brianbarber Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 I've come into a set of Bosch fog lights. How do you folks control your auxillary lighting? Do you install extra switches or wire it into the existing circuitry. I'm thinking that the parking little-used light switch on top of the steering column is a good candidate for these lights. What do you think? BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nkx Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 ive always been a fan of relays and aux switches. is this a daily driver or a toy? you might make a switch panel if youre planning on adding other lights or accessories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbarber Posted October 6, 2006 Author Share Posted October 6, 2006 It's a daily driver, and I don't plan on adding any more lights. There's a ton of open fields around our place and the visibility can be poor 3 seasons out of 4 (fog in Spring and Summer, blowing snow in Winter). BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 The factory fog light's (dealer option) used a switch that looked like the rear wiper switch - it goes into the blank under the left side of the column. I would put a rocker switch there. It should control a relay for the fogs. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86ruguy Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 i agree on the location of switch...that is where mine is. also concur on relay use as your aux. lights are going to need more amps than the switch will handle. i have mine wired so that they get switched power from the parking light side of the HL switch, then run that to the switch for your aux. lights, then to No.85 on your relay. lights get battery hot all the time AT THE RELAY and then the relay turns them on when you turn on your park lights. wiring the relay: # 30...batt positive #87...lights (could also be 87 A) #85...switched power #86...ground good luck and happy no shorts. dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davalos Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Pretty sure you have all of the wiring in place already - you might want to check that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Pretty sure you have all of the wiring in place already - you might want to check that. not on anything I've ever owned... definately wire it through a relay, unless you like fire in your car I like putting my switches over near the radio, make for very convenient access. the stock trim panel leaves room for one or 2 right next to the radio. or, if you have an aftermarket deck with dash adapter, there's a panel underneath it that can easily fit 5 or 6.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Pretty sure you have all of the wiring in place already - you might want to check that. No - I can tell you from experience of removing said factory wireing (both for dealer installed fogs, and entire wireing harnesses) that no wireing exists for fog lights. The wireing/relay/switch came as part of the fog light kit, and was spliced into the existing power supply to the fuse panel, and to the headlight switch harness. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davalos Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 No - I can tell you from experience of removing said factory wireing (both for dealer installed fogs, and entire wireing harnesses) that no wireing exists for fog lights. The wireing/relay/switch came as part of the fog light kit, and was spliced into the existing power supply to the fuse panel, and to the headlight switch harness. GD Hmm ... that's weird. I'll have to look again - when I switched from the lights that were there to the new lights I bought, I was prepared to do a bunch of wiring & drilling, etc. I've inistalled lots of these. But it was all in-place, and in the carriers, etc. Usually, I can see if someone has gotten out the drill. Same thing with the mirrors - I have non-power mirrors, and when I switched them, I noticed the wiring was in there - just not connected to anything. Interesting. Is some of this stuff dealer-installed pre-delivery?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hmm ... that's weird. I'll have to look again - when I switched from the lights that were there to the new lights I bought, I was prepared to do a bunch of wiring & drilling, etc. I've inistalled lots of these. But it was all in-place, and in the carriers, etc. Usually, I can see if someone has gotten out the drill. Same thing with the mirrors - I have non-power mirrors, and when I switched them, I noticed the wiring was in there - just not connected to anything. Interesting. Is some of this stuff dealer-installed pre-delivery?? yep, power mirrors was a factory option, so it's integrated into the harness. but fog lights was dealer installed. if you already had them, the wiring will be there, but if you didn't, it won't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted October 8, 2006 Share Posted October 8, 2006 Hmm ... that's weird. I'll have to look again - when I switched from the lights that were there to the new lights I bought, I was prepared to do a bunch of wiring & drilling, etc. I've inistalled lots of these. But it was all in-place, and in the carriers, etc. Usually, I can see if someone has gotten out the drill. Same thing with the mirrors - I have non-power mirrors, and when I switched them, I noticed the wiring was in there - just not connected to anything. Interesting. Is some of this stuff dealer-installed pre-delivery?? Actually - here's a recent thread where I sold a complete dealer fog setup - there's pics of the harness. It's 100% seperate from the factory harness, and splices into three wires under the dash. No drill is required - the wires run through the same holes in the firewall and fender that the factoy loom runs through. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=56335 GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbarber Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 I just picked up a set from the surplus aisles at Princess Auto. (Canadians will know what I mean.) The kit has everything I need, except for a relay - lights, mounting hardware, wiring harness, illuminated switch, and even instructions. Does anyone out there have a Subaru fog light switch in their junk pile? I'd like the dash to look factory if at all possible. One more thing... What fuse did you folks use when you installed your lights - an unused fuse or one on an existing circuit? I'm inclined toward using an existing circuit to help with troubleshooting. Thanks, BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eponodyne Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I've always wired into a blank circuit just for the ease of troubleshooting later on. Interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soobscript Posted October 23, 2006 Share Posted October 23, 2006 I used one of the plastic blanks to mount a switch. Spliced into the lighting harness to the switch. Switch activates independent fused relay. So parking lights or any other beams + switch on = fogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianbarber Posted October 23, 2006 Author Share Posted October 23, 2006 I've always wired into a blank circuit just for the ease of troubleshooting later on. Interesting. It's the same principle as wiring a light fixture on the same circuit as your refrigerator. If the fridge stops running and the light still works, then the circuit is not the problem. The wiring in my old Mercury Topaz was the same - the horn and some of the lights (but I really can't remember) would be on the same circuit; therefore, if the lights stopped working, but I could still honk the horn, then I could eliminate the fuse and everything else on the circuit. BB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.