So I've got some side mounted flood lights that I'd like to turn on with the mirror spotlight switches. I wired up 2 relays to accomplish this, pinned as follows:

30 - fused +12v input
87 - +12v to my lights
85 - trigger coming from indicator light on switch
86- gnd with a switch so I could kill the relays and use only the mirror light.

I used the indicator wire because I found that the mirror lights are negative switched and it's a latching circuit - push the button and it momentarily provides gnd to the circuit to turn the lights on. Push the button again and same thing happens to turn the light off. No gnd is provided unless the button is pushed down so it wouldn't work as a held trigger of the relays. Indicator wire does provide +12v while mirror light is on.

Here is my problem. Relays won't trigger. Furthermore, when my switch on relay gnd is in off position, both indicator lights turn on when one button is pushed and one mirror light is on. When relay switch is on, neither indicator light turn on but the mirror light does turn on.

What did I do wrong? I'm thoroughly confused by this because I feel everything is wired properly and all wires show what they should.

 

Did some more research. I think my issue is that the indicator lights are only putting out 20mA (as measured using digital multimeter across relay terminals while mirror light turned on). From what I read, these relays usually take 100mA-200mA to trigger.

Is there a way to amplify what I'm getting from my source? Or is there a different type of relay that will do what I'm wanting?

 

I don't have access to schematics but you can't measure current thru the relay coil by measuring across the coil terminals. You need to put the meter leads in series with the coil. You CAN measure voltage across the coil terminals and if you don't see near 12 volts when the lights are on, you are right the relay is not going to switch. I think your estimate for switching current in the coil is about right as I measured two relay coil resistance last night at 74 ohms on both. I=V/R=12/74=162mA. Can't advise what to do without tech data

 

I tried measuring the current in-line with the indicator and got no reading. I know everything was working right because I was able to see the indicator light turn on, so the circuit was completed.

 

I was able to find the wires coming out the module that supposedly go directly to the mirrors - they were able to trigger the relays. All set!