For those who have wanted to install off-road lights on their trucks but haven't, here is step by step install using Baja Designs Soltek wiring harness. This harness is extremely easy to install. Out of the box it’s setup to activate two auxiliary lights via your high beam switch and can be done in less than a hour. This makes it California compliant and also means you do not need to run any wiring through you fire wall. For those who did not know, you can legally run two auxiliary lights, with out covers,
as long as they can only be activated by your high beam switch. Some cops do not know this so just in case you do get pulled over, here is the CA vehicle code and link to the dmv website. I wish I had this harness a few years back on my Tacoma when I was fined for having no covers.
24402. (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 16 inches nor more than 42 inches. Driving lamps are lamps designed for supplementing the upper beam from headlamps and may not be lighted with the lower beam.
V.C. Section 24402 - Auxiliary Driving and Passing Lamps
The reason why the lights need to be wired via of your high beam switch is so you don’t have to fumble around your dash when you need to turn them off. IMHO it's so much better wiring your lights this way. It's easier to install and easier to turn them on/off with
If you do not want to wire them off the high beam switch there is a toggle switch option. It's a separate harness that plugs directly into the Soltek harness. When using the toggle switch harness remember that to be legal you will need to cover the lights when ever you are on the street. There is also a splitter harness if you would like to add an additional lights. Legally you can only run two lights.
To start here is a picture of the basic harness, switch kit and splitter harness.
First detach the ground cable(s) from the vehicle’s battery. From the Soltek harness attach the red fused ring terminal to the positive side of the battery. Attach the black ring terminal lead to the negative terminal or suitable grounding surface.
Now mount the relay to your firewall or inner fender. Make sure to mount it so that the wires are exiting the relay from the bottom. This will prevent water from getting into the relay and damaging it.
Next route the leads for the lights through the front radiator support. If you have Soltek lights simply plug the weather pac connectors from the harness into the lights. If you have other lights, I suggest cutting off your connectors and installing new weather pac connectors. Make sure to secure any excess wiring with zip ties. Be sure it can not be pinched, burned, crushed, or pulled too tight as this well lead to electrical failure.
To activate the lights you will need to determine in you will be using the optional toggle switch harness or the factory high beam wiring. If you are using the toggle switch you will need to find a suitable location on the dash for the toggle. Mount the switch and route the harness through the fire wall. If you look at the fire wall you can usually find a hole to push the harness through. Next plug the switch harness into the white three prong connector on the Soltek harness.
Now locate the short ring terminal extension provided with the switch kit.
This extension is used to ground the relay and insulate the exposed hot lead in the Soltek wiring harness when the vehicles’ high beam switch is not being used to trigger the lights. Attach the extension wires (yellow & black) to the yellow & black wire pair from the main Soltek harness. Attach the ring terminal from the extension to the chassis of the vehicle.
Now if you are doing it the legal way and using the high beam wiring to activate the lights you will need to attach the yellow and black wires to the wires plugging into your headlights. On a H4 or three prong bulb you will need to identify the positive high beam wire and the negative wire. Looking at the H4 connector from the
front the positive high beam wire should be the terminal on the left. The center upper terminal is usually the positive low beam wire and the negative the terminal on the right. On a single filament bulb you will have only two wires. Again determine what wires are positive and negative. Crimp the included splice connectors onto the wires and plug the yellow wire from the Soltek harness into the positive high beam wire. Plug the black wire into the negative headlight wire.
Lastly reattach your ground cable(s) to your battery and test you lights. If you wired them correctly the lights should come on with the high beams or by flipping the toggle switch. If you wired them to your high beams and they do not come it’s possible you plugged the yellow and black wires into the wrong wires. If you reverse polarity to these wires it will burn the relay and pop your headlight fuse. I found out the hard way and popped about five fuses before checking the relay.
Note that the white connector on the harness will not be used if you are not using the optional toggle switch harness.
Off-road light install using Soltek harness
2006 Double Cab 2x2
Linear Mode
