Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Power Equipment & RV => Topic started by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 04:54:18 PM

Title: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 04:54:18 PM: So I got a 20" bar for my truck that came with its own harness / relay / fuse and switch. My F350 came prewired with 4 switches , they all have relays and fuses. I want to use the Ford switches to operate the light. Doing that has me stumped. The light has 3 wires coming from it Blue, White and black they run into the relay and then to the aftermarket switch. At the relay is the battery hookup for the light harness.
What I'm thinking of doing is cut the aftermarket harness @ the fuse/ relay , leaving me with 8' of wire from the light ( Blue , White and Black ). I'm assuming the Black is ground. Of the Blue and White wires left only 1 will be needed to pass into the cab to the hook to the Ford switch . Now the question is which one and what is the other wire for ?
Thanks Allen
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: jackelope on December 28, 2017, 05:14:22 PM: (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/16ce43dcab4c376be5e4694343cf81e0.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/a157ddca96ff636c702cdc0e791cdc30.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/ca6ab669c1ba1c10566ad4e2620b2d21.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/410cc1fade446d199b83373eb7d540a6.jpg)

Forgot about it. Sorry!

14a303 is the harness you want for switch #1 I believe.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 05:59:39 PM: Quote from: jackelope on December 28, 2017, 05:14:22 PM
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/16ce43dcab4c376be5e4694343cf81e0.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/a157ddca96ff636c702cdc0e791cdc30.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/ca6ab669c1ba1c10566ad4e2620b2d21.jpg)

(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20171229/410cc1fade446d199b83373eb7d540a6.jpg)

Forgot about it. Sorry!

14a303 is the harness you want for switch #1 I believe.
Totally understandable appreciate the help . After I PM'd you last night I was able to find the wire under the dash that I need. But only 1 wire hooks to it. My aftermarket harness has 3
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: hunter399 on December 28, 2017, 06:32:27 PM: One wire to a main power source ,then the other to your switch,and ground,But I really can't tell ya ,cause some light bars have a hi flood light , then a low beam,so I'm not exactly sure the type of light bar you got.Light should of came with instructions , or Google ,wish I could help more,my light bar had two wires , with a hi/lo beam option.since I hooked to batery with a switch in the cab it's full power hi/lo beam at the same time extra bright. :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 06:43:12 PM: what would happen if you just went straight to the battery and found out what the 3 wires did. One is going to be ground and then just touch the other 2. :dunno:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: hunter399 on December 28, 2017, 06:54:37 PM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 06:43:12 PM
what would happen if you just went straight to the battery and found out what the 3 wires did. One is going to be ground and then just touch the other 2. :dunno:
:yeah:
Cause you may never know till ya do.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: hunter399 on December 28, 2017, 07:03:11 PM: The relay may have something to do with hi/lo option,I just put a inline fuse on the wire coming off the battery to my swich that way if the light malfunction, or switch goes bad or anything I can pull the fuse to kill power to setup , and to make sure the light not drawing to much power.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Jolten on December 28, 2017, 07:03:27 PM: If I remember correctly... And it's been awhile.

Black - ground
White - high beam
Blue - neutral/low beam if you want the light bar always on.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 07:21:19 PM: If my feeble memory serves me I think that there is something about not being able to run the truck Hi-beams and the led running lights both. I know that's what had to be done on my old truck.
But the Led's shouldn't draw hardly anything. if you just touch the wire ends to the top of the battery it should show you what they do. Just shine them on the door or the wall and not look right into them. :chuckle:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 07:24:42 PM: Ok you guys are losing me on the hi/ low beam. There is no Hi/low option with this light. The switch that came with the light is just an on/off.
Ridgeratt that's what I will try tomorrow .
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 07:29:52 PM: Ok so try this.
The switch just will power the relay to turn them on in a aftermarket set up and then the other 2 wires feed to the light circuits. depending on if you have a fog setting and then a running light. Perhaps the low setting is a constant on until you turn them Hi side on.

