Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 Ive got a set that have the switch, 2 lights, and a lead that needs power, it has an inline fuse. How have you guys hooked up foglights or trail lights, where should I get power from, the ground is ok, right to the bumper, under the light. Any help is most-appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemsee Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 Strongly recommend using a relay, and using a better ground than the bumper. Also makes a difference if the switch is illuminated or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Author Share Posted January 6, 2007 Strongly recommend using a relay, and using a better ground than the bumper. Also makes a difference if the switch is illuminated or not. switch is illuminated, I can get a plain aluminum toggle switch, can I do a ground wire to the battery neg terminal? a relay, I really must sound dumb, but I'm learing as I go. what would this kind of relay look like? and where would I get one? Napa, carquest or Canadian Tire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STROKERMJ Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 In my experiences a switch is a switch, but the ground is key, I would select a better ground than the bumper more towards the frame. You should use a relay for the lights, here is a WEB SITEthat should help you wire the lights with a relay. You're gonna use a standard relay, that you can pick up at any auto parts store. A quick run down however would be this On a standard relay you will have 4 or 5 post's to connect to, 85, 86, 87, 87A, 30, not all relays come with the 87A post. Posts 87 and 30 are the load side(lights, fan etc) of the relay Posts 85 and 86 are a low current side i.e. power coming from switch You will wire a 12 volt source to leg 87 then the hot side of the lights to 30. Then the 12 volts coming from the switch will goto 85 then ground post 86 of the relay. STROKER MJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jared Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 here is a link to KC lights realy wiring diagram http://www.kchilites.com/faq/instructio ... arness.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aemsee Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 Most auto parts stores will have relays with a connector for them to spice in to. Also look for one that has a mounting tab to screw it to your inner fender or somthing. Illuminated switches are sometimes different. Some use a separate power wire, some just use the switched power, etc. If you go to a non illuminated switch, you can use B+ at the relay for power source and for switching part of the relay, and activate the relay with the ground wire running to your switch. That is just one less hot wire to run through the firewall. Also, do they need to be hooked up to your headlights in any way to satisfy local law? What wattage are they? If they are just 55w, no problem, but if they are over 100w, I would recommend using a heavier guage wire btwn the relay and the lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Author Share Posted January 6, 2007 Most auto parts stores will have relays with a connector for them to spice in to. Also look for one that has a mounting tab to screw it to your inner fender or somthing. Illuminated switches are sometimes different. Some use a separate power wire, some just use the switched power, etc. If you go to a non illuminated switch, you can use B+ at the relay for power source and for switching part of the relay, and activate the relay with the ground wire running to your switch. That is just one less hot wire to run through the firewall. Also, do they need to be hooked up to your headlights in any way to satisfy local law? What wattage are they? If they are just 55w, no problem, but if they are over 100w, I would recommend using a heavier guage wire btwn the relay and the lights. they're 55w, local law doesn't care about them, not as far as I know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 There is a spot (in my harness at least) that has is prewired for fog lights by the steering wheel underneath the dash insert. Less work for you on your part if you can make it work for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Author Share Posted January 6, 2007 There is a spot (in my harness at least) that has is prewired for fog lights by the steering wheel underneath the dash insert. Less work for you on your part if you can make it work for ya. Hrm. I was thinking about that. any certain colour wires to look for? Ive got my haydes manual, that may be of some use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 they're 55w, local law doesn't care about them, not as far as I know. Wattage doesn't matter. Under American law, fog lights MUST be wired such that they do not operate when the headlights are on high beam. I doubt that Canadian laws are different in this regard. All this means is that you don't take the 12 volts to the toggle switch from the battery or fuse panel, you tap the wire going to one of the low beam headlights. That's the simple way. If you want to be able to run the fogs with just parking lights (no headlights) and do it legally, then you need two relays and it gets more complicated. NOTE: DRIVING lights are the opposite of fog lights. Driving lights must be wired so that they operate ONLY with the high beams, and turn off when you dip to low beams or turn off the headlights. Again, I assume (always dangerous, I admit) that Canadian law is the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Author Share Posted January 6, 2007 they're 55w, local law doesn't care about them, not as far as I know. Wattage doesn't matter. Under American law, fog lights MUST be wired such that they do not operate when the headlights are on high beam. I doubt that Canadian laws are different in this regard. All this means is that you don't take the 12 volts to the toggle switch from the battery or fuse panel, you tap the wire going to one of the low beam headlights. That's the simple way. If you want to be able to run the fogs with just parking lights (no headlights) and do it legally, then you need two relays and it gets more complicated. NOTE: DRIVING lights are the opposite of fog lights. Driving lights must be wired so that they operate ONLY with the high beams, and turn off when you dip to low beams or turn off the headlights. Again, I assume (always dangerous, I admit) that Canadian law is the same. I do believe that these are driving lights, not fog lights, now that I think of it. They are extremely bright. Majorly