PIAA Driving Light Install Question

[ShotOnce]

I almost have my driving PIAA driving lights installed, I just need to know what wire I should connect my power switch to. Here are the PIAA instructions:

Find a power source to connect the switch power wire to. For legal operation of driving lights, the power source must be one that is only powered when the high beam of the headlamps is on. To make this connection use the supplied connector.

I have routed the wires to under the driver's dash, now my question is what underneath the steering wheel should I connect the power switch to? Does anyone have a photo showing the wire location? Also, what color(s) is the wire? After I have that, I can secure everything and call it a day.

Thanks in advance!!!

[lizzurd]

Originally Posted by ShotOnce

I almost have my driving PIAA driving lights installed, I just need to know what wire I should connect my power switch to. Here are the PIAA instructions:

Find a power source to connect the switch power wire to. For legal operation of driving lights, the power source must be one that is only powered when the high beam of the headlamps is on. To make this connection use the supplied connector.

I have routed the wires to under the driver's dash, now my question is what underneath the steering wheel should I connect the power switch to? Does anyone have a photo showing the wire location? Also, what color(s) is the wire? After I have that, I can secure everything and call it a day.

Thanks in advance!!!

Im not sure of the wire colur....but when i did my fog light install on my old E i ran a wire right off the headlamp harness.

[ShotOnce]

This was under the driver's dash right

[Empire]

No, what he means, and I did the same, was that you can run the power wire for your switch to tap into the highbeam hot wire coming directly out of the harness coming out the back of the driver side headlight itself. Not that there isn't a way to easily do it under the dash but I installed my aftermarket fogs and rooflight in a switchless auto-on/off manor according to the low beam high beam setting.

[Cyclist_306]

I got this from another thread.

Aftermarket Fog Light, OEM switch wiring.

Here’s my take on a nice way to wire aftermarket fog/driving lights to the Honda OEM fog light switch. I wanted to avoid drilling holes in the firewall or cutting holes in my dash for any non-Honda switches and I wanted to use my fog/driving lights with the parking lights, low beams, or high beams.

Check out the attached schematic.

I bought a normally open relay at Radio Shack for about $4.50 rather than a similar one from the auto parts store for $22. I used a crimp on ring terminal to connect a heavy red wire from a suitable hot 12-volt terminal inside the under-hood fuse box to the relay. Be sure to install a new in-line fuse as close to the fuse box as possible. Your set of fog lights should come with a suitable fuse and fuse holder.

The other relay terminal should connect to the fog/driving lights, also using heavy gage red wire. Check the schematic on the back of the relay package to see which terminal is which for your particular relay. Wire the two fog/driving light black wires to a chassis ground bolt using heavy black wire. Now you have a proper circuit capable of handling any reasonable amperage draw no matter what bulbs or lights you might use.

All the above-mentioned wiring is under the hood. Protect it from chafe using some of that split plastic wire organizer tubing and some tie wraps.

Next I needed a nice way to trigger the relay. All the remaining wire can be small gage since it’s only used to signal the relay and illuminate the switch lighting. First connect the ground terminal of the relay coil to any handy chassis ground bolt. Connect the other side of the relay coil to the Honda OEM fog/driving light wire, which has a tan plug and is secured below the left headlight using blue tape. This wire is put in at the factory and the other end can be found under the dash just to the left of the center console. Download the Honda fog light instructions as a PDF file from H and A. It shows where all these wires are plus gives tips on removing the bumper.

Next remove the cover below the steering column to gain access to the under-dash fuse box and fog/driving light switch. Order Honda part # 08V31-SCV-120A for a gray switch and 08V31-SCV-110A for black. Hold the switch so the LED is on the left (outboard) side. This is the way it should be mounted. It will match the cruise control switch. This is also the way I will reference the 5 different contacts.

Some others have suggested taping into the cruise control switch wiring to make the lights work in the Fog/driving Light Switch; however, after 15 minutes of struggling and cursing I just couldn’t get the cruise control switch out by reaching under the dash and I didn’t want to take the dash apart if I didn’t have to.

