The motor vehicle lighting system has lighting and signaling device, which is integrated or mounted in the front, on the sides or rear side of the vehicle. The only purpose of a lighting system in a vehicle is to provide light to the driver do that he can drive carefully after dark. There are various types of lights but the famous one is the front fog lamp. They provide a wide, usually a bar-shaped beam of light that has a sharp cutoff on the top, and they are generally mounted very low. The color of the fog lights is usually selective yellow or white.
The purpose of the fog lights is to increase the visibility at a low speed on the road surface and edges in conditions of poor visibility, which are caused due to snow, dust, fog or rain. Mostly, fog lights are used in place of the dipped-beam headlamps, which reduce the glare back from the snowfall. However, the legalization can vary from the use of front fog lamps without the low beam headlamps.
The use of the front fog lamps when the visibility is not reduced is banned especially in the United Kingdom because the excess glares, in the wet conditions harms the driver’s vision due to increase in the excess foreground illumination. Here are some few steps on how to install fog lights.
Things Required:
- Car
- Fog lights
- Wire
- electrical tape
- light bulbs
- switch
- relay
- fuses
- mounting brackets
- hardware to attach all the brackets and lights
- wire nuts
- wire strippers
Steps:
- Take out the lights and check their amp rating. Get a switch for the same with a suitable rating. If you cannot find a switch with a higher or an equal rating, then you will require a relay.
- You will need to use brackets to mount the lights on their desired location. Choose a suitable place in your vehicle to mount the switch for the lights. Then mount the switch inside your vehicle.
- Find the power source underneath the hood, which does not attach directly the wires with the battery. In some vehicles, even a headlight circuit will do. If you manage to find the switch with the rating circuit, then make the connections. The connections must go from the source to the switch, from switch to the lights, and from lights to the source.
- Place a relay somewhere beneath the hood. Fix the light circuit to the load side of the relay. Take the wire from the hot supply of the power source to the one relay load terminal. Connect all the relays and load terminals with the light closet. Later, connect the second light to the power source on the negative side.
- Now, connect it to the switch. Take the wires from the power source to one of the control terminals on the relay and connect the other terminal with the switch. The negative of the power source should be connected with the switch terminals left.
- Once you are done with the connections, install bulbs inside the lights. Start the car and test. If the source of the selected fuse blows, then you will have to replace it and connect it to another source.
- Continue if everything works out correctly. If the lights are not working, check all the connections again. To make sure that the water tightness covers up all the joints with the help of an electrical tape.
Tips and warnings:
- If you are just replacing the lights, do not remove the connections; just change the bulb.
- The electrical system of the car is only 12 volts, so there is absolutely no hazard of electrocution. If there is short-circuit, then there are chances of fire.
People who do not have any knowledge of electronics and the electrical system of the car should not try it.