Help wiring a relay

[alex56]

I'm stumped. Electrical is not my strong suit.

I'm trying to wire a relay to power a flashing LED when the car is off, and that will go off when the car is turned on. I have the add a circut to tap into the fuse box for ignition power, and I have a 5 pin relay. All I can pretty much understand from looking online is to hook 85 and 86 up to battery power and ground... but how would I hook up 30, 87, 87a to achieve what I'm trying to do ?

Or is there a complete other way?

THANKS!!!!

 

[LOSTR4]

Ignore the center pin (87a)



In-lieu of running a wire from the switch to the battery, tie it into your add-a-circuit or an accessory off of the ignition...

...But I too am NOT an electrical person at all

 

[TheTurboMRT]

I'd wire it differently.
Ground to 86
constant power to 30
LED to 87a
ignition power to 85


Power to 85 switches the feed from 30 between 87 and 87a, with 87 being energized when 30 is energized. That leaves 87a as energized when 30 is non-energized, so when the relay is not receiving switched power, 87a should output power.

 

[alex56]

I really don't want to have to use a switch, I just want it to come off when the cars off and off when the cars on lol

The pic is what I went off of, I could hear the switch opening and closing when Tapping into my add a circut but the light wouldn't come on, but it had power since it lit up when I tapped the button the top to change the settings.

 

[TheTurboMRT]

I really don't want to have to use a switch, I just want it to come off when the cars off and off when the cars on lol

The pic is what I went off of, I could hear the switch opening and closing when Tapping into my add a circut but the light wouldn't come on, but it had power since it lit up when I tapped the button the top to change the settings.

As shown in your picture is essentially the same as the one I posted, just routes the power through in the opposite direction. Not sure what kind of LED you're using that has a settings button?

 

[alex56]

As shown in your picture is essentially the same as the one I posted, just routes the power through in the opposite direction. Not sure what kind of LED you're using that has a settings button?

Sorry I did not see your post! I'm going to give that a try once I get home and see if it works. I'm ising a Varad LED scanner. Thanks for the input!

 

[TheTurboMRT]

Sorry I did not see your post! I'm going to give that a try once I get home and see if it works. I'm ising a Varad LED scanner. Thanks for the input!

My guess is that, if it lights up while you're changing the settings, then it's getting power and one of the settings isn't set correctly.

 

[TheTurboMRT]

What model specifically do you have? Does it connect to power independently?

Reading through some of the scanner models' manuals, it looks like it may be expecting ground instead of +12v to turn on. Try connecting your "constant 12v" lead to ground instead of +12v and see if the scanner turns on.

Note - Try at your own risk. I don't accept liability if this burns down your car or damages components :usa:

 

[alex56]

What model specifically do you have? Does it connect to power independently?

Reading through some of the scanner models' manuals, it looks like it may be expecting ground instead of +12v to turn on. Try connecting your "constant 12v" lead to ground instead of +12v and see if the scanner turns on.

Note - Try at your own risk. I don't accept liability if this burns down your car or damages components :usa:

It's a Varad VS350B, Has a red power wire, black ground, and a orange wire. I've had it hooked up before on a switch I just want to eliminate the switch lol

 

[TheTurboMRT]

It's a Varad VS350B, Has a red power wire, black ground, and a orange wire. I've had it hooked up before on a switch I just want to eliminate the switch lol

Yeah it needs a ground, not +12, so do this:

Ground to 85 and 30
87a to orange on the scanner
86 to ignition/switched power

Nothing should go to constant (battery) power

This will connect the orange wire to ground when the ignition is off and the relay is de-energized (known as normally-closed), which will keep the relay from draining your battery as well!

 

[alex56]

Yeah it needs a ground, not +12, so do this:

Ground to 85 and 30
87a to orange on the scanner
86 to ignition/switched power

Nothing should go to constant (battery) power

This will connect the orange wire to ground when the ignition is off and the relay is de-energized (known as normally-closed), which will keep the relay from draining your battery as well!

Thank you for all the continuous help turbo I really appreciate it! I am going to give it a try tonight !


EDIT:

Working on it now, I have hooked it up exactly as you said last but it's not working, what should i do with the red wire from the scanner ? I grounded black from scanner. In the pic is where I'm getting ignition power from (I believe)

 

[SSt4r]

Do you have the wiring diagram for the LEDs? It sounds like black is ground, red is 12vDC (would need to be constant), and orange is switched ground to activate it, but I'm GUESSING. How did you have it hooked up originally through the switch?

EDIT: I found the diagram & the above is correct. Do you have it wired this way so far & still not working? What kind of relay do you have?

 

[alex56]

Do you have the wiring diagram for the LEDs? It sounds like black is ground, red is 12vDC (would need to be constant), and orange is switched ground to activate it, but I'm GUESSING. How did you have it hooked up originally through the switch?

EDIT: I found the diagram & the above is correct. Do you have it wired this way so far & still not working? What kind of relay do you have?

I'm using this relay below, I currently have the orange hooked into the red that may be the problem

 

[alex56]

Here's where I'm at as of now

85 and 30 are grounded in engine bay

87a is going only to orange wire on scanner

86 is going to the add a circut in interior fusebox

Scanner black wire is grounded
Scanner red wire has constant power from another line I tapped into

So as of now, the light lights up when the cars off, the second I plug the add a circut in it switches off,
When I plug in the add a circut I can hear the relay make a click noise, the scanner has power because I can make it blink by hitting the top button. I think it has something to do with being "triggered" on and off somethings missing or not quite right yet

I also tried turning the key it made no difference I'm so close!!!
Thanks again I really appreciate it I have little to no understanding with auto electrical lol

 

[gshadow325]

lol, so much work for such a simple device

orange and black connect to 12v ignition power source
red connect to 12v constant

done son!

what wait huh, i dont understand, you sure?

yes that simple. why?

12v ignition goes to ground when the vehicle is off, thus completing the circuit since the 12v constant is connected to red.

 

[ZiaMan]

lol, so much work for such a simple device

orange and black connect to 12v ignition power source
red connect to 12v constant

done son!

what wait huh, i dont understand, you sure?

yes that simple. why?

12v ignition goes to ground when the vehicle is off, thus completing the circuit since the 12v constant is connected to red.

+1

Google ground-switched electrical circuits to figure out why it's on when the car is off

 

[alex56]

lol, so much work for such a simple device

orange and black connect to 12v ignition power source
red connect to 12v constant

done son!

what wait huh, i dont understand, you sure?

yes that simple. why?

12v ignition goes to ground when the vehicle is off, thus completing the circuit since the 12v constant is connected to red.

Got tired and gave up on it in gunna try again this weekend, so in theory i don't even need the relay ?

 

[gshadow325]

Got tired and gave up on it in gunna try again this weekend, so in theory i don't even need the relay ?

I don't speak theory. I speak reality. A theory is a educated guess I think lol.

Reality. ....well we know what is? Truth

 

[alex56]

I don't speak theory. I speak reality. A theory is a educated guess I think lol.

Reality. ....well we know what is? Truth

So no relay ? Lol

 

[alex56]

Where is the easiest switched ground to tap into ?