Fog light wiring help needed

[Boilermaker]

Right now, i have my fog lights wired like this:

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I have a combination switch with the fog switch on the stalk, and i would like to use that instead of a separate switch. I've got a copy of the mopar installation instructions, but they aren't really helpful since i have a home made harness. Could someone with factory fogs installed take a look at their relay, and tell me where the wires run from each relay connection?

I've already tried splicing 85 into pin 2 of the harness of the combination switch, no go. I don't think there is enough power to trigger the relay. I know i'm going to have to do some hack and slash on my harness...not a problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[dnm45227]

I am totally dumb when it comes to electronics, but if you tell me where I this critter lives and possibly what it looks like I'd be happy to try and snap a shot of it.

 

[Boilermaker]

i probably didn't run my harness in the exact same spot as the factory/mopar instructions would, so i couldn't say for sure where it would be...here is the link to the pdf file from the howto section that has diagrams of where it should be:

http://www.jeepkj.com/forumpics/pdf/mopar_jeep_liberty_foglight_install.pdf

Asking anybody to look would be a bit of a pain...bascially you would have to pop the relay out of the harness to see which wire goes into which terminal on the relay (30,85,86,87,87a). Then follow the wire the best you can down the harness to its other connection.

thanks for offering, no problem if you didn't want to do all that. I'm actually considering going down to the dealership and looking at one there.

 

[dnm45227]

Did you get the pm I sent you?

 

[Boilermaker]

just did, and pm'ed you back...thanks.

 

[BluPhant]

Just know that self-installed foglights are different from factory installed. The relay is in the harness, as opposed to in the box. So if you check one out at a dealer, you'd have to find one that didn't originally come with fogs.

I cant imagine that you didnt have enough power to trip the relay-- have you tested the obvious stuff, i.e. try and run power to the relay by a known source to see if it works?

-Blu

 

[Boilermaker]

I cant imagine that you didnt have enough power to trip the relay-- have you tested the obvious stuff, i.e. try and run power to the relay by a known source to see if it works?

Lights, harness, relay and fuse on the harness tested ok when i had everything set up as in the diagram. Ran the 12V wire to the 20A fuse in the fusebox flipped the switch and on came the lights. When i took the switch 12V source out of the loop and spliced the 85 wire directly into the combination switch, nothing, not even a clicking noise from the relay. Measured the voltage at the spice when i pulled on the fog lights on the combination swich, 4.8V...which is a lot less than the 12V the switch was using to trigger the relay. I've forgotten almost all of my basic circuit theory, but i figured that was the problem. Somebody is going to come along and correct that, which is ok, i'd like to understand exactly what i'm missing.

dnm45227 reminded me to check the wiring and connector diagrams in the service manual. There is a socket for a micro relay in one of the Junction boxes, and i know i havent installed a relay in. When i get back from my long easter weekend, i was going to pick up a micro relay, install it and splice the 85 wire to the front fog relay output of the junction box (and hope i don't fry anything) hoping that would trip the second relay on the harness.

Blu, i see what you are saying about going to the dealership. I should have just bought the mopar fog kit, for the harness and instructions, bought the fogs i wanted and sold the mopar fog lights on ebay. It would have been much easier.

 

[Se7enLC]

Lights, harness, relay and fuse on the harness tested ok when i had everything set up as in the diagram. Ran the 12V wire to the 20A fuse in the fusebox flipped the switch and on came the lights. When i took the switch 12V source out of the loop and spliced the 85 wire directly into the combination switch, nothing, not even a clicking noise from the relay. Measured the voltage at the spice when i pulled on the fog lights on the combination swich, 4.8V...which is a lot less than the 12V the switch was using to trigger the relay. I've forgotten almost all of my basic circuit theory, but i figured that was the problem. Somebody is going to come along and correct that, which is ok, i'd like to understand exactly what i'm missing.

From that description it sounds like the factory fog switch and wiring is designed to use a relay that is not 12V operated (maybe it's 3V?) I don't have any specs to back that up, but it would explain why you are getting 4.8V at the relay signal line instead of the 12V you need.

Blu, i see what you are saying about going to the dealership. I should have just bought the mopar fog kit, for the harness and instructions, bought the fogs i wanted and sold the mopar fog lights on ebay. It would have been much easier.

Easier, yes, but you get to learn a lot doing it yourself It's good quality time spent with the jeep

 

[Boilermaker]

Easier, yes, but you get to learn a lot doing it yourself It's good quality time spent with the jeep

Very true...i've found that half the fun of the KJ is modifying it. I finish one project and look for something to do next. I could probably get more done if i didn't do everything the hard way, but what would be the challenge in that.

 

[Boilermaker]

thanks guys for the help, turns out once i added the relay and ran the switch wire to the output of the micro relay, all is working. Installation looks stock (as long as you don't open up any access panels).

The price of the rocky mountain edition lights for some reason has dropped from 185 to 99 dollars; add about $25 dollars for a hella 500 harness and you have an almost renegade looking setup for about $125. Attaching the mounts is a pita (ended up welding there are probably better options), but it wasn't too hard otherwise once i got help with the wiring.