Adding a relay from my light bar

[frozendeath22]

My light bar came with a relay. I don’t know how to wire in relays into the jeep but so i have 2023 jeep gladiator sport S does any one how and where to do it

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[Bandit’s Lair]

What lightbar? How many wires does the relay have coming off of it? All of this is pertinent because there are MANY configurations that exist with these. DRLs, turn signal functions, hi-low functions. All of that can affect how it gets wired. Pictures would help a LOt!!

 

[verde]

I just went thru this install. The wire from light goes to relay. From relay to battery. Relay should have 2 terminals in and 2 out to power the light.

And the 2 small terminals on relay are where the switch connects.

The reason you need a relay is because the switch can’t handle the amps from the light.
If you need more help than this let me know.

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[verde]

How many amps does your light bar draw?

my led light bar draws 32 amps. 49,000 lumens. I tried switching it thru the Voswitch grab handle kit and it kept blowing the 30 amp fuses using the Voswitch relay. I ended up running light to 75 amp Bosch relay and just used the switch in the Voswitch to turn it on/off. Relay would heat up to 187 degrees after two minutes.
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[Bandit’s Lair]

That can’t be safe…… I’d keep an eye on it for melting. Maybe look into an MSD relay. Pretty sure they can be bridged to meet your amperage and will probably stay a bit cooler. What lightbar are you running?

 

[S JEEPN]

Run a switched power source to pin 85 or 86 and ground the other one since it only powers the relays coil that moves the contact into place power draw will be low make sure to have an auto reset breaker, inline fuse or power it from the fuse block . Run your power feed through a auto reset breaker, fuse or other protected source to pin 30 and to the light using pin 87 if you want it to turn on when the switch activates it or 87A if it has one when you want it on only when the switch is off. One 40 amp relay should handle your light you could also wire two relays in parallel mounted side by side by connecting the same number pins with jumpers on the load side use heavy wire for the jumpers ((pin 30 or the 87 pins) since it will have the lights full load divided across each relay will each only have half the power to switch on and off.

 

[verde]

Bandit's Lair, I agree it's too hot. That was using the voswitch grab bar kit. 40 amp relay with 30 amp fuse. And yes it was blowing fuses. That's when we got a 75 amp Bosch relay and ran 10 gauge wire with an inline Bosch 40 amp MIDI fuse. That brought temp down to the 150's. Light bar is the Rigid industries 50" E series PRO light bar. 49,000 lumens. Also has 4 Rigid DSS pro ditch lights but they are on a different circuit.

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

Rigid makes some great lights! I had some SR series on my last Jeep. They are fairly high powered though. Since I’m married with kids now I’ll go with some slightly lesser cost models.

 

[verde]

I hear you. They are expensive.
but they do make the cheap lightbar on my jk look like a kids toy.
im pretty sure it would be adequate for the Baja 500.

 

[verde]

By bridging do you mean parallel relays?

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

By bridging do you mean parallel relays?

That may be the technical term for it. Basically combining 2 relays for a sum of both on the same circuit. If you watch the MsD video of the high current relays they go into it.

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