[cbowles]

So I have done about an hour of searching and cant find anything on wiring diagrams for a few things...

One is for the headlights. I have the H4 headlights, but want to rewire the lights to include relays and fuses in the lines. I have heard that it makes the lights brighter and I am all for brighter.

The second is for my Hella 500 fog lights and pencil beams. I currently have them running with straight power and I don't like that (just not safe IMO). I want to get a wiring diagram for wiring both sets of lights separately (fogs on one circuit, pencils on another), each with relays, fuses, and all that good stuff.

Maybe I just can't find anything tonight, but if someone could post pictures or wiring diagrams or something so that I cam make up harnesses for these things. I am not good AT ALL with electrical things, so that's why I'm reaching out to you guys. PLZ HELP! Also, I have 16 gauge wire, would that be sufficient?

[bblhead]

Are you looking for stock wiring or someones custom set?

If you are looking for stock, I used a Haynes Manual for most of my wiring needs and I also use this site http://www.alldatadiy.com/. I forget the cost, but it has many useful pictures for not just the Wiring.

Ben

[cbowles]

Kind of a custom set. I cant find anything on the Hella website as far as a wiring diagram, and the internet has just a bunch of bad links. I was hoping that maybe someone drew up a wiring diagram when they wired their lights.

[cbowles]

BTT for some hopeful answers

[brianw13a]

Originally Posted by cbowles

One is for the headlights. I have the H4 headlights, but want to rewire the lights to include relays and fuses in the lines. I have heard that it makes the lights brighter and I am all for brighter.

Are your bulbs rated at higher amps that the stock? Or are you changing the bulbs as well? If neither, then relays and fuses won't help.

A fuse limits the amps that can flow through it. Increase the amps beyond the fuse limit and you'll blow the fuse. The reason is to protect the wiring. If you get a short with an oversized fuse, you will likely burn the wiring and possibly start you jeep on fire before the fuse will blow. In-line fuses will NOT make your bulbs brighter.

A relay is just a switch that is turned on by a low amp signal. It has a certain rated capacity similiar to a fuse but that is to protect the relay.

On the headlights, save yourself some time and effort and don't bother, all you'll really accomplish is making your troubleshooting tougher if it breaks.

BTW: I didn't stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night, but I do work for an electrical engineering firm.

As for the fog lights, I would put in a fuse immediately. You can splice one into the 12v+ side of the lights and you're good to go. I would also put relay in as well. This is a little more complicate but not bad. Just remember that you'll splice into you're 12v+ fog again. The other two leads will be 12v+ from the switch and ground. You'll have to view the diagram of your relay to get the pinout straight.

The one on this page seems fairly straight-forward

[alexherb]

For the relay wiring, on the relay the terminals should be labled with numbers (30,86,87,87a,85)

30 to the battery
85 to a switch that shows 12v when on
86 to chassis ground
87 ouput to the foglights
87a not used

Most relays are only rated to 30 amps, so make sure the foglights dont pull more than that. It may be neccesary to use seperate relays for each light. Depending on the current draw of the lights. Easy way to tell the current is dived the wattage by 12 and thatll give you a rough current draw.

[Stu Olson]

http://www.stu-offroad.com/electrical/elec5/lights-1.htm details the basics of wiring a set of lights for a vehicle.

http://www.stu-offroad.com/electrical.asp has more electrical projects for your Jeep.