[taurus2000]

Hey, I've connected foglamps and just connected them to the battery like the instructions said. I have a problem with remembering to turn them off and I have to keep walking back down three flights of steps to turn them off. How do I connect these fog lamps to the headlamp relay so I can just turn the headlamps off and the fogs go off too, because I can remember those.

Thanks in the advance for the help!

 

[gtx2000]

Well if you used a relay like you suppose too you can wire the relay input to the parking lights and that would trigger the relay to turn on when the parking lights are on. If you didn't use a relay i suggest you do!

Anyways if you do not know how to wire a relay for this i will tell you how very simple.


Post 86 Brown Parking light wire found behind the parking lights
Post 85 Ground to the body of the car
Post 30 Input from battery (fuses of course with proper fuse)
Post 87 Output to Fog Lamps

If you still want a switch to control the lamps interrupt the parking light input to the relay with a switch mounted in the car

 

[Guest]

ohhh the joys of having Autolamp and that big bright "fog lamp" button on the dash....

 

[taurus2000]

Originally posted by gtx2000@Mar 2 2004, 11:52 PM
Well if you used a relay like you suppose too you can wire the relay input to the parking lights and that would trigger the relay to turn on when the parking lights are on. If you didn't use a relay i suggest you do!

Anyways if you do not know how to wire a relay for this i will tell you how very simple.


Post 86 Brown Parking light wire found behind the parking lights
Post 85 Ground to the body of the car
Post 30 Input from battery (fuses of course with proper fuse)
Post 87 Output to Fog Lamps

If you still want a switch to control the lamps interrupt the parking light input to the relay with a switch mounted in the car

I wired it like the instructions on the fog lamp kit said, which didn't include any relays. So do I need to go and buy a relay? Do they sell those at any auto parts store?

 

[sixfofalcon]

Originally posted by taurus2000@Mar 3 2004, 07:53 AM
I wired it like the instructions on the fog lamp kit said, which didn't include any relays.  So do I need to go and buy a relay?  Do they sell those at any auto parts store?

Yes. You can also wire Post 86 into any ignition-switched source at the fuse panel. That way the fog lights are automatically turned on/off with the ignition key. I'll probably do this, since I had to abandon my DRLs for the upgraded headlight harness. Then my aux driving lights will serve as DRLs.

 

[tmonster]

On my '96 LX the light switch pulls out when it is turned all the way on...on my dads dodge caravan it does the same thing, but turns on the fog lights. Is there contacts on our switches to use that as a switch for our fogs?

 

[eCarâ„¢]

If you use a SPDT (ON/OFF/ON) switch you could have a switch position that keeps them on, a position that keep them off, and a position that turns them on automatically with the parking lights (or anything else). Try this:

*** edit: fixed an incorrect label on the relay pins.

 

[Matthew Ebel]

Can this be used as a template for most kinds of fog/utility lights? I've got a couple of Pilot Amber lights (the usual $30 stuff you get at AutoZone) but I keep melting the switches. I bought a Pilot relay but don't know how to wire it... unless this diagram here is somewhat universal.

Pax,
Matthew

 

[eCarâ„¢]

Yep, that's pretty much universal.

It's just a diagram of how to turn a large load on and off by using a lower current signal wire and a relay.

In this diagram it shows a foglamp as the high load circuit. The low current signal comes from the parking lamps (for automatic) or the battery (constant on). The switch selects which signal to use (or neither).

You could replace the words "fog lamp" with anything that doesn't draw more current than your relay can handle (30A in this case). And the signal can come from whatever also (simple on/off switch, ACC power, etc.)

The reason you were burning up switches is, you were pullung all the current thru the switch. Switches (like typical auto rocker switches) aren't usually made to handle 20-30A. Relays are. The setup in the diagram will have <1 amp going thru the switch (depending on the coil size in the relay).

 

[Matthew Ebel]

Originally posted by eCarâ„¢@Mar 4 2004, 01:21 PM
The setup in the diagram will have <1 amp going thru the switch (depending on the coil size in the relay).

Well, it's the relay meant to be used with Pilot brand lights, so I can only assume that it's the right stuff. I'll try hooking all this up in a week or so and post the results (maybe a photo, even!)

Here's a dumb question... how hard is it to find the parking light wire to control one side of the rocker?

