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Tapping into headlights

Discussion in '1st Gen Tundras (2000-2006)' started by Pronto13, Jan 22, 2023.

  1. Jan 22, 2023 at 12:32 PM
    #1
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    I’m wiring up some amber lights and have no idea which wires off the headlight H4 connector are positive and negative. There are 3 wires, driver side is red/blue, red/green, red/yellow. I’m trying to have these lights turn on only when I use my regular headlight. I want them off during the day. Anyone know what’s positive or negative?

    0CCF137E-526B-4262-8B12-5BF9C85DCB81.jpg
     
  2. Jan 22, 2023 at 12:44 PM
    #2
    Riverdale21

    Riverdale21 Speed seeker

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    You have an 06, you can just unplug the daytime running light harness. Big grey plug next to your battery tray. No need to cut up the headlight harness
     
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  3. Jan 22, 2023 at 12:45 PM
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    Riverdale21

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    This one.

    20230122_154519.jpg
     
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  4. Jan 22, 2023 at 1:05 PM
    #4
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    Yeah I already have those unplugged. I have a light I’m adding to the grill and need power from headlights because I want them on when I turn the lights on. I just need to know which wires are what on the headlight connector.
     
  5. Jan 22, 2023 at 1:19 PM
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    Riverdale21

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    The wire colors you're listing are from a double cab w/fog lights and no DRL.

    Red/blue will be your ground. Yellow/red is low beam. Remember these are ground switched lights. So if you're going to splice or use scotch locks then don't ground to the body.
     
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  6. Jan 22, 2023 at 1:24 PM
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    Riverdale21

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    Passenger side will be red/white ground, yellow/red low beam.
     
  7. Jan 22, 2023 at 1:27 PM
    #7
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    It’s weird because I have the DRL and fog lights. But those are the exact wire colors I have. Thanks dude
     
  8. Jan 22, 2023 at 1:52 PM
    #8
    jerryallday

    jerryallday New Member

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  9. Jan 22, 2023 at 2:05 PM
    #9
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    So I just hooked these up with a T tap and they aren’t coming on

    image.jpg
     
  10. Jan 22, 2023 at 2:22 PM
    #10
    TravisJr

    TravisJr New Member

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    Do you have a test light?
     
  11. Jan 22, 2023 at 2:31 PM
    #11
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    Just the actual lights I’m trying to power
     
  12. Jan 22, 2023 at 2:34 PM
    #12
    Riverdale21

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    Plug in your headlight bulbs too. Your truck uses canbus and if it doesn't see a certain amount of resistance on the circuit it may not turn them on.
     
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  13. Jan 22, 2023 at 3:08 PM
    #13
    1lowlife

    1lowlife Toxic prick and pavement princess..

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    Doesn't look like the colors you have match up to the schematic
    But low beams seem to show the #1 pin in the socket, the one in the middle.
    You might try a different ground.
    I'd be testing all this with a DMM before I started tapping into wires..
    Good luck..

    Ultimate TUNDRA Wiring Diagrams Collection | Toyota Tundra Forum (tundras.com)

    Screenshot_2023-01-22_171406_d562e55bdb3569c811239e174e088ac3311a2af8.jpg
    Screenshot_2023-01-22_171603_07f141ada7c951652ce10036cfb66425d05f6d7c.jpg

    The entire headlight circuit..
    Looks like the ground has a resistor for the DRLs.

    upload_2023-1-22_17-8-5.jpgupload_2023-1-22_17-7-38.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2023
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  14. Jan 22, 2023 at 3:22 PM
    #14
    1lowlife

    1lowlife Toxic prick and pavement princess..

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    That's a great point..:thumbsup:
     
  15. Jan 22, 2023 at 5:26 PM
    #15
    shifty`

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    1st problem is, you should never use t-taps / scotch-locks, especially for wiring exposed to the elements. Not only do they mangle your wiring if crimped fully, they allow your wiring to rot from the inside out.

    But this also ^^ :rofl:
     
  16. Jan 22, 2023 at 7:42 PM
    #16
    NickB_01TRD

    NickB_01TRD You don't need less cars, just more driveway.

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    I've done similar in the past when wiring up lights I want to be triggered by the high beams.
    Stick a multimeter in the terminals of the headlight connector until you find the proper configuration of positive/negative power getting to the connector for low beam only. The positive and negative current will travel through the connectors different ways depending on what light mode you are in (off/low/high) so make sure they stay on when you want them to. If you want them to work on both high and low beam then you'll have to figure that one out as it's not quite as simple. The port you use that is positive when on low beam will not be positive when high beam is on. It sounds like you may want to wire this up to your parking light circuit. What lights are you installing?

