I'm just finishing up my civic foglight install on my car and was wondering where the best place would be to use as a power source...i was hoping to get it hooked up to my corner lights so they turn on with it but wasnt sure where that power source is...any suggestions on where i should tap for the power source? i spliced into my passenger side corner light but after driving about 20 mins the fuse blew...i know there isnt a place where the two wires touch so im not sure why the fuse blew...can a fuse blow if the wire gets too hot? thanks

 

This should be in Car Talk.

You shouldn't splice a whole system into an existing one. It's too much power draw. You can use the corner light power to drive a relay and the relay then uses direct battery power to work the foglights.

 

actually its civic foglights fitted into my MY00...i tried following the directions for the harness that came with it but its so small i can hardly read it, and it doesnt really show the relay wiring.

 

OK, understood.

Again, when installing any kind of aftermarket lights, you need to use a relay. In case you don't understand how a relay works, I'll explain.
An automotive electrical relay consists of two separate circuits. A low voltage circuit turns on a high voltage circuit. The low V circuit is activated by you turning it on. This can be tied into an existing light circuit or you can (in the S2000) use the empty spade connector in the fuse panel for light activation to turn the relay on. Here's the diagram:

Plug a wire into the one that says "lights" using a 1/4" female spade connector. This goes to the (+) side of the low V circuit on the relay. Then run a wire from the (-) of the low V side of the relay to a ground bolt on the frame. Now your relay is powered.
Then you must get power and ground for the foglights. You need to run a thick gauge wire from the battery (+) terminal to the (+) terminal of the high V circuit of the relay. Then a wire hooks up to the (-) terminal of the high V circuit of the relay. This wire goes to the (+) side of the foglights and the (-) side of the foglights get grounded to body ground.

 

cool thanks xviper...yeah i wasnt quite sure how to go about the relay part as it has too many wires...i just wasnt sure which wires went to what on the relay, i'll just try to look it up online for some kind of diagram or something... guess i'll have some wiring to do when i get back home...

-ray

 

Here is another wiring project that shows a relay. Substitute the "underhood fuse panel" with "under dash fuse panel" (like the scan I already posted up) and substitute the "water pump" for your "fog lights":



Take note of the "battery" and "chassis ground". Disregard all the other stuff.

 

Just a minor quibble with an otherwise fine explanation. They are low and high amperage circuits, not low and high voltage ones. All the voltages are 12V. It's too many amperes that blow fuses or burn out wiring.

 

^ Thanks for keeping me honest.

 

damn electrical gurus

electrical problems own me big time...i never really understood it even when i was learning a little about it in engineering class...but thanks again guys