Simple driving light wiring

[Wilbur]

Hi all,

Over the next few weeks I want to fit some LED driving lights to the D4, but am not keen to start chopping holes in the dashboard and running wires to the extra switch.

Instead, I plan to simply fit a relay to the front foglights so that when high beam is selected, fog light power is diverted from the foglights to the driving lights. The fog lights are 2 x 55 watts, so anything up to that on the driving lights should be okay. Thus the foglight switch becomes a driving light switch when lights are on high beam, and otherwise the foglight switch works as normal.

The down side is that when headlights are dipped with the driving lights on, of course the foglights will come on with the low beam. This may offend oncoming drivers, but on my D4 the fog lights really aren't at all dazzling to oncoming vehicles.

Still, it is much easier than running wires through the fire wall to the dashboard.

Now I just need to find some affordable LED spots.

Cheers,

Paul

[connock]

hI Paul
Just a thourght, driving around with fog lights on is a $200 fine and a demerit point. Well it is in SA any how,

Good luck connock

[Wilbur]

hI Paul
Just a thourght, driving around with fog lights on is a $200 fine and a demerit point. Well it is in SA any how,

Good luck connock

Thanks for the 'heads up' Connock, so it should be too, especially as most 'fog lights' seem to be aimed at oncoming drivers eyes, not at the road immediately in front.

That will mean I need to use two relays, but they are cheap, and I really, really don't want to get under the dash to mount and wire an extra switch.

Cheers,

Paul

[Larry]

hI Paul
Just a thourght, driving around with fog lights on is a $200 fine and a demerit point. Well it is in SA any how,

Good luck connock

Yep, NSW too.:)

[101RRS]

When on high beam how will they dip with the high beams - also a legal requirement.

Garry

[sniegy]

Very Very simple to run wires from the engine bay to under & around the steering column. There is already a Grommet in the firewall.
Personally i would make (these days you can probably buy a pre-made loom) a loom myself for this & keep the factory wiring untouched.
Cheers

[Wilbur]

When on high beam how will they dip with the high beams - also a legal requirement.

Garry
Yep with a relay, when the high beams are dipped, the driving lights would go off automatically.

I will check out what Sniegy says though I still think it would be easier to use the existing fog light switch. The under-bonnet area looks easy enough as Sniegy says, but not so sure about the under-dash area. Whichever, it would still be necessary to tap into the vehicle wiring to hook the relay into the high beam circuit.

Must be getting even lazier in my old age, always looking for the easy solution.

[harlie]

Personally I would (I have) run a small loom as sniegy says…

You would need to push the fog light button on everytime you start the car because it defaults to off after shutdown – and as other have mentioned having more than one pair of lights illuminated for low beam is illegal not to mention inconsiderate boarding on irresponsible – to get around it you would need 4 relays – 2 each side. Each fog light is switched independently by the LCM on a circuit that normally supplies 55w not 2x55w (that’s how the Range Rover is – I’m assuming the D4 is similar)

[Wilbur]

Personally I would (I have) run a small loom as sniegy says…

You would need to push the fog light button on everytime you start the car because it defaults to off after shutdown – and as other have mentioned having more than one pair of lights illuminated for low beam is illegal not to mention inconsiderate boarding on irresponsible – to get around it you would need 4 relays – 2 each side. Each fog light is switched independently by the LCM on a circuit that normally supplies 55w not 2x55w (that’s how the Range Rover is – I’m assuming the D4 is similar)

Hi Harlie,

That makes sense, if the lights are separately switched that means more wiring to do. Even four relays wouldn't cost much (three if you run a power lead for the driving lights back to the battery), but there would be that extra wiring to do.

My reluctance is attacking the under-dash area. Crook back makes that sort of thing a hassle, but worth a try, if I can work out how to remove the under-dash panels to get access. Any suggestions please?

Cheers,

Paul

[Wilbur]

And of course I should have considered that in all likelihood alarms will sound, sirens will shriek and I will get "Faulty Fog Light Globe" warnings....... Does anyone know if blown fog lights trigger a warning or is the owner expected to tell just by the darkness out the front?

Sniegy's idea is sounding pretty good - if I can just get the under-dash panels off.

[Graeme]

The panel below the steering wheel just pulls open from the top, albeit with a bit of a tug when new, then unhooks from the bottom once partly open.