Wiring advice

[Henn28]

Wiring isn’t my strong suit, so any advice guys might have would be greatly appreciated. Not too much posted about adding driving lights (Pella, KC, etc.) that gets into specifics.

Since the ECS tuning light bar is now on and doing duty as an oil cooler mount, I decided to break down and add driving lights to the front. I hadn’t intended on going full, out of the closet overland, but the bar looks naked up there and I’m actually excited about the lights now that they are in my shop waiting to be installed. I went with 4” BC Ralley halogens because I think the size will be about right, and the kit came with a wiring harness.



That said, how and where to tap power for the switch side is my question. I think I’ll run the power for the actual lights from the jump post at the drivers side cowl. A fuse tap would be easiest for the switch power, but I don’t see anything logical to tap off of in the fuse box under the hood, or the box behind the glove box.

I do have the plug for the secondary air pump available since I yanked that system out. Am I right in thinking that the 12v side of that should be hot with the key on and the DME would control the pump by switching the negative, like so much else in the X5? If so, and assuming the recoding I had done didn’t kill the power all together to that system, I could just repurpose that 12v wire to run to my ashtray switch …maybe?

I have the ECS tuning ash tray switch box and a single switch on order.
https://www.ecstuning.com/b-ecs-part.../?pdk=AQEBAQEB

I also bought blank covers for the remaining holes. Since my 2 USB plugs for the kenwood are in the ashtray, ultimately I’d like to figure out a way to cleanly mount them into 2 of the remaining holes in the ECS switch box. This is when I wish I was a 3d printing guru!

[80stech]

I am assuming/hoping that you are using relay?? You could switch ground for the relay then no need to find switch power.

[EODguy]

What about using the cigarette lighter plug in the passenger footwell?

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[Henn28]

Hadn’t thought about switching the ground for the setup…did I mention electrical work isn’t my strong suit! I’ll also look at the cigarette lighter outlet. I always forget that is there! Thanks gents.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by Henn28

...That said, how and where to tap power for the switch side is my question. I think I’ll run the power for the actual lights from the jump post at the drivers side cowl. A fuse tap would be easiest for the switch power, but I don’t see anything logical to tap off of in the fuse box under the hood, or the box behind the glove box....

Do you have the glovebox flashlight in your X5? I didn't, but I did have the charging socket in my glovebox, so I hard-wired that switched circuit to trigger terminal #85 on the fan relay (Derale 16738), so I could either use the thermostastic switch or manual override to power-on my aftermarket fan.

I couldn't find a switched circuit underhood, so since that's the only one inside that I wasn't using, it was a simple choice. I suppose you could use an auxiliary power adapter to plug into (so the flashlight could be charged overnight, if you have one), but it was easy to tap into. Then, you could run the power wires beside your console to the switch panel, all hidden under the carpet trim.

[Henn28]

Great idea too. And already on the inside of the car as well. Thanks!