Switched live in the engine bay

dr_rick · December 26, 2016

So, going to tackle (hopefully) some OSRAM DRLFog lights. Does anyone know of a switched live wire that is easily accessible, in the engine bay?I'm trying to avoid taking a wire into the cabin if I can get away with it.

Not really looked myself, but weather here in Edinburgh is rough, so I'm avoiding heading out right now.

emjay82 · December 26, 2016

Can't help with this technicalities of this but I thought you can be fined for driving with your fog lights permanently on? Might be wrong but maybe worth checking....

tayaste · December 26, 2016

I think he just wants the switched live for the DRL function of these lamps, the fogs act independently , they're ce marked and fine for uk roads. I have a set that I was going to fit for somebody but didn't in the end.

tayaste · December 26, 2016

Here's mine

emjay82 · December 26, 2016

Ah OK got it, sorry about that, just thought I would mention.

NemesisUK · December 26, 2016

I had a pair of those Osrams fitted to my Merc, replacing the OEM fog lamps. Gave me drls and all original foglamp welcome home functionality. Excellent product, looked very OEM.

Guys who fitted them took switched and permanent live feeds directly from the fusebox.

dr_rick · December 26, 2016

Them's the one's. DRL under normal conditions, the switch off with headlights, and there are fogs too. Not going to do the optional single switch off with indicators, or the double flash with hazards.

The distructions that come with them are generic graphics. Useful but not helpful. I'm trying to avoid full front bumper removal. Think I should be able to feed the cables around. Just need the switched live.

NemesisUK · December 26, 2016

I think you'll need to have a poke around the under-bonnet fuse box with a multimeter..

dr_rick · December 27, 2016

Little reading of the manual suggests that we should have a Type B fuse box (more square than the Type A which is long thin) in the engine bay.

Looking at the diagram, the obvious choice would be o piggyback onto fuse 24, which is a 15A associated with the Front Fogs.

Unless, that requires headlights to be active first, in which case I'll use fuse 22, which is a 20A associated with windshield washer.

Need a trip to Halfords

dr_rick · January 2, 2017

@NemesisUK, don't suppose you could have a look at where your wired in DRL units have been tapped into the engine bay could you?

I think my note above isn't going to work. Every search I do talks about tapping into the cigarette lighter in the cabin, but I'd like to find something in the engine bay.

i can see CIG listed in the type a box, but against an 80A fuse. My guess in that this will turn out to be permanent live.

Surely someone has noted a switched live in the engine bay?

NemesisUK · January 2, 2017

If memory serves, it was the supply to the power socket in the centre console.

You really need to meter the connections

dr_rick · January 8, 2017

Right, so the front washer appears to be switched live in the engine bay fuse box. Which is nice.

@NemesisUK, one last question (hopefully). Where did your installer put the OSRAM control box?

I'm now realising that there's not much space in the engine bay, unless you extend the supplied wires. At a push, it could go on top of the big fuse box, but the trim on the right side that sit over the fuse box would need different fixings to hold it down.

Unfortunately I can't use the space to the right of the Battery as I have a control box for the exhaust valves there, and then there's the grounding points, so I don't want to cover them up. Anyway, putting it there would be too much for the cables to the fog lamps. It's almost as if it needs to go at the main fuse box, or down the front and extend the wires.

NemesisUK · January 8, 2017

On the Merc the control box was mounted on the rear edge of the front cross member.

dr_rick · January 9, 2017

Ah, completely forgot you had the lights done on a Merc.

I have a feeling I may chicken out of the final control box install. I figure I can save a few quid by doing the light install and routing their cables, then I can leave the final connection to an auto-electrician.

madasahatter · January 9, 2017

On 26/12/2016 at 2:02 PM, dr_rick said:

So, going to tackle (hopefully) some OSRAM DRLFog lights. Does anyone know of a switched live wire that is easily accessible, in the engine bay?I'm trying to avoid taking a wire into the cabin if I can get away with it.

Not really looked myself, but weather here in Edinburgh is rough, so I'm avoiding heading out right now.

Looking at the wiring its plug and play. Should be 2 wires to the Battery Live and Earth, and then a wire to side or dipped lights to dim drls.

dr_rick · January 9, 2017

Not quite, @madasahatter.

Wire to GND at Battery (recommended, but earth point is an option).
Wire to +ve at Battery.
Flying lead to determine brightness of DRL (+ve for full power, GND for 50% or 80% I can't remember).
Blue lead currently has spade end needs a switched live.
White lead to clip / splice with existing sidelight wiring.
Plug lead to go to right DRL unit.
Plug lead to go to left DRL unit.
Plug lead to existing fog lead.
Blanking plug for opposite side fog lead.

Then there's the clip / splice options:

Wire to go to hazard wiring so DRL's flash with hazards.
Wire to go to left indicator so DRL dims when indicating left.
Wire to go to right indicator so DRL dims when indicating right.

These last one's I'm not going to do, so I'll have to tidy the extra wires up, probably by cutting them short and putting caps on them.

madasahatter · January 9, 2017

These look pretty cool.

dr_rick · January 9, 2017

Can't see YouTube at work.

What's the difference between those ones and the OSRAM ones?

madasahatter · January 9, 2017

These are fitted in the Lexus if you watch the video. A lot cheaper also full plug and play.

dr_rick · January 9, 2017

Really? Which Lexus?

Knowing my luck, they'd not be plug and play for a 2010 ISF.

madasahatter · January 9, 2017

35 minutes ago, dr_rick said:

Really? Which Lexus?

Knowing my luck, they'd not be plug and play for a 2010 ISF.

It states older and newer if you watch the video. They are JDM ones .

http://store.ijdmtoy.com/Genuine-OEM-Spec-Fog-Light-Replacement-p/70-60x-15w.htm

dr_rick · January 18, 2017

Just to round this one off, I installed the lights myself, and then took the car to a local auto-electrician for final wiring connection he charged me for an hours time / £45. Could be worse. Conclusion, the DRL are really bright, I have used the 100% brightness option that is available in the wiring diagram, and the guy set it so I can have DRL, DRL/sidelights, headlights, headlights/fogs.

Some photies then.

DRL only...

I need some white LED sidelights....

And the combo of lowbeams and fogs...

dr_rick · January 18, 2017

With this in mind, does anyone know of any sensible UK based vendors of LED sidelights?

Much as there is eBay, I'm yet to be convinced that I won't be swapping the bulbs multiple times if I go down that route, or be having flickering or dashboard warnings.