burning up switches left and right????

[patrick112390]

i have some 55w supersport cheapo fog lights on the front and there is no relay in the circuit, (i already have one for the roof lights and there isnt much rrom for another) but i will usually only get about 45 min. out of a switch... the switch gets so hot, that the insides melt together and the only way you can turn the lights off is to unplug them.... what should i do to fix thiss??? (regular power/acc/ground switches)

 

[CDW6212R]

Do you have OEM fog lights already? If not, see if the relay is in the relay box, under the air cleaner. That would be easier to add wiring to, being that most wiring is there already.

Other than that, add a relay near the fog lights, with fused battery power feeding it. Use the wire you now have to the lights as the trigger wire for the relay. It's hard to find high powered switches, which is why you have an issue. That actually may be good for you in the long run. If you had a better switch, then that high current would be running through the dash for a long time. It's a safety hazard, most OEM circuits in the dash are low powered switching circuits, with relays to keep high current out from the dash as much as possible. Regards,

 

[patrick112390]

Do you have OEM fog lights already? If not, see if the relay is in the relay box, under the air cleaner. That would be easier to add wiring to, being that most wiring is there already.

Other than that, add a relay near the fog lights, with fused battery power feeding it. Use the wire you now have to the lights as the trigger wire for the relay. It's hard to find high powered switches, which is why you have an issue. That actually may be good for you in the long run. If you had a better switch, then that high current would be running through the dash for a long time. It's a safety hazard, most OEM circuits in the dash are low powered switching circuits, with relays to keep high current out from the dash as much as possible. Regards,

this is my setup, i have removed the stock fogs but the relay must be somewhere still... i may try and wire it up using that relay and go buy ANOTHER switch...but i think your right, a relay is the only way to run these, even if its running with what it came with

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good, you can add the lights with the OEM fog light pigtails. Do you have the old fog lights? There is a plug at the base of each side of the radiator support, facing down. The fog light connectors plug into those. The fog light switch on the dash controls those.

The inboard connector is the ABS, the outer connector is the fog light.

 

[patrick112390]

yea, i disconnected them (they were useless), wrapped the wire ends up in the bumper, and i now have my roof light switch where the stock fog light switch was....

 

[Bill Kemp]

Even if you use the stock fog light wires you should only use them to activate the relay.
You really need a seperate relay for the lights.
So set up a harness w/relay and then decide if you are going to use your own switch or the stock fog switch/wires to activate the relay.

 

[patrick112390]

Even if you use the stock fog light wires you should only use them to activate the relay.
You really need a seperate relay for the lights.
So set up a harness w/relay and then decide if you are going to use your own switch or the stock fog switch/wires to activate the relay.

oh i wasnt even thinking about using the stock fog lights wiring just taking out the relay,(that isnt used anymore) and adding it to my circuit...

 

[CDW6212R]

I'd use the OEM wiring and add the needed switch at the old switch wiring, then the lights with the old light wiring.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I'd use the OEM wiring and add the needed switch at the old switch wiring, then the lights with the old light wiring.

The old(OEM) wiring is barley adequate for the stock 35 watt fogs. Best use it only to activate(turn on) a relay for a new light harness for the 55 watt supersport lights.

 

[CDW6212R]

Well the relay is plenty for lights, the Ford relays are very good. I have not looked hard at the wires leading from the relay to the lights, but I'll bet that they are at least 16 gauge. They should be plenty for two 55 watt lights.

The windows are powered by the Ford relays, those are high amperage circuits. I have eight of the small relays running my windows in my work truck. Check the wires to be sure of gauges and the wattage totals.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Years ago on my 96 X I replaced the OEM fogs with Piolet 55 watt projector lights. I used the OEM wires only. Later, after I got more info on lights I changed the wiring to a separate harness w/relay for the same lights and used the OEM wires to just activate the relay. There was a really noticeable difference in the brightness of the lights.
I never took the time to see what the difference in volts was/is but it is noticeable. By the time the volts are run through all the wires in the OEM lighting harness, which is the smallest guage as the factory can use(read, $ savings) they are probably at 12.5 Volts or thereabouts. A separate harness will be giving you appx. 14 Volts. Thats a lotta light!

 

[CDW6212R]

Well then you only bypassed the length of wire from the OEM relay to the fog lights, about two feet of wire. The OEM wiring isn't the best for very high powered circuits, but the whole point of a relay is to have power go directly to the relay, and then the load. Since the truck had the relay in place, only the feed power wire and the actual fog light wires can affect the electrical flow. It sounds like the wire from the relay to the fog light connector, or the actual fog light wires, they are minimal in size. They can be changed, I have swapped countless factory wires from OEM connectors. They all come out with no trouble.

 

[Bill Kemp]

I'm not talking "trouble". I'm talking brightness of the lights. Talking volts to the lights. Talking get what you pay for in a set of lights.
A harness off the battery is gonna give you 1.5 to 2.2 more volts. More volts means more light.
Thats why I use a harness for fogs and for the headlights. It makes a difference.