I want to wire up a set of fog lights under my bumper, and wire them to come on with the high mount cargo lamp.

Mainly so I can have additional lighting to hook up trailers at night.

Is there a fuse for the cargo lamp, I looked and couldn't find it.

What other way can I wire them up. I'm working on it right now so if anyone can help me out I'd really appreciate it!

My suggestion is use a relay.... Don't power the lights themselves off of the cargo lamp circuit. put a relay in line somewhere of the cargo lamp switch circuit, and power the lights off one of the batteries or + Input for one of the fuse boxes. And sorry, not sure where the fuses and such are for the cargo lamp, but somebody may chime in here. And just incase you may have overlooked, you check the owner's manual?

They don't help light up the bed, but I just installed some White Night backup lights on my hitch. They have a switch you can flip to turn them on manually if needed.

I have legal tint on the driver/passenger windows, things were a little dark at night when backing up. Now I can see much better in my mirrors.

I bought some 6" lights, they are realllly bright.

I can easily wire them off a switch and to the battery, but I wanted to do a clean install, and would like them to come on with the cargo light, and use the factory cargo light switch. Im not a big fan of having switches being shown, yet I could hide one but it wouldnt be as handy as hitting the cargo light button.

Jliska50-
I dont have alot of experience with relay's. but I understand the concept.

Thats a good idea, could you draw me a diagram, or explain how you wire it up and what type of relay i'd need to buy?

Our trailer wiring has a back up light wire. Tap them into that with a relay. Un less your wanting them to stay on after you put it in park. I find myself leaving it in reverse with the e-brake on sometimes just to have the backup lamps on to see hook up at night, lol.

Good luck. I had a problem when I hooked up my driving lights to the high beams using relay. The high beams have two hot wires when the low beams are on, when you turn on the high beams one of the wires becomes a ground wire.

to solve the problem I connected the wire that becomes a ground to the ground wire on the relay. It's hard on the relay, have had to replace it a couple of times, but it does work until I fiqure out a different way of wiring.

Thats a good idea, could you draw me a diagram, or explain how you wire it up and what type of relay i'd need to buy?

Relays are wonderful toys... I'd use a solid state relay (SSR) for this app, but I suspect just any ole relay would work.

Lets start with a picture of a typical SSR (From Wiki):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Solid-state-relays.jpg

A relay is basically an electronic "switch". The switched terminals in this picture are L1 and T1. Assuming this a "normal open" relay, there is no flow between L1 and T1. The terminals A1 and A2 (bottom of picture) are the "control" terminals. In this relay, when you supply anywhere between 4vdc and 32vdc to the A1/A2 terminals, it will "connect" the L1 and T1 terminals. Turn off the voltage to the A1/A2 terminals and the L1/T1 terminals will "open" (again, assuming "normal open" relay).

Here's how to use it with your lighting project:


Run a dedicated hot from your battery to L1 (or whatever it's labeled in your relay).
Run a wire from T1 to your new light(s).
Run a ground wire to your new light (from anywhere).
Tap into the wires running to your cargo lamp. Run both + and - back to the relay and connect them to the A1/A2 terminals.


Now when your cargo light comes on, it will activate the L1/T1 circuit and anything connected to it will fire up.

BTW, take care when ordering relays. They comes in all sorts of voltage setups. Here (http://www.crouzet-usa.com/catalog/_gnip00.shtml)'s a link to Crouzet relays to get you started.

would I be able to pop the switch panel off the dash, and use the wires that go to the switch itself for the + and - for A1/A2 ?

...rather than run wires from the cargo light itself, through the headlinder and all around.

Our trailer wiring has a back up light wire. Tap them into that with a relay. Un less your wanting them to stay on after you put it in park. I find myself leaving it in reverse with the e-brake on sometimes just to have the backup lamps on to see hook up at night, lol.


I don't know whats scarier. The fact that you actually do this or that you would openly admit that you do it :eek:

I would suggest what the other 2 individuals suggested and use a relay that can be triggered with its own switch or triggered by your cargo lights. Thats what I did,seperate switch on the dash so they would not always be on when in in reverse,only when I need them on. Just make sure you install a fuse of sufficient size in the supply power from the battery as close to your tap point as possible.

I don't know whats scarier. The fact that you actually do this or that you would openly admit that you do it :eek:

:D
Haha, who hasn't done something like this?

EDIT: Wait. Are you thinking I did this with it running? HAHA, Turn key off with it in reverse and E-brake on, lol.

:D


EDIT: Wait. Are you thinking I did this with it running? HAHA, Turn key off with it in reverse and E-brake on, lol.


Actually, when I read it I thought that's what you meant, with it running.. Kinda thought it was funny. haha

Certainly. All you really need is the hot going to (or at) the cargo light (chassis is ground).

would I be able to pop the switch panel off the dash, and use the wires that go to the switch itself for the + and - for A1/A2 ?

...rather than run wires from the cargo light itself, through the headlinder and all around.

go to the last post here
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93761

:D
Haha, who hasn't done something like this?

EDIT: Wait. Are you thinking I did this with it running? HAHA, Turn key off with it in reverse and E-brake on, lol.


Yeah,I thought you ment while it was running. :D