ditch lights switch wiring help

[Jayson44]

so I bought a wiring harness for my ditch lights and picked up an "oem" rocker switch to power them. the harness comes with a simple (and ugly) switch that has 3 wires coming from it: red, black, and white. the oem switch I got has 4 wires out the back: red, black, yellow, and blue.

my question is what are the switch wires? most of the wiring diagrams I find for these oem switches all have the colors red1, red2, green and black. I can't find one that has RBYBl.

I'm just wondering how to wire the new oem switch to the harness in place of the cheap switch.

J.

 

[JuniorPigeon]

Which brand OEM looking switch did you go with? And which light/harness?

 

[Seasparrow]

You should be worried about current / amperage !!! Switches rarely run high current devices or systems. The switch and the wires must be able to handle the current draw of the appliance. Match the amp draw of the lights to the wires and switch ( and probably relay). If these ditch lights do not draw much current you may be ok, but you have to find how much current the lights draw in total.

A switch in a 4runner rarely runs the current for a device through the switch, in a 4runner, a small switch simply toggles a relay which can handle the current for the device. So you are not running the appliance through the switch you are just using the switch to engage the relay that can handle the amperage.

Switches just short 2 wires together using contacts, throw it one way the connection is made, the contacts touch, the other way and it is broken.

A switch has throws and poles, a single throw means it has one movement, an up and a down position (or side to side depending on how you mount it), a double throw has an additional center detent (off) meaning it has 3 positions. A single pole single throw switch means it has 2 lugs and one movement. unless it is a special switch (which it may well be), most switches that are double pole are simply 2 switches side by side. 2 of the poles are on one set of contacts and 2 on the other, they are generally always seperate so that you could throw a single switch and get 2 different circuits connected, such as a light on one set (side) of lugs and a buzzer on the others. all from a single throw double pole switch. In an air conditioner you might throw one switch and trip a relay that has double poles and it powers both the compressor clutch and the fan. But the switch is not passing the current to the A/C system, just enough current to engage the relay. A single tiny little switch can turn on a entire city by using relays, but it may not be able to handle the current a single bulb.

you can use an ohm meter to figure it out. A generic switch will not have a proper color code, you have to find out which lugs are shorted when you flip the switch.

Toggle Switch: Precise information and various applications of Toggle Switchs

 

[JuniorPigeon]

You should be worried about current / amperage !!! Switches rarely run high current devices or systems.

A switch in a 4runner rarely runs the current for a device through the switch, in a 4runner, a small switch simply toggles a relay which can handle the current for the device. So you are not running all the electrical through the switch you are just using the switch to engage the the relay that can handle the amperage.

Switches just short 2 wires together using contacts, throw it one way the connection is made, the contacts touch, the other way and it is broken.

A switch has throws and poles, a single throw means it has one movement, an up and a down position (or side to side depending on how you nount it), a double throw has an additional center detent (off) meaning it has 3 positions. A single pole single throw switch means it has 2 lugs and one movement. unless it is a special switch (which it may well be), most switches that are double pole are simply 2 switches side by side. 2 of the poles are on one set of contacts and 2 on the other, they are generally always seperate so that yo could throw a single switch and get 2 different circuits connected, such as a light on side and a buzzer on another. all from a single throw double pole switch.

you can use an ohm meter to figure it out.

Toggle Switch: Precise information and various applications of Toggle Switchs

I'm assuming this is over-thinking it for his sake. I would say the harness he has with the lights is properly setup with a fuse and relay, and all he's trying to do is use a different switch instead of the one it came with.

 

[evan1242]

Did the new switch not come with instructions telling you what wire is what?

 

[Seasparrow]

"""I'm assuming this is over-thinking it for his sake. I would say the harness he has with the lights is properly setup with a fuse and relay, and all he's trying to do is use a different switch instead of the one it came with."""

The problem is he said he "bought" a wiring harness, so I assumed it did not come with the lights. And that is what prompted my to ask him to dig a little more before installing.

 

[Seasparrow]

This is an image of a harness from the first web return of ditch light harness I found. 2010-2020 Toyota 4Runner Low Profile LED Ditch Light Combo It appears to be already rigged, plug in the lights and red to battery black to ground. Unless the switch trys to get fancy with different modes it might just be cut and replace. My runner has unused switches.

So if his harness is properly made for his lights he needs to remove the wires from the rocker switch and just figure out the switch and what the third wire is on his ugly switch, Which is probably what he has been asking all along and My tiny brain just didnt see it !!!!!

