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Adding Auxilary fog lights

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S

shorn

Jedi Knight
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I am in the process of adding a pair of Lucas fog lights to my BJ8. Why? Becasue the previous owner put a badge bar on the car and it's kind of naked. Anyway, I am replacing the panel light switch with a head light switch that will control the panel lights in the mid position and the fog lights and panel lights in the down position. The load side of the new switch will run to a lucas relay and the relay will actually turn on the fog lights.
My question is where is the best place to get power for the lights themselves. I intend to fuse the power lead before it gets to the relay. I am thinking I could take it off the starter solenoid, which is coming directly from the battery. But would I be better off getting the lead elsewhere?
Thanks. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Actually, I just did this last weekend. After experimenting I found the best place, if you are using the main light high-beam dipper switch, is to use the power from the switch when it's in the on position two (both panal and auxilary). Run from switch to a relay post that requires power. Then you only have power to the relay when you need it. It will only work when you have the low beams on and will not efect the normal use of the head lamps when the new switch is off.
 
Tahoe,
That sounds like a great idea. Would you be overloading the dip switch or the wiring by adding the aux lights? Maybe it would be best to fuse the power before the dip switch.
 
Shorn," swiched power" to the lights can be obtained from either the starter solenoid or the fuse block's horn power circuit and which source you use is probably predicated upon where you plan on locating the relay.---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif
 
I tried to pick up power where you described but the power is always on unless you switch it with another switch it will be on with both high and low beams (that is the schmatic the relay came with). This way there is only power when the switch is in the bottom position. I used several fuses. Works perfectly.
 
I jumped into the dip switch low beam with a snap on wire connector. This supplies a signal to the relay, not a power draw exactly. Check NAPA for this relay and look at the schematic on the package for some ideas. I varied from their design only with the soarce of power. I added fuses too. Why not?
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/savewave.gif Thats right Tahoe Healey thats why you want to do it like Shorn did,adds the lights adds flexibility and does not require Hidden switches up under the dash.---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonono.gif You do not have to worry about the power always being on as it is only switched when the lights are activated,the relay requires two power sources. 1] Activation power from the light switch and 2] Unswitched power from the Horn circuit or the starter solenoid which powers the lights. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yesnod.gif
 
I believe Shorn did as I did and replaced the two position panel switch with a three position switch (like the light switch). The apparence is the same as original-nothing hidden under the dash). There is a lot less wire to run through the fire wall. When I researched it there seemed to be many ways to do it.
 
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