AuxBeam Switch Panel & RC Light Bar w/ DRL

[j2ttu]

I recently bought the AuxBeam Switch Panel and a Rough Country DRL Light Bar. The light bar itself came with a 3 position light switch but I would like to hook it up to the Switch Panel. This is where I got a bit confused. The positions on the switch are DRL ON - DRL OFF/LIGHTBAR ON - OFF.

I thought I could use a fuse tap and tap a fuse to have the DRL always on, then wire the other two wires to a position in the Switch Panel. Would I wire those two remaining wires from the switch and the main +/- from the light bar to the same spot on the switch panel?

I have other pod lights coming with DRL as well.
My idea is to have the DRL on when the truck is on and be able to turn the light bar on with a switch.

Attached the wiring diagram from RC.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[j2ttu]

Just realized that if the main power is wired to the switch panel then the DRL won't turn on. So my thought now is that main power is wired to the battery, drl wire to fuse tap, and +/- for main beam from light bar to a switch. DRL should be on always and hit the switch DRL goes off, main beam on. Would that be correct?

 

[sppb32]

You have to use an extra relay for the main power to the switch panel , feed connected to the battery and trigger connected to a ignition on fuse tap.

 

[Bpebler]

I have those style lights on my Jeep, 3 of them to be exact with the amber DRL’s . RC’s wiring & 3-way switch drove my brother (experienced mechanic) & I nuts trying to get it to work right. Couldn’t find replacement switches to work & RC’s support & instructions/wiring diagram were complete crap. We had to wire them completely different. I can’t quite remember what we did & unfortunately the Jeep is at a friends house having some more parts put on so I can’t r just run out & check for you. Pretty sure we wired extra relays for each light like described above. The switches weren’t even like the simple ones they have pictured, it is those terribly generic rocker switches they make. I like the way the lights look on the Jeep but I won’t buy from them again. I hope you can find the solution you’re looking for.

 

[j2ttu]

You have to use an extra relay for the main power to the switch panel , feed connected to the battery and trigger connected to a ignition on fuse tap.

An extra relay besides the two already on the rough country harness?

 

[boogielander]

first off, check that panel works. I do a lot of these installs at the shop and i'll just say the failure rate of these china panel is about 80% out of box. In addition, depend on your environment, these are not durable at all. One of my customer's panel broke and we had to redo the whole install because Auxbeam (or whatever company that contracted to make these panels) changed the design some time between then and now and the toggle panel and the "brain" connection are completely different.

second, let me explain:
The panel should have a 4gauge wire for power. These panels have fuse slots built in (some have relays built in, depend on which model you get). That will be your "switched" power source, assuming you install it correctly. The Auxbeam panel should have a single 16 gauge (iirc) wire that you're supposed to have an add-a-fuse that you install into a slot that's ign. controlled. That will be your "on only when the truck is key on."

Now, looking at the RC diagram, the 3 way switch does nothing but controls the "gate" of energy flow in the relay to the light bar or the DRL. You cannot turn on both at the same time: one is on the other is off. Simple to understand. This switch does not draw power, only completes the circuit based on your switch position.

However, when you switch (see what i did here )from the 3 way switch to the panel, you are providing power to both main light and the DRL. This confuses the relay, as both options are giving the relay the "open the gate" command, and only one will turn on. This is where you are having problems, if i understand you correctly, and makes it a lot more confusing and time consuming.

Now, my recommendation (and the solution that I've told my customers) is to wire everything to the panel. This is not only a simple solution, but also an easier and cleaner solution to troubleshoot should something goes wrong down the line. Cut the RC harness right where the main bar meets the relay, and connect that to the panel. This is because your panel is already a switched power source, so you don't need the harness that connects to the battery for power and use the 3 way switch to complete the circuit. You turn on one switch, DRL turns on. You turn on another switch, main beam comes on. Just remember to turn off the DRL switch when main beam is on. I've done the same set up for all kinds of 3 way lights, from BajaDesign to Amazon china lights.

I don't recommend tapping into any of the OE wire to trigger "ign on DRL," as it will be very expensive to fix should something goes wrong and somehow damage your OE harnesses.

 

[boogielander]

Now, if you want ign on DRL, my recommendation is to ditch that auxbeam crap and get Switch-Pro. That's what I run for the past 5 years through all kinds of environment, let it be scorching hot desert or freezing cold mountain top, from sticky mud to harsh blasting sand, and I've even pressured washed it. For 5 years, this panel had withstood every single abuse I've thrown at it without any trouble at all.