The third wire might be power out to an indicator that the lights are on ??

So the question is can you upload an image of the harness you purchased.

 

[randy88fj62]

Jayson44,
OEM switches, usually have power, ground, indicator bulb that shows its on, and illumination bulb that lights the switch up at night so you can see where it is.

Sometimes there are more or less, depends on the switch. I have had good luck testing the leads with a multi-meter and figuring it out on my own slowly.

Which specific OEM switch do you have?

 

[Jayson44]

thanks for the responses, guys. yeah, this is just a simple setup that the wiring harness is pretty similar to the one posted above. already has a hefty relay and fuses and is plug-n-play if I just use the stock button. I just wanted it to look OEM on the panel. I've used this harness before on my old Jeep, but I just used the stock switch at that point.

here's the harness I got: Amazon.com: Nilight LED Light Bar Wiring Harness Kit 12V On Off Switch Power Relay Blade Fuse for Off Road Lights LED Work Light,2 years Warranty: Automotive

and here's the button/switch: Amazon.com: Xotic Tech Factory Style 4-Pole 12V Push Button Switch w/LED Background Indicator Lights for Fog Lights, DRL, LED Light Bar, etc (39mm Standard Size): Automotive

I really just need to know which wires to plug the harness into the switch. everything else I understand.

J.

 

[Jayson44]

Did the new switch not come with instructions telling you what wire is what?

and yeah, the new switch does not have instructions or a diagram. that would have solved my problem, haha.

J.

 

[Seasparrow]

one of the images of that switch included the wiring breakdown

 

[evan1242]

Ok so I will need to see the harness itself to help you figure this out but you will put the red and yellow wires together from the switch and tie them into switched ignition power in the 4runner. The power outlet in the center console is a good place to find that. It turns on and off with the key.

This is so the switch lights up when you turn the key on.

Black will Of course go to ground

Blue from the switch will need to go to whatever wire goes to pin 86 in the relay that is in the harness.
This is what will tell the light to turn on when you press the switch.

If there is no relay in your harness you can not use the switch. But there is most likely one in there. A picture of that would be great but this is most likely what is there.

 

[Jayson44]

one of the images of that switch included the wiring breakdown

wow. :hail:

apparently my powers of perception and general eye-sight are not what I think they are. thanks for pointing out the obvious.

J.

 

[Jayson44]

If there is no relay in your harness you can not use the switch. But there is most likely one in there. A picture of that would be great but this is most likely what is there.

this is the image of the wiring diagram that came with the harness.

J.

 

[evan1242]

this is the image of the wiring diagram that came with the harness.

J.

So wire number 2 on the switch that came with the harness needs to go to the blue wire on your new switch.

Then just ground the new switch

Then just wire the 2 left over wires from the new switch to switched ignition power.

 

[Jayson44]

So wire number 2 on the switch that came with the harness needs to go to the blue wire on your new switch.

Then just ground the new switch

Then just wire the 2 left over wires from the new switch to switched ignition power.

awesome. thanks! could I run the 2 together into a fuse line for the fuse box using a fuse tap? or should I find a better source?

J.

 

[evan1242]

awesome. thanks! could I run the 2 together into a fuse line for the fuse box using a fuse tap? or should I find a better source?



J.

No that would be perfectly fine. I would just make sure it is one that turns on and off with the key so light turns off when you turn the key off even if the switch is on.
If your putting the switch in the center console like I did there is switched power right there from the 12v power outlet.
White with a black stripe is positive.

 

[Seasparrow]

wow. :hail:

apparently my powers of perception and general eye-sight are not what I think they are. thanks for pointing out the obvious.

J.

The biggest surprise was that I saw it !!!!!

OK , I am going to have to come clean on this one, I keep my mouse on the left side of my screen when I am reading and I accidentally moused over it...

And that is the truth.
.
.
.

 

[Jayson44]

ok, so here's the actual diagram from my harness. it's the same as the one above, but I guess the ground and power from the switch go directly to the relay...

so does that mean I can wire those straight into the new switch?

J.

 

[evan1242]

ok, so here's the actual diagram from my harness. it's the same as the one above, but I guess the ground and power from the switch go directly to the relay...

so does that mean I can wire those straight into the new switch?

J.

You could try. But it will probably keep the light on your switch on all the time. If it keeps it on you will have to run the red wire from the old switch to the yellow wire of the new switch. And the from the new switch the red wire would need to go to switched ignition power to turn the light inside the switch on and off.

Blue from the switch would go to white in the harness.
And ground to ground of course.