Wiring Fog Lights

[pasoundtim]

Hello,

Sorry to be on here again asking for advice, but us newbie young surfers can be a little nervous, and need all the help we can get!, so i appologise in advance!

SO,

Just purchased some fog lights for the car, look quality!
However they will look even better once they work!

I no its been covered on here before, but ive read through and cant find a definative answer to my question.
How do i wire them?

im afraid if i dont know exactly what im doing im gonna set fire to my truck!!

Im only young but im good with electrics, i no i need to use a relay, but how can i incorperate the main beam switch to the circuit?
i have four lights, two i want to run off the main beam only, they are 7" 55w halogen bulbs on the bull bar, but still with a switch in the cab to turn them off.
and the other two are square 55w halogens, which will be mounted lower down so as to use just as front fog lights with a switch in the cab.

Is this a big job, and two bigger task for me??
With step by step instructions i should be ok.
Anyone offer any help??

Many Thanks

Tim

[marky]

The HEADLIGHT wiring on the SURF may not handle extra lights. Better off wiring through a relay & switch from the battery.

[dirtydog]

you can use a wire a sensor to the relay though surely? I hope so as this is what I need to do at somepoint.
I will try and have a 3way switch if I can:
off
on
on with main beam... just need to work the wiring out.

[Silversurfer]

Wiring the fog lights is not a hard job but takes a bit of time to do it properly.

You say you have the lights but you don't mention relays etc. which both sets of lights should be wired through.
First thing - down to your local car accessories shop for an accessorie fuse box - Halfords or any decent auto electrical store will sell them. It should have a master fuse and whatever number of accessory fuses you require, if you can find a decent auto electrical place tell them what it is for and they will keep you right regarding fuse and cable size. Also you can purchase relay kits that have all the necessary wiring and diagrams you should need, I know Ring do them because thats what I used on mine.
The fuse box should wire directly to the battery with the master fuse close to the battery to protect the main accessory supply from the battery.

Main Beam Additional lights.
You will need to locate the main beam supply wire at whatever suitable point you can but will probably be easiest for you to identify it at will be one of the headlights. A Scotchlock connector will be the easiest way to pick up a feed from it, (not everyone likes them but used properly they are the easiest to use). The feed from the main beam will be used to operate the relay coil that controls the additional lights, the other side of the relay coil is generally earthed so that when you switch on main beam the relay operates and supplies the additional lights via their own fused supply. If you want to incorporate a switch to isolate the additional lights it is the feed from the main beam that you will need to take via the switch to the relay.
The supply for the foglights should be taken from the accessory fuse box - through the relay and then to the fog lights - the fog lights should then be suitably earthed. If you open up the fog lights it should be obvious which terminal (generally spade type terminals) is for the supply and which should be earthed.
One point I notice - why do you want to wire foglights onto the main beam - do you really mean spotlights ?
The two lower lights you mention to be used as foglights need to be supplied from the dip beam circuit to comply with the law which states that foglights may only be used with the vehicles dip beams - although if you incorporate a switch for them you could argue they are for off-road use only.
They can be wired in exactly the same way using a seperate feed and relay except the relay supply should be from the dip beam circuit.

Hope this helps - post again if you need anymore info

[pasoundtim]

Hi, thats great, its kinda what i thought, just needed it confirmed.

Yeah, the two light that will go on the main beam are spotlights, not fog lights.
Its the two square ones underneath that i want as fogs.
Didnt realise they were only for dipped beam.

So, just to clarify a couple of things.
What size fuses do i need?
Cable Amperage?
Any specific type of relay?
Will Halfords stock all these bits?


Many Thanks

Tim

[Silversurfer]

Each pair of lamps is going to take around 10amps - so fuse at 15amps and use 17amp wire for each light circuit.

