Fog Light Wire Install
#1
12-31-2009, 04:27 PM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
Fog Light Wire Install
I am installing new fog lights in my accord. It is a 97 Special Edition Accord 4 door. I have everything hooked up on my car except the ignition wire. Any one know where this goes??? I can't find the hot ignition wire in the accord. Somewhere under the steering wheel...grrr
What is the point of it anyways. Is it really necessary. Is it just so I can only turn my fogs on while the ignition is turned on? Can't i just run a wire to my yellow wire and connect it to my battery to bypass this and allow me to turn my fogs on with out the ignition turned on?
Help please?
It is the yellow wire below... I need to connect it to the hit ignition wire in my accord. Have no idea where this wire is.
What is the point of it anyways. Is it really necessary. Is it just so I can only turn my fogs on while the ignition is turned on? Can't i just run a wire to my yellow wire and connect it to my battery to bypass this and allow me to turn my fogs on with out the ignition turned on?
Help please?
It is the yellow wire below... I need to connect it to the hit ignition wire in my accord. Have no idea where this wire is.
Last edited by AFTricker; 12-31-2009 at 04:29 PM.
#2
12-31-2009, 04:45 PM
yes, the ignition wire is at the steering column, and at the fuse box, and at the radio, etc. most of the electronics in the car are powered by the ignition wire (directly or indirectly). it will be a larger awg wire (10-8awg) at the steering column and the rear of the fuse box. it will be smaller (16-12awg) elsewhere, depending on the load and fusing. wherever you tap it, you MUST put an inline fuse, sized for the load or the wire to your fog lights (whatever is smaller). make sure to not tap it down stream of a smaller fuse, or you'll pop the fuse when both foglights and whatever accessory is operating at the same time.
I would just tap a fuse at the fuse box, you can use a volt meter to determine which fuses are ignition powered (if you don't have a manual for the car). You can buy fuse taps at any autoparts store. Choose a fuse that is higher amperage, or one that is empty, or not used (like a sunroof option that wasn't installed, etc.). Assuming your fog lights are less than 100W combined, it's not a great deal of additional load.
don't wire the fog lights to the battery directly - if you leave them on (and you will at some point) it will drain your battery fairly quickly.
your radio has an ignition wire. you can also use a relay, power the relay coil with the ignition, and use a wire from teh battery as your fog light power. this way, you aren't adding any substantial load to the car's wiring, but still getting control. i would do this if you can't find one otherwise. just tap the ignition power wire behind the radio, add an inline fuse, and wire it to the relay coil terminal. ground the coil. then run a wire to the battery (fused at the battery for the foglights) to the relay contact. finally, wire from the fog light to the relay contact.
from here, you can also include a switch between the ignition tap and the relay coil, this will act as your override off switch (since they will come on with the car automatically). this way, they are not always running during the day, but just when you want them at night. i recommend a lit switch so you have visual indication during the day if they are on or off.
I would just tap a fuse at the fuse box, you can use a volt meter to determine which fuses are ignition powered (if you don't have a manual for the car). You can buy fuse taps at any autoparts store. Choose a fuse that is higher amperage, or one that is empty, or not used (like a sunroof option that wasn't installed, etc.). Assuming your fog lights are less than 100W combined, it's not a great deal of additional load.
don't wire the fog lights to the battery directly - if you leave them on (and you will at some point) it will drain your battery fairly quickly.
your radio has an ignition wire. you can also use a relay, power the relay coil with the ignition, and use a wire from teh battery as your fog light power. this way, you aren't adding any substantial load to the car's wiring, but still getting control. i would do this if you can't find one otherwise. just tap the ignition power wire behind the radio, add an inline fuse, and wire it to the relay coil terminal. ground the coil. then run a wire to the battery (fused at the battery for the foglights) to the relay contact. finally, wire from the fog light to the relay contact.
from here, you can also include a switch between the ignition tap and the relay coil, this will act as your override off switch (since they will come on with the car automatically). this way, they are not always running during the day, but just when you want them at night. i recommend a lit switch so you have visual indication during the day if they are on or off.
