Wiring help/suggestions... for pillar lights and future add on's...
11-30-2014, 08:05 PM
#1
JK Enthusiast
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Wiring help/suggestions... for pillar lights and future add on's...
Greetings all!
It's that time of year where I get some Jeep goodies!
So this year I am adding some pillar lights! Well of course like we all do, I was doing research and quickly became confused as to what to do. I have no understanding of electrical wiring, even though I have done some research, I just can't get it.
Now the lights that I ordered come with everything I need, down to the switch, the only problem is that I know that I will be adding more lights in the future. I don't want to drill into my dash and have all these switches everywhere! So of course I looked at the current offering of switch panels. I really like (out of everything I have seen) the Daystar lower dash switch panel (5 switch).
First Question, is there a way to have all of the switches prewired and ready for when I eventually add other accessories (and have the wires "end" in the engine bay)? For now I will only need one switch.
2nd Question, I like the switches (rockers) from OTRATTW however I do not know which "switch body" to order. I know that I want it to have 2 l.e.d's, one l.e.d. to be illuminated constantly (when the vehicle is on), the other l.e.d. to illuminate when the switch has been activated. I think...
I know that a lot of you are running an SPod, and it looks great, I feel that it is overkill for me (at this time anyway).
I will eventually be adding some lights to a hoop on the bumper (gotta get the bumper first!), some lights at the rear of the Jeep, and maybe a lightbar... I could really use some help here. I know that several of you have "built" your own and have a really good understanding of electrical wiring... THANKS!
It's that time of year where I get some Jeep goodies!
So this year I am adding some pillar lights! Well of course like we all do, I was doing research and quickly became confused as to what to do. I have no understanding of electrical wiring, even though I have done some research, I just can't get it.
Now the lights that I ordered come with everything I need, down to the switch, the only problem is that I know that I will be adding more lights in the future. I don't want to drill into my dash and have all these switches everywhere! So of course I looked at the current offering of switch panels. I really like (out of everything I have seen) the Daystar lower dash switch panel (5 switch).
First Question, is there a way to have all of the switches prewired and ready for when I eventually add other accessories (and have the wires "end" in the engine bay)? For now I will only need one switch.
2nd Question, I like the switches (rockers) from OTRATTW however I do not know which "switch body" to order. I know that I want it to have 2 l.e.d's, one l.e.d. to be illuminated constantly (when the vehicle is on), the other l.e.d. to illuminate when the switch has been activated. I think...
I know that a lot of you are running an SPod, and it looks great, I feel that it is overkill for me (at this time anyway).
I will eventually be adding some lights to a hoop on the bumper (gotta get the bumper first!), some lights at the rear of the Jeep, and maybe a lightbar... I could really use some help here. I know that several of you have "built" your own and have a really good understanding of electrical wiring... THANKS!
11-30-2014, 09:33 PM
#2
Yes you can have them all prewired and ready to go. Lots of people have made aux fuse panels (diy sPod) or you could just have some relays prewired to the switches. The biggest thing is planning out EVERYTHING before you take on this task. But the easiest way is to use speed wire that is commonly used in car stereo work. It is basically a bundle of individual wires all inside a bigger wire, if that makes sense. Car stereos usually go for 9 wires (2 per speaker for 4 speakers and 1 remote turn on for an amp) but it all comes down to how many wires you need (based on number of switches and what switches they are.)
The switches you are interested in will have 5 pins on the back.
#1 is for power to the first LED (usually wired to dash lights, but if you want it on with the ignition, we'll get to that)
#2 is main power source INPUT coming through the switches out to the relays for the lights. This can come directly from the battery or can be tapped to an ignition-only source to prevent battery draining.
#3 is the main OUTPUT going to the individual relays.
#4 is the ground for one of the 2 LEDs in the switch.
#5 is the ground for the other LED in the switch.
Now to determine how many wires you will need, it comes down to how you want the switches to light up. But there are some that will need to be there no matter what so we'll start with those.
You must have a main input. 1
You must have a ground. 2
You must have an individual output for each switch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (for 5 switches)
That is all that is absolutely required.
Now if you want to have part of the switch only light up when you turn the dash lights turn on, add in another. 8
This way, the switches wouldn't be lit up in the middle of the day but you could still use them if necessary.
Now if you're wondering why you only need 8 wires when there are 5 switches all with 5 pins, that's because most of these can be jumped to the next switch.
All of your grounds can be jumped to 1 single wire. This will account for 10 of your pins.
All of your main power inputs can be jumped to 1 wire. This accounts for 5.
All of your LEDs can be jumped either to the main input or to the dash lights. This accounts for 5.
But all of the outputs must remain on individual wires headed back into the engine compartment, this accounts for the last 5.
So all in all, you need at least 7 wires but preferably 8.
Since these wires will be powering single LEDs and activating relays, they will only be carrying milliamps so they can be a very high gauge wire. 16awg should be fine.
If you google 16/8 wire you will find lots of results.
