Wiring up a relay control unit for work lights.

[hallurs]

So my partner that rents the workshop with me is building a Toyota 4runner, diesel powered, coilover suspension, 46" tires, Mitsubishi differentials and a long list of other upgrades.

He is adding work lights on the roof and is going to be controlling them through a relay control unit with a switch.

All the lights will be controlled through a single relay on the unit, 8 lights in total that draw 1.6 amper each so it's withing the relays limits.

He is wondering about wiring the lights all together and just solder 8 of them together and have 1 wire then go into the unit. I don't trust his shitty soldering job and his terrible soldering iron.

Wouldn't be both easier maintenance wise to just add a small distribution block next to the relay unit and run the wires to that ?

I´ll add pictures of the relay unit. The lights are a regular LED work light for added lighting for glacier driving for example.

The reason the lights all go to the same switch is to be controlled all at once and the other relays will be used for fans, pumps and other accessories.

[audiofanaticz]

I would probably go with the method like you said, have the relay power a barrier strip, and jump power to each part of the strip, then if you ever need to trouble shoot a non working light and replace it, or add more lighting to the vehicle you would be able to do it with ease and not having to cut apart a big chunk of wires add one in and then attach them all together.

These barrier strips get used a lot in car audio, or anytime you do a bunch of custom electrical crap to a vehicle, hell I even got them running my fans in my pc case.

So just have the switched terminal 86 on the relay be the input to turn the relay on/off, then terminal 87 on the relay would be out to the device to be turned on/off or the barrier strips which you can wire multiple devices too 85 is ground and 30 is constant power.

[hallurs]

That's exactly the solution I was looking for. I have the relay unit itself figured out to make it work it was just the wiring over to the light that was complicating things.

Thanks for the advice!