Wiring Help Needed

[yeet]

Hey everyone, I’m installing my @ZROADZOFFICIAL Bull Bar LEDs and wanted to wire them up in a way that 1 Aux switch will turn all 6 LED pods on at once and another switch would just turn on 2 of them.

For reference, this is what the Bull Bar set up looks like

I came up with a wiring diagram that ties the middle 4 lights together and the outer 2.

My goal is for Aux 4 to only turn on 2 lights and Aux 1 to turn on all 6, but if I put a jumper between the 2 circuits, both switches would just turn on all 6.

Is there a way to have a 1-way power connection between the 2 circuits? Similar to a backflow valve in your house? Does that exist in wiring? It would enable Aux 1 to power both circuits, Aux 4 would still only power the 2 outer lights. Or is there another way to think about this? I don’t want to have to flip both switches to turn on all the lights and I want the flexibility to only turn a couple on if needed.

Sponsored

 

[Murfman]

Hmmmm, if you wire 1 to power 6 lights and 4 to run the 2 outside lights, it should work fine as long as 1 and 4 are not connected together. Wire all 6 lights to switch 1 and then have 2 separate power wires for light 1 and 6 to Aux 4.

 

[jehines3]

You could use a power diode between the two circuits but it’s not exactly the greatest solution in flexibility. You are going to tie up the two switches anyway. Just put two lights on one circuit and the other four lights on the other. This let’s your run, 2,4, or 6 lights. More flexible less complicated

 

[RHeinz]

Two ice cube relays.

4 lights on one relay and two lights on the other relay. One switch powers one relay the other switch powers both relays.

You could use two DC SSR’s also. Might be simpler.

 

[yeet]

Hmmmm, if you wire 1 to power 6 lights and 4 to run the 2 outside lights, it should work fine as long as 1 and 4 are not connected together. Wire all 6 lights to switch 1 and then have 2 separate power wires for light 1 and 6 to Aux 4.

Wouldn’t it still power all the lights because wiring is bi-directional?

 

[yeet]

You could use a power diode between the two circuits but it’s not exactly the greatest solution in flexibility. You are going to tie up the two switches anyway. Just put two lights on one circuit and the other four lights on the other. This let’s your run, 2,4, or 6 lights. More flexible less complicated

Yea that’s the simplest solution, just keeping them separate, but was hoping there was a fuse or relay or something that I didn’t know about that I could tie in to make this work.

 

[yeet]

Two ice cube relays.

4 lights on one relay and two lights on the other relay. One switch powers one relay the other switch powers both relays.

You could use two DC SSR’s also. Might be simpler.

Those might be going beyond my wiring skill level

 

[Murfman]

Those might be going beyond my wiring skill level

I like the idea of 4 lights on one switch and 2 on the other. You want all 6 on, you flip 2 switches! I have my yellow fogs on 3, white driving lights on 5 and the amber backlight for all 4 pods on 6.

 

[Sandbergo]

So here is how you wire the switches and use a relay to have the 6th power all lights when switch 1 is off. Obviously you ground the lights. If you need I’ll draw or explain it.

 

[yeet]

So here is how you wire the switches and use a relay to have the 6th power all lights when switch 1 is off. Obviously you ground the lights. If you need I’ll draw or explain it.

What does that relay look like? And how does grounding work?

 

[Sandbergo]

The negative wires from the lights or black ground wire gets grounded to the chassis. The relay is a single throw single pole relay. This is a picture of the bottom of the relay.
You will need one that allows the correct amperage.

 

[yeet]

The negative wires from the lights or black ground wire gets grounded to the chassis. The relay is a single throw single pole relay. This is a picture of the bottom of the relay.
You will need one that allows the correct amperage.

Just ordered this relay from Amazon. Gonna wire it up over the weekend. Appreciate the help

 

[Fonz54]

The negative wires from the lights or black ground wire gets grounded to the chassis. The relay is a single throw single pole relay. This is a picture of the bottom of the relay.
You will need one that allows the correct amperage.

Had to think about this for a minute, This is a Single Pole Double Throw relay. When the switch connected to 85 is open, 87A the normally closed contact will be hot and providing power to what ever device is connected to that contact. When the switch is closed/operated the relay will operate and contact 87 will be hot providing power to whatever device is connected to that contact.

 

[Fonz54]

Check out this video.

 

[Laminar]

Yea that’s the simplest solution

Simple = reliable. You're introducing a whole host of crimps, splices, and components here that add no useful functionality and needlessly complicate the system.

Sponsored