Electrical guidance.. adding lights

[dodgedieselnewbie]

I'm not good at all when it comes to electrical. I would like to wire up some fog lights, rear back up lights, third brake light on my topper and moon visor lighting.

 

I'd like to know if I can just wire the third brake light into the tail light or hitch wiring without a relay? It's LED I believe...

 

The moon visor lighting... can I just wire it into the headlight switch somehow.. without relay?

 

I already have fog lights in the factory location in the bumper but are not factory wired. The previous owner installed with relay and toggle. I want to run another set of fog lights under the bumper on a toggle. I have wiring and relay that came with it. I will basically look at the other fog lights and duplicate how it is run.

 

I want to install additional reverse/spot lights and have it on a toggle and not come on with the reverse lights. I will use these when needed.. like hooking up to camper in the dark. I will need a relay and wiring for this. Having never bought a relay before... where do I get one and how do I choose one?

 

My battery already has multiple wires running to it and don't want to put anymore on it. In fact... I'd like to reduce them. Can I put a junction somewhere to accommodate all extra positive wiring? Same question for relays? Already have one just sitting behind the battery for existing fogs. 

 

Thanks!!!

 

 

[Mopar1973Man]

5 minutes ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

My battery already has multiple wires running to it and don't want to put anymore on it.

 

I don't have any wires hooked to the batteries of any of my accessories.

 

 

Just a few hook to the PDC (AirDog, Fog lamps, and Cab Accessories).

 

9 minutes ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

I want to install additional reverse/spot lights and have it on a toggle and not come on with the reverse lights.

 

I've got both. I've got automatically with my reverse light but can manual toggle on with a cab switch for hitching the trailer.

10 minutes ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

I will need a relay and wiring for this.

 

Yes it would be best. I added a relay back in my driver side tail light area. I tapped the trailer power +12V and got trigger from the reverse light leg. That way the light come on with reverse but the toggle in the cab just bridges the reverse light switch on the transmission giving optional control for hitching with out having to shift into reverse and shutting down the truck.

 

 

[dodgedieselnewbie]

Thanks Mike.  Looking for more specific answers... please.

[Mopar1973Man]

13 hours ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

I'd like to know if I can just wire the third brake light into the tail light or hitch wiring without a relay?

 

Down on the tail harness there a 3rd Brake light lead bundle in the loom. When the guy install my canopy he hooked up the 3rd brake light for me. All I can say its near the trailer plug.

 

13 hours ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

I already have fog lights in the factory location in the bumper but are not factory wired. The previous owner installed with relay and toggle. I want to run another set of fog lights under the bumper on a toggle. I have wiring and relay that came with it. I will basically look at the other fog lights and duplicate how it is run.

 

Check local laws. At least here in Idaho on highway use you are allowed only 4 bulbs burning. So in my case its 2 headlight and two fog lights. Which I created separate hi and lo beam fog lamps.

 

 

 

13 hours ago, dodgedieselnewbie said:

I want to install additional reverse/spot lights and have it on a toggle and not come on with the reverse lights. I will use these when needed.. like hooking up to camper in the dark. I will need a relay and wiring for this. Having never bought a relay before... where do I get one and how do I choose one?

 

Again here is my method of reverse lights...

As for the moon visor I have little idea. I know the lighting circuits are already marginal so if I was to pull power I would most likely go after the trailer relay.

[notlimah]

16 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Just a few hook to the PDC (AirDog, Fog lamps, and Cab Accessories).

 

Where do you hook up the negatives?

 

Also... with the reverse lights...

 

How big a wire did you use to run those lights? Where exactly did you tie in the switch to the backup lights for manual operation? Can't figure it out lol

Edited April 15, 2016 by notlimah

[IBMobile]

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

Where do you hook up the negatives?

To the body or chassis

 

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

How big a wire did you use to run those lights?

https://www.tessco.com/yts/industry/products/itm/automotive/get_wired.html

 

1 hour ago, notlimah said:

Where exactly did you tie in the switch to the backup lights for manual operation?

. In the ground wire circuit.

Edited April 15, 2016 by IBMobile

[notlimah]

Thanks for the links!

 

So this ground wire circuit, I have no clue where it's at lol. Following Mikes instructions on that write up, I can figure it out wiring and all up until it comes to wiring in a manual switch. I don't know where that's at.

[Wild and Free]

Just another thing to throw out there on relays. I say this because I chased similar issues on a couple different rigs over the years where someone wired in accessories like Mike shows in his diagrams. all was ok but circuits would lose power intermittently and then come back on. Chased everything down several times but it was so intermittent was hard to find until I looked at the relay itself and found out it was a momentary relay and not a latching relay. MAKE SURE YOU GET LATCHING RELAYS!

[IBMobile]

In Mike's diagram terminal 86 of both relays are used to ground them.  The black wires join together then a switch is shown.  After the switch there is the symbol for ground.  The ground can be just about any metal part of a vehicle.  Run the ground wire (black) from the relay to a rocker or toggle switch mounted in the dash and then a wire from the switch to a metal bracket under the dash.