But there you have it. A roll of 16/8 wire, a bag of female spade connectors, possibly a soldering iron and heat shrink if you want to get real into it, and a good crimper. Got mine at Home Depot for +/-$20.
Hopefully this made a little more sense of prewiring all of your switches.
The switches you are interested in will have 5 pins on the back.
#1 is for power to the first LED (usually wired to dash lights, but if you want it on with the ignition, we'll get to that)
#2 is main power source INPUT coming through the switches out to the relays for the lights. This can come directly from the battery or can be tapped to an ignition-only source to prevent battery draining.
#3 is the main OUTPUT going to the individual relays.
#4 is the ground for one of the 2 LEDs in the switch.
#5 is the ground for the other LED in the switch.
Now to determine how many wires you will need, it comes down to how you want the switches to light up. But there are some that will need to be there no matter what so we'll start with those.
You must have a main input. 1
You must have a ground. 2
You must have an individual output for each switch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (for 5 switches)
That is all that is absolutely required.
Now if you want to have part of the switch only light up when you turn the dash lights turn on, add in another. 8
This way, the switches wouldn't be lit up in the middle of the day but you could still use them if necessary.
Now if you're wondering why you only need 8 wires when there are 5 switches all with 5 pins, that's because most of these can be jumped to the next switch.
All of your grounds can be jumped to 1 single wire. This will account for 10 of your pins.
All of your main power inputs can be jumped to 1 wire. This accounts for 5.
All of your LEDs can be jumped either to the main input or to the dash lights. This accounts for 5.
But all of the outputs must remain on individual wires headed back into the engine compartment, this accounts for the last 5.
So all in all, you need at least 7 wires but preferably 8.
Since these wires will be powering single LEDs and activating relays, they will only be carrying milliamps so they can be a very high gauge wire. 16awg should be fine.
If you google 16/8 wire you will find lots of results.
But there you have it. A roll of 16/8 wire, a bag of female spade connectors, possibly a soldering iron and heat shrink if you want to get real into it, and a good crimper. Got mine at Home Depot for +/-$20.
Hopefully this made a little more sense of prewiring all of your switches.
Last edited by countrydude1992; 11-30-2014 at 09:41 PM.
12-01-2014, 12:21 AM
#3
JK Jedi Master
Quit fighting it: sPOD is perfect for people who are "electrically challenged". ;-) It's that, or something similar that isn't as elegant (such as SwitchPro), or make your own (see post above), or end up with a fire hazard rat's nest under your hood. The sPOD with dual lights will allow you to have what you want with the OTRATTW switches. I have one with a gauge hole opening, and added an oil pressure gauge.
12-01-2014, 11:09 AM
#4
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Quit fighting it: sPOD is perfect for people who are "electrically challenged". ;-) It's that, or something similar that isn't as elegant (such as SwitchPro), or make your own (see post above), or end up with a fire hazard rat's nest under your hood. The sPOD with dual lights will allow you to have what you want with the OTRATTW switches. I have one with a gauge hole opening, and added an oil pressure gauge.
I am now looking at this as a personal challenge, it's time I actually do something myself for my Jeep, just have to be patient and PLAN things out!
12-01-2014, 11:11 AM
#5
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Yes you can have them all prewired and ready to go. Lots of people have made aux fuse panels (diy sPod) or you could just have some relays prewired to the switches. The biggest thing is planning out EVERYTHING before you take on this task. But the easiest way is to use speed wire that is commonly used in car stereo work. It is basically a bundle of individual wires all inside a bigger wire, if that makes sense. Car stereos usually go for 9 wires (2 per speaker for 4 speakers and 1 remote turn on for an amp) but it all comes down to how many wires you need (based on number of switches and what switches they are.)
The switches you are interested in will have 5 pins on the back.
#1 is for power to the first LED (usually wired to dash lights, but if you want it on with the ignition, we'll get to that)
#2 is main power source INPUT coming through the switches out to the relays for the lights. This can come directly from the battery or can be tapped to an ignition-only source to prevent battery draining.
#3 is the main OUTPUT going to the individual relays.
#4 is the ground for one of the 2 LEDs in the switch.
#5 is the ground for the other LED in the switch.
Now to determine how many wires you will need, it comes down to how you want the switches to light up. But there are some that will need to be there no matter what so we'll start with those.
You must have a main input. 1
You must have a ground. 2
You must have an individual output for each switch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (for 5 switches)
That is all that is absolutely required.
Now if you want to have part of the switch only light up when you turn the dash lights turn on, add in another. 8
This way, the switches wouldn't be lit up in the middle of the day but you could still use them if necessary.
Now if you're wondering why you only need 8 wires when there are 5 switches all with 5 pins, that's because most of these can be jumped to the next switch.
All of your grounds can be jumped to 1 single wire. This will account for 10 of your pins.
All of your main power inputs can be jumped to 1 wire. This accounts for 5.
All of your LEDs can be jumped either to the main input or to the dash lights. This accounts for 5.
But all of the outputs must remain on individual wires headed back into the engine compartment, this accounts for the last 5.
