Fog Light secondary switch wiring

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Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 7:12 pm

I apologize if this is easy or already posted, or wrong forum.
I swear I searched and I couldn't find what I was looking for....

So, I have an 06 (post facelift) JDM Leggy Spec B.

I want to wire up a secondary switch. Specifically a toggle switch, hooked up to the battery, and then the fogs.

So I want the stock switches to all work normally, and, if I hit the toggle switch, they turn on as well.

So the stock switches require the key turned on, and parking lights to be on for the fogs to work too, and my secondary toggle switch would require nothing. Just hit the switch and they turn on.



My thought to accomplish this in the easiest way possible, was to run a toggle switch from the battery and splice it into the fog light wiring. But I don't know a ton about electricity, so I was worried the voltage might run back up the stock wire and cause issues. I don't know if that is even a thing, just a thought.

Any ideas?
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby tom_kauf » Thu Aug 31, 2017 8:03 pm

Your best bet is using a relay 8) . Like you said, you don't want to affect the stock lights. So if you splice into the wire that goes to the factory lights, that can be your signal wire for the relay (which doesn't draw much power). And you can run a wire from the battery via a good sized switch (that can handle the current draw of the fog lights), to the main switching contacts of the relay, and then to the aftermarket lights.

Let me know if you need any more info.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:00 pm

tom_kauf wrote:Your best bet is using a relay 8) . Like you said, you don't want to affect the stock lights. So if you splice into the wire that goes to the factory lights, that can be your signal wire for the relay (which doesn't draw much power). And you can run a wire from the battery via a good sized switch (that can handle the current draw of the fog lights), to the main switching contacts of the relay, and then to the aftermarket lights.

Let me know if you need any more info.



Thanks for the reply!

So I am only using the stock fog lights, no aftermarket lights right now.

I would like two switches to turn on the fog lights.
The stock light stalk? (Unsure of the name)
And then a secondary switch.
So if one OR the other is on, the Fog Lights will turn on.

Sorry if I didn't make that clear.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby tom_kauf » Thu Aug 31, 2017 9:53 pm

No problem.
Ah ok, I understand now. So I guess your car already has the wiring for the fog lights. And you just want to add the 2nd switch to control them without needing the switch on the stalk.

So you can just run a wire from the battery via a switch, to the fogs like you suggested. But to prevent any current running back into the stock wiring like you mentioned, I'd use a diode (just make sure it can handle the current required).

But maybe someone else can suggest a better solution.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:50 pm

Well now I'm going to go learn what a diode is and how it functions lol
Thanks!
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby Lane » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:41 am

I hope your battery health is good too.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:33 pm

Lane wrote:I hope your battery health is good too.



Why?
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Fri Sep 01, 2017 7:36 pm

Okay so I did some research in diodes, and then searched on Amazon for awhile and all I can find is these really thin little wires with a diode on them... I can't believe that tiny thing is all I need?

Any Amazon links would be appreciated. Am I looking at the right thing?
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby tom_kauf » Fri Sep 01, 2017 8:22 pm

Yeah, a diode is a small Electrical Component (usually cylindrical black body) and wires on either end. There are of course Diodes that can only handle a current that's far too low for your fog lights. But there are bigger ones that can handle a lot of current. Is 10Amps enough? Maybe not, but eg a 10A10 Diode can handle 10A. Diodes that can handle eg 30A often come in a rectangular TO220 case. They're still only about 1.5cm in size, but can be mounted to a small heat-sink or metal part of the car to help with heat dissipation.
Find out how much current the Fog lights pull, and go from there to see what you need. The fog light fuse is probably the best bet - the fuse rating will be beyond the max current limit of what the fog lights will pull.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby Lane » Sat Sep 02, 2017 5:29 am

ZackaryHenry1 wrote:
Lane wrote:I hope your battery health is good too.



Why?


Because it sounds like you want to be able to turn them on when the car is off, key out?

It will be easy to forget and leave them on leading to a flat battery, just something to be mindful of.
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby ZackaryHenry1 » Sun Sep 03, 2017 2:23 pm

Lane wrote:
ZackaryHenry1 wrote:
Lane wrote:I hope your battery health is good too.



Why?


Because it sounds like you want to be able to turn them on when the car is off, key out?

It will be easy to forget and leave them on leading to a flat battery, just something to be mindful of.


If you could see how insanely bright these LEDs are, you would know there's no way you could forget lol It's like a small sun coming out of the car haha
It's just for shows/meets so i don't have to leave the key in it.
I will be hooking up a second switch for the halos too eventually.


Other news,

I went to a local electronics shop, and went over what I wanted with the guy there, incredibly smart guy.
He said I didn't even need the diode, just a fuse from the battery to the switch for safety.
So I did a quick test, (I had the bumper off so I could put in a resistor for the new LED turn signals hyperflash issue)

Took a wire, tapped into the fog light positive -> To the switch -> to a fuse -> to the battery

Hit the switch, and to my surprise, not only did that foglight turn on, but they both did lol

Now I just have to actually put the wiring in appropriately and it will be done. ^_^

Thanks for the help all!
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Re: Fog Light secondary switch wiring

Postby tom_kauf » Sun Sep 03, 2017 5:21 pm

Awesome, that's good news!
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