sharpshine

I am installing some Hella Micro De fog lights. Everything seems to be already in place. The instructions indicate that I need to mount the relay close to the battery, but there is already a socket for the relay in the engine compartment fuse box. The lights mounted easely and pluggd right into the prexisting harness.
So, I stopped following the instruction, since they did not apply to my 2000 4Runner.
I removed the panel under the steering colum to revel an assorment of bundled wires coming from the engine through the firewall. There are also some wires with pin sockets that go nowhere. My assumstion is they are for add ons like fog lights. But I have no idea.
Does someone know if one of these is for my switch or do I need to tap into wires to activate my switch?
I looked through all of the archives and tech write ups and found nothing specifically that answers this question. The switch provide in the kit was not a lighted switch, so I bought the one Corey recomends in his tech write up. Toyota recomends buying their 85$ switch controlled from the stalk that controls head lights.

Thanks, Wayne

wrenchmonster

Hummm. Your post is a can of worms. First off, for your purposes it shouldn't matter where the relay mounts. A relay is just a switch in which a small amount of voltage controls a larger amount of voltage. Let's not discuss Ohm's Law for now.

Some basic continuity checks can figure out your wiring. From where you are plugging in your relay at the fuse box, do some continuity checks down to the lights themselves. If that is okay, then do the same on the opposite end. In other words, check continuity from the the suspect harnesses at the column to the fuse box relay plug in. Also, look at the wire colors at the fog lamps. Perhaps not the same, but they might be the same colors throughout. That's where I would start anyhow. Really, your best option would be to find a wiring diagram of the vehicle and work off of that. The wiring diagram would provide you information with wire colors, power and grounds, etc.

If Toyota has the wiring harness for fog lamps in all vehicles regardless of options, then there would be no need to tap into any wires. It should all be plug and play.

BE CAREFUL under the column. Stay away from the yellow connectors (air bag stuff) and stay away from splice packs. I think you referred to these as "pin sockets that go nowhere". These are what are called splice packs, and can be used to bundle grounds and class 2 data lines. Class 2 data lines are how your various and numerous computers talk to each other. Splice packs look like wires that are in a connector, then there is a removable bus bar that connects all the wires together. Again, steer clear of these.

I guess that's all the advice I can offer at the moment. Get a manual or borrow one. I think this will answer a lot of your questions.

-Wrench

DirtCheap

Actually, the closer the relay is to the power source (battery) the less line-loss (voltage drop) to the lights, hence brighter lights!.

wrenchmonster

Okay, the shorter the wire, the less resistance, the more amperage to power the lights, right? Yes, I get it. Didn't you read my post DirtCheap? I quote myself, "Let's not discuss Ohm's Law for now."

My point is that the drop is negligable. What if your battery is in the trunk? I know, let's wire up a dual battery system and put the 2nd battery right behind the grill and power the fog lamps that way. Maybe then I can get an extra 2 candles out of the lamps. Yeah!!!

-Wrench

DirtCheap

Yada Yada Yada no need to rant,but if you are going to give advice make sure it's correct and yes Ohm's law does apply.

wrenchmonster

I never said Ohm's Law doesn't apply. It always applies...GOSH! Am I missing something here? How is any of my advice that I've given on any post incorrect?

I don't know your background DirtCheap, but I make my living turning wrenches. I'm an ASE certified master technician and an award winning GM tech. I would never give bogus or inaccurate advice. When I'm doubtful I say so in my posts. You can take my word to the bank.

-Wrench

dibble9012

I got the price from the dealer for the stalk mounted switch, it was only$65 here, expensive, but great if you want a OEM look, just plug and play

Rick F.

If I understand correctly, your install should consist of mounting the lamps and brackets, plugging into the existing wiring, taping into 1 or 2 wires (my copy of the Hella instructions aren't in front of me) under the steering column, installing either a dash-mount rocker switch or wiring to a pre-existing stalk switch (my 2000 SR5 used the rocker supplied in the kit) and plugging the relay into the correct position in the relay box for the fogs. I believe a copy of the Hella instructions were posted in previous threads.

abin

I didn't use available socket in fuse box, though I thought about that.
In stead, I installed my F-Light relay by the wall in the engine compartment, where it is close to battery.

Rick F.

Sharpshine,

I tried to reply to your e-mail you but they keep coming back as undeliverable. I have the Toyota instructions that came with my Hella Micro DE kit scanned. It's 11 pages of PDF files (good illustrations). Let me have a good address and I'll try to send them again.

dibble9012

I tried to reply to your e-mail you but they keep coming back as undeliverable. I have the Toyota instructions that came with my Hella Micro DE kit scanned. It's 11 pages of PDF files (good illustrations). Let me have a good address and I'll try to send them again.

Ironmike4x4

YEAH!! Another GM tech on this thing.

sharpshine

RickF,

In case you did not get my email, try sending the PDF's to shine@sonic.net

Thanks,
Wayne

Rick F.

Sharpshine and Dibble9012,

I'll e-mail the instructions this evening when I get home from work. There are 11 separate PDF files but I'll see if my version of Adobe will let me combine them into 1 PDF fille. They are about 90k each.

dibble9012

Thanks, its ok if they are seperate files. If your version doesnt do it, you can download a newer one, or I can make it one file using my version, and mail it to Sharpshine.

Rick F.

Sharpshine and Dibble9012,

The e-mail w/attachments was sent at ~4:50 eastern.

Rick

sharpshine

RickF,

Just a little follow update. The instructions that you sent were perfect. I have not idea why I did not have the same intructions in my kit. I just finished with the install and everything worked out perfectly.
Although, I bought a lighted switch, the one in the kit does not have a light. The switch that I bought has three connections in the back and the one in the kit just has two.
I did go ahead with the switch without the light just to have the lights working for now, but I was curious if you or anyone else might know where the extra wire for the lighted switch might connect? I am assuming it is power.

Wayne