Adding fog lights using factory wiring question

wayno12

wayno12

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Jul 1, 2018
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35
Location
Santa Fe, Tx
I have an ‘05 X model that I would like to add fog lights using the factory wiring that I found under the front fenders, but using a switch in the switch panel instead of on the steering column. Is there wiring that I can access behind the center panel to wire my new switch? I can run all new wiring if I have to, but would rather not if there is wiring available. Note: my multi-function switch does not include the fog light function.
 
Sadly, no.
I, too, have an "X" and was looking for a shortcut. I bought a switch for the center dash console and will be using that with my wiring. I haven't traced where the wiring from the bumper ends up yet, it may be the under hood fuse box. This may save a little time and trouble. It may also deadend at the drivers footwell, at the huge connector. I'm not ready for this project yet, it's a little down on my to-do list. I'll post up though, when I get to it.

I run a soft top and I usually like to use the hard top rear defroster wire to run an aux backup light, it already has a relay and fuse, but the wiring isn't there for that either.
According to the wiring diagrams, it should be in the tub by the tail light but they're wrong. Maybe they didn't want to add notes in the diagrams for the scmucks that end up with an "X."
 
You shamed me into looking into this...

I'm not sure of your skill level but this is not for the faint of heart.

In my X, I have a relay slot for the fogs and the rear (hardtop) defroster. I am going to use the defrost circuit for my backup/rear aux lights. The wire is already sized appropriately and its fused and relayed.

For the fogs-
Take the PDC apart, separating the upper portion from the lower, so that you can access the wiring going to the relay slots. Cut the lg/wt wire from the relay socket. Leave enough to work with. Attach your new "trigger" wire to the wire going to the relay (the part of the wire going into the harness is not used, tape it off), this will go through your switch to positive battery, however/wherever you want to do this. Cut the wt/yl wire, tape off the harness side. Cut the wt/or wire, tape off the RELAY side, the harness side you will solder to the dangling piece of wt/yl wire that still goes up to the relay. Now for the fun! You have to attach a wire, which will be your positive battery feed to the lights themselves (fuse and size properly). This feed needs to go to the N.O. contacts on the relay, there is not a contact already in this particular slot. You need to add it. You could just solder a wire yo the relay terminal, snake the wire down to go along with the others and call it good. How I did this is- I hogged out the hole, carefully. I made it large enough so that I can slide a spade onto the relay, then push the relay into the socket, making contacts with the other connections. As I said, I am using a center dash, TJ style switch, not using the stalk. Now, you can use the existing factory fog light wiring coming out just below your front marker lights. This uses a mini relay.

Rear aux lights-
This is easier. I still need to figure out where to pick up the the wire from inside the tub. It is at C301 but it may go farther back towards the rear, just not sure where, yet. But, providing power to that wire is easy. While you are in the PDC above, do this too, to get ready for when you want to do this. This uses a full size relay. You will have to put in a 40a fuse in the proper slot as well as the relay. Under the relay, cut the db wire, tape off the harness end then ground the wire coming off of the relay. Now cut the pk/db wire, tape off the harness end. The pk/db wire going up to the relay is your "trigger" coming from battery positive through your switch. Once you put that 40a fuse in place, the heavy gauge bk/wt wire will have voltage to it(and you turn your switch "on"). Like I said, I just need to find a place to pick up from inside the tub.






Clear as mud?...
 
And, if you want to use the factory fog light connectors with other lights, you can get fog light wiring extenders (I think they make for people with body lifts- I need a body lift but that's just because of my age). You can then add that pigtail to your lights, no cutting of the factory harness required.
 
dbbd1- thanks for the awesome information! I really wasn’t trying to shame you, but greatly appreciate your response.
I am an industrial electrician by trade, although I’m typically used to working with higher voltages. The details that you spelled out shouldn’t be too difficult to accomplish. The information was very detailed and my next free week-end I will start to work on the wiring.
 
Shame= my OCD

No prob...

Yeah, not too hard really but if you need, pm me and I'll give you my number.
 
More OCD...
I wanted to be able to remove and replace the relay easily, that's why I went with the spade attached to the relay vs soldering it on.
The terminal that you want is number 5, it's the N.O. one. The yellow bezel removes easily by just pulling up, after you remove the other relay. You can then cut it with a razor or dremel and do the lower part too, to accommodate the spade terminal. The new relay is the gray one in the pic.

image.jpeg
image.jpeg
 
In the upper pic, you can also see the new, added relay for the defroster (my aux lights relay). It's just to the right of the gray relay.
 
Awesome, a picture is worth a thousand words! I also recently found the service manual on the forum which is I’m assuming where you got the wire colors from on your recent post. Between your write-up and pics as well as the manual I should be able to accomplish what I want. Thanks
 
And, in case anyone is still paying attention...

The black wire with white tracer coming from the defroster relay deadends at connector C301, the one at the driver's footwell. So, I'll tap it there and continue it back for my rear aux lights.
 
Bonus!


Up to this point, I was just making sure that everything was working but, on a drive today I put on my front aux lights and behold! My fog lights indicator in the cluster came on. I guess you don't need a switch with an "on" indicator if you wire it is the way that I did.
 
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