Benefits of Switch-Pro:
-Made in USA (quality and durability that many race teams count on)
-Mobile app (this is where you control all the features, as well as turn it on remotely through bluetooth to mess with people. it's hilarious to see people getting too close to my rig and all of sudden my aux lights are on and scared the crap out of them)
-Rich features: color changing and dimmable backlights, power off delay, momentary on, strobe, flashing strobe, "master switch" one touch on for multiple accessories, panel on when ign is off, memorized switch position, 2 external triggers, triggered on, output dimming, and many more.

I used my BajaDesign S8 backlight as DRL through Switch-Pro. I set it to turn on when key on. To turn on the main beam, I turn off DRL manually and turn on the main beam. There could be a feature in the switch-pro app where you can turn on one switch and the other turn off automatically, but I didn't go look for it. To install the S8, I cut the harness right where the relay is and just plug the two power wires to the switch pro panel. No relay to worry, and no power needed for the battery. I've ran this set up on my 4Runner for 5 years with no problem.

 

[j2ttu]

Now, if you want ign on DRL, my recommendation is to ditch that auxbeam crap and get Switch-Pro. That's what I run for the past 5 years through all kinds of environment, let it be scorching hot desert or freezing cold mountain top, from sticky mud to harsh blasting sand, and I've even pressured washed it. For 5 years, this panel had withstood every single abuse I've thrown at it without any trouble at all.

Benefits of Switch-Pro:
-Made in USA (quality and durability that many race teams count on)
-Mobile app (this is where you control all the features, as well as turn it on remotely through bluetooth to mess with people. it's hilarious to see people getting too close to my rig and all of sudden my aux lights are on and scared the crap out of them)
-Rich features: color changing and dimmable backlights, power off delay, momentary on, strobe, flashing strobe, "master switch" one touch on for multiple accessories, panel on when ign is off, memorized switch position, 2 external triggers, triggered on, output dimming, and many more.

I used my BajaDesign S8 backlight as DRL through Switch-Pro. I set it to turn on when key on. To turn on the main beam, I turn off DRL manually and turn on the main beam. There could be a feature in the switch-pro app where you can turn on one switch and the other turn off automatically, but I didn't go look for it. To install the S8, I cut the harness right where the relay is and just plug the two power wires to the switch pro panel. No relay to worry, and no power needed for the battery. I've ran this set up on my 4Runner for 5 years with no problem.

I want to thank you for the lengthy and thorough response. I really do appreciate it. SwitchPro was just not in my budget right now. I was able to hook up the AuxBeam just fine. I had a little mini heart attack because I didn't properly seat a fuse and the truck absolutely hated that. Electronic Stability Control turned off, Trailer Brakes service light, 4WD service light, Rear Park assist service light... It was a mess and killed my vibes lmao but I retraced my steps and redid the fuse and everything was fine.

I ended up wiring the light bar as you provided. I ditched the RC harness just before the relay. I wired power/ground for the main beam to switch 1 and just power for the DRL to switch two. I was wondering why with the RC switch the ability to have both lights on was not there? Anyways, everything works without a hitch.

Another project I also worked on today was installing Diode Dynamic SSC1 pods at the rear of the truck. Using a guide from Shifts and Grins I used a Trailer Adapter and wired them to use the Trailer connection. They now work with the parking lights/reverse lights as long as the switch is in position 1(I think). Currently I have the switch tied up in the engine with just the parking/reverse function on. Using the switch, you can override and turn it on whenever in position 2. I'm going to try and wire it so that position 2 can be activated from the AuxBeam panel as well. It seems like it would be the same steps as before.

 

[boogielander]

I want to thank you for the lengthy and thorough response. I really do appreciate it. SwitchPro was just not in my budget right now. I was able to hook up the AuxBeam just fine. I had a little mini heart attack because I didn't properly seat a fuse and the truck absolutely hated that. Electronic Stability Control turned off, Trailer Brakes service light, 4WD service light, Rear Park assist service light... It was a mess and killed my vibes lmao but I retraced my steps and redid the fuse and everything was fine.

I ended up wiring the light bar as you provided. I ditched the RC harness just before the relay. I wired power/ground for the main beam to switch 1 and just power for the DRL to switch two. I was wondering why with the RC switch the ability to have both lights on was not there? Anyways, everything works without a hitch.

Another project I also worked on today was installing Diode Dynamic SSC1 pods at the rear of the truck. Using a guide from Shifts and Grins I used a Trailer Adapter and wired them to use the Trailer connection. They now work with the parking lights/reverse lights as long as the switch is in position 1(I think). Currently I have the switch tied up in the engine with just the parking/reverse function on. Using the switch, you can override and turn it on whenever in position 2. I'm going to try and wire it so that position 2 can be activated from the AuxBeam panel as well. It seems like it would be the same steps as before.

glad to hear you got it to work! i know switch-pro is a high budget item but if you can afford it down the line trust me it's worth every penny. And i do understand the mini heart attack part hahaha i've gone through my fair share of that when i started doing wiring with no experience years ago. luckily i didn't fry anything.

