Rough Country Dual 6in LED Wiring Help

[richmondjd11]

Still new to the ranger, hopefully you guys can help me with this question. I think i am overthinking it but just trying to be cautious with the new truck. I ordered the rough country dual 6 in LED light bar to install into the front bumper. Overall the kit is great and the install looks straight forward. For the install, im going to install the wiring exactly as the picture shows with one exception. Instead of bringing the included switch into the cabin, i want to wire the LED lights so that the fog light switch turns them on. The power delivery will be just as the diagram shows from the picture so i am not worried about over amping the circuit to the fog lights (even though they are just 6 inches).

Where and how would i tap in for the signal from the fog light switch? Anybody done this before and have any experience with it?

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[richmondjd11]

Doing some research on relays. So this kit already comes with an integrated relay. In this case, would i take the switch side of the relay, cut that off, and wire directly into the power wires coming out the back of one the foglights? The (high) power current being sent to the foglights would then be the "switch" for this wiring and energizes the relay and then powers on the LED light bars through the battery. Does that make sense? Would this work or would that be too much power to the relay?

Driving myself in circles over here overthinking this.

 

[cfhgarza]

Should be alright. You can but h11 pigtails so you don't need to hack up your factory harness.

I don't know the power draw of the light bars but you may be able to power them off the factory fog harness alone. H11 power draw is 12 V: 55 W each. That's how the fog light replacement square pods work.

 

[richmondjd11]

Should be alright. You can but h11 pigtails so you don't need to hack up your factory harness.

I don't know the power draw of the light bars but you may be able to power them off the factory fog harness alone. H11 power draw is 12 V: 55 W each. That's how the fog light replacement square pods work.

How would the h11 pigtail work? Just make my own Y harness out of one? And that would wire into the switch in the diagrram and become the new "switch"?

And i kicked around having the foglights just power everything, but me being me and paranoid, I think i will just stick to powering them through the included battery harness, that way there is no chance of overamping the stock circuit. Even though the light bars are only 6in and shouldnt over amp it.

 

[Figarou]

Doing some research on relays. So this kit already comes with an integrated relay. In this case, would i take the switch side of the relay, cut that off, and wire directly into the power wires coming out the back of one the foglights? The (high) power current being sent to the foglights would then be the "switch" for this wiring and energizes the relay and then powers on the LED light bars through the battery. Does that make sense? Would this work or would that be too much power to the relay?

Driving myself in circles over here overthinking this.

That will work. Get a 2 way splitter to make it easier.

https://www.ebay.com/i/133125356893...fPi_IjC0VjYRk1jAGvI1QdZXdk-UWMzRoCZAoQAvD_BwE

This way one will power the fog light, the other will power the switch on the relay. That's if you want all lights to come on with the OEM fog light switch.

 

[richmondjd11]

That will work. Get a 2 way splitter to make it easier.

https://www.ebay.com/i/133125356893...fPi_IjC0VjYRk1jAGvI1QdZXdk-UWMzRoCZAoQAvD_BwE

This way one will power the fog light, the other will power the switch on the relay. That's if you want all lights to come on with the OEM fog light switch.

Sweet! Thats what i was thinking and made sense to me that would work, but you know, im nervous with stuff like this. Gonna order the parts and see how it works, ill probably do a write up once i do with the results.

Appreciate the help.

 

[Figarou]

Sweet! Thats what i was thinking and made sense to me that would work, but you know, im nervous with stuff like this. Gonna order the parts and see how it works, ill probably do a write up once i do with the results.

Appreciate the help.

It'll work.

There's 2 ways to use these relays. The diagram that came with your instructions uses the "ground trigger." It uses the same 12 volt source to power the trigger and light. A switch is connected to the trigger side.

The other is a "positive trigger." The trigger uses a different 12 volt power source. That way you can use the OEM fog light switch.

 

[richmondjd11]

It'll work.

There's 2 ways to use these relays. The diagram that came with your instructions uses the "ground trigger." It uses the same 12 volt source to power the trigger and light. A switch is connected to the trigger side.

The other is a "positive trigger." The trigger uses a different 12 volt power source. That way you can use the OEM fog light switch.

