By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 04:19 am: Edit

I was trying to wire the lights on the roof rack. Using a relay, the instructions ask to connect one of the pins to the 12-volt power source or to the high bean wire. Which wire is it? Are there any other solutions? Where else can I wire it to?

Thanks Light-less 96 Disco

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 04:37 am: Edit

that pin is most likely the swith power line.
if you connect to a constant hot wire, the swiotch will be operable at all times. if you wire it to one of the hi beam hot wires, then it'll only be operable when hi beam is on.
just find a hot wire in the fuse box and that should work.

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 04:48 am: Edit

Ho,

Let’s pretend I am 4 years old (in my electrical knowledge): “just find a hot wire in the fuse box and that should work".... could you please elaborate on that? I need more lights for this weekend so I can see the targets...

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 05:27 am: Edit

ok, 4 year old... hehehe..

tell me first if you want the lights to be operable when engine is off? or engine on only? or with high beam?

By ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 06:11 am: Edit

ok check it out a relay is just a switch that operates with electricty. I would get constate power directly from the battery with a in line fuse and heavy gage wire (12-14) put this to terminal 87. Then use the same gage wire and run a wire from 30 to your lights (positive) and ground your wires to a bare metal surface (on the car itself) the roof rack my work but is not the best ground spot. Back at the relay run 85 to ground. Now to make the relay work you have to power it with 86. however you want to turn the lights on i.e. factory light switch high beams whatever as long as it is a pos. polarity you can use it. and that's it. If you look at the relay terminals they should have numbers and look like the diagram below (also make sur it is a normaly closed relay for the directions I listed. Hope this helps.

................87................................
...............----...............................
................87a...............................
.............! ---- !............................
..........85!........!86..........................
.................!..............................
.................!................................
.................30...............................

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 06:14 am: Edit

I would prefer with the engine on only (I also have a 4 1/2-year son that loves playing in the Disco) but I will do what ever is the easiest.

By ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 06:26 am: Edit

it's all the same the key to turning them on is terminal 86 whatever wire you put there whenever it turns on so does your lights if you have factory fog lights you can use that wire. or you can put in your own swith. If you choose to use your own switch the wireing will be a little differnt so as not to work unless the car is on. It is no harder to do then the other just use a wire for 86 that is hot whenever the car is on interupt it with a switch. I would just go to the fuse box and grab any old wire make sure you know what the wire does. The cig. lighter would be a good choice. (does it work when the car is off?) I have a 98 and it doesn't on my car. anyway hope this helps a little further

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 06:34 am: Edit

Ken, that 's a great explanation. Unfortunately, my questions is still the same pin 86... I don't where to attached it or which is the high beam switch. It ought to be a simpler solution.

By Ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 06:49 am: Edit

ok that wire turns the relay on and off whenever it is on so are your lights. You will need a test light or a volt meter to test wires in your car. The easiest way to find the wire your looking for is go to the source for example if you want to use your high-beams go to your light switch and look at the wires going into it. test each one there is going to be about 4-5 wires there. test each one the one your looking for will have no power with your high beams on and will have power when they are on. when you find this wire thats the one yu connect to the relay. I wouldn't use the high beams though because they you can't really use your high beams anymore on the highway(depending on the type of lights you are using. I would go the route of the cig. lighter pop it out use the pos. wire run it right to your relay then put a toggle switch on that wire in between the relay and the cig lighter.

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 07:03 am: Edit

I was re-wiring lights yesterday - lights were previously connected to the headlight dim-beam hot wire (that first dim headlight setting). I wanted to abandon that as the switch and install my own switch in the cockpit so lights come on regardless of engine/accessory key setting. I'm installing my switch as an interrupt on the pin 86 line. Question: can I run the wire from pin 86, through my switch, through an in-line fuse, and to the positive battery terminal? Or should I find another hot wire to tap into instead of the battery terminal? Even with an in-line fuse, I hate running direct lines from the battery into the cabin...(I hate it cause I'm the one doing it!)

Jose, this is really the same issue you are facing. If you can still make it to Truckhaven, I'll walk you through it there (you can view my muddy bird's nest of wires under my hood )

By ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 07:08 am: Edit

Eaisier yet if the relay is already run just jump a wire from 86 to whatever terminal you have on the relays that powers your lights add a fuse and your set.

By ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 07:12 am: Edit

Eaisier yet if the relay is already run just jump a wire from 86 to whatever terminal you have on the relays that powers your lights add a fuse and your set. That is if the power on the relays for the lights is already constant. if not any hot wire inside the car will do. (I usally like to know what the wire is for before I tap into it though) also goes without saying stay away from wires in BRITE YELLOW loom (airbags)

By ken on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 07:16 am: Edit

Also If the source for your lights is not constant you will have to make them hot while the car is off as well. That wire I would take out to the battery

By Bluegill (Bluegill) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 07:17 am: Edit

>"Eaisier yet if the relay is already run just jump a wire from 86 to whatever terminal you have on the relays that powers your lights add a fuse and your set."

Thanks, Ken. As usual, the obvious was staring at me all along! It's hard to see far when you've been laying under the Disco all weekend!!!

By Jose A Cabrera (Jcabrera) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 08:28 am: Edit

ken & Bluegill (Bluegill);

I'll try all of the above....If I can not fix it, I will see you in Truck haven Bluegill!


HO, I am still waiting for your comment too.

By Ho Chung (Ho) on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 08:37 am: Edit

i'd say just wire the lights, and all the other power lines, and get that remaining pin wire, and tap into whatever source that has power on when engine is running, or directly into the hi beam wiring, just behind the headlamp.

it's all the same as what is said above.

By Kristian on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 09:39 am: Edit

Jose- How come your son didn't help you? He's got half a year on you! hehe

By peter matusov on Monday, October 08, 2001 - 10:15 am: Edit

with all this speak of Truckhaven,

who's coming and where's the meeting spot?

my kid's having some BS to do friday night, so if i come it's going to be Sat. morning. (It sucks to miss Ho's cookin', but it might happen.) How do i find everybody? climb the biggest MoFo hill and look around?

peter