electrical for fog lights

[tahoe healey]

I am installing the fog lights and the approprate relay. I am installing them so they go off when the high beams come on (California law). Obvious to use the high beam foot switch. Where is the best place to attach to it? My diagrams don't tell which color wire is to the low beam. Slider has been a great help but has connected his in a way I cannot use here. Has any one else had success California style. Also is there a proper color wire to use?
Thanks so much. These little projects would be much harder with out the support of this forum.

 

[Dave Russell]

[ QUOTE ]
I am installing the fog lights and the approprate relay. I am installing them so they go off when the high beams come on (California law). Obvious to use the high beam foot switch. Where is the best place to attach to it? My diagrams don't tell which color wire is to the low beam. Slider has been a great help but has connected his in a way I cannot use here. Has any one else had success California style. Also is there a proper color wire to use?
Thanks so much. These little projects would be much harder with out the support of this forum.

[/ QUOTE ]

There are probably several ways to do this. Another way to state it is that the fog lights can only be switched on when the low beams are on.

1- connect a new wire (18 gage) from the dip switch LOW beam, blue/red wire, to one side of a new DASH SWITCH.

2- Connect the other side of the new dash switch with a new wire (18 gage) to the coil of a new relay that has a CLOSED CONTACT WHEN ENERGIZED. (Called a normally open relay contact)

3- Connect the other side of the relay coil with a new wire (18 gage) to ground.

4- Connect a new 12 or 14 gage wire to a convenient 12v source, such as one of the brown wires at the voltage regulator, to one of the relay contacts.

5- Connect a new 12 or 14 gage wire from the other relay contact to both of the fog lamps.

6- Connect the other side of the fog lamps with a new wire to ground.

Any color wire that you wish is ok. You can carry through the existing colors if you wish. The relay contact should be capable of handling about 15 amps of resistive load.
D

 

[vagt6]

Here's a link to an excellent tutorial on lighting electrics: https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/tech.html

And another. . . https://www.team.net/sol/tech/light-up.html#wiring

I hope this is helpful, good luck with your lights!

 

[Bruce Bowker]

If you don't mind, what relay are you using and where did you get it? I will also be hooking up some lights soon.
Thanks

Bruce

 

[slider]

Bruce, For my aux. driving lamps I used a 15 amp relay I picked up at a local NAPA store. The relay system consiststs of two very small, sealed units. One for the supply/power side and one for the lamp side. They're relatively easy to install and small enought to get tucked out of the way. I believe it cost about $7.00. Make sure you use the proper amp in-line fuses.
Slider

 

[Bruce Bowker]

Slider - thanks for the information. There is NAPA store about 5 minutes from my cars so I will pick one up there.

Bruce

 

[Keoke]

Slider, Is the relay U Used appropriate for continuos duty. For this application I Chose the Overdrive relay,its designed for continous duty. I do not have my lights hooked up to concourse standards-On with low beam only.-FWIW--Keoke

 

[Michael Oritt]

[ QUOTE ]

Slider, Is the relay U Used appropriate for continuos duty. For this application I Chose the Overdrive relay,its designed for continous duty. I do not have my lights hooked up to concourse standards-On with low beam only.-FWIW--Keoke

[/ QUOTE ]

I guess you'll find out in time if that relay can carry the load of lights, but my recollection is that while the primary coil on the OD solenoid pulls substantial amperage this is just for a split second and the secondary coil only pulls one or two amps.

 

[Dave Russell]

Michael,
Right you are.
D

 

[Patton]

Timely topic, I just got a set of old Cibie TP45 7" driving lights. I know these aren't correct (and a possibly sacrilege), but I paid less than $50 for the pair, and will look good for now.

I still need to buy a mount. Does every mount them on the badge bar with mounts that every vendor sells? Or is there another option if I am not going to display badges?

 

[Michael Oritt]

[ QUOTE ]


I still need to buy a mount. Does every mount them on the badge bar with mounts that every vendor sells? Or is there another option if I am not going to display badges?"
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The 6" Lucas lights on my car were installed by the original owner on the front (splash) apron and despite my front-suspension upgrades the beam does not "bounce". That said, I believe that the apron on the 100, which is screwed directly into the front shroud, may provide a stiffer platform than on the sixes. BTW, he used period Lucas switches--one on either side of the dash flasher indicator--to control the lights. They are rotary switches and the knobs are shaped much like the hour-glass BN1 overdrive escutcheon plate. I've never seen them in any other car or Lucas catalogue but I know they were also installed prior to 1957 from photos that came with the car. Has anyone else ever seen these switches? I now use the left one for the auxiliary electric fan and the right one for both fog lights.

 

[Keoke]

Michael, the relay contacts are rated at ~ 15amps which is quite adequate to handle the lighting load. You are correct about the transient current it is 19 amps to be exact, however, the its steady state running current is only two amps why waste power????-Keoke

 

[tahoe healey]

Dave, that was great, very concise. Thank you. Where would be the best place to put fuses?

 

[Dave Russell]

in line with the new wire in step 4. preferably where it connects to the brown wires. Maybe 20 amp.
D

 

[tahoe healey]

Well, I got it all installed and it worked fine for 3 seconds. The old bulb blew. The other, a new one, works fine. Thank you all for the very valuable help. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif