Fog light control

[TJW124Spider1975]

I understand how to wire the relay for the fog lights....my question is ...

How do people usually control the fog lights?

Do folks add a new switch for fog lights or run them off the low beam level on the headlight switch (using relays)?

I saw in a different topic that they should be connected to the high beams? That seems odd for driving in fog.

Just wondering what most people do with deciding what turns on the Fog lights.

Thomas

[azruss]

I wired mine to a separate switch.

[TJW124Spider1975]

Azruss:

Thanks. That was my inclination too.

Cars I have owned with factory fog lights were always on a separate switch.

Thomas

[wikkid]

You could wire your relay for the fogs into either the high or low beam, with the same effect. It just depends if you wire it "normally open" or "normally closed." That is, if you want to be in conformity with how modern fogs are set up: to go off once you flip to high beams.
The splice in from the headlight power would only be the trigger for the relay, that would allow/prevent operation of the fogs with low/high beams; the on/off fog 12V switch would be separate.

I'm sure there are other ways to do it, probably more elegantly designed than my seat of the pants description.

[CajunMike]

Separate switch.

[donm]

FYI, a perfect location for the fog light switch, assuming you don't have power windows, is one of the blanks for the window switches. You can take out the plastic blank and drill it to accept your switch and then snap it back in place.

[Exit98]

Back in the day a lot of us ran in TSD rallies (time-speed-distance) in our sports cars. They usually ended at some roadside bar & grill where the cheesy trophies would be handed out. They were competitive and also social events hosted by various sports car clubs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regularity_rally

Because they were generally run at night two different types of auxiliary lighting were often installed on the cars, fog lights and high intensity driving lights. The fog lights weren’t really for fog; instead they installed low under the bumper and angled outwards so when making tight turns on dark narrow back roads they’d illuminate some of the road around the turn.

The driving lights would be installed on the upper part of the bumper or in the grill area to let you see much farther down the road as is was easy to over drive the somewhat weak high beams. You wouldn’t use them on regular roads, they were blinding to oncoming drivers.

At one event I noticed a car with one fog light hung from the rear bumper. It didn’t make much sense to me until one night I missed the turn off on a sandy road in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. My lovely navigator and future wife called out to me to back down the road, it was just a track, I couldn’t turn around. I shifted to reverse and looked back. I couldn’t see a thing. The feeble little back up lights on my 240Z couldn’t dent the darkness. She had to get out and walk me back and we lost a bunch of time. At the next rally I was sporting a new rear light I ran off a separate switch.

These early 70’s rallies were responsible for what we now call car bras. A lot of the guys had some really nice cars, Jags and Alfas and so forth, and the rallies world often run on dirt or gravel roads. So MG Mitten and other accessory companies came out with these front end covers. The guys would strap on the bras for the rallies, but then take them right off at the end. In those days no one would regularly drive around with one of those things on their car as some sort of a fashion statement. We all knew leaving them on for any length of time would ruin the paint what with friction and the water and dirt getting underneath.

Today when I see fancy cars driving around with the bras I think of the days when some of our fathers and grandfathers would immediately install sticky plastic seat covers over the original fabric and vinyl interiours of their brand new cars. For the next owner I guess, I could never understand that.

[wikkid]

Exit98, PM me if you are interested in re-living your old rally days: I know where there's a '72 240Z for sale.....looks like a good little project.

[Exit98]

Hi Wikkid,

A 72 240Z. Could it be my old one...nope not a chance. Those early Z cars rusted out ever bit as fast as our Spiders. Mine was swiss cheese when I passed it on, but man it still ran like stink.

FInding one today that isn't rusted bad is a bigger challenge than finding a Spider. And if you do find one it will be $20K.

Thanks for the tip but there'll be no more projects in my garage. The boss tells me one's enough.

[wikkid]

Link to '72 240Z on Craigslist. Car is in Oxford, MD on the Eastern Shore. One owner, 90k miles, asking $4200.

http://easternshore.craigslist.org/cto/3449163874.html

I used to live in Oxford, but I don't know who the owner is.

[TJW124Spider1975]

FYI, a perfect location for the fog light switch, assuming you don't have power windows, is one of the blanks for the window switches. You can take out the plastic blank and drill it to accept your switch and then snap it back in place.

I do not have power windows... Where is the blank for the power window switch?

I'm not sure if I have one?

I think separate switch is the way to go..

Thomas

[divace73]

Your 1975 my not have the slots for power windows, I beliver power windows were an option from c1980 onwards??

[TJW124Spider1975]

Your 1975 my not have the slots for power windows, I beliver power windows were an option from c1980 onwards??

That makes sense. I can find a spot for a switch.

Thomas

[donm]

If you have the blanks, they'd be on each side of the radio location.