Pax,
Matthew

 

[eCarâ„¢]

Well, it's real easy if you're looking at one of the parking lamp sockets. But there is probably a spot to grab it in the passenger compartment (at the fuse panel). I just don't know which wire exactly. Maybe someone else can help. I think some people here have wiring schematics for the Taurus.

Or, you should be able to figure out which wire to use at the headlamp switch with a multimeter.

 

[ict_Lx]

Originally posted by tmonster@Mar 3 2004, 10:02 AM
On my '96 LX the light switch pulls out when it is turned all the way on...on my dads dodge caravan it does the same thing, but turns on the fog lights. Is there contacts on our switches to use that as a switch for our fogs?

Has anyone done this yet? This is more what I was looking at doing to control my driving lights instead of a relay setup. Any thoughts?

 

[shoz123]

Get a relay and wire it to either the parking light circuit at the parking light or the head lamp switch. Adding any extra load to the woefully small OEM wiring is just asking for trouble.

 

[qwertz9586]

I don't know about that. I hooked my relay (for my lightbar mod) to the headlight circuit and it's not much of a voltage drop at the headlight. But yeah, it doesn't matter if you hook it to the headlights or parking lights since they're both off when the headlight switch is off. Plus you can use the foglights with the parking lights.

 

[firespirit]

There's a kit where you can have your fog lights on a remote. Maybe someone should try that

And - holy old threads!

__________________
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[mwt]

I had my foglights hooked up to the remote. I wound up taking everything out.

You could spit farther than the remote worked.

Mike
B)

 

[sixfofalcon]

Originally posted by Ict_Lx+Nov 23 2004, 05:53 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Ict_Lx @ Nov 23 2004, 05:53 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin-tmonster@Mar 3 2004, 10:02 AM
On my '96 LX the light switch pulls out when it is turned all the way on...on my dads dodge caravan it does the same thing, but turns on the fog lights. Is there contacts on our switches to use that as a switch for our fogs?

Has anyone done this yet? This is more what I was looking at doing to control my driving lights instead of a relay setup. Any thoughts?[/b][/quote]
Unless you have a Sable, there are no contacts in the switch for the fog lights. Ford used the same ABS case and knob as other vehicles that had the fog light switch, but in the Taurus, they deleted the electrical goodies that make the switch work. People have discussed using the headlight switch from an F-150 or Explorer, but I don't think anyone has done it yet. It's a bit of a pain to swap the switches.

I had my foglights relayed off the parking lights. I'm fairly certain you can just tap the brown wire on the back of one of the parking lights and that will switch the relay. At least I think it was brown (?)

 

[ict_Lx]

Originally posted by Firespirit@Nov 23 2004, 09:42 PM
And - holy old threads!

Yeah, I actaully used the search function...gasp! Thanks for the advice. I think I will look into doing this once I get back from Colorado. Pretty sure the 26mm sway bar is going in once I get back too. I just got the TPR bushings in two days ago. I'm so excited!

 

[silvapain]

Originally posted by SixFoFalcon+Nov 24 2004, 08:43 AM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (SixFoFalcon @ Nov 24 2004, 08:43 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>

Originally posted by [email protected] 23 2004, 05:53 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-tmonster

@Mar 3 2004, 10:02 AM
On my '96 LX the light switch pulls out when it is turned all the way on...on my dads dodge caravan it does the same thing, but turns on the fog lights. Is there contacts on our switches to use that as a switch for our fogs?

Has anyone done this yet? This is more what I was looking at doing to control my driving lights instead of a relay setup. Any thoughts?

Unless you have a Sable, there are no contacts in the switch for the fog lights. Ford used the same ABS case and knob as other vehicles that had the fog light switch, but in the Taurus, they deleted the electrical goodies that make the switch work. People have discussed using the headlight switch from an F-150 or Explorer, but I don't think anyone has done it yet. It's a bit of a pain to swap the switches.

I had my foglights relayed off the parking lights. I'm fairly certain you can just tap the brown wire on the back of one of the parking lights and that will switch the relay. At least I think it was brown (?) [/b][/quote]
That's how I would do it. Get the switch from a wrecked Explorer, and use it for your fogs. OEM look all the way.

 

[ict_Lx]

What year Explorer or does it matter and how would you hook it up?