Okay, so going off of the image below:



I have multiple lights that can all go to the same relay BUT I want to have separate switches for each and would not rather install individual relays for each light. Is this possible? Or should I just start buying relays and clutter up my engine bay?

 

As long as the relay is adequate, you won't have any problem running multiple switches and lights off the one relay.

The closest problem is if the relay trips or fails, then you lose all your lights, not just some of them.

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Scratch that, I misread your diagram and thought you were using the relay on the other side of the switch. Wired up to have the switch trigger the relay, you'd need a seperate relay for each switch.

 

Why do you want separate switches ? Is it to be able to turn on/off different sets of lights independently ? If you are looking for this flexibility, you will need a separate relay for each set you plan on controlling independently. If you will be running all of them at the same time, then one relay would work (tho the reason for multiple switches is lost on me...).

One tid-bit of useful info is to ensure the amp rating on the relay isn't exceeded by all the lights connected to the same circuit. Normally, relays are 30 or 40 amp, which is usually enough to run 4 100watt lights (400/12= 33amps).

Good luck with the lights !

Steve

 

I agree. If you want each set of lights to run independently, then just have separate relay's for each.

 

Let's say that you have three pairs of lights, one set of fogs and two sets of driving lights. You want to be able to use the fogs and the driving lights independently, but all four of the driving lights will be on at the same time when you use them. In this case, you want two switches and two realys - each wired independently. One switch/relay will be for the fogs and the other switch/relay will be for the two pairs of driving lights. You can also have a single switch to operate two relays at the same time if the load on one relay is too much. This will still switch on all 4 lights at the same time, though. If you wanted each pair to run independently, then you would need 3 switches and 3 relays.

 

Yeah, that's what I figured. I was hoping maybe one of you wiring gurus knew of another method. Oh well, time to start cluttering the engine bay