That's all I got. :IBCOOL:

Looks like this is a remote switch to operate the lights but there it is.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Russ McDonald on December 28, 2017, 07:44:23 PM: Pretty sure you guys are right. I bet the relay is they're for when you go high beam on your factory light out will turn the led light bar off

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 07:55:13 PM: I believe there is an RCW. stating you can only have a total of 4 lights in use for Hi-way driving. That's why they used to sell lights with covers.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: hunter399 on December 28, 2017, 08:02:54 PM: I can have mine on with high beam / low beam headlights,i can turn my headlights off and run just light bar,with my dirrect wire setup,but I can't run it with other cars on the road way to bright. :twocents:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: CAMPMEAT on December 28, 2017, 08:03:07 PM: Wire separately so you have no issues. Use the on/off switch supplied and make your life easy. Don't ask me how to do it, because I always had someone who knows what they are doing.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 08:05:48 PM: Quote from: CAMPMEAT on December 28, 2017, 08:03:07 PM
Wire separately so you have no issues. Use the on/off switch supplied and make your life easy. Don't ask me how to do it, because I always had someone who knows what they are doing.

The difference between Skilled and Unskilled. I am my own worst enemy. :IBCOOL: :IBCOOL:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: winshooter88 on December 28, 2017, 08:14:05 PM: I think if you read the information with those LED ight bars you will find out that are not legal for anything but off-road use, so it doesn't matter if you have them switch off when you hit the high beams. Ridgeratt is also correct that you can't legally have more than four forward facing lights in this state although it is rarely enforced.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: CAMPMEAT on December 28, 2017, 08:23:59 PM: The on/off with high beams used to be you couldn't have your fog lights on at the same time as the high beams.
Offroad lights are a different beast.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 28, 2017, 08:41:49 PM: The ford switches likely provide power. You can use them but disconnect all wires to one. Now tap into your high beam wire ( easiest is at front harness close to lamp - push voltmeter lead through insulation to test ). Run power from high beam wire to ford switch then from ford switch to your provided relay. relay has two wires to battery, two to lights, and one to switch.

If not using ford switch do same with provided switch.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 09:01:12 PM: Here's the wire diagram for the Light. As you can see there are 3 wires going to the switch ( not 2 like Ridgeratt's diagram).
Magnum Willys the Ford switches do supply power they are also fused and have a 25 amp relay. However I only need 1 of the 3 wires from the original harness .
I now understand the hi/low thing. With my high beams on my factory fogs don't work until I switch to low beam.
I realize these are not for on road use .
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 09:06:52 PM: :IBCOOL: :IBCOOL:

My job is done here!! But when I look at your diagram there is only 2 wires from the switch? With 3 coming from the harness.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: winshooter88 on December 28, 2017, 09:46:30 PM: In the diagram huntandjeep put up if you skip the extra handwritten addition all the relay is for is to keep the high resistance from going through the light switch, instead the switch just activates the relay and the relay takes the higher resistance from the light bar. Basically this is just so you don't melt the light switch by running the high power usage through the switch itself. Just so you will trust me I did this stuff professionally for over 20 years.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 28, 2017, 10:10:48 PM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on December 28, 2017, 09:06:52 PM
:IBCOOL: :IBCOOL:

My job is done here!! But when I look at your diagram there is only 2 wires from the switch? With 3 coming from the harness.
The female on the switch harness has the same 3 wires as the light harness
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Magnum_Willys on December 28, 2017, 10:50:43 PM: The override switch shown could be your Ford switch - just cut wires to Ford switch and use switch stand alone if you want to control with hi/lo beam
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Calvin Rayborn on December 29, 2017, 12:32:16 AM: black -ground, white- hot, blue -accessory.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: timberghost72 on December 29, 2017, 07:59:33 AM: Is it an illuminated switch? 2 wires for relay control and 1 for the illuminated switch. :twocents:
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 29, 2017, 09:23:16 AM: Quote from: timberghost72 on December 29, 2017, 07:59:33 AM
Is it an illuminated switch? 2 wires for relay control and 1 for the illuminated switch. :twocents:
You know what there is a little light bulb on the switch. I bet that's the 3rd wire . Going to go out in a bit and cut up the harness and get this figured out
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: Ridgeratt on December 29, 2017, 09:41:09 AM: Looking at the drawing I would say its for the lite. :tup: By habit I will wire a indicator lite in the circuit after the relay to show me it the power is feeding thru. Quick check then says if it's the lite or relay. It also eliminates the random battery draw if not used for a while.
Switch is on and so should the indicator and the running lights work. If the running lights are out and the indicator is on makes chasing easier.
Title: Re: LED light bar wiring help
Post by: huntandjeep on December 29, 2017, 10:54:43 AM: Appreciate all you help guys, turns out I'm dumb. I was sure I saw three wires coming out from the light when I ran the harness , turns out there were only 2 :chuckle: a red and black. The Blue , White and Black i kept talking about started at the relay. It wasnt making any sense to me until Timberghost72 mentioned the illuminated aftermarket switch. Thanks again guys.