Using the factory switch for off road lights

[DangerRangerXLT]

I'm sorry if this question's been asked but i'm really curious about this.. i have 2 off road lights mounted in my grill (Take a look at the picture it's sweet! I can answer questions about them if anyone wants)
However, i want to use the factory switch to turn them on, i think that'd be cooler than having a big ugly switch on my dash.

Does anyone know how to tie the wires into the factory fog lamp switch so when i pull the switch up to activate the stock lamps, the off road lights will come on too? Thanks!

 

[Bill Kemp]

Just splice a wire from your fog lights to the relay for your off road lights.

 

[DangerRangerXLT]

i decided to take the difficult approach and took my dash apart, popped the light switch out, stuck the fog lamp wire into the switch and what-da-ya know. it works.

 

[techboj]

uhm. I might be wrong in understanding you but when you said you took the fog lamp wire directly to the switch ---did you mean you are actually taking full power directly from that switch?

That switch is not rated to handle that amount of load (be it stock lights or fog lights). The existing lights are energized through a relay downstream of the actual switch. The relay handles the high current and the switch merely triggers the relay contacts. Without the relay, you might end up damaging the oem switch (and wiring)

At the very least, wire the fog lights by splicing them into the existing bumper lights / driving lights. This way, the new foglamps would be fused as well as drawing power through the relay.

A better alternative is to run a totally separate switch and relay assembly to run the fogs. This is not only safer but will also be legal (for most states). Chances are your stock fog/driving lamps turn on with the headlight -- so that means you already have 4 forward facing lights, adding the 2 new lamps brings your total to 6 all at the same time

Just my 2 cents