I took electric circuits and got a "C" but maybe I didn't deserve it. I have read all the posts on wiring up fog lights and using a relay with your switch... i swore that i had it perfectly wired but when i flip the switch nothing... bummer

here's my schematic ...



my jeep had the factory fog light wiring harness but i didnt use it (tiny wire) but i did use it for the low voltage power... (put key in ignition and with a multimeter touched black to ground and red to each wiring until i had some voltage)

i feel like an idiot/poser driving around with off road lights that don't work...

 

What are your numbers that you connected everything too?

 

here is one:

 

i've already grounded each of the lights individually... so the ranger station schematic doesn't apply to my application....

RELAY:
85 - Ground
86 - Switch
87 - Off Road Lights
87 - Empty
30 - Battery (inline with 20 A fuse)

I dont understand how the switch can "make" the relay open or close.

 

the switch is a 3 prong switch correct?

well if it is a rocker switch.

top tab-to 12+volt (tapped into your fog lights, directly from battery, or hi/low beams)
middle tab-to relay(86)
bottom tab-ground


The way it works is. When the switch is off it is connecting ground and the relay allowing nothing to happen in the relay.

When the switch is turned on it connects your 12 volt supply and the relay terminals on the switch. Giving power to activate the relay-sending power to your lights.

it takes very little power to activate the relay, so you just need to determine how you want your switch wired up.

take for example you have it wired to your parking lamps

switch-parking lamps-aux lights
off-off-off
on-off-off
off-on-off
on-on-on

does that make sense?

 

yeah... i see once the relay is activated then the power runs through the relay alone to the lights... my switch is a 4 prong rocker... i think i just need one more wire.

 

here is a diagram of how i wired mine i just drew it up real quick hope it helps

 

wow its not even worth the anger and frustration... im pretty sure this is why people go on killing spree's... wiring up off road lights... im tempted to just F-ing hard wire the lights... so when i want them on.. pop the hood and secure the fog light wire to the battery .. at least it will work.

wait so the wire from the battery to the switch should be spliced into the wire from the relay to the switch? why, so the current can bypass the switch?

this seems like so much wiring to get some fog lights to work... at this rate a car wiring harness should be the size of a fire hose throughout the car.

 

this might help, if your using factory switch make sure your high beams are not on also a relay holds alot more amps then a reg switch the contacts might be bad in your relay or switch, try to swap your relay or switch

 

no i just drew the line there to make sure it fit in the frame of my camara. its really not that hard once you figure out what your doing. the post i sent you is what i used to wire them up and it worked perfectly.

 

i heard the relay go click... click click... click... when i hooked the switch wire the battery... and the switch light comes on now... only when i leave it switched on... turn the car off and then turn it back on... if i rock the switch then the light goes off and wont com back on... here's how its wired..



i gotta go to work.. and i work all weekend, no more time to work on the jeep. so I'll just be angry at my fog lights for the next 3 days. thanks for trying to help me guys ... i appreciate it... it prolly frustrates you guys as well, because you understand how to make it work... why cant i?

 

i know its frustrating i just did mine yesterday after having my lights mounted since saturday. try checking your fuses and play with the wires on the switch you might not have them in the right spots

 

Are you using a switch with a light in it or a 3 position swith On-off-On. 4 prongs could be either. 4 pronged lighted switch allows you to draw power for the switches light from a different source than the accesory using the switch. Say you want the light on the swith to light up only if the off-road lights are on or only when the switch has power.
What you have to remember is that a Relay is just a remotly opperated switch with a higher amp rating that the circut the your switch is powered by. So you will have a switch turning on a switch which turns on the lights.

 

Take a picture of your switch front and back. That will help us out more in seeing what the problem is.

 

This is how I wired my lights. I ran the 12v wire from the lights to the 87 on the relay. Ran the ground wire on the lights to the metal on the inside panel between the door and the fuse box. Ran a 12v wire from the fuse box to the switch. Then ran a 12v from the switch to the 86 on the relay. Then I ran a ground from the outside driver side fender (Where there is a ground already to the 85 on the relay. (But my switch is a toogle switch only on and off and it only has two leads on it, rated at 50amps) Hope this helps.