(If you fused at 10amp the fuses would eventually degrade due to the heat of running at full load and eventually blow even though there isn't actually a fault so 15amp should give you a good safety margin without being over the top provided you have used cable to suit)

The accessory fuse box main fuse - say 30amps if the lights are all you are going to use with cable to suit which is going to be around 6mm csa.

Halfords should stock all of the above - but I would check around your local car accessory shops as Halfords are usually the most expensive. Most will sell virtually pre-wired relay kits which generally contain a relay/scotchlok connectors/spade terminals/switch and suitable wire although they are usually a bit tight on wire but you can generally buy 10mt reels of suitable cable.
Use a seperate relay kit for each pair of lamps seperately fused at the accessory fuse box. The relay kits generally have a wiring diagram in them but post again if you have any probs.

[pasoundtim]

Thats great,

thanks very much, i shall be off to town tomorrow!

Ill let you no how i get on.

Cheers

Tim

[Djandco]

Daft question, but on the centre doobry next to the rear window switch, there be a switch that states it is a fog light switch.
This doesnt do the rear fog lights, as the muppets who did mine fitted a switch in the middle of the dash to do the rear.
Mine also had holes on the front A bar for spots, but no fittings.
So, should there be a wire somewhere for the front fog lights??
I want to fill the holes!!!

[da SLUG man]

Daft question, but on the centre doobry next to the rear window switch, there be a switch that states it is a fog light switch.
This doesnt do the rear fog lights, as the muppets who did mine fitted a switch in the middle of the dash to do the rear.
Mine also had holes on the front A bar for spots, but no fittings.
So, should there be a wire somewhere for the front fog lights??
I want to fill the holes!!!

probably removed for the SVA or the previous owner wanted to keep them or just nicked between here and there!...

best off fitting new wiring so you know it's all good.

[Djandco]

probably removed for the SVA or the previous owner wanted to keep them or just nicked between here and there!...

best off fitting new wiring so you know it's all good.

Well, I was going to stuff a relay in etc, just to be on the safe side, but shirley there is a wire under the bonnet that the old ones were connected to.
Any thoughts where to look?

There are no loose ends near the front grill, well, none that I can see anyway.
Besides, it is dark out there!

[Chillitt]

and dont call him shirley!

[Dog_Book]

Well, I was going to stuff a relay in etc, just to be on the safe side, but shirley there is a wire under the bonnet that the old ones were connected to.
Any thoughts where to look?

There are no loose ends near the front grill, well, none that I can see anyway.
Besides, it is dark out there!

If you can come over to Nottingham some time i'll show you mine lol.Ive wired mine in myself doing it properly. Let me know.... come down the A50 etc

[pasoundtim]

Success!!!!

Just wored the driving lamps!

Work great!

Bit of a shock though (excuse the pun) but Halfords -

Were great!

Bought a kit for £11, after chatting to a bloke who seemed to no what he was talking about, and telling him what i wanted.

Had everything i needed.

Relay, iluminated switch, fuse, all wiring i needed and diograms.

Was great, took me a few hrs to fit, but hey im new to this!

They now work on the main beam only, but with a seprate switch that illuminates when on.

Just want to say thanks to anyone who posted to help.
Any if anyone else wants any advice i no exactly what to do now!!!

Thanks

Tim

[Djandco]

If you can come over to Nottingham some time i'll show you mine lol.Ive wired mine in myself doing it properly. Let me know.... come down the A50 etc

I used to do a lot of work over Dittinum, sorry, got a blocked nose.
Anyway, If the work comes off in melting mowburrys, I might pop up to say hello.
But that job has been on the books for a fair few months now!!!

[LuckyBstd]

I`ve got 2 spotlamps already positioned on my bullbar but they aren`t wired in.

I was hoping to just join them to the high beam wires but now I`ve read all this I`m too confused to even begin! I think I`ll just have to leave them as show cos electrics are not my strong point! Gutted

relays, fuse box, 15 amps, 6mm csa, scotchloks, relay coil????.....

might as well be speaking Swaheelee to me!!

Give me a spanner anyday!!