Fog lights:
 

I bought some fog lights I've been wanting for my PU truck and they arrived without any additional wiring or switch. All good, they were cheap and I don't mind wiring them. Easy job.

My plan was to wire the positive directly to the batteries of the truck, which are about 12" away from where the lights will be mounted, and then wire the ground through a toggle switch on the lower dash, with maybe an inline fuse on the positive side.

Any flaws in this plan? I never wire added accessories through existing wiring or switches, it's so much easier and safer to wire them directly. TIA. :cool:

The lights:
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601651569.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601651569.jpg

I can double check but almost certain that they are 55w bulbs.

Not sure about inspection in your state but some states don't allow the fogs to work when high beams are illuminated. May want to consider wiring them through the headlight switch with a relay.

This truck sits in CA. most of the time and is in WI now. The fogs would only be used out on the road in bad weather conditions. Not sure how I would ever get cited for how they are wired(?) There is no vehicle inspection as you describe in any state I reside in.

There is zero chance of wiring them through the factory headlight switch, (which would not even prevent them from being used w high beams). They would have to be wired through the turn signal stalk, that controls high/low beam.

EDIT: Which is probably wired through headlight switch(?)...I see what you mean.

Any input on my wiring plan? Is it solid from an electrics standpoint? :)

I would use a relay with the low beams. There are kits out there for it.

You should use a relay in the circuit. Plenty of wiring diagrams online to look at. Google aftermarket fog light wiring diagram.

I would have thought you'd want a relay so you don't have the current going through the switch, but maybe I'm wrong.

I would want a way to turn the lights completely off, not necessarily so they are always on when the low beams are on, although that's not as big a deal with fogs as it is with driving lights.

Yes, I wasn't clear in my post. It also can have them unpowered when the headlights/parking lights go off so you don't forget.

Fuse it. Beyond that, whatever you want to do.

I would be inclined to use a relay driven from something that powers off with the key, but a decent switch will handle that current no problem.

There is a diagram that came w the lights, I just don't want to wire them through my factory light switch. They need their own switch no matter what, unless I want them on at all times. I drive w my headlights on during the day up here in the woods.

Do you mean the toggle or flip switch I plan on installing for the lights? I was planning on having only the ground wired through that switch. Is that the same as having power going through it, as far as amperage to the switch? I'm not an electrical genius but I always wire things like this in their own circuit w a fuse. Can't go wrong that way.

These fog lights absolutely need their own switch, independent of the factory headlight switch. Are you guys recommending that they are wired through the headlight switch solely to have some sort of *lockout* function where they cut off w high beams? :confused:

Oh yeah, they're yellow. :)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601655612.jpg

The aftermarket switch for the fog lights would be used to energize the relay. You dont want current for the fog lights going through that switch. Headlight switch is not involved at all

A relay typically has four terminals

1. 12V from battery
2. Ground
3. Switch or trigger wire
4. Output... (lights, etc..)

Ok, I'll get a relay. Thanks.

( with maybe an inline fuse on the positive side.) You absolutely need to put a fuse on the positive side battery rated to the wire, and right at the battery.

I’m at the auto parts store right now and don’t know which switch or wire to buy. I did get a relay w the correct terminals according to instructions that came w lights.

They sell a 15 amp switch, 20/25/30 also. I have no idea what it needs. Also, what gauge wire and how big of an inline fuse? The wires coming from the lights are surprisingly wimpy, maybe 18 gauge?

Thanks.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601659042.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601659042.jpg

How many watts are the bulbs? 60w 100w?

If you are using a relay a 15A switch is fine, it is only turning on the relay, a 20A relay should be fine for up to 2 x 100w bulbs. I think 12ga wire should be good, 20A fuse. You can use the smaller wire for the switch to turn on the relay but put a 5A fuse on it.

The best way would be a relay for each side and then use smaller fuses and smaller wire size,

Here’s a really ugly diagram I made just for you

-5 prong normally closed relay. Don’t say I never helped a fellow Pelican. Low load on toggle switch. Grounded.

87 to bat +

30. positive (+) on light, neg on light to any ground

85, + switched power

86- toggle switch to ground.

87a- leave open.

Ur welcome.

rjphttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601661597.jpg

Thanks. The relay I bought, (matches the one in the instructions), only has 4 connections. 30/85/86/87. So probably the same schematic, I'll check.

Should be fine. when 85 sees power, 86 sees ground (or vice versa) then 30 and 87 will connect.

- so 30 to the + on light, 87 straight to bat. 86, should go to toggle which has ground on the other side.

85 is switched power (+) or bat (+) if you want the lights to go on anytime regardless of key.

rjp

PS I think I got 87 and 87a mixed up in the diagram. On a 5 pin, how it is wired in my ****ty drawing is correct.

If you got a 4 pin, the center should be blank. Hope that's the case. if so, same thing :)

rjp

Thanks, I think that the bulbs are only 55w. (Just verified).

I was looking up the state regulations wrt fog lights and now I might have another problem. The maximum height mounted is 30" and my 4x4 F-250, (stock/not lifted), puts them slightly higher if mounted on top of bumper, where I want them. There isn't anywhere else on the front of vehicle to mount these particular lights, other than on a light bar, which of course would be higher.

That got me wondering about all of the lights I see on light bars on the roofs of Jeeps and 4x4 trucks, or even on top of hoods, etc. What the what? :confused:

In CA (IDK about other states) auxiliary lights are more or less prohibited no matter where they are mounted. The fix is to use the covers while on the public roads.

That won't help you though. I think you'd like the convenience of not having to get out of the cab to remove the covers if the weather is so bad as to need them. The plus side of using the covers is that the lights are protected from breakage, which happens more than you think.

If you put the lights on top of the bumper you will be violating the 30" rule but but by how much? It would take a real dick of a cop to pull you over for that aspect alone. You'd need to shine them right in his eyes and then he will maybe write you, but it will be primarily for using the lights, not the couple of inches over regulations. IOW, the fix-it ticket for those types of lights is to remove them altogether. Unless you can somehow convince the authority that the covers are ALWAYS in place.

I think the poachers that run these pointed somewhere but directly down the road have given auxiliary lights a bad rep.

You don't see the in SoCal so much. Most here are posers, not poachers.

I'd probably have the covers on all the time unless I was using them in fog or snow, maybe really bad rain.

Funny thing happened on the way to installing them just now...I mocked them up on the bumper and I'm getting cold feet about mounting them on such a clean, stock truck. It's 22 years old w 233k miles but dang is it still pretty.

I might put them on my RV instead but it has a pretty face as well. Thoughts? :)

Truck:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601672123.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601672123.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601672123.jpg

The RV:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1601672216.jpg

My same vintage Excursion had the fogs on either side of the license plate, was a bit of a cleaner look I think.

Not thinking they would look good on the RV.

Thanks, I agree. The RV should have '80s style rectangular ones like a 911SC hanging below the bumper if anything.

The Ford Super Duties and Excursions had small round fogs built into the bumpers starting a couple years after my truck was built, on either side of the license plate. Is that what you had or bigger ones?

my first thought, when reading your original post. was this sounds like Lucas.

i don't know much about auto wiring, but something sounded wrong.

Correct, the small square ones from the factory and I agree on the RV.

I’ve had fog lights on a bunch of different cars and I’ve never found them to be of much use.

I know what you mean but I thought that some huge yellow ones might have some benefit in a snow storm or fog. They would make me more visible to others, if nothing else.

Now, I don't want to put them on. That's the beauty of Amazon, though. Free returns w no hassle. :)

The lower they are the better for fog.