AUX lights wiring question

[FirstSubaruGLwagon]

Up till now, I have just been wiring my extra lights up to the fuse box, however I know if I keep adding lights, I am bound to have some electrical problems.

Does anyone know a web page that outlines and diagrams the proper way to wire auxiliary lights?

[subestyle18]

I would run a 12awg wire and run each pair of lights on a seperate circute. I put in one of these pannels in my car to run all the acceseries. I have the fan, sterio, lights, cb. all wired in. All you have to do is run one positive lead from your battery to the pannel and then i have a buss bar that i gound every thing too. This keeps all the acceseries i have seperate from the original wiring. A lot easier to remove if i have to. I had aleady built a new center consol to mount my sterio so i just cut a hole to mount the pannel. I run a optima red top as my main battery, and am adding a blue top as a secondary so im not worried about drawing to much. You can find any of this wiring stuff at a good marine store. I work at one in seattle (fisheries supply www.fisheriessupply.com) we ship out. so if you cant find them around you, you could order from us.http://www.bluesea.com/dept.asp?d_id=7997&l1=7460&l2=7997

David

[Scoobywagon]

I don't know of any particular website that goes into any detail on wiring Aux lights, but I can tell you this. You want to keep everything as isolated as possible. I would use a separate circuit for each set of lights. Additionally, I'm not terribly fond of running large amounts of current through my cabin if I don't have to, so I would use a relay farm that goes under the hood. IN this way, I could run a single, fused power line form the battery to my relays (also under the hood), then a line from the ground pin on the relay to the appropriate switch on the dash and another line from the dash switch to ground. This way, the switch only sources ground for the relay and that allows the use of smaller dash switches. Once you've got everything more or less where you want it, you'll want to either loom or tape all your wires. Not only does it help give a cleaner appearance, it also protects your wiring against chafing and binding. You also want to make sure that you select a wire guage appropriate to the current draw of your lights.

 

While there's no such thing as wire that's "too big", remember, big wire is more expensive. On the other hand, if you use wire that's too small, you have a fire hazard. Headlights are generally rated at about 55watts (4.6 amps on a 12v system) and most manufacturers use 14ga wire. I've even seen some use 16ga. 14ga should be fine for most lights in about the 55watt range, but the longer the run from the battery, the larger (in general) you'll want your power wire to be. Now, these are lights, not amps or computers, so they really won't care too much about voltage drop across a long run of wire. BUt realistically, you bought those lights for their performance characteristics so it doesn't make sense to sacrifice that performance over wire size unless you have to. So when you are buying your wire, take into account the general route you intend to take to get the power to the light. If these are roof mounted 55watt lights and you want to mount a set on the rear of your wagon, you might want to use a good 12ga wire.If you're just bumper mounting them, 16ga might do ya right. Maybe 14ga if your just mounting them on the front of the roof. Unless you are some kind of purist, it really doesn't make a perceivable difference. So get you you can that will do the job.

 

My preference in this matter is the silicon jacketed stuff you get from autozone. Its single stranded and available in the common colors. Its generally cheaper than buying paired wired and when you twist the two strands together they have a noise cancelling effect (if that matters to you), the two wires then tend to protect each other, and it makes the wire that much easier to work with.

 

Ok, well, that was a bit long. Ask away if you have something more specific.

[conifercoyote]

http://www.offroaders.com/info/tech-corner/lightforce/

 

here is a good enough spot..seems like no matter what site i go to they are all pretty much the same ..get your power from the battery and remember to turn em off (yea right ) or hook em up to the accessory side so the power is killed with the key. Pay Attention to the wire size like stated above..melted some in my younger and dumber years..its called live and learn for a reason

[FirstSubaruGLwagon]

" Relays?,, we don't need no stinking relays!"

 

Thanks for the very helpful sugestions and links. I really like the aux panel idea.

 

Now all I have to do is rewire EVRYTHING!

[subestyle18]

Yeah the pannel is great it has fuses for every circut right in the pannel so it let me get rid of the fuse pannel i had. I didnt feel relays were really nessecary with just 15amps. I ran 12 awg/2 wire which is more then enough but i had a spool. With just plain switches i had trouble with the current affecting the radio/speakers out put with this pannel. It is back lit with leds that draw only 10 mili amps.

 

David