Checking my fog light wiring harness to see if it works. Can I use the negative terminal of the battery as a common ground for all grounds. Lights, harness etc?
Can I test the lights by just hooking them one at a time to the battery?
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First I am not an expert in this area but have done quite a few fog light installs. If you put the positive on the battery+ and the neg on the batt -, you can test just about anything this way using an appropriate guage wire... I use 10 or 12 guage for lights.
Phil, are you using a relay I hope so ? It prevents excessive heat in the wiring and switch and a risk of fire.
I think the only rule is to use the same guage for the Power and the Ground to the relay then the two which goto the ignition and then the switch can be 14-16 gauge as they need or carry very little amperage.
I found this link
Success. Now all I have to do is install it.
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Phil,
Any issues with the tailpipes dragging when you pull up on those ramps?
My old system which was long and came straight out the back was a problem. When I built the new system I made sure it would not be an issue.
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Phil:
Think of the negative post on the battery as a "Master Ground" to everything in the car. You can also think of the positive post as a "Master Positive" for everything in the car, too. Just remember that if you connect to both of them, you've got one hellava lot of unfused current on tap, so be careful about what you're doing and don't short anything together. It'll either create a big spark and not hurt you or turn into a welder and turn what's connected into a lump of molten slag. Still, 12 volts won't hurt you (except for heat generated) - just be careful.
It's the higher voltages and higher currents that hurt you (and I have the scars to prove that). 12 volts is reasonably benign, just respect it.
Thanks Ray and Gordon. All of my projects since I've never done them before are learning experiences. But I got it done and it works great. I really love self tapping screws for grounding to the car frame.
Life is a "learning experience".
When I was a kid (15 years old), I was a licensed Ham Radio Operator and had a really cool radio station in my bedroom. One day, while I was attempting to adjust a circuit in my transmitter, I managed to short myself between 600 volts DC, at about an ampere, and ground (think grasping the positive and negative terminals on your battery, but with enough potential to kill you). That voltage and current makes your muscles contract which, in my hands, caused them to grasp more firmly, making an even better connection. Your body actually vibrates at 60 cycles per second - you can feel it.
So, whaddya do? Your mind panics and you back away from the danger, which is what I did, eventually backing far enough away, while holding a 60 pound power supply in one hand, raised with an outstretched arm, to cause the power supply AC plug to pull out of the wall receptacle. The power shut off and I collapsed. Total time, about 5 seconds. My mom came from the crash and found me unconscious on the floor, but I quickly awoke. Ended up with deep scars on both hands (they look like slight caullouses, today) and a very deep respect for "higher voltages". The family doctor examined me and said I had "the heart of an OX" because the current when from arm to arm and through my chest. I still believe that's true.
Even earlier than that (when I was maybe twelve years old), I simply placed my casual hand upon a spark plug on a running garden tractor that happened to have been made in the early 1950's and had a Magneto, rather than a coil. BAM!!!! I got hit with, maybe, three spark cycles and when I pulled my hand away and looked at it, I swore I would see a huge hole blown straight through my palm - THAT was what it felt like. Much higher voltage and much lower current, but it packed a BIG wallop. I almost would prefer the 600 volts.
On second thought, maybe it makes sense to avoid BOTH !
12 Volts won't kill you, but it might wake you up. Either way, respect the potential (current). It really means business.
Coat the heads (and threads, too, if you can get at them) with paint or a decent silicon caulk after screwing everything together. That way, they won't rust in place and cause a poor circuit connection over time. And don't touch anything over 12 volts!
