Switch on the nacelle truns on the Relay. Relay turns on (provides power)the lights.

 

Karz, are you pulling our collective legs or what???

You started this thread because you didn't want to use the kit supplied rubber booted switch. Now, you're talking about having all these unused wires, etc. What unused wires???

Follow the directions for installing the fog lights that HD supplies with the kit, except for running the fog lamp wires inside the engine guard, and wire the switch to the accessory connector under the seat. That way the accessory switch will turn on/off the relay and the relay will turn on/off the fog lights.

 

I think something is getting lost in the translation, reading and writing vs talking in person.

The first post had three main points, I was surprised that there was no quick way to install into the electrical system, hindsight being 20/20, an example of that would have been connecting directly into the accessory connector. The other two points were not wanting to use the black switch, or at least not in the position they wanted me to, and not wanting to terminate the trigger wire into the low beam, as I wanted access to the lights all the time, especially for daytime driving, should I ever want to run brights for added visibility on some roads.

The problem I'm having is using the included wire harness per the directions causes the two problems above. The next problem is figuring out which other alternative is the best solution. It seems the more you stray from the instructions, the less sense it makes to use the included wire harness, and it would be cleaner to wire it from scratch. Then when people try to explain a 'custom' install that still involves some or all of the included wire harness, that's where it starts to get convoluted for me.

My scratch wiring concept that makes sense to me would be taking 2 hot wires from the lights (one each), and 2 ground wires (one each), and running them back to the accessory connector. Somehow going 2 into 1 and putting the hot lead to the hot 'accessory' pin on the accessory connector, and taking the ground and putting it into the ground. The acc switch activates the accessory connector, which I believe is 'safe power' meaning it's fused and relayed and able to handle the load, if you connect at the proper point, which is the accessory connector. Maybe I'm wrong, but that's how it would appear to me.

One way to use the included harness but use the accessory switch (but not the accessory connector), would be to install the wiring harness per the instructions, except extend the red trigger wire (which is short and they want connected to the low beam in the nacelle) and running it all the way back w/ the rest of the power and ground wires, and terminate the hot wires directly to the battery, and the trigger wire to an ignition wire under the seat. Then, back up in the nacelle, disconnect the wires going into the plug for the acc switch making the acc switch dumb (not connected to any power or anything), cut off the switch provided w/ the harness, and connect the wires from the old switch, to the acc switch. I wasn't sure if I wanted to cut into anything up there, and when I found the parts for the accessory connector I thought that might be a cleaner route to go.

So the way we seem to be disscussing is a way to use the existing wiring harness, AND the accessory connector, which I didn't think was a logical option, or one that people were recommending, I just didn't understand that some people were saying this. So you're saying to keep all the wiring from the harness intact, don't cut the switch out, hook the main power leads to the battery (again per the instructions), and just use the red trigger wire from the harness, and terminate it into the accessory connector? So there's 2 switches in the circuit now? One from the wire harness that you just leave on all the time and stuff it under the seat, and since the trigger wire is now connected to the accessory connector, when you turn the accessory switch on, the result would be triggering the other relay from the harness? Is that more or less what you're trying to say?

If so, the problem I was having was thinking I was wiring from scratch if I used the accesssory connector, since it's just a pair of hot and pair of ground wires going into the accessory connector. Or, if I tried to think about using the wire harness from the lights, then I didn't know what to do w/ the switch and trigger wires, because theoretically, if I connect the power lead from the harness, nothing will happen unless either the harness switch and trigger wire are either removed, or connected to something, and it seemed redundant to connect the switch and trigger wire, if I was already getting a switch and trigger from the accessory connector.

Can you see where I was getting confused?

ETA: From one of your last posts (harleypingman) you said:
So, I have a power wire (white) on the harness that goes to the fuse, relay, and subsequently the hot wires to the lights. I have a red trigger wire on the harness. And I have a switch, that is connected to the relay. What do I do w/ the switch, or the wires to the switch, specifically? You say I only need one of the wires from the switch, but I don't know which one, or what you're saying I should do w/ it.

If I cut the power leads off and plug them into the accessory connector directly, I get power and don't need the relay, harness switch, or trigger wire. If I leave it all intact, then in my mind, not only does the main power lead need to be connected to something, but the trigger wire needs to be connected to something, and then the switch is still in the loop of the circuit. So, either the switch needs to be left turned on all the time, and stuffed under the seat or whatever, of I need to understand what you're saying about which wire I need from it, and what to do w/ it.

 

Wow, I wish I would have had this to read when I hooked mine up! But if I ever get to put apes on, this is how I'll redo it. Thanks for the excellent detail!!

 

Wurk_truk explained the situation accurately. The fog lamps are powered from the battey and that circuit is controlled by the relay because the circuit for the fog lamps draws about 9 amps or so. The relay is controlled by the switch that HD provides for mounting on the handlebar. The HD switch operates like the single pole/single throw wall switch in your house. All you are doing with the ACC switch is replacing the rubber booted switch in the kit--all of the other wiring should be per HD's instructions.

When you cut-off the HD switch, you only need one of those wires to connect to the accessory connector under your seat. The accessory connector has four wires in it. Black is ground and red/yellow is brake light--you don't use either of these. IIRC, you can use either of the other two wires in the accessory connector. To check, use a test light and turn your ignition on/off. If your test light goes on/off with the ignition switch, you can use that wire for the fog lamp on/off switch.

