Will adding lights mess with the LOM?

Here's a question the for LOM Gods out there...

I have a 95 Limited with the LOM. I recently picked up a front bumper from a 99 and installed some projector fog lights with CCFL halos. Combined, I think the halos draw between 1 and 1.5 amps. The regular parking lamps draw about 5 amps combined.

My plan was to tap into the parking lamp feed at the back of the lamp housings and feed the halos from there, but would those extra ~1.5 amps being pulled through the LOM cause problems? Could the higher current draw set it off, or possibly burn it out?

 

[OneLever]

Any auxiliary lighting should be run off its own wiring harness with a fuse and activated by a relay. The LOM can either be tricked or disabled once you install the harness. The harness is used to avoid overloading the stock wires.

 

[BigRondo]

X2 what OneLever said.

Here is a perfect example of why separate wiring, switch, & relay are important: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=293166

This is a good read: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203037

Another good read: http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28683

Here is a digram of the correct way to wire the lights:

Good luck with the install and be sure to keep us posted!!

 

[nathaniversen]

Onelever: The Parking Light circuit has a 15 amp rating, of which only 5~6 amps are being used between the actual lamps and the draw from the headlamp switch, and it should be able to step up and handle 7.5 amps and be safely fused if I wire the halos into it. The LOM itself is what I was worried about since I'm not sure how it's internally wired, so I didn't/don't know if it could handle the extra load through the park lamps circuit.

I've already had to repair it after one of the headlamp circuits burned a solder point, so I've decided I'm not going to risk it. I'm just going to run the lead for the halos to the center console and splice into the circuit upstream of the LOM, and add a switch so I can disable them also.

Rondo: I've read those stickies already, but thanks anyway, and thanks for the well wishes. I already have new wire in place to bypass the stock fog lamps circuit, feed the halos, and feed a pair of PIAA 004XT's that I'll have soon. I'll definitely update when everything's in and operating.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Nathaniversen, IMHO I dont think the adding of the lights to the parking light circuit will do anything to the LOM. I added 10 Watt bulbs to the parking lights on my 96 and had no problems. The halos draw less amps than what I added.
Go for it........

 

[nathaniversen]

Excellent, thanks Bill. I'm still going to run the halo leads from inside at the center console though, I've convinced myself that I want to have an easier way to disable them than crawling under the front bumper and pulling plugs.

 

[OneLever]

It is extremely easy to run those wires to the battery instead and have a relay activated by the headlamp switch. The effective resistance of the relay coil is usually, along with a fuse in series with it, sufficient to ensure a very small additional current draw from the headlamp switch. Small enough that the LOM probably wouldn't notice (I've measured 0.20 A).

I've already had to repair it after one of the headlamp circuits burned a solder point, so I've decided I'm not going to risk it. I'm just going to run the lead for the halos to the center console and splice into the circuit upstream of the LOM, and add a switch so I can disable them also.

I do not understand why you are concerned about shorts but do not like the idea of relays?

I don't have a wiring manual for a 1995. It is of course your truck do with as you please.

 

[nathaniversen]

I like the idea of relays, I'm in the process of wiring in three for all of the sets of lights on my truck. I do not like the idea of wiring in a fourth just to run 1.5 amps, at most, worth of lights.

I have the EVTM and Body/Chassis manuals.

 

[OneLever]

That's great news. If the current draw is so low and you think those wires can take it. Why run them back through the firewall? Why not use what's powering the fog lights.

 

[nathaniversen]

Yes, it *is* great news, because those wires *will* take it. I don't think there would be a 15 amp fuse on a circuit that could only handle 5 amps, do you?

Also, let me direct you to what Bill Kemp just said;
"I added 10 Watt bulbs to the parking lights on my 96 and had no problems. The halos draw less amps than what I added."

Bill didn't add any relays, and so far he hasn't burned out his LOM.

Why run them through the firewall? Because the longer I sit arguing about how to hook them up, the more time I have to think of better ways to trigger them. Like, now I've decided to hook the halos up with a three position spdt switch so I can disable them, have them come on with the parking lights, or have them come on with the truck's switched accessory power, to act sort of like DRL's.

 

[OneLever]

Like, now I've decided to hook the halos up with a three position spdt switch

That is a very convenient idea for auxiliary lights. I prefer to have my lights with the options of automatic on with parking lights and manual off. Best wishes in your endeavors.

 

[nathaniversen]

Thanks OneLever, that's how I will have all of my lights. Halos will be like I said, fogs will be off/low beams/parking lamps, long range driving lights will be off/high beams/parking lamps (after flipping a second safety switch), backup lights will be off/automatic/on (with a second safety switch). I also have an alternating flasher for the fog lights that's turned on with a safety switch.

I'll have pics when it's all done, which should hopefully be within a week.