[TheChiefSinner]

I got an upgraded wiring harness for my headlights from suvlights. Now I want to use the empty passenger side headlight socket to power up the relay for my auxilary lights, so that they run on high beams only. So I'm guessing that the three contacts on the socket are high beam power, low beam power, and ground. My question is, do I need to make sure that the ground is connected to a ground if I am going to use the high beam power source as a supply for my relay switched auxilary lamps? Am I right about the headlight contacts? High/Low/Ground?

 

[hammerdown]

you are correct in the wireing. if you have a multimeter it is easy to find to "high" wire. all you have to do is tap into that wire, either by making a plug or connecting to the wire lead. the other two contacts do not need to be connected to anything . a ground wire is the same as the vehicles metal chassis. it is all connected. the relay should have four wires connected to it: (1) constant +12v, (2) constant ground, (3) load wire to lights, (4)switched +12v from high beam. off the top of my head i dont remember the placement of each: i.e. 85, 87, 30, etc. but its not hard to google. hope this helps.

 

[TheChiefSinner]

you are correct in the wireing. if you have a multimeter it is easy to find to "high" wire. all you have to do is tap into that wire, either by making a plug or connecting to the wire lead. the other two contacts do not need to be connected to anything . a ground wire is the same as the vehicles metal chassis. it is all connected. the relay should have four wires connected to it: (1) constant +12v, (2) constant ground, (3) load wire to lights, (4)switched +12v from high beam. off the top of my head i dont remember the placement of each: i.e. 85, 87, 30, etc. but its not hard to google. hope this helps.

Yeah, I have a multimeter. Finding the high beam power source is easy. I also know how relays work, and that really wasn't what I was after. See, when I talked to Jen from suvlights about the wire harness I installed, he mentioned that the tacomas have some issues due to the over computerization of everything. He said that people sometimes experienced weird electrical issues when doing simple things to the tacomas. I don't know if he was full of crap or what. I am going to just do what I was gonna do and not worry about it. I'll tap that high beam power source for the switch, and that will be it. Thanks!

 

[TheChiefSinner]

Now I am totally confused...I went out and was using one of those current testers that has the light bulb in the handle and the ground wire. I was looking for the high beam wire and here is what happened:

1. One of the wires when touched is always on, doesn't matter if the high or low beams are switched on.
2. Second wire is never on, I assume this must be the ground.
3. Third wire, if low beams are switched on, activates the high beam when touched with the tester, but when the high beams are switched on this wire doesn't show that it has current.

I'm confused. I thought that when I touched the wire that was the power supply for the high beams that it would show current was flowing when high beams are switched on, and that when I touched the wire for the low beams that it would show current when the low beams were on! I don't know what to think anymore.

 

[Tankota]

I don't know if this will help ya, but here's the wiring diagrams for the headlights.. I do seem to remember something about the headlights working off negitive or something weird..

here's for without DRL..
http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/021hl.pdf
and this ones with DRL
http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/022hldrl.pdf

 

[TheChiefSinner]

I don't know if this will help ya, but here's the wiring diagrams for the headlights.. I do seem to remember something about the headlights working off negitive or something weird..

here's for without DRL..
http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/021hl.pdf
and this ones with DRL
http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/022hldrl.pdf

I have seen the wiring diagrams, but just don't know exactly what they mean. I'm kinda hoping that somebody knows. This would be helpful not only to me but to people in the future who want to hook up lights that only work on either high or low beams. In my case I want the lights to work on high beams. I have looked all around the internet and can't find the answer.

 

[flatlandtacoma]

Now I am totally confused...I went out and was using one of those current testers that has the light bulb in the handle and the ground wire. I was looking for the high beam wire and here is what happened:

1. One of the wires when touched is always on, doesn't matter if the high or low beams are switched on.
2. Second wire is never on, I assume this must be the ground.
3. Third wire, if low beams are switched on, activates the high beam when touched with the tester, but when the high beams are switched on this wire doesn't show that it has current.

I'm confused. I thought that when I touched the wire that was the power supply for the high beams that it would show current was flowing when high beams are switched on, and that when I touched the wire for the low beams that it would show current when the low beams were on! I don't know what to think anymore.

Like Tankota said, the lights are switched on the ground side. One wire is always hot, and the other two get completed circuits to ground depending whether the switch is in the hi beam or lo beam position.

From the diagram posted here: http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/021hl.pdf

The wire labeled R-L (Red with light blue stripe(?)) is the power to the headlights. Should be hot at all times.

The wire labeled R-Y (Red with yellow stripe) is the high beam switched ground, grounded when switch is in the high beam position.

The wire labeled R-G (Red with green stripe) is the low beam switched ground, grounded when switch is in the low beam position.

If you want to power a relay for high beams only, you need to connect both R-L and R-Y to your relay terminals 85 and 86. Don't ground anything off the original harness or you will bypass the switch.

I can make a diagram if you need me to.

 

[hammerdown]

like i mentioned in my earlier post... i dont know what the hell im talking about.

 

[TheChiefSinner]

Like Tankota said, the lights are switched on the ground side. One wire is always hot, and the other two get completed circuits to ground depending whether the switch is in the hi beam or lo beam position.

From the diagram posted here: http://www.tankota.net/repair/Wiring_Manual/03tacoma/systemci/021hl.pdf

The wire labeled R-L (Red with light blue stripe(?)) is the power to the headlights. Should be hot at all times.

The wire labeled R-Y (Red with yellow stripe) is the high beam switched ground, grounded when switch is in the high beam position.

The wire labeled R-G (Red with green stripe) is the low beam switched ground, grounded when switch is in the low beam position.

If you want to power a relay for high beams only, you need to connect both R-L and R-Y to your relay terminals 85 and 86. Don't ground anything off the original harness or you will bypass the switch.

I can make a diagram if you need me to.

I got it done. It works BUT...the LED in the switch is lit when lowbeams are on, even when the switch is in the OFF position!. I had two light sets that I was trying to wire up with the same highbeam ground, but the headlight highbeams wouldn't go off for some reason when both light sets were switch on. It was funky. I'm definately not a professional when it comes to figuring this stuff out, but I want to thank you for helping me today. Do you think the reason why the LED is lit when the switch is off and the lowbeams are on is caused by the switch being grounded to the frame? Should I ground the switch to the highbeam ground?

 

[TheChiefSinner]

THIS WORKS!!!!