How to Wire Emergency Vehicle Lights

Emergency lights for any vehicle can be wired in quickly, even if it's dark

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Set of Two wire Magnetic Emergency lights
• 2 lengths of wire for each light, long enough to reach the fuse block
• 2 lengths of wire for each light, long enough to reach a good ground
• ground screw or bare sheet metal and a self-tapping screw
• washer
• test light with probe
• electrical splices
• electrical tape

1. Simple Rule: It takes power and ground to make anything electrical work.
   Consult the packaging of your emergency lights for the size wire required, if it is not supplied. Purchase wire at any auto parts store.
   Some lights come prewired with aligator clamps that attach directly to the battery; red to positive, black to negative. If the lights didn't come pre-wired, go to step two.

2. Provide power to the lights through a wire that is energized at all times, like the hazard lights, cigarette lighter, or a positive battery feed for an amplifier so the lights won't go out when you turn off the ignition. (The wire must provide 12 volts to operate the emergency lights.) Looking at the lengend on the fuse panel, locate the wire you need. Probe the wire with the test light to make sure there is current present with the ignition off. Splice your emergency light wires in, tape the splice and connect to your lights.

3. Ground the lights: Provide a path back to the battery through the ground wire with a ground screw attached to sheet metal, an engine bracket or the negative battery terminal itself, and attach it securely. If you have a good ground, the lights will come on. Some emergency lights flash automatically using mini circuit breakers, and some are static. The ones that flash don't drain the battery as fast.

4. Move the vehicle as soon as possible to avoid discharging the vehicle's battery. To stop the emergency lights from flashing temporarily, disconnect the negative battery cable.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a flashlight with fresh batteries in your car, in case you have to do this in the dark!
• Use extreme caution when making roadside installations at night, the risk of being struck by a passing car is higher. Stay way off the shoulder, use flares and reflective emergency alerts to warn approaching cars, and work from the protected side of the car.

[copperworks]

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