Need to make light brighter using a relay, help plz

[Paul Bruchal]

I had problems for a long time with my reverse lights and I finally found out the problem. Reverse light switch. Fixed it. But I cut my drivers side rev. light socket  because i had a rats nest of wiring from last owner and i lost that socket... I had a CATapiler light in my tool box and i wired it up to the reverse light wiring and it works. Except its really dim.

I made my headlights brighter by upgrading the harness and they are 3x brighter then stock wiring. I know it uses a relay to have 12v to the lamp but I am a noob with relays if its not in a premade harness.. can someone explain to me how i can do the same thing to my CAT lamp please?

 

 

JCR rear bumper, and fog lamp tag lights.

 

[64 Cheyenne]

Sure your Cat lamp is not 24V ?

[Paul Bruchal]

THe only markings on the outside of it was CAT, and a ground symbol for the wiring.

 

Its a big halogen, not like small oem bulb.

[HOrnbrod]

Running a "big halogen" lamp @ 55W minimum, probably more, over maybe 30' of puny factory 18 AWG wiring plus the extra you have added on through multiple splices is a real bad idea. The factory backup lights were small 1156 bulbs and the factory wiring was gauged to barely run those at minimum specs. In order to use a relay on that halogen light you have, you will need to run a 10-12 AWG minimum fused new wire from the up front battery to power the load side of the relay to your new halogen lamp. Not practical. I'd stick a low amp but bright LED cube on it before you smoke the factory backup light circuit rather than run that halogen with a new relay..

[MJam86]

I may have an extra stock reverse socket from when i cut mine if you're interested. No guarantees i may have tossed it.

[Eagle]

Running a "big halogen" lamp @ 55W minimum, probably more, over maybe 30' of puny factory 18 AWG wiring plus the extra you have added on through multiple splices is a real bad idea. The factory backup lights were small 1156 bulbs and the factory wiring was gauged to barely run those at minimum specs. In order to use a relay on that halogen light you have, you will need to run a 10-12 AWG minimum fused new wire from the up front battery to power the load side of the relay to your new halogen lamp. Not practical. I'd stick a low amp but bright LED cube on it before you smoke the factory backup light circuit rather than run that halogen with a new relay..

Agreed. And there is certainly the possibility that it's a 24-volt light.

 

I'm going to be scrapping a couple of XJs this Spring. I can easily cut out a back-up light socket for you -- I don't have any plans to save the chassis wiring harnesses.

[Paul Bruchal]

Id probably pick up $60 Autozone led cubes if i can't get this lamp brighter.

Would a led cube wire up to that positive negative wiring? I never delt with led yet.

 

Thankyou for offering sockets but I'm about to have 3 addresses with 2 months. It would be this summer before I can receive anything in mail. I may still have the socket, I have alot of junk in my tool boxes to sort threw.

[A-man930]

Running a "big halogen" lamp @ 55W minimum, probably more, over maybe 30' of puny factory 18 AWG wiring plus the extra you have added on through multiple splices is a real bad idea. The factory backup lights were small 1156 bulbs and the factory wiring was gauged to barely run those at minimum specs. In order to use a relay on that halogen light you have, you will need to run a 10-12 AWG minimum fused new wire from the up front battery to power the load side of the relay to your new halogen lamp. Not practical. I'd stick a low amp but bright LED cube on it before you smoke the factory backup light circuit rather than run that halogen with a new relay..

I agree, except for the "not practical" part.

 

Here's what I'd do:

-verify that it is indeed a 12v lamp by hooking it straight up to the battery to see if its performance perks up; if it doesn't then its likely a 24v lamp.

-run your new, fused 12ga power wire to terminal 30 of your relay

-using another section of that nice new wire, connect terminal 87 to one side of the lamp

-ground the other side of the lamp (a good ground)

-tap into your factory backup light circuit and run it into terminal 86

-feed terminal 85 to ground

 

Locate your relay near your backup light switch and make sure your connections are water tight.

Should work like a charm with no additional stress on your poor backup light switch  :thumbsup:

[Paul Bruchal]

Thanks, I'm gonna do this, this weekend. 4 day

[mikekaz1]

you can get decent LED "work" lights from walmart for $15 and swap it out with the CAT light in under 10min.

 

ooooor spend $10 on a auto store relay,$5 on spade terminals and $10 on wiring and then an hour to wire it properly for your current light

[Hammloaderman]

Seeing as it's a Cat light I would assume it's 24v, especially being the older halogen style they switched to HID and LED when they started using 12v for the chassis wiring on cat equipment

[Rockfrog]

And the LED light won't pull enough draw to need a relay (put led bulbs in the stock backups and all of it will draw less than one stock incandescent bulb did).