Fog light wiring (again)

Well, let's see Keemosabe:

"The red (+) wire coming from the power switch connector.  I'm assuming that I can run it to the battery with another in line fuse.  And if I do should I use another 25A fuse box?  This would allow the fog lights to run independently from the ignition.  

No, a 25 amp fuse is WAY overkill, since all the switch is running is a relay or two.  A 10 amp fuse (probably even a 5 amp) should do, but keep reading;

"Or I guess I could run this directly to my main fuse box and tie it into a fuse dependent on the ignition being on.  Then the fog lights could only be turned on when the ignition is on and would turn off when the ignition is turned off.  (Good Idea) Would any particular fuse be better for this?"

Probably the one used for the radio is best, if the radio goes off with the key switch.  It might be tied to the fuse for the ignition, but if it is separate from the ignition circuit wiring, that's cool.  But keep reading;

Or I guess I could hook it to the (+) wire from one of the low beams.  But then the fog lights could only be used when low beams are on.  I think I would like them independent from headlights.

You certainly can trigger them off of the low beam circuit (mine work that way) but if you ever want to cruise around with the fogs on, then a tie-in to the Ignition/Alternate circuit is the way to go - you can use them whenever you want and they will go out with the ignition off but you'll have to manually switch them on/off when/if the headlights are on.

And I thought you were a doctor or dentist or something.  What are you doing getting into wiring a car?

Gordon

You are the frikin bomb.  Thanks so much.  Exactly the info I needed.  Leaning toward plugging it into the radio fuse.  

I'm currently getting the back of my Marchals powdercoated gloss black.  Hope to get them back and do the hook up this weekend.  I'll post some pics when I get it don't.  Though I'll probably come up with some more questions before I get it all done.

Yup I'm a doc.  Interventional Radiologist to be exact.  So all day at work I perform minimally invasive procedures on folks.  I love using my hands.  Being a minor mechanic when I was a kid convinced me that I wanted to work on people.  When I retire all I want to do is work on cars.  Full circle.

Is this site great or what?

2 kids in med school - that retirement is a ways off.

When I lived in Beaufort, SC, one of the guys in my car club, Ralph Salzer, was/is an Orthopedic Surgeon - He fixed shoulders, elbows, hips, knees, that sort of thing.  He also had a 1950 Desoto Hot Rod in Pearl White and a slew of Hudsons, usually bought from movie companies (the 1937 Hudson business coupe from "The Notebook", the Hudson Commodore from "Driving Miss Daisy" and the "Fabulous Hudson Hornet" race car.  He was always moaning and groaning that most of us in the car club knew a LOT more about cars than he did - he didn't think he could fix anything, even though he fixed people, weekly.

Anyway, his DeSoto had a dealer-installed hot water heater installed on top of the passenger side inner fender in the engine compartment, and it had this very involved heat plenum to get heat from the heater core back through the firewall and into the cockpit.  The plenum was originally made of treated cardboard and, after 40 years or so, they just sort-of disintegrated from age.  He looked for a NOS one all over the place and couldn't find one and the rest of the club was of no help.  His original one held its shape, but if you touched it, it would crumble.  He kept looking.....

Then one night I went to a car show (up near Lane Anderson, actually, in Charleston) and Ralph shows up with the DeSoto and opens the hood to show off the motor.  I look in, and there is a BRAND NEW Heater plenum, in a mottled Black.  It is gorgeous.  

"Ralph!  Where the hell did you get the new plenum?"  I asked.

I made it!" was the reply.  "I figured that I apply fiberglass casts to people's arms and legs every day, so how hard can it be to "put a cast" on a heater plenum?  So I mixed up a few sequential batches, slapped it on and, POOF!....   I had a new Plenum!"

Sure enough......   I looked closely, and it looked exactly like a fiberglass leg cast - in black.  Friggin' Gorgeous.  And he didn't think he could fix "car stuff".

Great story, Gordon!!

Hey, Bob - While I was looking for a photo of Ralph's DeSoto, I found a VW Camper for sale around $18K:  

http://www.classicsofbeaufort....lassics-of-beaufort/

Scroll down half way.

Normally in those Marchals I use 55 watt bulbs and I think you need more like a 20 amp fuse that is if you ever decide to use an 80 watt bulb. 

Even if the calculated current is about nine amps, a 10-amp fuse probably doesn't have enough of a 'safety' factor. Fuses should usually be spec'd to handle about 50 per cent more than the load they'll be carrying. There's a brief current 'surge' when the circuit is first closed that could, in this case, blow a 10-amp fuse.

I think I'd go with a 20-amp fuse here.

My harness is specific for fog lights with less that 80 watt bulbs.  My fuse question was not for the safety fuse box but was for the power switch connector to the battery (if that's the way I decided to go).  This as Gordon suggested would require a lower amp fuse.  Really thinking about plugging the power switch connector into my stereo fuse in the main fuse box so the lights will turn off with the ignition turned off.

Great story Gordon.  Both of my sons are already doctors.  My daughter has 2.5 more years in med school.  Then its dad's turn.

I have a friend md with two sons and daughter all mds And she is married to an md

I think that is nepotism

I think what you are saying is you want to wire it to the battery via relay  and simply activate the switch via the radio circuit (keyed) and thus the relay will operate only with key on

that works for me

I did all I could to talk my kids out of going into medicine.  I think the future of medicine and of physician earning potential is bleak.  But I've always enjoyed my job and I guess that's what my kids saw.  I've saved quite a few lives (lost some too).  Probably nothing as gratifying as that.

Nepotism?  Not sure.  I guess if that means giving them lots of money.  Guilty as charged.

There is no area in society that is not being challenged right now

When you get them there kids they get on the gravy train and it just doesn't seem to stop... does it ... but you're happy to do it . 

I'm still waiting for that "Gravy Train".

All I've seen so far is a hitchhiker and a few guys on bicycles........