Wiring up spotlights.

[brickpaver]

I want to fit spotlights to my Hilux, which I have been quite able to fit to vehicles that I have owned In past decades. I just need to know if the same old wiring principles (negative earth) would apply to my 2011 Hilux, in preference to paying out a quoted $400 for an auto electrician to do just the wiring (not the actual spotlights and possibly not the relay either).

Basically it was,...locate the high beam wire to the headlights,..cut into it with a heavier wire, run that second wire back through a on/off switch on or under the dash, run off the other side of the dash switch, through a 12V relay (wired direct to the car battery) and finally down the spotlights.  The spotlights would now comply with the law (as it was back then) that they could only be used in conjunction with high beam and able to be turned off again where necessary.

Have I got this all correct and can I then go ahead and fit the lights myself.

    Cheers.

[trentmeyer23]

Put a fuse between the relay and battery. Otherwise, it sounds about right. Either grab a relay kit or choose appropriate sized wiring for your application.

You don't need larger gauge wire from the relay to the switch, but you will for the battery to relay and relay to lights.

[brickpaver]

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I knew about the heavier wire between battery and relay but glad that you reminded me about putting the fuse in that wire too, as I HAD forgotten that important part.

Last time I wired up spotlights and relays was about 40 years ago when inline glass fuses were in use. I will have to no doubt look for a later type of fuse/fuse holder now for the Hilux.

[trentmeyer23]

11 minutes ago, brickpaver said:

Thanks for the reply. Yep, I knew about the heavier wire between battery and relay but glad that you reminded me about putting the fuse in that wire too, as I HAD forgotten that important part.

Last time I wired up spotlights and relays was about 40 years ago when inline glass fuses were in use. I will have to no doubt look for a later type of fuse/fuse holder now for the Hilux.

This is where a kit will come in handy. Otherwise Supercheap or similar auto stores will have blade fuse holders.