Wiring help needed

Hey everyone!
I'm going to try to make this as simple as possible. Please let me know if you don't understand anything or need clarification. And Thank you for any input you can provide.

Where I'm at:
I just bought Rigid Industries Radiance Pods and the wiring harness (Part number 36360) for the lights.

My Problem:
The harness is designed to be connected directly to the battery.

What I want:
I only want to be able to turn the lights on and off when the vehicle is running, ACC/ON mode.

How would I wire this? Is a fuse tap the answer? Should I splice into a specific wire? I have zero experience in wiring and want it to be done right so I don't have to worry about issues.

 

Ive done alot of wiring in my time. Not for lighting but for stereo systems. Theres a reason why they want it connected directly to the battery. Too much amperage draw.
If you can verify the fuse tap can handle the amperage draw that might work. Check your instructions see what it is.
You could also run a switched relay.

 

For what you want to do you need a relay.

Have the relay common tied directly to battery through the fuse supplied with your light's wiring harness. Normally open on relay goes to your toggle switch. Then wire your lights to ground.

Tie in to a key switch hot wire to one side of your relay coil. Then ground the other side of the relay.

With this setup your light switch will only have power when the vehicle is in ACC or Run. I can draw a rudimentary diagram if needed.

 

Drawing this up would be super helpful to me. But do it when you can, i dont want to rush you or anything. I appreciate it. Wiring is just super overwhelming for me because there’s so much to worry about

 

Got it, thank you. May i reach out when i get my audio system in?

 

Any cheap 12v automotive relay will do it.

https://www.autozone.com/electrical...novita-40-amp-spdt-accessory-relay/849395_0_0

 

Could you explain these numbers to me? They’re not wire gauges right?

 

The numbers are the corresponding pins you want to terminate the wire to.

 

Pretty much follow the installation instructions for your lights. The only change you will make is installing the relay between the fuse and acc switch.

You'll have to find a key switched battery positive source somewhere near where you mount the ACC switch. This you will splice in to to get the arming voltage for the relay.

The '06 has a number of switched B+ sources. Let me know where you want the switch installed and I can check out the diagrams and try to point you in the right direction.

Go to the parts store and grab a cheap set of wire strippers, a basic automotive electrical connector set, and some scotch locks. Your light wiring harness should come with some extra wire as you will need an extra foot or two of some 16-18AWG wire to make this work.

These are scotch locks, you will just need one. (Get blue, covers most common wire size)
https://www.autozone.com/miscellane...8-14-gauge-splice-terminal-7-piece/310128_0_0

These are insulated spade connectors (should come with a basic connector kit or you can buy separate. Get the blue as it should cover most wire gauges. You will need 4 of the female connectors)
https://www.autozone.com/miscellane...nsulated-quick-disconnect-10-piece/296863_0_0

Edit: almost forgot, grab a 12v relay while at the parts store
https://www.autozone.com/electrical...novita-40-amp-spdt-accessory-relay/849395_0_0

 

^^^This!

 

thank yall so much. I’ll keep you updated on what happens. Im out of state for the next week and had to abandon the project until im back. I appreciate everything

 

Sure! Not a problem

 

Agree with much of what was said here, and not poking, but this is the only thing I have contention with:

DO NOT use these. Use Positaps. Scotchloks butcher your wiring. Too many people use these, forget about it, and especially with exterior-facing items, oxygen penetration and corrosives will get into the casing of the wiring and wreck your shit. Use something less invasive and more effective! Can't tell you how many aftermarket trailer harnesses I've had fall apart in my hands or lose functionality because someone used scotch-loks/t-taps/quick taps on them...

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Not sure if it helps @itsWarrior, but to add to this we had a similar conversation elsewhere and this got drawn up. May offer a different visual for general usage of relays. Just make sure you fuse anything attached to '30' pin, assuming it's not fused somewhere else before it gets to the relay.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-lunch-table-general-discussion.60450/page-889#post-2595151

 

I was only offering the suggestion of using scotch locks on an interior wire. By his own admittance he is a newby to electrical circuits and figured that would be the quick and dirty way to get arming voltage for the relay.

 

It's definitely the dirty way.

I'm just being anal retentive. I feel like this is one of those places where it's important to teach folks new-to-stuff the best possible way to tap a wire. Promotes a lifetime of less hacky wiring. I like to think every truck will see a new generation of owner, and nobody wants to get that vehicle where they see someone butchered all of the wiring casings with one thing when they could do another.

I don't see using scotch-locks as bad as the assholery of cutting factory harnesses when upgrading stereos, but I've just been the 2nd, 3rd, 4th owner of too many vehicles with problems because someone used that specific style of connector, air compromised the copper or the connector split too many strands of copper, facilitating wire break later down the road.

Don't get me wrong: Everything you said is 100% on-point. The only thing I had any issue with is the scotchlok connectors. They're nasty [but popular] little evils.