bright. I just want then hooked up to a simple toggle switch as I don't use them unless I'm coming home from work at night, it gets extremely dark out there and always has low visibility. That or when I'm taking it offroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 Rob, you really need to know if they are driving lights or fog lights. If they are driving lights, you'll wear out the toggle switch in a week because you'll have to shut them off every time you meet an on-coming vehicle. That's why driving lights are wired to work with the high beams -- dim to low beams and the driving lights go off too. Even most factory fog lights are messed up. I hate living in a yuppie area because every dweeb with an Explorer or a Mustang or a BMW insists on driving with their fog lights on all the time, even though last night was the first fog we've seen in about two years. And the damned things are never aimed right, so they're blinding. I wanna borrow the Enterpsise's photon torpedo launcher for some of these twits ... and I ain't gonna set phasers on stun, either. Do it right or don't do it at all. It's not that much extra work and it may save you a ticket, an accident, or both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jared Posted January 6, 2007 Share Posted January 6, 2007 ^^ i don't think it really matters how you hook them up as long as its done right, and you have the ability to shut them off in high visibility situations, or when traffic is coming up. all my lights are wired off a constant 12v source. they can be used when the vehicle is on or off. i never ever have been hasseled by police yet becasue i only use them when there is no traffic on the road at night, or off road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 6, 2007 Author Share Posted January 6, 2007 Eagle, I'm going to take your word, and do it right. first I need to find out what is toying with me. Something has got to be shorting out and just sucking down all my power. I drove 40 miles today, and as I'm coming down my road, first gear and just coasting, everything went off. Radio, headlights, everything but the engine. How could I drive 40 damn miles, stop for an hour, start it back up, drive another 40 miles back and then in the last 8th of a mile, it does this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted January 7, 2007 Share Posted January 7, 2007 How could I drive 40 damn miles, stop for an hour, start it back up, drive another 40 miles back and then in the last 8th of a mile, it does this. It's gotta be some loose connection under the dash. Maybe something that your foot can kick when you go for the brake peddle? Ahhhhh ... The "real" ignition switch is not where you put the key into the steering column. There's an operating rod down the column from the key cylinder to the actual switch, which is near the base of the steering column. I have heard of those shorting out. See if you can get access to look that over carefully. If there's a loose or partially fried connection, maybe you're sporadically nudging it with your brake foot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 7, 2007 Author Share Posted January 7, 2007 How could I drive 40 damn miles, stop for an hour, start it back up, drive another 40 miles back and then in the last 8th of a mile, it does this. It's gotta be some loose connection under the dash. Maybe something that your foot can kick when you go for the brake peddle? Ahhhhh ... The "real" ignition switch is not where you put the key into the steering column. There's an operating rod down the column from the key cylinder to the actual switch, which is near the base of the steering column. I have heard of those shorting out. See if you can get access to look that over carefully. If there's a loose or partially fried connection, maybe you're sporadically nudging it with your brake foot. I had a rats nest of wires down by my brake pedal, which I moved outta the way, up into the dash. well, read my newest post in 'Alt Aftermath' thread and you'll see :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted January 8, 2007 Share Posted January 8, 2007 Here's an old post on how to wire fog lights in using the factory dash switch. It might work for you. I only use fogs on low beam: Okay, I've done this using most of my factory wiring on my 1991. The dash fog light switch gets input power on pin B (the VIO/WHT wire on my 91) from the headlamp dimmer switch. This is to prevent the fog lights from coming on when the high beams are on. Cut this wire and splice a fused 12V source which comes on with the ignition. Pin C (the BRN/WHT wire) on the switch is the output which goes to the fog light relay. If you don't have factory fog lights, you probably do not have a fog light relay. You can pick the BRN/WHT wire up on pin #10 of the 10-pin connector located in the left front of the engine compartment. Use your meter to identify it when your turn your fog light switch ON; you'll have 12V. Run a new wire from pin #10 to the coil side of a new auxillary relay. This will apply 12V to the relay coil to energise the relay. Of course you have to hook up the other pins of the aux relay too, which are normally pinned out like this: Pin 86: 12V from fog light switch to the coil Pin 85: Ground (other side of the coil) Pin 87: 12V relay contact input, NO, (I picked up my 12V on pin 6 of the 10-pin connector above, same way the factory did it) Pin 30: 12V relay contact (NC) output to your lights By using the aux relay you protect your dash fog light switch since all the amp draw from the lights goes through the relay contacts. You can run at least two 100W halogen lights or more, depending on the amperage rating of the aux relay you put in. Make sense? It's pretty easy if you have the factory wiring schematics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenosha Warrior Posted January 10, 2007 Author Share Posted January 10, 2007 I grabbed a relay and switch from a junk pontiac that was in the shop at school, wired it all up with ground and power connected to the battery, but how I did this, I got sneaky, I have the stock clamps, with the 'tightening nut', so I crimped circular connectors to the wire ends, did a western union to a 15a fused line for power and a western union for a ground wire. and looped the circular connectors over the little threaded rod, tightened down the nut and voila. As for mounting the switch, I just tie-wrapped it to my steering column as I don't care what it looks like at the moment haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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