Installing a set of Driving Lights onto your truck may only take ten minutes, but you may need to spend half an hour or more figuring out how to wire them.Do I need a wiring harness? what kind of wiring harness will fit my car? and how to choose the right wire? People are always confused by these questions, there are so many types of automotive wire, which types are best suited for the application? Here we will focus on wire typically used in automotive applications
A wiring harness is an organized set of wires, terminals, and connectors that run through the vehicle to relay information and power, thereby playing a critical role in “connecting” a variety of components (including lights). In the case of our harnesses, there are a relays to allow a small amount of power to run to the switch to get an indication of when the light should be turned on. When the switch is on, it lets the relay know to send the power from your battery to the light. As amperage flows from the battery down the wire to the light, it needs to have a large enough wire to supply enough amperage to that light without resistance in that wire affecting it, so that the light can function properly.
How Many Amps Can a Wire Handle?
First of all, let's undertand what's wire gauge. Wire gauge is a measurement of wire diameter. This determines the amount of electric current the wire can safely carry, as well as its electrical resistance and weight. The most common wire gauge sizes seen in our store include 14, 16, 18 and 20 gauge.
What voltage and current the 20AWG, 18AWG, 16AWG, 14AWG wire harnesses operate at? Knowing the wiring harness power can improve the safety when using it. Please refer to the table below.
A wire gauge of 14 can handle a current of 15-20amps, whereas a wire with a gauge of 20 can handle a current of 5 amps. So as the wire gauge increases, the diameter size decreases, the ampacity (the amount of current that the wire can handle) decreases, but the resistance increases.
What's the components of the Wiring Harness
Referring to the picture, this is a wire harness to control the light bar, length is 3 meters. It consists of 7 parts, the length of the harness used in cars is 3 meters, used in motorcycles is 1.5 meters.
- LED lamp connection
- Relay
- Nagative battery connection
- Positive battery connection
- Relay fuse
- Power on/off switch
- Power Switch connection
Some wrie has one lead, and some has two leads. That depends on how many lights you plan to connect. But please know that, the ampacity of wire guage should cover the total light power.
The Switches
(1) Cat's Eye Switch(Round Switch)
A control button, when the dual light dual-color lights can not appear at the same time yellow and white light, we can use the harness with a cat's eye switch, turn on once to appear white light, turn off and turn on again to appear yellow light.
For example COLIGHT 18AWG Bulge Series Light Pods Wire Harness For Truck Jeep ATV UTV-Three Wires Two Lights.
Can be used for DDF Series, Bulge A Series, Bulge B Series, Bulge C Series, etc.
(2) Water Drop Switch
A control button, is similar as cat's eye switch , cann’t make the yellow beam and white beam appear at the same time. For example, turn on the switch appears white beam, turn off and then open again appears yellow beam.
(3) Boat Switch(Oval Switch)
Two control buttons, when the light is dual beam dual color and can appear yellow and white beam at the same time, you can use the wire harness with boat switch. For example, turn on the left button appears white beam, turn on the right button appears yellow beam. The two light types can be controlled separately or appear at same time.
For example 20AWG Truck Jeep ATV UTV Wire Harness For Dual Beam Dual Color Light Pods.
Can be used for Dual color and Dual beam lights. Such as DB-P Series, DB-M Series, MF Series, MF2 Series etc.
(4) Motorcycle button switch
Two control switches, similar to the boat switch, can control two light types respectively, so that the yellow beam and white beam can appear at the same time. The length of the wire is 1.5 meters, which is suitable for motorcycle.
For example 20AWG Motorcycle Wire Harness For Dual Beam Dual Color Pods.
Can only be used for Dual color and Dual beam lights for motorcycle applications. Such as DB-P Series, DB-M Series, MF Series, MF2 Series etc.
Important parts of the wiring harness---Fuse & Relay(1) Fuse
Fuse, is a disposable component connected to the circuit to protect the circuit, usually made of low melting point lead-tin alloy, zinc, copper, silver wire or sheet material. When the current on the circuit is too high, so that the metal wire or piece of it produces high temperature and melts, resulting in an open circuit and interrupting the current to ensure that the circuit is protected from harm. The old fuse blows and needs to be replaced manually with a new fuse to get the circuit back in operation.
(2) Relay
Relay, is an electronic control element, which has the control system and the controlled system, usually used in automatic control circuit, it is actually used for smaller current to control a larger current "automatic switch". Therefore, in the circuit plays a role of automatic regulation, safety protection, conversion circuit.
After detailing the wire harnesses, it may be helpful to you when you selecting it. Make vehicle modification easier and safer.
Shop the wire harness>>>https://www.led-colight.com/collections/wire-harness
Benefits of Wire Harnesses
(1) Convenience.
How will you control your lights when they are mounted in two different locations? Just a single wiring harness can solve the problem. Controlling the lights with one or two Switch buttons simplifies the wiring and improves convenience at the same time.
(2) Safety.
When the lights are short-circuited, there are more flammable items in the car, and once the vehicle is partially on fire, the combustion will quickly expand to the whole car, and it is not easy to put out. The wiring harness has relay and fuse, when the lights have a short circuit, it will automatically disconnect to avoid fire.
(3) Easy to install.
The wire harness has two kinds of interface, one is the wire to wire connection, and one is the DT connector connection. Generally, the black wire is connected to the negative power supply, the yellow and red wires are connected to the positive power supply, the red wire controls the white beam and the yellow wire controls the yellow beam. If use the DT connector, just plug it in that can improve the waterproofness.