These diagrams make MUCH more sense. This is exactly what i was looking for. So I am basically converting the included relay from a ground trigger to a positive trigger with the oem fog lights (and oem switch) supplying the positive trigger.
Now to just wait for a few more parts to come in so i can wire it up and install.

Thank you so much for the help, this is exactly what i was looking for to make sense of what i was asking and am trying to do.

 

[Figarou]

These diagrams make MUCH more sense. This is exactly what i was looking for. So I am basically converting the included relay from a ground trigger to a positive trigger with the oem fog lights (and oem switch) supplying the positive trigger.
Now to just wait for a few more parts to come in so i can wire it up and install.

Thank you so much for the help, this is exactly what i was looking for to make sense of what i was asking and am trying to do.

No problem.

I'm using the positive trigger method.

I can use the OEM fog light switch to activate the relay so it can power the other lights straight from the battery. This way I don't have to worry about sending to many amps through the OEM fog light wires.

 

[richmondjd11]

I can use the OEM fog light switch to activate the relay so it can power the other lights straight from the battery. This way I don't have to worry about sending to many amps through the OEM fog light wires.

This is the same exact reason i want to wire it like this. The rough country LEDs are only 18w a side, so I "think" it shouldnt be too much power being pulled through the fog light wiring if i just cut out the relay and wired directly into the fogs. But powering the LEDs through the battery just gives a little peace of mind.

 

[richmondjd11]

No problem.

I'm using the positive trigger method.

I can use the OEM fog light switch to activate the relay so it can power the other lights straight from the battery. This way I don't have to worry about sending to many amps through the OEM fog light wires.

Follow up question for you. Im finally getting around to actually installing the lights. So the wire coming off the "switch" side of the relay has 3 wires (see picture below) blue, white, and black. The adapter I bought which will connect into a Y adapter for the foglights has 2 wires, black and red (which is the same as the foglight obviously.) So from my limited research online, it looks like i would wire the adapter so that blue connects to black and black connects to red with white just being capped? Does that sound correct?

Or should i scrap the whole thing and wire the LED light itself into the foglight on each side. Its only 18W per side and I think i remember reading that the foglight circuit is rated for 100w.

Any ideas?

 

[Figarou]

Follow up question for you. Im finally getting around to actually installing the lights. So the wire coming off the "switch" side of the relay has 3 wires (see picture below) blue, white, and black. The adapter I bought which will connect into a Y adapter for the foglights has 2 wires, black and red (which is the same as the foglight obviously.) So from my limited research online, it looks like i would wire the adapter so that blue connects to black and black connects to red with white just being capped? Does that sound correct?

Or should i scrap the whole thing and wire the LED light itself into the foglight on each side. Its only 18W per side and I think i remember reading that the foglight circuit is rated for 100w.

Any ideas?

The switch side should be 85 and 86. You only need 2 wires. Black is usually negative. The white or blue is positive. Just see which color goes to 85 and 86.

If the total watts is 110, (55 watts each side) You should be fine hooking them to the OEM wires. Total as in all lights added up. I'm not sure what the power rating is for the OEM fog lights.

Mine went over. I had no choice but to use a relay with a positive switch.

 

[richmondjd11]

The switch side should be 85 and 86. You only need 2 wires. Black is usually negative. The white or blue is positive. Just see which color goes to 85 and 86.

If the total watts is 110, (55 watts each side) You should be fine hooking them to the OEM wires. Total as in all lights added up. I'm not sure what the power rating is for the OEM fog lights.

Mine went over. I had no choice but to use a relay with a positive switch.

OK, ill give it a try with the relay and see what happens. I might make two versions of the adapter since i have two and see which one works.

 

[richmondjd11]

Holy crap, i just sliced the heat shrink off the included relay and everything just made so much more sense. The terminals are labled and the wires clearly visible, should have done this from the start.

 

[Figarou]

Holy crap, i just sliced the heat shrink off the included relay and everything just made so much more sense. The terminals are labled and the wires clearly visible, should have done this from the start.

Cool.

Just use 85 and 86 as your positive switch.

87 and 30 is where your lights hook up.

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