07JKX

To keep it short... i bought a new bumper that does not accomodate my factory fogs. I attempted to wire in some Pilot's and one of the lights will not turn on. It seems to flicker a couple times and then gives up. Is there a wattage problem?? The lights are 12V 55 Watt... and I have hooked them into the factory fog cables for use with the steering column switch.

Any help that anyone can offer would be greatly appreciated!

venom

Trying to wire anything to those leads makes the computer angry
I ended up using the positive wire from the factory harness to kick a relay so I could wire the new lights straight to the battery
The factory leads can kick a relay without upsetting the computer but thats about all they seem to be good for.

07JKX

so is there any good way to run these lights so that my fogs function on my steering column switch??

i am decent at electrical jobs... but I may be a little fuzzy on some of the terminology.

bascially, i dont want a perfectly good (and installed) switch to go to waste.

dsy

use the wiring to the fogs to trigger a relay and you can run what ever you like off it.

WireTap

Just to clarify, are you using the factory wiring with the after-market lights? I am not really familiar with the lights you are using but all of the lights I have used came with their own wiring harness and relays that you could trigger with the steering column lead as dsy suggested. From your description it sounds like a connection problem; possibly a ground. This could be caused by voltage irregularities if it is the factory wiring since your new lights draw more current.

JackMac4

55watts is too much current. Thats why you're having issues. the factory fogs are around 35w, and are wired as such. Do a search, this has been discussed a few times.

07JKX

fair enough... i will just tuck the factory wires somewhere and run the rocker switch that came with the kit.

scootrrydr

Im pretty sure everyone is trying to tell you, you can use the factory fog switch to turn a relay on that lets you run your positive to the battery. Hell, I don't know if I explained it right.

wayland1985

Yes... they are just trying to tell you to do this:

1: Buy a relay (or use the one that came with your fogs, if it came with one)

2: Wire the factory fog light lead to the relay

3: Install fog lights with a new fused power line from the battery

4: Use your aftermarket fog lights like your stock fog lights

07JKX

i appreciate all the input... but apparently I am not as familiar with this type of project as I most likely should be.

After doing a bit a research... i have determined a "relay" takes a smaller amount of current and swirls it around via "electromagnet" to generate a larger amount of current... am I correct??

If so, where could I pick one up and for how much that would be suitable for this project? The lights came with a fused power line (15... i assume amps)

basically... i would like to attempt this b/c it would further my knowlegde of electrical systems... but I dont want to overload, set on fire, short circuit, or otherwise damage my vehicle. Maybe i should practice on a friends car when he is out of town???

Okay... i am going to go track wires... is there anything to look for as the"factory fog light lead" is concerned. Will I need to wire it in any particular location or just make sure I run the lead into the relay?