Light bar wiring question

[4x4Enthusiast]

I am having issues with the installation of a light bar to my vehicle. after I completed the wiring and switched on the ignition and pressed the on/off button the lights didn't come on. The button switch became hot and so did the wiring close to the battery.

I don't want to connect the light bar to my high beam but rather have the push button installed in the dash (next to my EBS button for my trailer).

Picture 1 is of the push button that I use - I have replaced the original Dashboard Switch (as indicated in Picture 2)

Picture 2 is the diagram that I followed but I have a question about the Pos + and Neg - that is circled in red. I am not sure where the "Power" should be as indicated for the Pos + wire.

I took both the + & - (in the red circle) back to the battery. This means that I have 2 Pos + wires on the battery and I also have 2 Neg - wires on the battery ( the other 2 coming from the relay.

What am I doing wrong?

[4x4Enthusiast]

Light bar wiring question.....

I am having issues with the installation of a light bar to my vehicle. after I completed the wiring and switched on the ignition and pressed the on/off button the lights didn't come on. The button switch became hot and so did the wiring close to the battery.

I don't want to connect the light bar to my high beam but rather have the push button installed in the dash (next to my EBS button for my trailer).

Picture 1 is of the push button that I use - I have replaced the original Dashboard Switch (as indicated in Picture 2)

Picture 2 is the diagram that I followed but I have a question about the Pos + and Neg - that is circled in red. I am not sure where the "Power" should be as indicated for the Pos + wire.

I took both the + & - (in the red circle) back to the battery. This means that I have 2 Pos + wires on the battery and I also have 2 Neg - wires on the battery ( the other 2 coming from the relay.

What am I doing wrong?

(Sorry for posting in this forum as well but I originally posted in another forum where it was not intended to be)

[2bad4u]

It is a legal requirement to have your light bar wired through your high beam.

[disco stu]

Not sure how that button that came with the kit is wired inside, but the one you have installed needs positive coming in and out, with the out going to the relay. What you've created is a dead short if you have positive on one terminal and negative on the other of that switch. That's assuming I've understood what you have said correctly

If you picture it this way, without the button switch the lights would be on all the time, and you are just putting the button switch onto the white wire only to turn it off, equivalent of cutting the white wire if it was hooked up to the positive terminal, just a lot less permanent

I'm see if I can draw up another circuit diagram on the computer

[NWDarwin]

It looks like your replacement switch only has two inputs/outputs if that is the case and you are connecting one to +ve and the other to -ve, then you are effectively shorting 12v straight to earth. You need a switch with three inputs/outputs (as the schematic suggested) one is for -ve (earth) one for +ve (12v input) and one for switched +ve (12v to the relay) if you connect it directly to the light bar without a relay, then all then current draw will be passing through the switch.

In short, connect it exactly as the schematic says but have a constant 12 v (accessories) on the relay in lieu of the high beam input.

Hope this makes sense and helps.

[disco stu]

Here is another circuit diagram I've drawn up that might help things a bit. I've changed the white wire in the original to yellow just to make it easier to see.

I'm making the assumption that its positive going in on the white wire to the relay in the original diagram-most usual scenario.

You also would probably want the battery positive side of that wire to be going to positive that is switched on by the ignition also so the lights aren't getting turned on while the car is off (accidentally left on and draining battery)

[NWDarwin]

Yep that will work. Good idea disco stu.

[4x4Enthusiast]

So are you suggesting that I remove the connector (white squares in my original picture) in the wiring harness?

And then use the original white wire and put it to the push button terminal. From the other terminal I take a wire back to the battery as per your diagram.

That means that I don't have the +ve and -ve to worry about as per my original picture and question

Btw - looking at the original diagram I identified that there is a white wire going from the connector to the push button. I don't have that currently. Is it an option to add the white wire to go to the push button (I will have to get a 3 pin push button for that).

If I add the white wire above can I then still take the +ve and -ve from the connector back to the battery?

[NWDarwin]

Yes remove the the connector, then the white wire will go from the relay to one side of your two pin switch. The other side of your switch should come from 12v that is connected to your accessories (eg cigarette lighter) if you want to only be able to turn the light bar on with accessories, or to a constant 12v source if you want to be able to turn it on whenever.

Or, you could just wire it up as per the schematic and know it will be legal in all states and territories. If you get pulled over by the fuzz and your light bar doesn’t switch off with your high beams they can slap a canary on it. Your light bar will still be independently switchable if you wire it up as per the original schematic you just won’t be able to turn it on without high beams on.

[AndrewRe]

I am having issues with the installation of a light bar to my vehicle. after I completed the wiring and switched on the ignition and pressed the on/off button the lights didn't come on. The button switch became hot and so did the wiring close to the battery.

I don't want to connect the light bar to my high beam but rather have the push button installed in the dash (next to my EBS button for my trailer).

Picture 1 is of the push button that I use - I have replaced the original Dashboard Switch (as indicated in Picture 2)

Picture 2 is the diagram that I followed but I have a question about the Pos + and Neg - that is circled in red. I am not sure where the "Power" should be as indicated for the Pos + wire.

I took both the + & - (in the red circle) back to the battery. This means that I have 2 Pos + wires on the battery and I also have 2 Neg - wires on the battery ( the other 2 coming from the relay.

What am I doing wrong?

(Sorry for posting in this forum as well but I originally posted in another forum where it was not intended to be)

I am an electrician so in reading your post, my biggest concern is that you disconnected the wiring immediately that you discovered it was getting hot. A fire is the only logical outcome of that, if the lights weren't working, and heat was being generated.
An auto elec will have it solved in 5 mins. A good investment in my mind.

[4x4Enthusiast]

AndrewRE - you are correct - I disconnected it all immediately - I am a bean counter and don't know much about electronic etc but do know that if it gets hot something is wrong
Back to the drawing board or that good investment you mentioned
Cheers

[4x4Enthusiast]

"or to a constant 12v source if you want to be able to turn it on whenever."

Easiest for me would be to take it back to the battery........... will that be ok? On the +ve terminal?

[nj swb]

We had two separate threads in two separate forums on the same topic. They have now been merged into one thread in the Electrical forum.

Please don't cross-post into multiple forums.

[disco stu]

I'm not sure what the the white wire on the original button side was for, but you can just ignore that.

All the relay needs is low power +ve and-ve to drive the coil with the button switch you have going into the +ve wire, and then the higher power +ve going into the relay to be connected to the high power +ve output which will go to the light bar when that button switch is on. If you're not familiar with relays and what I've said doesn't make sense then have a quick Google on how they work and it should become clear.

If you're still having troubles then anyone who works on cars regularly should be able to help you out. Not worth paying someone for this job in my opinion-better off learning it off someone who can do it with you

[Pyro1970]

Here is another circuit diagram I've drawn up that might help things a bit. I've changed the white wire in the original to yellow just to make it easier to see.

I'm making the assumption that its positive going in on the white wire to the relay in the original diagram-most usual scenario.

You also would probably want the battery positive side of that wire to be going to positive that is switched on by the ignition also so the lights aren't getting turned on while the car is off (accidentally left on and draining battery)

I think you will find the white wire is the positive from the switch, witch then goes out through the firewall to the relay as the switch wire #86 on the relay. You can pickup a positive from within the car so you don't need to run two wires through the firewall as this is not needed.
All the ground from the switch is to light up the led on the switch.