The RC switch doesn't have both light on option because of the circuit board design. I'm not sure how RC build theirs, but a common type of LED bar board is that both high output (your main beam) and low output (your DRL on light bar) are controlled by the same board. When you have both options on, you fry the board due to too much current. Now, I know Diode Dynamic SS5 has the feature that automatically toggle between main light and back light without needing a manual override like you did, but that's a different situation.

Position 1 is ACC mode. If your parking lights and reverse lights work in ACC mode then the SSC1 will work. Personally, if I understand you correctly, I don't recommend you run LED lights with both input unless you have a relay somewhere between the SSC1 and the power source. This is to avoid backflow of power and frying anything in the vehicle as you are introducing another power source to your parking light circuit. For example: should you turn on the SSC1 with parking lights off, you might be sending currents in reverse (SSC1->trailer harness->fuse block) instead of the way it should be going (fuse block->trailer harness->SSC1). If you turn on the parking light, then you will be sending power to the panel instead and potentially fry it (trailer harness->red/ live wire split for dual input->auxbeam panel) as you now have a two power sources going to your Auxbeam and create a two way power flow instead of a one way power flow.

But that's just my 2 cents. I've never tried to wire it that way and it's just a theory based on my experience when I installed solar to my 4R. It may work out well, or it may go terribly wrong and fry something. Do some more research before you go down that route.

 

[j2ttu]

glad to hear you got it to work! i know switch-pro is a high budget item but if you can afford it down the line trust me it's worth every penny. And i do understand the mini heart attack part hahaha i've gone through my fair share of that when i started doing wiring with no experience years ago. luckily i didn't fry anything.

The RC switch doesn't have both light on option because of the circuit board design. I'm not sure how RC build theirs, but a common type of LED bar board is that both high output (your main beam) and low output (your DRL on light bar) are controlled by the same board. When you have both options on, you fry the board due to too much current. Now, I know Diode Dynamic SS5 has the feature that automatically toggle between main light and back light without needing a manual override like you did, but that's a different situation.

Position 1 is ACC mode. If your parking lights and reverse lights work in ACC mode then the SSC1 will work. Personally, if I understand you correctly, I don't recommend you run LED lights with both input unless you have a relay somewhere between the SSC1 and the power source. This is to avoid backflow of power and frying anything in the vehicle as you are introducing another power source to your parking light circuit. For example: should you turn on the SSC1 with parking lights off, you might be sending currents in reverse (SSC1->trailer harness->fuse block) instead of the way it should be going (fuse block->trailer harness->SSC1). If you turn on the parking light, then you will be sending power to the panel instead and potentially fry it (trailer harness->red/ live wire split for dual input->auxbeam panel) as you now have a two power sources going to your Auxbeam and create a two way power flow instead of a one way power flow.

But that's just my 2 cents. I've never tried to wire it that way and it's just a theory based on my experience when I installed solar to my 4R. It may work out well, or it may go terribly wrong and fry something. Do some more research before you go down that route.

Thanks for your input. Currently, if I'm not mistaken, the SSC1s already have two inputs. (I believe?

While it is connected to the trailer harness, it is also directly connected to the battery. This connection was required in the install per DD. I have it directly connected to the battery because I couldn't figure out how to mimic the current functions of the switch that is provided by running those wires to the switch panel instead. There's already a relay installed. I'm just not sure how to mimic the current switch in the AuxBeam set up. F is what goes to wires from the 5 way trailer connection.

 

[boogielander]

Thanks for your input. Currently, if I'm not mistaken, the SSC1s already have two inputs. (I believe?

While it is connected to the trailer harness, it is also directly connected to the battery. This connection was required in the install per DD. I have it directly connected to the battery because I couldn't figure out how to mimic the current functions of the switch that is provided by running those wires to the switch panel instead. There's already a relay installed. I'm just not sure how to mimic the current switch in the AuxBeam set up. F is what goes to wires from the 5 way trailer connection.

you are correct SSC1 has the backlight function. I never used the backlight function on my own rig but if i understand the graph correctly the yellow wire is supposed to be for the backlight (aka your parking light). The red wire from battery is for the main beam and you can just cut the switch harness somewhere between A and C and run the red wire to the panel for main beam power. Keep the relay as it acts as a "switch" between main beam and back light.

You can test this by stripping a small section of the wire at A and F and feed power and see what happens.

 

[ramButz]