So all in all, you need at least 7 wires but preferably 8.
Since these wires will be powering single LEDs and activating relays, they will only be carrying milliamps so they can be a very high gauge wire. 16awg should be fine.
If you google 16/8 wire you will find lots of results.
But there you have it. A roll of 16/8 wire, a bag of female spade connectors, possibly a soldering iron and heat shrink if you want to get real into it, and a good crimper. Got mine at Home Depot for +/-$20.
Hopefully this made a little more sense of prewiring all of your switches.
The switches you are interested in will have 5 pins on the back.
#1 is for power to the first LED (usually wired to dash lights, but if you want it on with the ignition, we'll get to that)
#2 is main power source INPUT coming through the switches out to the relays for the lights. This can come directly from the battery or can be tapped to an ignition-only source to prevent battery draining.
#3 is the main OUTPUT going to the individual relays.
#4 is the ground for one of the 2 LEDs in the switch.
#5 is the ground for the other LED in the switch.
Now to determine how many wires you will need, it comes down to how you want the switches to light up. But there are some that will need to be there no matter what so we'll start with those.
You must have a main input. 1
You must have a ground. 2
You must have an individual output for each switch. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (for 5 switches)
That is all that is absolutely required.
Now if you want to have part of the switch only light up when you turn the dash lights turn on, add in another. 8
This way, the switches wouldn't be lit up in the middle of the day but you could still use them if necessary.
Now if you're wondering why you only need 8 wires when there are 5 switches all with 5 pins, that's because most of these can be jumped to the next switch.
All of your grounds can be jumped to 1 single wire. This will account for 10 of your pins.
All of your main power inputs can be jumped to 1 wire. This accounts for 5.
All of your LEDs can be jumped either to the main input or to the dash lights. This accounts for 5.
But all of the outputs must remain on individual wires headed back into the engine compartment, this accounts for the last 5.
So all in all, you need at least 7 wires but preferably 8.
Since these wires will be powering single LEDs and activating relays, they will only be carrying milliamps so they can be a very high gauge wire. 16awg should be fine.
If you google 16/8 wire you will find lots of results.
But there you have it. A roll of 16/8 wire, a bag of female spade connectors, possibly a soldering iron and heat shrink if you want to get real into it, and a good crimper. Got mine at Home Depot for +/-$20.
Hopefully this made a little more sense of prewiring all of your switches.
12-01-2014, 12:38 PM
#6
JK Junkie
That's different than what I thought. I thought the 5 pin Contura switches had
Power to the control circuit in (switched or unswitched)
Power out from the control circuit to the relay
Power in to lower LED
Ground to lower LED
and ground for upper LED.
I did not think the switches controlled the power or ground directly to the accessory, but rather through to a relay.
Power to the control circuit in (switched or unswitched)
Power out from the control circuit to the relay
Power in to lower LED
Ground to lower LED
and ground for upper LED.
I did not think the switches controlled the power or ground directly to the accessory, but rather through to a relay.
12-01-2014, 01:48 PM
#7
JK Enthusiast
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Actually, that's what he said: "Since these wires will be powering single LEDs and activating relays, they will only be carrying milliamps so they can be a very high gauge wire."
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12-01-2014, 02:29 PM
#8
JK Junkie
12-01-2014, 07:26 PM
#9
Mark is absolutely right about the SPod. I feel very confident doing electrical work but it takes a lot of knowledge to do it right and not burn your jeep to the ground. And ultimately, people have added up the costs for their DIY solutions and come very close to the cost of the sPod.
It also takes a lot of planning. Like a whole lot. More than the average person is willing to do. And I appreciate someone who likes to challenge themselves, but electrical work might not be the place. Things can go bad quickly.
It also takes a lot of planning. Like a whole lot. More than the average person is willing to do. And I appreciate someone who likes to challenge themselves, but electrical work might not be the place. Things can go bad quickly.
12-01-2014, 08:16 PM
#10
JK Enthusiast
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Mark is absolutely right about the SPod. I feel very confident doing electrical work but it takes a lot of knowledge to do it right and not burn your jeep to the ground. And ultimately, people have added up the costs for their DIY solutions and come very close to the cost of the sPod.
It also takes a lot of planning. Like a whole lot. More than the average person is willing to do. And I appreciate someone who likes to challenge themselves, but electrical work might not be the place. Things can go bad quickly.
It also takes a lot of planning. Like a whole lot. More than the average person is willing to do. And I appreciate someone who likes to challenge themselves, but electrical work might not be the place. Things can go bad quickly.
I am really starting to "get it" but with some questions answered come more questions... still not calling it quits yet, but dang... if I make a mistake it could potentially burn down my Jeep! That's not something I'm willing to risk... I've seen the Dbox 5 video several times and it's not at all difficult to put together, but I need to understand what is happening and why... it's all about the mechanics of it... what is really confusing me is the different gauges of wire, different fuse sizes, ohms, resistance, wire length, etc, and how they all affect each other...