Switch Panel / Switchpros Install Underhood Tap Points (1 Viewer)

[TeCKis300]

Right, but it looks like all wires coming out of the accessory harness are 14 awg


edit: I found this diagram, so it looks like you double up two 14awg for the bigger circuits; however, 20a through a single 14 awg seems high
View attachment 2379013

Yup, you got it. Wiring gauge is always a function of distance. For the short section of flying lead off the SwithPros, it's not a problem. They do use a high quality wire with solid 14 AWG cross section. You can splice in a larger gauge wire to the pair of wires, to carry the current further.

 

[tincan45]

It doubles up the cable on the 30AMP circuits.

View attachment 2379014

...and THIS is what @TeCKis300 mentioned you should not do under the hood, and I agree. This one mounted in the drawer system so it's not a normal install. I'll also add, I use the output of the DC/DC (also in back) charger for my ignition sense. Works great because it the DC/DC will only come on when the engine is running.

 

[CharlieS]

Yup, best practice, etc. I use one and so do about a zillion other people. YMMV.

 

[TeCKis300]

It's just the way I did mine, and others like to do it differently. I have no problem with that as it's not my concern.

I would not recommend mounting the SwithPros flat however. In researching, there's been enough documented issues and warranty concerns I've come across. Definitely okay in the cab. Probably okay externally in more arid environments. Where there's lots of water and rain, probably best for long term reliability to follow the install guidance.

 

[radman]

@TeCKis300, I currently have A few rock lights tapped into the factory running board lights. Is this the route you took and then energized the oem circuit similar to the way you did your front fogs? Or you ran new wires all the way back to the SP?

 

[TeCKis300]

My rock lights work independently of the LX courtesy lights, so yes, ran full PITA wiring. I really hate additional aftermarket wire runs (says the guy that just laid in 5 lbs of wires), but I did my best to tuck and protect the rock light circuit. Saving grace is that it is managed and protected by SwitchPros, so any fault is not going to affect my factory electrical.

Thought about doing more integration, but I like the subtle factory courtesy lights. Rock lights at least on my factory looking car could be misconstrued as underglow which is too much bling for me.

 

[radman]

does the Switch-pros have a built-in strobe function?

 

[TeCKis300]

Ayup. Major programming options are:

• On/Off or Momentary
• Ign. or Batt control
• Flash and Strobe functions
• Low Voltage Disconnect
• Switch Memory
• Master switch
• Output Dimming
• External trigger on high or low
• Relay SPDT or DP3T switching

Manual here - https://www.switchpros.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SP9100-Rev1.2-Directions.pdf

 

[Moby]

@TeCKis300 I'm using your excellent write up here for a version of my own (no switch pro but triggering a light bar and the fogs when the high beams are on while retaining the stock fogs functionality). While testing the stock fog relay terminals I noticed that terminal 5 is constant battery but terminal 3 is ~3 volts (when grounded to battery). When measuring voltage across them I get about 6-7 volts. Obviously 5, +battery, is connected to 3 when the relay is closed so connecting an alternative +battery source doesn't seem terribly concerning. But I was wondering if you observed this as well. I don't have an FSM or wiring diagram yet so I don't know if there is a step down in the stock fog power circuit, perhaps for the 2020 fogs, and thus expected or something else I need to deal with.

 

[TeCKis300]

This thread might help as it goes more in depth on the fog light circuit.

Running Fog Independent of Headlight

This is a riddle that's brought up from time to time - How to enable running the fog light without the headlight being on, with the factory fog light switch. Factory logic, allows fogs to function only when the headlight is on. I'd like to turn them on independently at times. I've made this...

forum.ih8mud.com

Curious that you're measuring 3V, and I don't recall measuring that. It very well could be that it's the newer LED lights as LEDs approximate a diode in circuit. So metering that may show the voltage drop across the LED bulb rather than any actual voltage.

 

[Moby]

Oh, I hadn't found that thread, thanks! I'll read through that.

I'm basically just running an external relay to replace the stock relay, using the leads from the stock relay terminals. Well two relays, one that uses the stock relay trigger terminals (1 and 2) to trigger. The output of this relay triggers a second relay, where the input and output of that relay is the input and output terminals (3 and 5) of the stock circuit. Basically I'm reversing the negative switching of the stock circuit so that I can then also trigger the second relay with the output of my light bar relay (with a diode to prevent back feeding positive to the light bar when just the low beams and fogs are on). The light bar relay is just triggered by a tap on one of the high beam fuses through a switch on the dash (from AirOnBoard to match factory switch blank and color).

