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I just upgraded my 35w ballasts to 55w ballasts on my front head lamps for the HID kit. i was thinking about using the old ballasts for a fog light set up. But the wiring confuse's me. the ballasts are usually "plug and play" and plug into your old light plug. How would this work with foglights. is it possible to just have them wired to the battery? any one have any exp
It would be best to describe what kit you have . From what it sounds like , you will need a new HID bulb set for the fogs to make them work with the ballast . The connector that connects to the cars harness is on the bulb and the bulb also connects to the ballast.
I have 35w ballasts. My car does not come with fog lights. To my knowledge, regular fogs you can just wire to your battery. But with HID kits you have to plug from your car harness to ballast and then bulb to ballast. So i dont know how i would go about powering the ballasts for the fogs. Would i have to have a wiring professional find a way to tap into the electrics and solder some kind of wire to another car harness to plug these ballasts into?
Understood . If your car doesn't come with fog lights, you will need a foglight harness with switch to be installed on the car first. then the rest is plug and play . See if your dealer sells it as an option .
But I wonder. Why not just buy a HID relay? The whole "plugs into my stock headlights" thing is in actuality a ground and a triggered power wire. The relay will power the HIDs off the battery same as your HID headlights are already wired to do (assuming u r already using a relay which would be smart esp with 55w).
So in effect. You'll have a power wire to the battery. An inline fuse, then u will ground each ballast. There will be one connecter coming out of the relay, which will control the fogs on/off. Just ground one side and connect up the other with spade connectors to either a fog switch or the fuse box if u wanna keep them on at all times.
Extending the wires are probably the simplest part of the install though. I'd just mount the ballasts in my engine bay next the the other ones (assuming ballasts won't have any static interference with each other) and extend the lead outs from the ballasts down the the fogs using gold plated spade connectors. Then, I'd run the "on/off wire" to one of the terminals under dash fuse box. I forget exactly which terminal is what, but u should have some selections. Key in, ignition on, start, Constant 12v.
wow thanks for the info guys!!!
This sounds like a good idea. So far the only other idea i had found was there are some foglights made to fit into my bumper ( which im assuming i could still use) and they come with a wiring kit and on off switch, and the only difference is i would have to buy a different size bulb then which i would already have ( not the biggest deal though is it )
This way that you guys have explained seems like it would be like a "less strain" on the whole electric system.
My only concern is i am not the best with wiring, but im sure a buddy of mine would be able to help and this seems like a fun project.
When you said i am using 55w i should be using the relay, just curious, why is that? i am not at the moment, they are plugged into the whole "plug and play" way to the direct OEM headlight cable.
ALSO, on a side note, as my other thread has not had the same responses....
I use LEDs on all my back lights. I have the resistors ( i think thats what they are, little metal things that i clip onto the green and black wires with little splices) on the turn signals. MY left side is Flashing very fast, i thought the resistor had burnt out ( they are the metal ones, not ceramic, learned my lesson with those first time around ) but it didnt look like it was, so i left it in and replaced the front left bulb (the fronts are stock halogens) as it was dim, and nearly out so i figured that was the problem. Once i replaced it, the signal was still fast. So i pulled out one of my spare resistors, and clamped it on. The signal still blinks fast, the fuses are fine, and im totally wondering WTF is up with it. on the other thread for another car someone said something about a flasher relay????
I'm not sure about all the LED flashing stuff, I mean I'm aware that can happen but as to why yours is doing that, idk. An electrical tech for a quick diagnosis may be the answer.
Ok what relays do is instead of the HIDS running off your cars electrical system, they draw direct from the battery. So any current issues, flickering, etc aren't gonna happen. Its a failsafe. Also, HIDs juice up 20,000 volts for startup at 35w, maybe more for 55w, idk. Now your ballasts amp that up, it's not taking 20k from the cars electrical system, but OEM HIDs use relays too. So if it's good enough for Mercedes, it's good enough for me. Think of it as a condom. Just in case. Lol. Any power surges will blow fuses instead of electronics. If a ballast shorts or what have u it won't take the entire system down with it. It's a long shot that happens but it has happened to people. Worth the $15.
The easiest way to wire up HIDs to your fogs without pre-existing wiring is with a relay, to make it simple. Look up hid relay on google. It'll have a diagram of what it is. Super simple.
awesome. sounds like a good idea to me. ill have to do that first, so ill know more what im doing when i go for it with the fogs. or maybe it would be better to go for it first with the fogs?
Look at the diagram. See how the relay only uses one headlight connection (basically for an on/off switch) and draws power from the battery? Buy two relays. Use one for your 55w HID headlights. There goes one headlight connection. Use the other relay for the HID fogs. That'll plug into the other headlight connection so they come on with the headlights. Unless u want independent control over the fogs, then just run the power wire from the relay headlight connection to a switch or the ignition on spade in the fuse box. Yknow whatever u want, however u want control over them.
Relays make the HIDs a standalone system. Draw from battery, self-contained, only connection to car is for control over on/off. It's easy man. Buy 2 relays, and whatever kits u want. You'll be able to Figure out out easily. Hidplanet.com is a great resource. Personally, I'd stay away from cheap kits. Xtreme, Volt, Morimoto are great HIDs from $100-$150. DDM may offer lifetime warranty, but good luck ever getting that honored. And there's no tech support. Buy quality.
And I'd retrofit your current headlights if you're going 55w. Not only is it not safe, and blinding others, it's not smart. Projectors are cheap. Morimoto minis only run $120
Look at the diagram. See how the relay only uses one headlight connection (basically for an on/off switch) and draws power from the battery? Buy two relays. Use one for your 55w HID headlights. There goes one headlight connection. Use the other relay for the HID fogs. That'll plug into the other headlight connection so they come on with the headlights. Unless u want independent control over the fogs, then just run the power wire from the relay headlight connection to a switch or the ignition on spade in the fuse box. Yknow whatever u want, however u want control over them.
Relays make the HIDs a standalone system. Draw from battery, self-contained, only connection to car is for control over on/off. It's easy man. Buy 2 relays, and whatever kits u want. You'll be able to Figure out out easily. Hidplanet.com is a great resource. Personally, I'd stay away from cheap kits. Xtreme, Volt, Morimoto are great HIDs from $100-$150. DDM may offer lifetime warranty, but good luck ever getting that honored. And there's no tech support. Buy quality.
And I'd retrofit your current headlights if you're going 55w. Not only is it not safe, and blinding others, it's not smart. Projectors are cheap. Morimoto minis only run $120
retro fits are next on the board. just saving up some money. ill check out the morimotos, i did find a guy who makes custom ones as well in SD county but they go for about 300 a pair.
as for the FOGS, i would like to have control over them. So i just need to purchase the actual fog light housings, two relay sets, and some wire? then follow the graph and good to go?
Yep! Sorry I forgot about this thread. So yes one relay for each hid kit (one fog one headlights) and wire it up.
If u want full control over the fogs, then you'll need to run the lead out from the relay that in the pic says headlights but instead would connect to an off on switch in the cabin.
04-27-2015, 07:32 PM
HID fog Lights ??
