thanx in advance.
When i bought my truck it came with 2 ( I guess 50 watts each) spotlights... they have two letters in the glass SW...
that I havenīt been able to use since they were not conected, can anybodie teach me step by step the wiring and the hardware that I need, Iīve search but havenīt found any info. I donīt want to burn my wires...
hereīs a pict of them, I might put them at the bullbar or high at the rollbar since I have both, I donīt know yet. And another question, How can I know the real voltage of my spotlights?...
Thanx in advance.
Once you decide where you are going to mount them (up high is better for distance down low will give you better head light like vision) take the ground wire and add more to it as needed to get it to either the frame of the truck(if you have to grind the paint off so you get a good ground) or to the battery ground. Use loop connectors or fork connectors to make the final connection to the ground point.
Solder the wires and shrink wrap them for best connection and little or no chance of breakage or shorts in the wire .
Next repeat the same process with the power wire and run it directly to the battery positive side , add an extra wire to the power side so at the battery you have a Y like connection the (Y facing the battery) using a butt connector with the power wire coming from the light into one side and a double wire out the other side , one side will connect to the battery , the other side will run it up into the cab of the truck but on this side add an in line fuse on this side from the battery to the cab on/off switch.
Your on/off switch will have three post's on the back side one post will be for the power , the next one will be a ground you will need to make another small jumper wire and find a solid ground to ground it too , the last post will be used as a power to give the switch power to the light when it is turned on so you will not forget to turn off your lights and you want to wire that to a positive that is hot only when you turn your key on other wise the switch light will always be on.
Add SPADE connectors to all three wires so they can just slide on to the post's on back of the on/off switch and make good connections and not give you issues down the road.
The last thing I can think of is to test every thing and mounting the on/off switch some where convenient and yet out of the way.
Last edited by olharleyman; 08-25-2009 at 06:55 PM.
08-25-2009, 07:18 PM
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Run your hot wires together and your ground wires together from one light to the next leaving a few inches of wire for both.
Once you decide where you are going to mount them (up high is better for distance down low will give you better head light like vision) take the ground wire and add more to it as needed to get it to either the frame of the truck(if you have to grind the paint off so you get a good ground) or to the battery ground. Use loop connectors or fork connectors to make the final connection to the ground point.
Solder the wires and shrink wrap them for best connection and little or no chance of breakage or shorts in the wire .
Next repeat the same process with the power wire and run it directly to the battery positive side , add an extra wire to the power side so at the battery you have a Y like connection the (Y facing the battery) using a butt connector with the power wire coming from the light into one side and a double wire out the other side , one side will connect to the battery , the other side will run it up into the cab of the truck but on this side add an in line fuse on this side from the battery to the cab on/off switch.
Your on/off switch will have three post's on the back side one post will be for the power , the next one will be a ground you will need to make another small jumper wire and find a solid ground to ground it too , the last post will be used as a power to give the switch power to the light when it is turned on so you will not forget to turn off your lights and you want to wire that to a positive that is hot only when you turn your key on other wise the switch light will always be on.
Add SPADE connectors to all three wires so they can just slide on to the post's on back of the on/off switch and make good connections and not give you issues down the road.
The last thing I can think of is to test every thing and mounting the on/off switch some where convenient and yet out of the way.
Once you decide where you are going to mount them (up high is better for distance down low will give you better head light like vision) take the ground wire and add more to it as needed to get it to either the frame of the truck(if you have to grind the paint off so you get a good ground) or to the battery ground. Use loop connectors or fork connectors to make the final connection to the ground point.
Solder the wires and shrink wrap them for best connection and little or no chance of breakage or shorts in the wire .
Next repeat the same process with the power wire and run it directly to the battery positive side , add an extra wire to the power side so at the battery you have a Y like connection the (Y facing the battery) using a butt connector with the power wire coming from the light into one side and a double wire out the other side , one side will connect to the battery , the other side will run it up into the cab of the truck but on this side add an in line fuse on this side from the battery to the cab on/off switch.