The result is if I turn the high beams on and if the aux light bar switch is on the light bar and fog lights comes on. This way I can have lots of light and kill it all with just the stock high beam switch so that I don't blind anyone. With the low beams on the fogs operate as stock. If the light bar switch is off high beams work as usual and the fog lights stay off regardless of fog light switch. Basically all lights or just like stock.

So other than removing the stock relay and basically running an external replacement I'm not actually changing the source of any of the stock relay terminals. I was mostly just curious.

 

[Cruisin911]

It's just the way I did mine, and others like to do it differently. I have no problem with that as it's not my concern.

I would not recommend mounting the SwithPros flat however. In researching, there's been enough documented issues and warranty concerns I've come across. Definitely okay in the cab. Probably okay externally in more arid environments. Where there's lots of water and rain, probably best for long term reliability to follow the install guidance.

I ended up mounting mine upside down under my slee compressor mount. Modified the SDHQ brackets a bit for it to sit flush but I am 100% happy with placement and performance.

 

[radman]

Thought about doing more integration, but I like the subtle factory courtesy lights. Rock lights at least on my factory looking car could be misconstrued as underglow which is too much bling for me.

I may have accidentally (finally) ordered a 9100...
couple quick questions:
1) I see that you're using one of the inputs for the fog relay, but what's the other "light trigger" used for?
2) could that light trigger be used to turn on your rock light circuit?

edit: just looked at the instructions again. Looks like I’ll be using the light trigger for my rock lights . I guess this means that the panel backlight will always remain at 70%?

 

[TeCKis300]

I may have accidentally (finally) ordered a 9100...
couple quick questions:
1) I see that you're using one of the inputs for the fog relay, but what's the other "light trigger" used for?
2) could that light trigger be used to turn on your rock light circuit?

My kind of accident lol.

1) Other trigger is used to sense the parking lights. I don't have it triggering anything other than it turns on the illumination of the SwitchPros button panel itself. You can see the white T2 wire tapped into the parking light reference of the fog circuit.

2) Rock lights turn on independently

 

[radman]

You can see the white T2 wire tapped into the parking light reference of the fog circuit.

2) Rock lights turn on independently

So instead of sensing the parking lights for pad illumination, I can tap it to the factory running board lights. This would allow me to toggle my rock light circuit manually with the panel, and/or have them turn on when I open the door and the factory light triggers the circuit?

 

[TeCKis300]

So instead of sensing the parking lights for pad illumination, I can tap it to the factory running board lights. This would allow me to toggle my rock light circuit manually with the panel, and/or have them turn on when I open the door and the factory light triggers the circuit?

Sure can.

 

[highfructose]

Sure can.

What lights do you have mounted in the center of your roof rack? And how are they mounted?

 

[CharlieS]

The triggers on the Switch-Pros can be used for whatever you want, but keep in mind that you only have a maximum of two triggers, so you need to be mindful about what you choose to use them for. This is one of the only frustrations I had with this system. What if you want some things on your switch panel to be high beam triggered, others low beam triggered, others reverse light triggered and yet others interior light triggered?

 

[TeCKis300]

What lights do you have mounted in the center of your roof rack? And how are they mounted?

Find it here. Along with great examples by others.

Show me some Rock Lights and Scene Lights

Adding an Switchpros 9100 currently, and with so many switches, need to fill them all! I do a fair amount of camping and a good night lighting solution would be great when getting to camp after dark. Looked around and didn't see many examples of either rock lights or scene lights in action...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[TeCKis300]

The triggers on the Switch-Pros can be used for whatever you want, but keep in mind that you only have a maximum of two triggers, so you need to be mindful about what you choose to use them for. This is one of the only frustrations I had with this system. What if you want some things on your switch panel to be high beam triggered, others low beam triggered, others reverse light triggered and yet others interior light triggered?

I agree that it could probably use another trigger for those that want to automate additional functions. I'm only using 1 of 2 at the moment. Depending on use case, sometimes I find trigger automation to be helpful 80% of the time, and then a real hindrance 20% when I want to use things in a different way. So I just leave most things to operate independently. Like high beams, I did consider to integrate my aftermarket spots with the high beam. But then I find on backcountry mountain roads that are pitch black, because the aftermarket spots are not SAE and truly blinding to oncoming traffic that may pop around a corner, that I don't want the aftermarket spots to come on with the stock high beams.

I was thinking to maybe work around this and get the best of both worlds. By treating the SwitchPros circuit as an "enable" function rather than "on", and integrating outside the SwitchPros with a relay. So that high beams work as normal, but when the aftermarket spots are enabled via SwitchPros, that they will then come on with high beams.