    Second off as @shifty` said T-taps are terrible and needless if you are wiring to your headlight circuit, especially for testing. You can twist the wires up and shove them in the terminal of the headlight connector you want to use then shove the whole mess onto the headlight. It's kinda halfass but I can't say I haven't done it multiple times.
     
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  17. Jan 23, 2023 at 1:56 AM
    #17
    Elevatorguy

    Elevatorguy Yotas and JD Green!

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    Are you using this feed to drive a relay or the new light itself?
     
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  18. Jan 23, 2023 at 5:35 AM
    #18
    NewImprovedRon

    NewImprovedRon New Old Guy

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  19. Jan 23, 2023 at 3:13 PM
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    bfunke

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  20. Jan 24, 2023 at 6:47 AM
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    NewImprovedRon

    NewImprovedRon New Old Guy

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    "Perferct" :rofl::rofl::rofl:
     
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  21. Jan 24, 2023 at 8:38 PM
    #21
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    Went this route, I used 2 15a fuses in the tapper and it works. But when the power is off the lights flash with a weak light… anyone know why? Do I have to much power with the two 15a fuses?
     
  22. Jan 24, 2023 at 8:45 PM
    #22
    assassin10000

    assassin10000 New Member

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    Just an FYI... Toyota uses ground switching instead of positive switching like the diagram shows.

    IE: our trucks have two ground connections and only one positive.
     
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  23. Jan 25, 2023 at 1:16 PM
    #23
    Riverdale21

    Riverdale21 Speed seeker

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    Are the lights you installed LED? There may be a capacitor/resistor in the circuit board of the light, and since there is constant DC+ and the ground is switched to close the circuit, it could be playing hell.

    Depending on the circuit configuration, say the capacitor or resistor or combination of the two is downstream of the light emitting diode. Since DC+ is always being fed into the circuit minimal voltage will bleed through the LED and be lost in the capacitor or resistor. Just turning milliamps into waste heat and causing a brief flash. Or what do I know, I'm no electrical engineer.

    If your problem isn't a simple poor connection, maybe wire in relays. Scotch locks are a bad way for tapping in a load. Those are really intended for signal transfer, like CAN/MODBUS or speaker signal, and don't think there's enough surface area in the 'V' of the scotch lock splice to safely carry any current over 1A @ 12VDC continuously. I hate but splices too but they would be better than t-tap or scotch locks in this case. Use a but splice connector and have 1 wire on one side and the other stock wire twisted with your added wire on the other side. Or better yet use insulated male/female spade connectors instead of a but splice or scotch lock.

    It's too late to just use what would be proper which is an H4 relay harness, but if you use your existing taps for the +/- of a 12v relay and that way you can ground your new lamps to body and have a true DC+ switched lamp that will be activated by your headlamp switch.
     
  24. Jan 26, 2023 at 6:37 AM
    #24
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    I dont really speak that language bro :rofl: But im sure they're LED, they came with this aftermarket grill I bought. The lights are pretty much identical to these https://www.amazon.com/Seven-Sparta-Lights-2016-2018-Aftermarket/dp/B07YFN78XM?th=1

    It might be a bad connection because one of the connectors for one light got mangled when I closed my hood. I put it back together and electrical taped it, works fine when on.
     
  25. Jan 26, 2023 at 7:23 AM
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    Riverdale21

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    All I was pretty much saying is use your taps to wire in a relay. Use the relay to switch DC+ to your LEDs, and ground your LEDs to body. Then you wont have the flicker when the headlights are off. I can draw a diagram if it would help. 12v relays are pretty cheap at most parts stores and you would really only need one to power the lamps.
     
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  26. Jan 26, 2023 at 9:07 PM
    #26
    daveeasa

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    I’d do a T harness off the parking lights to the sidemarker. Keep everything sealed and an overall preferable way to control grille lights. There are three wires in that connector, parking light, turn and ground. I don’t have a T listed but I have done some for @Tundra2 and someday I should get a clean item listed up.
     
  27. Jan 29, 2023 at 8:33 PM
    #27
    Pronto13

    Pronto13 [OP] New Member

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    Appreciate the help, I plugged in the resister I bought for the LED headlights/fog lights problem and no more blinking from amber lights. Yuh :bananadance:
     
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