shftatsix

OK i just bought 4x 130w fog lights for my rollbar. Im new to electrical wiring but Ive researched a lot, im gonna split them into the two outboard and two inboard to different switches, emulating this for each pair:



Is 14 AWG wire big enough for each pair?
Im using a 30a relay, 20a switch, so do i get a 20 or 30 amp fuse? (im ignoring the 15amp fuse because the diagram is for 55w bulbs)
Can i splice into the dash dimmer knob instead of the headlight?

TM85Wheeler

Double post? 14 gauge wire is plenty. Watts = Amps x Volts. What do you mean two inboard and two outboard?

shftatsix

Sorry for the aviation talk


edit: sooo 130W x 2 / 12v = 20a fuse right? will the fuse blow at 20a and not mess up my 20a switch? or should i get a bigger switch?
edit2: wait nvm the switch isnt in that circuit, see i told you i was new

TM85Wheeler

Gotcha, your switches and fuses will be fine. I wouldn't splice into the dimmer knob though. Just wire up two new switches. I wired up a new switch on the dash for my trail lights and it ended up looking pretty cool. Get some LED switches. They come in different colors and look real good if you mount em on the lower part of the dash to either side of the steering wheel. They're not so bright that they're annoying and it make it super easy to locate the switch in the dark.

abecedarian

130w/12v= ~10.8 amps. I would probably opt for 15 amp fuses but that's my preference. Fuses are there to protect the wiring so you should only use as large of a fuse as necessary for the load, and the fuses should be placed as close to the battery as possible.

shftatsix

Ah ok, so since I've got a load of (2) 130w bulbs per circuit I should get 25a fuses, correct? 10.8x2=21.6 good looking out abe

Jay351

Are you going to tap into factory wiring? If so, I would recomend you don't touch anything in the factory harness. Run everything to the battery to its independant.

Are you wiring them all together, or do you want the two sets to work independantly.

If so, you will need to wire 2 relays up for the two sets of lights.

Wiring can seem a little intimidating but its actually very very easy.

You will need to run 4 wires from the battery, two of those wires being 14 gauge or bigger, these are the power feed wires for the lights. The other two wires can be 16 gauge or smaller, these will go to power your switch.

Make sure you have a fuse on ALL of the power wires. I forgot one and almost burned my truck down when it contacted a ground and completed the circut...

shftatsix

The only spot I tapped into the factory wiring is the low beam wire to power the switch, to regulate when they can be turned on. But from the bulb to the battery has its own 14 awg wiring harness.

Yes I bought 2x everything i needed for both circuits. But I destroyed the first relay by hooking it up incorrectly doh! So unfortunatly I was only able to wire up the outboard ones this morning before work. But hey I now have some electrical work under my belt

Another question, does it matter if I tap into the ground wire for the other two lights (4 lamps grounding through one 14 awg wire) or should I run a second ground wire? (the blue wire on the little diagram in the OP)

shftatsix

woot! now that this got moved to the dead part of the forum noone will answer my question, score!



scarey eh?

TM85Wheeler

You could tap into it. 14 gauge is a good sized wire. But it wouldn't take much more time to just run a new one and not have to worry about it.

shftatsix

let there be light!

shftatsix

Put the switches where the optional clock goes (at least i think thats what that piece of plastic is supposed to be)