So I wired it up using the attached schematic. Find the empty socket in the under-dash fuse box just below the yellow plug. It has three small male connectors. The left contact is hot in acc., the middle is hot with the key in the run position, and the right is hot with the parking/headlights on. I wanted to be sure my fog/driving lights would be off when I had my lights off, so I elected to use the right connector for the source of +12 volts. You may want to use one of the other terminals.

Radio shack sells several sizes of insulated, crimp-on, female spade connectors. Use the smallest one, which I think is 0.10”, to connect to the desired source of +12 volts. Then run this wire to the far right (fifth from the left) male connector on the OEM fog/driving light switch and at the same time hook a jumper from there to the center (third from the left) contact. This jumper will provide power to the backlight and “on” LED inside the switch. The same small female spade connectors will just fit if you carefully twist the male contacts about 45 degrees using a pair of needle nose pliers or you may elect to solder to these contacts and insulate them afterwards with a small piece of shrink tubing. Be sure to insulate these contacts. What ever you do, be certain that you don’t have a situation where a short could develop and cause smoke to pour out from under you dash. It’s very distracting at highway speeds and smells bad too. Chicks don’t dig it either.

Connect the fourth from the left connector to the tan 1-pin Honda factory plug taped up under the dash using blue tape. It is the other end of the wire and 1-pin connector you found earlier below the left headlight. A ¼ inch female spade connector will work here. Now when you actuate the switch with the parking/headlights on, power will flow from the under-dash fuse box, through the switch, and then to the under-hood relay via the OEM wire, through the relay pull-in coil and finally to ground. All this is low amperage stuff.

When the relay closes, power will flow from the +12 volt source inside the under-hood fuse box via the thick wires, through the relay contacts, and on to the fog/driving light bulb filaments and finally to chassis ground, all via the high amperage side of the circuit.

The last task is to illuminate the internal lights in the switch. Simply hook the remaining two switch contacts to ground. That would be the far left contact and the one next to it (number 2 counting from the left). Now, if the parking lights or headlights are on, power will illuminate the fog light symbol backlight. When you actuate the OEM fog light switch, the green LED will come on.

Install shrink insulation and/or electrical tape as appropriate and secure any dangling wires with small tie wraps. You don’t want any of this stuff hanging up on the pedals, etc. Be sure if someone tugs on the wires, none of delicate switch contacts will short out.

Using this scheme, you can have fog/driving lights any time you have parking lights, low beams, or high beams on. Or you may elect to turn them off any time by using the OEM fog light switch. The headlight-warning chime should prevent you from accidentally leaving the fog/driving lights on and the switch lighting works, as it should. You don’t have to use any of those wire piercing “vampire” connectors or goofy after market switches, so you’ll have a nice, clean installation.

[Cyclist_306]

The picture that goes with the above post. I don't remember who orginally posted this. He was smarter that I and all credit goes to him.

[ShotOnce]

Empire/Lizzurd:

Thanks, it was an easy fix and I connected my PIAA lights directly to the highbeams and everything is great. Thanks again!!!

[Dom.five]

Originally Posted by Cyclist_306

The picture that goes with the above post. I don't remember who orginally posted this. He was smarter that I and all credit goes to him.

Nice job on this! That's the setup I have hand drawn out for my Install. I too have planed to use the factory wire! I also use the relay under the hood. I am planning on tapping the parking light Ckt. I want to be able to use the fogs without the headlights!




Dom

[ShotOnce]

Originally Posted by Dom.five

Nice job on this! That's the setup I have hand drawn out for my Install. I too have planed to use the factory wire! I also use the relay under the hood. I am planning on tapping the parking light Ckt. I want to be able to use the fogs without the headlights!

Dom

I was tempted, and I am still tempted to do this, but I don't want a fuzzy rearview mirror.:rolleyes: