where to hook up the power for my fog lights?

[bnichols04]

I just bought some fog lights and I hooked it all up and when I turn them on I can watch my battery gauge go down. I hooked up the power straight to the battery. Can annybody help me out cuz I don't want to end up with a dead battery.

thanks

 

[canada74]

i have a set of k.c. lights and instead of hooking up to the battery (as per instructions) i used the starter relay. its never really a good idea to run something directly to your battery

 

[Hokie]

there's nothing wrong wiring lights directly to the battery. This is the best way to do it. I have 2 amps (one is a 530W RMS sub amp), 1 pair of 100W lights, and 1 pair of 55W lights wired to my battery. Obviously, I don't run them all for very long with the truck off, but when the engine's running, everything is fine.

Why wouldn't you wire em to the battery?

When I used to build cop cars, we would have sooo much crap run off the battery. All radios, light bar, rear deck lights, siren, scanner, front grille lights, etc.

 

[canada74]

thats just what i'v been told by quite a few mechanics, maybe has somethin to do with constant power to whatever is hooked up to the battery also maybe corrosion, i dont know but as i said before thats what i was told and i just listen

 

[biggs92EB]

If you run anything directly to the battery it is a very very good idea to put a inline fuse in it. I have installed many a stereo system and the hot always goes to the the battery. Just run about a 1 foot piece of wire, then fuse it and go from there.

 

[Fish Man]

i dont run off the battery (except for an 8 ga amp wire) just cause it looks bad

 

[bnichols04]

yea I don't like running stuff off my battery because the gauage always goes down. Is there some kind of power distrubuter box that I can get so there is only one wire comming off the battery instead of 5 like I have?

 

[Alec]

If you can watch your battery gauge go down then either you have a short somewhere or your alternator is bad.

 

[FordSploderXLT]

It doesn't necessarily mean that the alternator is bad.....could just mean that everything you're running is drawing too many amps for the alternator to handle.

 

[bnichols04]

I think that my altenator is ok and my fog lights came with a in-line fuse. Should I put lower wattage bulbs in them? I have 100W's in them now. Should I go with 55W's?????? Somebody help me out!