installing aux amber lights
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Member
Joined: Oct 2011
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installing aux amber lights
so i am installing 5 little amber auxilliary lights behing my billet grille. i have the lights all mounted and grounded to the negative terminal of the battery. i then have a three prong toggle switch, this switch has two on markings on both sides and the middle prong doesnt have any markings. any electrical inclind guys out there who could help.
thanks
thanks
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 62
Likes: 2
Well here's what I did before I went to work. I had the ground from the lights to the neg. Then took a wire from the pos and ran it to the switch. Then one front pos to lights and they worked. But it wouldn't shut off u.less I disconnect the power at the pos terminal.
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Joined: Apr 2013
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From: Huntsville, AL
Any time I control lights, I use a relay. Ground everything to something like the frame. Do not run everything to the negative terminal on your battery.
Use a switched source (that is, it turns off with the key) through your toggle switch. If you do a search, you can find what color wire you need to tap.
Three pins on your switch means one is ground, one is hot input, and one is output. Use a meter to figure out which is which. When the switch is on, current flows though the input pin to the output pin. When the switch is off, it does not flow.
Again, use a meter to figure out which is which if it's not clear on the switch or on the packaging the switch came in.
Run the output of your switch to the low current input of the relay. You can run your high-current input to your relay from the battery. You will need a fuse in this circuit. Ground the relay to the frame also. You will need to know which pin is which on your relay, so read up on relays a little. A little work now can save you from fiery fun later.
When you flip your toggle switch, it will send low current to the relay, which through the magic of electromagnetism connects two contacts (internally) to allow the high current to flow from your battery to the lights. (Again, use a fuse!!!)
BTW, you can get a cheap meter just about anywhere. For your needs here you don't need a professional level meter. You can get them for less than $10 online or some place like (gasp!) Harbor Freight.
Hope this helps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relayhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/relay.htm
Good luck!
Use a switched source (that is, it turns off with the key) through your toggle switch. If you do a search, you can find what color wire you need to tap.
Three pins on your switch means one is ground, one is hot input, and one is output. Use a meter to figure out which is which. When the switch is on, current flows though the input pin to the output pin. When the switch is off, it does not flow.
Again, use a meter to figure out which is which if it's not clear on the switch or on the packaging the switch came in.
Run the output of your switch to the low current input of the relay. You can run your high-current input to your relay from the battery. You will need a fuse in this circuit. Ground the relay to the frame also. You will need to know which pin is which on your relay, so read up on relays a little. A little work now can save you from fiery fun later.
When you flip your toggle switch, it will send low current to the relay, which through the magic of electromagnetism connects two contacts (internally) to allow the high current to flow from your battery to the lights. (Again, use a fuse!!!)
BTW, you can get a cheap meter just about anywhere. For your needs here you don't need a professional level meter. You can get them for less than $10 online or some place like (gasp!) Harbor Freight.
Hope this helps.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relayhttp://www.howstuffworks.com/relay.htm
Good luck!