I have a 2006 Toyota 4 Runner Sport and currently hooking up PIAA 520 ATP lights and would like to have the lights be able to turn on when the ignition is on. I want to avoid to tap the high or low beam lines simply want to be able to use it any time. I was wondering if any one knew which wire I could tap so that I could achieve this.
Hooking Up Auxilary Driving Lights - Which Wire to Tap
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jsmarine
New member
If you want, you don't have to tap any wire, you can use this and put it in an empty fuse place. I love these things, they make it very easy to wire in accessories, you can get them at the auto parts store; Pep Boys, Auto Zone etc. Its called a mini-add-a-fuse. They are about $10
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jsmarine
New member
Yep, any empty fuse place, although some might have constant power, even when the ignition is off, others will only have power when the ignition is on. You will just have to test and see which one is which. And as far as a fuse, Im not sure what size the instructions may say. Or you can just start with a small fuse and if it blows try a slighty bigger one, and so on until they dont blow anymore. 
Crude I know, but thats how I do it!
Crude I know, but thats how I do it!Perfect thanks for the information, that exactly what I have - 85 watt lights.
I was looking to use the mini add a fuse/circuit and it says can only use up to 10 amp maximum. Is there another product out there that would allow me to tap an empty fuse slot and also use a 20 amp fuse.
I was looking to use the mini add a fuse/circuit and it says can only use up to 10 amp maximum. Is there another product out there that would allow me to tap an empty fuse slot and also use a 20 amp fuse.
Tempsho
New member
Run the power for the fog lights directly off the battery, and power the relay (which you should be using) by using that miny tap fuse. The coil for the relay only draws a few mili amps, so a 1A - 5A fuse will be fine. Make sure the power for the lights has the 20A fuse located as close to the '+' battery terminal as possible.
Makes sense?
Makes sense?
Tempsho that does make sense, but not too sure how I would hook this up. This is the current setup that I have
I will be using the relay provided in the PIAA wiring harness and will be hooked up directly to the battery. (I assume the relay already has a fuse in there as well, I could be wrong.) This is hooked up to a switch.
There is the one wire that comes out of the switch connector that is to be used that was supposed to be tapped into a headlight line such as the high beam or low beam. On the PIAA instructions it is labeled - switch power (white with red dots). Instead of tapping a light for a power source, I wanted to hook up that line (if possible) from the fuse box located on the drivers side below and left of the steering column using a fuse as a precaution if required. I wanted to tap a line where the power is only on when the key is in the ignition.
Here are the diagram for the PIAA lights - http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/install/520.pdf
Given that this is usually a direct tap to the headlights, can you recommend the fuse size I would need now.
I will be using the relay provided in the PIAA wiring harness and will be hooked up directly to the battery. (I assume the relay already has a fuse in there as well, I could be wrong.) This is hooked up to a switch.
There is the one wire that comes out of the switch connector that is to be used that was supposed to be tapped into a headlight line such as the high beam or low beam. On the PIAA instructions it is labeled - switch power (white with red dots). Instead of tapping a light for a power source, I wanted to hook up that line (if possible) from the fuse box located on the drivers side below and left of the steering column using a fuse as a precaution if required. I wanted to tap a line where the power is only on when the key is in the ignition.
Here are the diagram for the PIAA lights - http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/install/520.pdf
Given that this is usually a direct tap to the headlights, can you recommend the fuse size I would need now.
ecrew16
New member
Exactly what I do, works well. Try it out, not too messy either
shuly
New member
I wired my aux lights up when I did my Shrockworks bumper directly to the battery and added a factory switch. I posted this information a long time ago. If you want info on how I connected the switch to the PIAA lights here is the link with photos...
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/audio-electronics/40891-factory-aux-switch.html
http://www.toyota-4runner.org/audio-electronics/40891-factory-aux-switch.html
Thanks shully for the information and link, still a little bit confused. In your first picture (attached), there is a wire hanging out (white and red - highlighted by red square) that is the PIAA switch power, where did you hook up that line to.
- Can I hook this up directly to the battery? Do I need to use a fuse for protection
- Can I hook this line for switch power up to a blank fuse spot and use a fuse tap tied into a fuse to power it.
I am using the Tacoma factory fog light switch.
- Can I hook this up directly to the battery? Do I need to use a fuse for protection
- Can I hook this line for switch power up to a blank fuse spot and use a fuse tap tied into a fuse to power it.
I am using the Tacoma factory fog light switch.
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shuly
New member
The PIAA switch power and the power to the lights are a bit different. I am not sure what your electrical experience is...I am assuming you either know a lot and are being conservative in your wiring or vice versa.
The PIAA switch itself pulls minimal current. It is a switch that when powered engages the relay which then sends power to the lights. The current to the lights and the current to the switch are linked by the relay and not directly connected to each other. So the current draw on the lights may be (85W x 2)/12V=14Amps or so....however the current draw on the switch is minimal. You would need to measure the current with a meter to determine the amount actually going through the switch side. The only power draw if you use the PIAA switch is the little red/green LED and with the Toyota switch the only power draw should be the (on my FJ switch) green light when the switch is turned on. The backlighting on the FJ Switch is powered separately from the PIAA switch.
All of that said...I have connected the switch power supply directly to the battery w/o any fuse. There is no current flow when the Toyota switch is in the "off" mode (with the FJ switch) so I am not too concerned about putting a fuse in the line. However, if you wish to do so you can easily splice one in. I have since cut/spliced and wrapped everything so my wiring looks neat but no longer visible. I don't recall which gauge/temp rating it is. If it is visible on your current PIAA harness, see if it lists something like AWG 18/70degC or something like that. From there you can view are tables/charts which will tell you what the maximum rated amperage is. The trick is it varies depending on in air/insulation/power transmission/single wire/bundled wire/ stranded/solid core/etc....so be sure you are looking at the correct info if you are going to go this route.
If you then know the maximum current load for your specific case, then you can figure out what fuse to use. For example many fuses in the T4R are 15Amps. Those wires are typically good for 20Amps. That way the fuse protects the wiring with a bit of a safety factor. As an example....depending on what the wiring gauge is you should choose something less than the rated current load. So if you find out the wire is good for 10Amps at 12V+DC then put in a 7.5Amp fuse and you will still have a safety factor in there.
It is always technically be safer if it is a fused connection, but the choice to fuse the connection of course is up to you.
As far as connecting to a blank fuse connection I don't see why this wouldn't be fine...but if it does share power load with another circuit you should technically make sure that you aren't overloading anything else on that circuit. Personally I prefer having the lights wired up separately...I can turn them on/off whenever w/o needing to power the truck and I am not the type to forget and leave them on.
My lights are the 580s. I found the instructions for both the 580s and the 520s. You can see they are basically the same as far as installation goes.
http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/install/580.pdf
http://www.piaa.com/Lamps/install/520.pdf
Let us know how your install goes! Good luck!
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810moto
New member
I agree with Blair on this. I go striaght from the battery myself. DOn't know why eveyone seems to run a relay on everything. I could be missing something somewhere i don't know. My lights will come on when I turn them on...key turned or not.
shuly
New member
My connection is wired directly to the battery. I can turn the lights on/off w/ or w/o the truck running. See page 4 of the PIAA instructions. The relay I am referring to is the one that comes with the PIAA wiring kit.
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Tempsho
New member
The reason is that some switches are not designed to interupt the current that multiple lights can draw. A relay is safer way of turning on and off high current loads. It draws more of an arc than you think. Over time the contacts inside the switch can burn and melt. It coud actually melt the contacts together, then good luck turning the lights off!
shuly
New member
:iagree:
I should clarify. My wiring uses the PIAA relay only. The 12V+ switch (red/white wire) is connected directly to the battery. The only real differnce between my wiring and the instructions on page 4 is the toyota switch.
