Wireless switch for light bar acting up. Wired switch or tap into high

CbrownGT · April 6, 2017

I currently have a wireless switch and remote for my light bar. The last few times I drove in heavier rain it has been flickering. CAN'T have that happening on the highway around other vehicles. Wireless switch box is pretty cheaply made.... I don't like the switch that came with the RC bar and its wiring isn't long enough.

Now, wiring (as far as tapping and splicing) is not my thing. I can't decide whether I want to run new wire and switch through the firewall or tap into my high beams. To run a wired switch I'd have to cut off the plug and hardwire since I can't find the switch I like with the same end to be plug and play. Has anyone tapped their bar into their high beams? If so, how hard is it? Just exploring my options here.

rully1012 · April 6, 2017

Do you have a bench seat up front or console?

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CbrownGT · April 6, 2017

Do you have a bench seat up front or console?

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Bench seat. I explored different switch locations before I got the bar but couldn't decide so I got the wireless one. After some more reading and searching on here I'm gonna go the wired switch route. I like being able to use my HID lows, LED fogs, and the LED bar at same time when I need maximum output on country roads and starting equipment. Flipping on highs I lose the fogs.

I'm not experienced tapping and splicing wires but I think I can tackle it. Just cut off the existing plug and wire up the new switch..only thing is I need more wire to make it through firewall and into cab. No idea what wire to buy and where..

emeryz28 · April 6, 2017

Mine went totally wonky. would turn on at random times. I pulled it out and went hardwire, been perfect since.

Waterfowler41 · April 6, 2017

Bench seat. I explored different switch locations before I got the bar but couldn't decide so I got the wireless one. After some more reading and searching on here I'm gonna go the wired switch route. I like being able to use my HID lows, LED fogs, and the LED bar at same time when I need maximum output on country roads and starting equipment. Flipping on highs I lose the fogs.

I'm not experienced tapping and splicing wires but I think I can tackle it. Just cut off the existing plug and wire up the new switch..only thing is I need more wire to make it through firewall and into cab. No idea what wire to buy and where..

I have mine tapped into my brights. There's a white wire into the headlight that controllers the flapper for the brights, my relay gets the trigger signal from that and all is good. No issues to date.

My thought was if I'm using my light bar up front I want as much light as I can get so why wouldn't you want your brights on too.

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CbrownGT · April 6, 2017

I have mine tapped into my brights. There's a white wire into the headlight that controllers the flapper for the brights, my relay gets the trigger signal from that and all is good. No issues to date.

My thought was if I'm using my light bar up front I want as much light as I can get so why wouldn't you want your brights on too.

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My high beams are worthless in my headlights. I have aftermarket Anzo's and the high beam is a projector with no shutter. I could still tap into my high beams, but not sure if the relay harness I already have that came with my bar would work or not? Like could I just tap into that white wire off of my existing relay? Or would I need a new and different relay set up.

rully1012 · April 6, 2017

Ok Im assuming your lightbar harness came with a relay right?

So you don't need a very big wire to "trigger" the light bar maybe a 14awg possibly smaller but I never run anything smaller then that on my cars or UTV

I tapped into my cigarette lighter for the trigger wire since it's a switched acc. On the bench seat. And I replaced my ciggertte lighter with the following switch

Ulincos Latching Pushbutton Switch U22A4 1NO1NC SPDT ON/OFF Black Metal Shell with Red LED Suitable for 22mm 7/8" Mounting Hole(Red) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0198PVYS4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_OSbcWCFxT2Lox

Fits perfect and can't even tell you have a switch there

For wiring it made it much easier because all I needed was one wire through my firewall coming out of the switch to my relay

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Waterfowler41 · April 6, 2017

My high beams are worthless in my headlights. I have aftermarket Anzo's and the high beam is a projector with no shutter. I could still tap into my high beams, but not sure if the relay harness I already have that came with my bar would work or not? Like could I just tap into that white wire off of my existing relay? Or would I need a new and different relay set up.

Your current relay should be fine. You would cut the current switch out. t-tap into the white wire on one of your headlight harnesses (confirm color I have a 14 sierra) and connect it to terminal 86 on your relay. When you trigger your brights, a low voltage signal is all you need to flip the relay and power up your bar.

You should already had a constant fused 12 volt into your relay on terminal 30/51, a 12v out on terminal 87, and a ground on terminal 85. It's really cheap to build your own harness if you don't want to hack up with you have. PM me I can send you a one line of how it should all connect.

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CbrownGT · April 6, 2017

Your current relay should be fine. You would cut the current switch out. t-tap into the white wire on one of your headlight harnesses (confirm color I have a 14 sierra) and connect it to terminal 86 on your relay. When you trigger your brights, a low voltage signal is all you need to flip the relay and power up your bar.

