Help Needed With Fog Light Wiring!!!

[bladow03]

I own a 1996 XLT Explorer. I'm trying to replace my old factory fog lights with some brighter 55watt H3 Halogen's. I have done everything, but the wiring. I stripped both ends and twisted them together and they worked. Me begin the way I am, i unhooked then and did the reverse. No power so I reconnected the right way. No power!!! I checked the #8 fuse and its alright, but now I can't figure out what else I need to check. Any suggestions?

 

[Explorer914]

u blew the fuse under the hood in the power distribution box...its a 15amp one check the manual it will show u which one...i am having same problem as u but mine keeps blowing the fuse

 

[bladow03]

What replacement fuse should I use?

You were right it was the fuse in the distribution box. I'm now questioning if I should replace it with the standard 15, or risk frying some wires and try a 20 or 25. What do you think I should do?

 

[hunterdan]

Rewire the lights using a relay, your lights probably came with a wiring harness. You can use the stock fog light wiring as the trigger keeping the factory switch, but you will run a power lead from the battery to a relay. This will keep you from blowing fuses, damaging any wiring and provide better lighting as you will get full voltage to the lights.

Dan

 

[gijoecam]

If the replacements you are installing are 55 watts, they are no more powerful than the stock lights and there's no reason you cannot re-use the OEM wiring.

DO NOT, under ANY circumstances, replace the fuse with one that has a higher rating. Unless you want to melt your electrical harnesses into a smoky pile of goo. The fuse is there to protect the wiring. Do not try and pull more current through the wires than they are rated for.

-Joe

 

[bladow03]

Pos. and Neg wires

Is there anyway I can test the factory wiring. Because i'm not sure which wire is pos. and which is neg. I tried a coulpe of ways but since if I turn on the the lights it will blow the fuse i'm limited on testing the current. Thanks for all the help so far.

 

[bladow03]

Finally they work right

I check by scratching the wires on the bracket, that wasn't painted. Found the pos. wire and correctly hooked up the lights. So far no more blown fuses.

 

[Mustang4mikey]

Using a Voltmeter or a Multimeter will help tremendously!!!!
I would suggest using that rather that scratching cables against the metal.


..................just a thought...............

 

[Bill Kemp]

If the replacements you are installing are 55 watts, they are no more powerful than the stock lights and there's no reason you cannot re-use the OEM wiring. Do not try and pull more current through the wires than they are rated for.

-Joe

Stock fogs are 35 watt. So most any replacement is going to be almost 60% higher wattage @ 55 watts. The OEM wiring is barley adequate for the 35 watt bulbs. If you dont use a harness & relay you are not only overloading the wiring, you are also putting much less than 13+ volts to the new lights which makes them much dimmer/less bright than 55 watts.

A Test Light is about $3 and will quickly determine whats hot(+) & whats not(-).

 

[gijoecam]

Stock fogs are 35 watt. So most any replacement is going to be almost 60% higher wattage @ 55 watts. The OEM wiring is barley adequate for the 35 watt bulbs. If you dont use a harness & relay you are not only overloading the wiring, you are also putting much less than 13+ volts to the new lights which makes them much dimmer/less bright than 55 watts.

A Test Light is about $3 and will quickly determine whats hot(+) & whats not(-).

I stand corrected... I had 55 watts on the brain... I think I had them confused with my F-150's fogs... My bad. The details of the two trucks sometimes blur in my brain...

 

[mattadams]

What kind of excuse is that?
I still remember every details of how everything was wired in my F-150... but I forget what my wife told me half hour ago. Go figure. She hates that.

When I tell her I dont have good memory, she says something like "I bet I could ask you anything about your old truck and you'd remember, but youd ont remember what I just said" gotta have priorities I guess.

 

[gmanpaint]

Similar problem.
My bulbs were just replaced with OEM 35 watt h-3. The old were shattered, don't know how, just bought rig (95XLT). The dash switch lights when pushed on, but no lights.
Where do I start looking for a fix? I did replace the relay in dist box. The mini fuse is good. So now what? Anyone that has read my posts knows I am a dipshit at electrical!

Could I run a new set of wires w/inline fuse, to the fog lights and still use the stock dash switch?

 

[gmanpaint]

If I did the new wire swap, does any one know a good routing to the dash switch?

 

[Donner]

We know the same about wiring. I would first find out why the oem lights shattered - the dash switch might have a flaw.

 

[mawrazen]

Run a relay from the low beam positive + wire to act as a switch! Head lights On = fog lights ON.

No switch needed! Use the exsisting wires from behind the headlight.

 

[merc187]

I stripped both ends and twisted them together

You're probable smarter than the average bear but I thought I would make a suggestion. From previous experience wirenuts and electrical tape is not suitable for this application. Wire crimps and shrink tube are in order to keep the connections from getting wet. I didn't do this at first and fried a relay when water from a big puddle (fender deep) splashed into the engine compartment.

 

[gmanpaint]

Run a relay from the low beam positive + wire to act as a switch! Head lights On = fog lights ON.

No switch needed! Use the existing wires from behind the headlight.

Ok, Is there an inline relay I can buy? Not exactly sure on this. Sounds good, but again, electrical dipshit with a crescent wrench working on this! LOL!
I know minimal about wiring. I can follow laymen s directions though! If I wire to the headlight, will it overload anything? or is it just for turning them on, and the relay will fry if it goes haywire?

Donner, One bulb was missing and the wiring was hanging loose, the other, the bulb was busted inside the lens cover.

 

[mawrazen]

Ok, Is there an inline relay I can buy? Not exactly sure on this.

Any 12vdc 30amp bosch relay will work. Here is a link on the wiring:

http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/earlyburbs/projects/bosch/relay.htm

Just use the headlight positive as the On/OFF switch for the circuit.

Use a voltmeter with pintips to find the right wire. (Example. Turn on the lowbeams and push your meter Positive tip into the insulated wires until it penetrates deep enough to make contact.) Have the negative end of the volt meter grounded.

You dont have to actually cut the wire to the headlight. Just disconnect the harness from the bulb (try not to touch the bulb, oils and all can cause premature failure).

When you find the correct wire just use your wire strippers to pull back the insulation to splice.(do not cut through thw wire!) Or use an electrical plastic splice that will crimp and make contact.

Good Luck!

 

[mawrazen]

PS. Use an appropriate gauge wire and fuse to the main positve tab on the relay. (The fuse and wire may have come with your foglight kit)

 

[bladow03]

Is their any way to have my fog lights on without having the headlights on?