First Happy New Years. I need some advice in relation of my JDM fog lights. I want to connect my fog lights directly to my lower beam lights instead of putting an on/off switch somewhere in my dash. Any pointers on that. Thanks.

 

Uyeah. It's called splicing.

 

It is something that you will recommend Grumblemarc, or you rather to put a switch in the dash.

 

I don't recommend hacking wires.

 

What frigging car do you have? On the 92-95 model you simply change the fuse box wire from one location to another

Unless I'm misunderstanding the question.

I think i am.

Take the wires that go to the switch...splice the wires together. If it has a lit up switch find the correct wires

 

Ok, thanks man!!!

 

SWITCH IN DASH.

"Fog lamps should be turned OFF almost all the time. [...] Fog lamps are meant to be used in heavy fog, rain, or snow to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car so s/he can safely make progress through foul weather at very low speeds." -danielsternlighting.com

Lay off the bling. It's distracting and glaring for other drivers, and actually makes you LESS safe on the road when used improperly.

 

this, plus a couple bonuses. i just wired fogs into my ranger, and here are the results:

1. You can control whether they are on or not, regardless of the headlights. That's nice.
2. If you so desire, in rare instances, you can run fogs alongside high beams for extra roadway illumination. Do NOT do this with other cars around.

 

DOT says to use fog lamps only when low beam is on.

 

http://autoparts-standard.org/index/...0J583-2011.pdf

 

Nc law (where i live) does not permit both high and fogs. However i have always done them independent. Keep a switch in dash and leave it set to on.

I grew up in the back woods and having that extra light was and is wonderful. Also nice to be able to park late and not shine lights in someones windows while they are sleeping

 

I'd recommend using the switch, as I'm literally about to install mine today. But if you're dead set on wiring them to the Headlights, use a relay, because IIRC if you wire them straight to the headlights, that takes amperage (and therefore brightness) away from the headlights, pretty much negating the fact that you put in fogs for more higher visibility.

Unless you're only putting them in for the look, which... well, to each his own, I guess.

 

THIS!!!! parking at night without beaming through someones window. and yes, high beams and fogs are illegal. thats why i said only do it when nobody is around

 

Interesting. This means the US regs mean fogs can be used independently of low beams. This is not how the OEM wiring works for Canada/USA, however. Power to fogs is only active when the low beams are on. Switching to high turns them off, switching to parking lights turns them off too. This is very very common. High beams + fogs is useless since you shouldn't be using high beams in a low vis situation anyway.

Parking lights only + fogs is actually useful in REALLY inclement weather (like, the kind of stuff you shouldn't be driving in anyway, but maybe you have to for some reason like your wife's giving birth in the back seat). BC regs mirror this, Ontario's do not. Canada is a patchwork of rules vis-à-vis fog lights, though universally the way the Can/US OEM wiring functions is permissible in all North American jurisdictions.