 

WOW! I simply cannot believe this!

 

please post the instructions and way late tonight, I WILL tell you what wires go where, OK?

Fork the lights.... In your mind you HAVE to wire the RELAY forget about the lights for a moment.. once that is wired... everything else comes easy.

If you wire your lights directly to the switch in the nacelle, YOUR BIKE WILL CATCH ON FIRE. Is THAT plain enough for you? So.... STOP STOP STOP, and listen to US and not yourself, OK? You are in over your head, but we will help you... guide your hands as it were.

Did you GROUND the lights like I told you? Best ground is NEG terminal on the battery. Bet way to do THIS is to buy crimp on connectors. The type you want is an EYE connector, one with a complete circle. You remove the BOLT on the negative of the bike, put your NEW circle, along with existing circles, on bolt, and re-tighten. EVERYTHING possible should be OFF on the bike while doing this.... It WILL spark a teeny bit, and you lose radio presets.

Did you find the ground wire on the relay and ground that, like I told you? next into the relay,,, did you wire it to a fuse and wire that fuse to the battery? Your kit should have came with a fuse? You wire the fuse that came with the kit to the POS battery terminal, just like you did the neg.

The fuse should go to the RELAY.

Did you then wire the lites to the RELAY...

On your diagram, can you tell which color wire comes OUT of relay and goes to lites? If so... WIRE it.

finally... did you wire the relay to the 4-pin connector wire that goes On and Off (power wise with your little tester) with the nacelle switch?

Remember... you at one time discovered which 'pin' was from the switch in the nacelle... PUT THE FORKIN NACELLE BACK TOGETHER NOW!!!

The last wire from the RELAY, the TRIGGER, goes to that pin on the connector. On YOUR diagram... the switch that came from the kit, is replaced with the one from the nacelle. That switch, does NOT FORKING turn on the GAL DAMM LITES. The switch turns on the FORKING relay. FORKING relay... FORKING relay...


Do these things... and it will work.


FOUR wires from the relay, and like a spider's web, you hook EACH one of the four wires up and it WILL work, OK? Got that?

Quit trying to think this through, you don't have the skills. THIS forum has the skills, just listen.

Use Grommets EVERYWHERE. Tape and seal joint in wires EVERYWHERE. Make connections to battery with crimp on EYE connectors and NOT forks. Hook up the four wires to the relay, and it will ALL work!

Now I gotta go to Forking work, a Shell station's electric blew up.....

 

work truk, I didn't do anything yet, I'm merely trying to understand every detail from each person, since it seems some implications or assumptions were not correct, and I've had to keep asking my questions different ways because as I said earlier, I had at least 3 different 'scenarios' provided to me, but some scenarios were discussed by more than one person, so I was trying to clarify what each person meant, prior to doing anything.

All I've done so far was try to mount the lights themselves to make sure I was happy w/ their alignment and placing, before marking their location and begin the wiring process, and I got some good suggestions on that part of it.

Once I was planning the wiring itself, I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed before I actually started wiring it, and that's when I ran into problems. I printed out what people suggested, took the bike apart so to speak, and looked at all three scenarios discussed, and tried to read the suggestions while looking at the wires and bike in front of me, and that's when you notice little things about what people say that don't make sense.

Like someone says wire it to the switch in the nacelle, to me means physically wire it into the nacelle, but they meant wire it under the seat, which is connected to the nacelle, but at times that's not what they specifically said.

I'm passing through right now, I'll read your post and see if I have any questions when I'm thinking more clearly about it. Thanks for your help.

 

Thanks again for your help. Like I said to wurk truk, I'll read this again tomorrow when I'm thinking clearly, but in the mean time, I just want to clarify, you're telling me I'm using all the wiring per the instructions, except I'm cutting off the switch, and using one of those wires.

I know how to figure out which pin in the accessory connector which is connected to the acc switch, I found the diagram for that.

But you're saying cut off the switch, and connect one of the wires to the acc connector. That still leaves me w/ the white power wire, which you'd told me to connect directly to the battery. What about the old red trigger wire in the fog light harness, the one they wanted me to connect to the low beam light? If I cut the switch out, does that make the red wire irrelevant, or does it still get connected to something? This is what I mean when I say I have 'extra' wires that haven't been accounted for in the explanations, I've referred to this red wire several times, but I can totally understand it's hard to figure out what I'm saying sometimes w/ all this text and no visual of what I'm saying.

Like I said, I'll revisit this tomorrow or sometime soon, I just wanted to get out and ride today before it got too cold, and relax on the bike and forget about the lights for a few hours

 

Karz, I have been desperate to avoid getting in on this thread as it is clear you are not at all comfortable with doing this mod, and in this case the best option is to collar a mate that can help. This is, honestly, a really straightforward job. It is clear to me that the biggest problem at the moment is that you are not clear in your own mind as to what function each of the components perform in the system. I won't explain it now as this has been explained many times and in many different ways so my 2 bits won't help at all.

If you have a diagram that came with the lights then scan it and pm me and I will draw the info in for you. Alternatively, if there is a diagram or details on the web somewhere send me the URL and I will sort it from there.

If I can add one piece of advice at this late stage, if you remain in doubt, get some help. Forcing something like this will end up costing you more when you do finally get help...