Wiring new foglights

[abomb1]

This topic has come up before, but there was never an answer, so maybe someone knows by now.

 

I'm installing some driving lights on my 01 Pathfinder on the grillguard and trying to find out what wire I need to tap to get power to my switch with the parking lights on. Does anyone know what color wire and where to find it? It sure was fun getting the power wire from the relay into the cabin last night! I finally got the little rubber boot off that seals the firewall where the wires all go out, only to find it impossible to get back in there. Not to mention cutting my hands up on the zip tie things they use to hold all the wiring together inside the cabin. :X How did you get that boot back on? Final question is if I should keep the fuse going from the positive post on the battery to the new relay? If I don't have a fuse there I'm guessing the relay would then be the first to go? :confused:

[88pathoffroad]

I hope you didn't run the new wire UNDER the boot so it's rubbing against the sharp sheetmetal edge of the firewall...it should go through the rubber to keep it isolated from possibly grounding out.

 

Yes, the relay should be fused. I've seen relays lock open after a short occurs and that would probably cause an underhood fire. A fuse is your only course of protection in that case.

 

I've always just run the switch's power source to an ignition-on wire in the fuse compartment. Nobody cares if you can turn on your fog lights with the headlights or parking lights off around here. I've never even heard of someone getting in trouble for that.

[abomb1]

Yes, the wire goes through the boot and out a "new" hole in the boot since it was impossible to try to get the wire all the way through following all of the other wires. I'll just use some electrical tape or a rubber type of glue to seal the new hole and it should be fine. Somehow I have to figure out how to get that boot back into the firewall though.

 

Good point on the ignition-on wire. When I did this on my 94 Pathfinder there were how-to's that told the color of the parking light wire, so I had just planned on doing the same for this one.

[abomb1]

I finished the driving lights install last night. To anyone that does this in the future--DO NOT PULL OUT THE RUBBER BOOT FROM THE FIREWALL It was almost impossible to put back in, I couldn't route the wire through the boot anyway, so it was useless of me to get it out. It is such a cramped area to work in and has all kinds of sharp edges that made my hand look like I let a puppy use it as a chew toy. In the end I just poked a hole through the boot to run the new wire through the firewall.

[deej]

Here's a BIG tip on getting that boot back in,

 

*USE A LITTLE WD40 (lubricant) or EQUIVALENT ON THE BOOT, IT WILL ALMOST JUMP BACK IN TO THE HOLE WITH LITTLE TO NO EFFORT*

 

This can be used with any boot or grommet.