Basic Lighting Questions - for those that have installed LED aux lights

[CMTAZ]

I just got my 2024 Rubi X this week and I have a pair of basic 3 inch LED fog cubes (yellow lenses) 6 LEDs.

The Rubi X has the aux switches. So here's the first question:

Are the lights wired directly to the hot lead from the aux switch OR do you buy a "fog light wiring harness" that almost always includes a relay and wire the switch to the relay, the relay to the battery and the lights to the relay?

With a winch I understand that some want the warn power interrupt kit, but with lights it seems that either method works.

Also what is the best gauge wire to use?

Thank you

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[Cyber_Jeeper]

The OEM aux wires in the engine bay and footwell are hot. Meaning they don’t just act as a relay, you can use them to power your lights. Just find anywhere else on the chassis for the ground.

The best gauge wire depends on how much current your light pods require and how long the cable is. The longer the run, the thicker the wire. You can find charts like this one all over the internet. http://www.offroaders.com/technical/12-volt-wiring-tech-gauge-to-amps/

The 2 higher current aux wires are in the 12-14 gauge range, and the 2 lower current wires are in the 16-18 gauge range. I can’t remember exactly, but it’s probably written on the side of them. I use 16 for smaller stuff, and 14 for my higher power lights. If in doubt, use a thicker wire.

 

[running_man]

I wired my pod lights directly to the Aux switch leads under the hood, just left the wiring harness stuff in the box the lights came in. Since they are basic pod lights, I wired them to one of the smaller gauge Aux switches. Be sure to set them up in the 'settings' using your radio so you can control them how you want.

 

[Opus]

Yep. I wired two Nilight ditch lights to AUX4 using the wiring bundle that sits by the battery and fuse box. 16 gauge wire, butt connectors, and some shrink wrap with a heat gun. There are lots of YouTube videos that show you step-by-step. If you're a novice like I was, I would recommend watching a few.

 

[rcadden]

Yep. I wired two Nilight ditch lights to AUX4 using the wiring bundle that sits by the battery and fuse box. 16 gauge wire, butt connectors, and some shrink wrap with a heat gun. There are lots of YouTube videos that show you step-by-step. If you're a novice like I was, I would recommend watching a few.

I'm doing the same this weekend (though I have 4 NiLights, 2 spots and 2 floods), so thanks for the video!

 

[redelses]

The videos will help a lot!

I have two 3" LED pods and a 20" LED light bar (total 20 amps = ~250 W) on the front both connected to a larger gauge switch, and there two 3" LED pods on A-pillar (total 10 amps = ~120 W)lights on a smaller gauge switch (now that I'm typing that out... I should probably put on a higher gauge switch as well).

There are several grounding points, In that engine bay area next to the battery and where the aux switch wires are terminated, that can be used for the negative. The positive ties in directly to the aux wires. The rest of the stuff that comes with the lights are not needed. There are examples where people tie in an additional relay to the high beam wires (which I would like to do at some point) so they can quickly turn on/off with the high beams.

Most of these lights are not DOT approved for on-road use... if you happen to be using them on the roads, it helps to use aux switches that are easier to toggle on/off especially if you add another set of lights on another switch - so using a combo of Aux 1/3 or Aux 2/4 makes it easier to switch them off at the same time.

For wiring, I think I used either 10/12 gauge for higher amp front lights, and 14 gauge for the lower amp pillars. But as @Cyber_Jeeper mentioned above, I think it is set up with 12 gauge on Aux 1/2 and 16 gauge on Aux 3/4.

 

[CMTAZ]

Thanks !!! I have 1 set of 3 LED lights that came with their own wiring harness that has an inline 30 amp fuse. So here's my idea: Wire the lights black to a common ground, wire the hot leads to one of the high amp circuits but leave the inline 30 amp fuse in place. The lights should not draw more than 30 amps (that 's what they were fused with) and the high amp circuits are protected with a 40 amp fuse. With that I should be able to use aux 1 or 2 to control the lights.

Thanks

 

[rcadden]

Yep. I wired two Nilight ditch lights to AUX4 using the wiring bundle that sits by the battery and fuse box. 16 gauge wire, butt connectors, and some shrink wrap with a heat gun. There are lots of YouTube videos that show you step-by-step. If you're a novice like I was, I would recommend watching a few.

Doing this now and confused. My NiLights came with a wiring bundle in the box. It has a central relay:

Out of which comes the wires to the lights, wires to the battery, and wires to a switch:

You're saying I don't need to bother using this harness at all, but rather, I can just use some 16-gauge wire between the two lights, and then wire them directly in to the pigtail in the engine bay. Nothing directly to the battery (because the pigtail is wired to the battery already?)
or I could cut up the wiring harness they gave me to remove the relay entirely, thus using only the wires on the left of the document shown above)?

Which switches did you use on your AUX bank? My assumption was that I could use the smaller ones, to save the bigger one for something else later. I have these lights:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRZW1LD - Spots
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XRPZF6Y - Floods

I had originally planned to wire them to two different switches, but I suppose if I wasn't concerned about being able to use them separately, I could wire them all 4 to one switch (but would need to use 3 or 4 in that case), correct?

Thanks for any help - I'm handy, but electricity is NOT my forte.

 

[CMTAZ]

or... Cut the relay and switch out of the harness. You should be left with + (hot) / - (gnd). Ground the black, positive goes to the AUX wire by the battery.

Note: If you use AUX 3 or 4 make sure your light bar does NOT draw more than 10 amps. If you use AUX 1 or 2 make you might want to splice in the light bar fuse as those are 40 amp circuts.

 

[Opus]

rcadden, your light bars are significantly more amperage than my two little ditch lights were. That harness looks like it's listed as 40A, so don't connect it to AUX wires 3 or 4. Use AUX 1 if you want all the lights on one button.

I'll let others who are more electrical savvy confirm or deny, but with AUX 1 you should be able to cut the wiring at the relay that came with the kit (just be sure to ground the black wire to one of the grounding posts on the firewall by the battery) and connect the red wire directly to the AUX 1 wire. It is already fused and the button is already in place on the dash so you don't need the one that comes with that kit.

 

[CMTAZ]

+1 ^ I'm in agreement, my only addition would be to check the fuse, if it's less than 40amps I'd put it inline. Actually, I'd probably use it any way (belts & suspenders), but definitely if it's a 30amp or 20 amp fuse.

 

[rcadden]

Thanks y'all. I went ahead and wired them to AUX 1 & 2 separately. I don't have anything else using the switches at the moment, nor on the horizon so should be fine for now.

Install pics/details in my build thread. I may go back and add the inline fuse when I clean up the engine bay wiring.

 

[CMTAZ]

I used AUX 1, and the 30 fuse that came with the lights. waiting for some flex loom to clean up the wires behind the bumper.

 

[Srw]

Ok guys so I have the novsight 6 inch pod lights . If I cut out the relay and switch on the original harness how do you go through the different pod light modes? ie: low beam , high beam/ spot etc.. connecting to the aux switches.

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