Last edited by keep_hope_alive; 12-31-2009 at 04:52 PM.
#3
12-31-2009, 05:01 PM
Unregistered
Posts: n/a
yes, the ignition wire is at the steering column, and at the fuse box, and at the radio, etc. most of the electronics in the car are powered by the ignition wire (directly or indirectly). it will be a larger awg wire (10-8awg) at the steering column and the rear of the fuse box. it will be smaller (16-12awg) elsewhere, depending on the load and fusing. wherever you tap it, you MUST put an inline fuse, sized for the load or the wire to your fog lights (whatever is smaller). make sure to not tap it down stream of a smaller fuse, or you'll pop the fuse when both foglights and whatever accessory is operating at the same time.
I would just tap a fuse at the fuse box, you can use a volt meter to determine which fuses are ignition powered (if you don't have a manual for the car). You can buy fuse taps at any autoparts store. Choose a fuse that is higher amperage, or one that is empty, or not used (like a sunroof option that wasn't installed, etc.). Assuming your fog lights are less than 100W combined, it's not a great deal of additional load.
don't wire the fog lights to the battery directly - if you leave them on (and you will at some point) it will drain your battery fairly quickly.
your radio has an ignition wire. you can also use a relay, power the relay coil with the ignition, and use a wire from teh battery as your fog light power. this way, you aren't adding any substantial load to the car's wiring, but still getting control. i would do this if you can't find one otherwise. just tap the ignition power wire behind the radio, add an inline fuse, and wire it to the relay coil terminal. ground the coil. then run a wire to the battery (fused at the battery for the foglights) to the relay contact. finally, wire from the fog light to the relay contact.
from here, you can also include a switch between the ignition tap and the relay coil, this will act as your override off switch (since they will come on with the car automatically). this way, they are not always running during the day, but just when you want them at night. i recommend a lit switch so you have visual indication during the day if they are on or off.
I would just tap a fuse at the fuse box, you can use a volt meter to determine which fuses are ignition powered (if you don't have a manual for the car). You can buy fuse taps at any autoparts store. Choose a fuse that is higher amperage, or one that is empty, or not used (like a sunroof option that wasn't installed, etc.). Assuming your fog lights are less than 100W combined, it's not a great deal of additional load.
don't wire the fog lights to the battery directly - if you leave them on (and you will at some point) it will drain your battery fairly quickly.
your radio has an ignition wire. you can also use a relay, power the relay coil with the ignition, and use a wire from teh battery as your fog light power. this way, you aren't adding any substantial load to the car's wiring, but still getting control. i would do this if you can't find one otherwise. just tap the ignition power wire behind the radio, add an inline fuse, and wire it to the relay coil terminal. ground the coil. then run a wire to the battery (fused at the battery for the foglights) to the relay contact. finally, wire from the fog light to the relay contact.
from here, you can also include a switch between the ignition tap and the relay coil, this will act as your override off switch (since they will come on with the car automatically). this way, they are not always running during the day, but just when you want them at night. i recommend a lit switch so you have visual indication during the day if they are on or off.
It is wired to my battery. I have the fuse in and the relay. It is hooked to my fog lights. Al grounded. In the car is grounded the red wire is the wire attached to my fog lights which are attached to my battery. black wire in the picture is ground. The bigger black wire is attached to the switch. Yellow needs to go to hot ignition wire. I will see if I can see what you described in my car. Thank you again for the response.
#4
12-31-2009, 05:25 PM
the switch could be on either the battery wire (yellow) or the ignition wire (red). if you want to install this under the hood, you would put the switch on the ignition wire before you run it through the fire wall to the relay.
my color codes are aftermarket standard colors. yellow is constant 12V, red is ignition 12V, black is ground. i recognize your wire colors are a bit different.
I just saw you responded, so this might not be as useful to you. i'm going to leave it for anyone else with the same question.
Last edited by keep_hope_alive; 12-31-2009 at 05:30 PM. Reason: saw your response.
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