Your on/off switch will have three post's on the back side one post will be for the power , the next one will be a ground you will need to make another small jumper wire and find a solid ground to ground it too , the last post will be used as a power to give the switch power to the light when it is turned on so you will not forget to turn off your lights and you want to wire that to a positive that is hot only when you turn your key on other wise the switch light will always be on.
Add SPADE connectors to all three wires so they can just slide on to the post's on back of the on/off switch and make good connections and not give you issues down the road.
The last thing I can think of is to test every thing and mounting the on/off switch some where convenient and yet out of the way.
thank you very much...I have some more questions olharleyman whats the right size of wire that I should use, and also what kind of fuse?... then the best place for the fuse is near to the on/off switch not close to the battery and lastly...What can I do to prevent a shortcut on my wires, i mean how do I know my conections are right?
... Ah thereīs another how do I find the hot wire from the swith?...some one told me that this wires can get very hot ,is that true?...Thanx again for your time...A little draw just to be sure???
Last edited by morena67; 08-25-2009 at 08:10 PM.
08-25-2009, 08:22 PM
#4
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thank you very much...I have some more questions olharleyman whats the right size of wire that I should use, and also what kind of fuse?... then the best place for the fuse is near to the on/off switch not close to the battery and lastly...What can I do to prevent a shortcut on my wires, i mean how do I know my conections are right?... Ah thereīs another how do I find the hot wire from the swith?...some one told me that this wires can get very hot ,is that true?...Thanx again for your time...
... Ah thereīs another how do I find the hot wire from the swith?...some one told me that this wires can get very hot ,is that true?...Thanx again for your time...2. 20 amp fuse should be fine the middle of the battery and the point it enters the firewall so you have easy access to the fuse.
3. just wire the two hots together and butt connect them on one side leave the other side unused then put your power wire from the battery in the unused side same with the negitive side ground to the battery and then use a jumper wire to the positive side and see if the lights light up if so then do the butt connector on the one side to the wire then on the other side put two wires together one just long enough to reach the positive side of the battery then the other onee to the cab of the truck and add the fuse some where in between.
4. Use a rubber gromet when you run them into the cab and shrink wrap the wires about 1-1 1/2 ft. before entering the firewall. There are wiring diagrams on the switch so all you need to do is run a black wire for ground and a red wire for power and a blue or green or yellow wire for the switch light power and test the hots with a test light.
5. only if they are wired wrong.
08-25-2009, 08:44 PM
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1. 12 or 14 gauge multi wire is great carries the power well
2. 20 amp fuse should be fine the middle of the battery and the point it enters the firewall so you have easy access to the fuse.
3. just wire the two hots together and butt connect them on one side leave the other side unused then put your power wire from the battery in the unused side same with the negitive side ground to the battery and then use a jumper wire to the positive side and see if the lights light up if so then do the butt connector on the one side to the wire then on the other side put two wires together one just long enough to reach the positive side of the battery then the other onee to the cab of the truck and add the fuse some where in between.
4. Use a rubber gromet when you run them into the cab and shrink wrap the wires about 1-1 1/2 ft. before entering the firewall. There are wiring diagrams on the switch so all you need to do is run a black wire for ground and a red wire for power and a blue or green or yellow wire for the switch light power and test the hots with a test light.
5. only if they are wired wrong.
2. 20 amp fuse should be fine the middle of the battery and the point it enters the firewall so you have easy access to the fuse.
3. just wire the two hots together and butt connect them on one side leave the other side unused then put your power wire from the battery in the unused side same with the negitive side ground to the battery and then use a jumper wire to the positive side and see if the lights light up if so then do the butt connector on the one side to the wire then on the other side put two wires together one just long enough to reach the positive side of the battery then the other onee to the cab of the truck and add the fuse some where in between.
4. Use a rubber gromet when you run them into the cab and shrink wrap the wires about 1-1 1/2 ft. before entering the firewall. There are wiring diagrams on the switch so all you need to do is run a black wire for ground and a red wire for power and a blue or green or yellow wire for the switch light power and test the hots with a test light.
5. only if they are wired wrong.
OK...THATīS VERY HELPFULL THANX AGAIN...I THINK I GOT IT.
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