You should already had a constant fused 12 volt into your relay on terminal 30/51, a 12v out on terminal 87, and a ground on terminal 85. It's really cheap to build your own harness if you don't want to hack up with you have. PM me I can send you a one line of how it should all connect.

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Thank you. I will look into it and PM you if I need info. Im in no hurry. Right now I'm just hoping the dealership doesn't jack up any of my HID or light bar wiring on Saturday when they change my radiator under warranty. They said it all looks fine..but not sure if I trust them to not screw it all up..

Waterfowler41 · April 6, 2017

I brought my truck in for a new steering wheel under warranty and some weird stabilitrack issues. They certainly made it a point to bitch about my hids, light bar, and led license plate lights, even removed the led plate lights. Gave me the whole you know these trucks these days are very sophisticated and blah blah blah. Turns out my battery was EOL which caused the stabilitrack issue but the service techs couldn't see past my "electrical" upgrades.

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CbrownGT · April 6, 2017

I brought my truck in for a new steering wheel under warranty and some weird stabilitrack issues. They certainly made it a point to bitch about my hids, light bar, and led license plate lights, even removed the led plate lights. Gave me the whole you know these trucks these days are very sophisticated and blah blah blah. Turns out my battery was EOL which caused the stabilitrack issue but the service techs couldn't see past my "electrical" upgrades.

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So "sophisticated" that everyone with a '14 or '15 Silverado or Sierra has had to upgrade their headlights to be able to see!

I'm just worried cause I have all my wires and ballasts installed and zip tied cleanly under the radiator shroud. I have some of the stuff zip tied to the rad support bar itself. I don't wanna remove it all just for the trip. I'll prob tell them if they have to clip zip ties just lay the stuff in there and I'll clean it back up at home. Just don't unhook anything or cut any wires..

JDuncan · April 6, 2017

I tapped into the high-beam for the trigger on my light bar relay, but routed the trigger through the cab so I can "arm" the light bar - I didn't want it coming on when signalling other drivers or on more populated back roads; cops here are sticklers. And, I wanted to be able to instinctively shut everything down with the signal stalk when another car approaches. Yes, I use my light bar frequently on public back roads (read: unlit; tons of wildlife) where I live; I'm a jerk, but not a reckless jerk.

I wired an accessory "signal" harness in my cab using 20-4 "telephone cable" (4 conductors, 20ga/ea - super cheap shielded wire; bought a ton of it for next to nothing for a different project) rated for ~1A @ 12v on each conductor. Relay triggers draw ~.1A and a lit switch is another .1A or so, so I feel pretty comfortable with that.

I tapped into the white wire on the headlight harness (IIRC; I used a multimeter and a buddy flicking the highs to find the lead), and sent that signal back into the cab on one of the wires in the 20-4 cable. If all i wanted was a max of 3 high-beam-triggered accessories, I would've stopped there, but I knew I wanted my switches overhead, and I only wanted to wire the cab for accessories once, so i pulled another 20-4 up to the overhead from the driverside fusebox, and ran a third 20-4 from the overhead back to the engine compartment.

So, I ended up with 8 conductors running from the overhead to the engine compartment (terminating in different locations - one set is for "inputs" the other for "outputs"), and 4 conductors from the fuse box to the overhead.

All current-carrying wiring and relays are in the engine compartment, isolated and fused like they should be.

Here's the methodology: I want certain accessory circuits to trigger on the highbeam when armed and other circuits to trigger on ignition when armed, BUT I wanted to also be able to trigger everything on ignition if needed.

Here's how my switch panel came out:

The blue toggles are highbeam-triggered when armed. The red toggles are ignition-triggered when armed. The circular switch in the center is an "override" that will supply ignition power to the highbeam side to run those accessories when parked if needed. A few diodes are needed here so highbeams dont come on when the "override" is engaged.

Here's the plan:

Behind-the-grille 30" LED bar - Highbeam #1 - installed

Hood mounted LED spotlight cubes - highbeam #2 - undecided

High-mount rear/side LED work/reverse lights - ignition #1 - planned

LED Fog lights - ignition #2 - planned (truck didn't come with fogs)

Here's the lightbar installed behind the grille:

Less than $20 was spent on switches, terminals, and heatshrink; I'm very happy with how it came out, and IMO this beats the pants off those high-dollar "accessory controllers" some companies sell, and I can add relays and accessories as needed without ever leaving the engine bay.

I hope some of this makes sense. I'm happy to explain further if anyone needs additional info. Sorry I didn't take pics during the install.

Denali 101 · April 6, 2017

I'll never do another wireless accessory to any vehicle. Every single one of them is subpar components. This flickering thing is super common. Hard wiring is where it's at. I've posted these before, but will bring em to this thread for view: