Question on Hella auxiliary light wiring

[Phx994Runner]

Got the lights mounted on my son's '99 and the relay, as well. My question is the green wire that goes into the light switch - I want it to ideally turn the Hellas on when the parking lights (and then or course headlights, high or low) are on, not at any time. I'm connecting the red wire from the relay to the positive on the battery. The yellow from the relay into the switch, etc.

So the green wire on the back of the switch, can I simply tap/splice into one of these two points I found in another thread?:

PARKING LIGHTS ( - ) RED/WHITE (-) @ STEERING COLUMN HARNESS
PARKING LIGHTS ( + ) GREEN (+) IN DRIVERS KICK PANEL, HARNESS TO REAR OF VEHICLE

Or can I just strip the very end of the wire and push down with the fuse for one of the right or left headlamps in the fusebox under the hood?

Also, it looks like for the ground on the switch I should be able to use a screw that's into metal of the left kick panel - there's already a couple of brown wires screwed down here - I assume they're grounded and I can just use that for the switch ground?

Just unsure...

 

[Dezert4Runner]

You have the right idea with tapping the parking lights- easiest access point is the dimmer switch on the dash because it's nice and close to your switch. The grounding point beneath the kick panel using the screw is on point too- that's what I used to ground both sets of my aux lights.

If for some reason you wanted to put that green wire into the fuse box somewhere, do it in the one in the cab and use a Add-A-Circuit made by Little Fuse- this is the cleanest way if you go that route. Hope I've answered all your questions.

 

[Phx994Runner]

Thanks - just a couple of follow-up questions:
1) "...easiest access point is the dimmer switch on the dash because it's nice and close to your switch." - what exactly are you suggesting or recommending here? To tap into a wire, or access point or ?

2) "...put that green wire into the fuse box somewhere, do it in the one in the cab and use a Add-A-Circuit made by Little Fuse" - thanks on the product tip, had never heard of it.

Between the inside fuse box and engine compartment, WHICH fuse on either would I tap into? I've attached pics

 

[TheDurk]

You would want the 10A TAIL fuse in the Engine Room J/B. That only energizes when parking lights are on.

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1996/SIL/techinfo.toyota.com/ileaf/ewdtmc2/ewdtmpdf/ewdsourc/2002/024runne/systemci/024tl.pdf

That's for a 2002 but our '99's should be the same for that circuit--colors might be different.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

Green wire gets tapped with the wire coming from the dimmer switch. You would use a wire tap (I think the Hella wiring kits come with one?) like this:

As for the fuse box, the one in the engine compartment has a fuse for the headlights, but running a wire through the firewall to get to it is IMO the hard way. You can find the headlight wire under the dash to tap, but then you only can turn on your Hellas when either the high beam is on or low beam is on-not both. So you have to decide if you want to have them on with a high or low beam OR of you tap the dimmer switch you can you use them anytime your parking + headlights are on. It is nice to wire them to one or the other high/low beam because if wired to high beam for instance, they shut off when you switch back to low beams.

 

[TheDurk]

Green wire gets tapped with the wire coming from the dimmer switch. You would use a wire tap (I think the Hella wiring kits come with one?) like this:

As for the fuse box, the one in the engine compartment has a fuse for the headlights, but running a wire through the firewall to get to it is IMO the hard way. You can find the headlight wire under the dash to tap, but then you only can turn on your Hellas when either the high beam is on or low beam is on-not both. So you have to decide if you want to have them on with a high or low beam OR of you tap the dimmer switch you can you use them anytime your parking + headlights are on. It is nice to wire them to one or the other high/low beam because if wired to high beam for instance, they shut off when you switch back to low beams.

Mine are tapped into the headlight common. They stay on with the highs and lows. If you put the relay in the engine room, you only run one wire total through the firewall (and it's a ground) which is the smallest number possible. Just power the other end of the relay coil from your tap and ground the switch in the compartment. IMHO, it's easier and the relay is close to the battery so the high-amp wire is as short as possible. This set up has been rock-solid for 12 years.

The OP and I both have '99's, which means no DRL's. Thus the headlight common is powered and the high and low contacts go to ground. 2000+ have DRL's and the heads have powered highs and lows and a grounded common. Then you would need to run 12V+ though the switch and connect to the coil while connecting the other end of the coil to the tap on the common. There are lots of ways to skin a cat if you understand what you are doing.

http://www.ncttora.com/fsm/1996/SIL/techinfo.toyota.com/ileaf/ewdtmc2/ewdtmpdf/ewdsourc/2002/024runne/systemci/019hl.pdf

By the way, the relay plug that came with my Hellas was miswired. They've had 12 years to figure it out so I doubt it's happening now but never take anything for granted.

Do they still have those lousy push buttons? Mine crumped after only two or three years.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

^^^^Good info. I have my RELAY wired close to the battery (right next to the fuse box), so I think we're on the same thought process with that.

I believe the difference between what you & I are talking about with wires coming thru the firewall is that your relay is hard wired to the engine compartment fuse box with no switch on the dash, and I'm referring to wiring off of the Hella stock toggle switch that you mount in the cab to the left of the dimmer switch in a dash "blank"???

The switch that Hella gives you needs a wire from the Relay to the switch (1st wire coming through the firewall), and if you ran one from the switch in the cab to the fuse box in the engine compartment, that would be your 2nd wire through the firewall, right?

 

[TheDurk]

^^^^Good info. I have my RELAY wired close to the battery (right next to the fuse box), so I think we're on the same thought process with that.

I believe the difference between what you & I are talking about with wires coming thru the firewall is that your relay is hard wired to the engine compartment fuse box with no switch on the dash, and I'm referring to wiring off of the Hella stock toggle switch that you mount in the cab to the left of the dimmer switch in a dash "blank"???

The switch that Hella gives you needs a wire from the Relay to the switch (1st wire coming through the firewall), and if you ran one from the switch in the cab to the fuse box in the engine compartment, that would be your 2nd wire through the firewall, right?

No, you can just run one wire from the switch to ground inside the compartment, the other switch wire goes to the relay coil through the firewall and you send the tap to the other end of the coil. Only possible issue is if there is an LED in your switch that creates a polarity problem. My Hellas had a push button (which sucked, as I said) so I don't know how the new Hella switch is set up. But yeah, I put the Hella switch in the blank. I didn't touch the fuse box, as I tapped at the headlight. As long as you have a ground on one side of the relay coil , and a 12V+ source you like on the other, you can stick the switch anywhere along that circuit. It's easier for me to wire this stuff from scratch than figure out how to make their diagram match MY truck. Fog relays are all the same--basic Bosch relay. So I don't even look at the provided diagrams.

I actually mounted the relay on the screw that is the chassis ground for the small wire off the battery.

 

[Phx994Runner]

Thanks guys, this helps!

FYI - I'm using the Toyota fog lamp switch #00550-35976 which is a perfect fit in the little pop-out for the dash.

I've ordered the fuse kit whether or not I use it, it will be good to have.

 

[Dezert4Runner]

I also run 2 of those switches- they aren't cheap but fit like a glove. BTW, Autozone has the fuse Add-A-Circuits in stock for around $7.