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How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way
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flomulgator
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2016 6:43 pm    Post subject: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

Really this is for any auxiliary light, but it needs to be lower power due to the low amperage available. While this wasn't super helpful in the halogen era, this is ideal for LED fog or driving lights. The LED fog lights I purchased are 10 watts each, which following the formula A=W/V, have a total maximum draw of 1.6 amps.

The benefit of this wiring system is it uses a pre-existing stock fuse that is already powered and controlled by the ignition. Running a pre-built wiring harness with relay involves a lot more entry and exit of the vehicle shell, puts another fuse in a remote location, and adds a battery connection to the install complexity. Definitely the way to go if you're installing an 300 watt LED light bar or whatever, but this is just a simpler and cleaner for small draw accessories. All of what I'm saying can be found scattered aroun the Samba if you dig deep enough, but the point of this write-up is to save you the trouble, and you don't even have to read a wiring diagram!

What you'll need:
phillips
13 mm socket
label maker of some kind
ruler
a pick
two runs of 14-16 gauge wire
14-16 female spade terminals
standard wiring accessories
A free afternoon and 2-3 beers.

First step is to pull off the fusebox cover, unscrew the bottom screw holding the fusebox on, and pulling it forward. Contort yourself into an unpleasant position and start disconnecting wiring harness bundles. Chances are this part will suck a bit. Once you've gotten a few free you can pull the right side of the fuse box forward more exposing some of the back of the unit. On the passenger side of the back, there are 2 rows of of male spades that are all powered and all connected to fuses. These are called the G spades, and if you look very close they are numbered. On the driver's side are P spades which are powered but NOT fused.

So the critical piece of info, which cannot be found by perusing the Bentley wiring diagrams, comes from Derek Drew:

"When you want a power supply for something, there are unused pins on the back of the main relay panel for most anything you'd need. On the left end (installed position), there are 6 pins in two rows labelled "P". These are all #30 pins, battery direct, unswitched, unfused. They are good for fairly heavy consumers. At the other end are ten pins labelled "G". These are hot under various conditions and can be used to power accessories. You can patch into the panel at whichever pins do the job for you by just plugging on a female spade terminal. It is always advisable to use a fuse inline from any power source to protect your device and wiring.

I'll list them according to the diagram. Where power is via a panel fuse, I've noted that with the letter "S". Always verify with a testlight or VOM before hooking up:

G1 & G3- X-bus load-controlled power (hot when ign. on, goes cold when starter operates) via S12
G2 & G5- #15 ignition-switched power via S18 (this is the ideal power source for extra instruments)
G4- D+ (alternator trigger circuit) via alternator warning LED
G6-dead end
G7 -headlights power
G8 -dimmer-controlled panel lighting power (to light your extra gauges)
G9 -parking lights power via S20 (for your low-rider under-chassis lighting, ese!)
G10- hot when windshield washer pump runs (headlamp washers, anyone?)

Earlier panels with stick fuses may also have extra power pins on the panel. You can check with a testlight or VOM.


The key spade here that I chose to use is spade G2. Using a VOM like Derek suggested I verified that G2 is indeed ignition-dependent (can't leave them on accidentally), and fused to fuse number 18. Fuse 18 is ideal because it only services the "brake light warning system" which I assume is the little parking brake idiot light, and nothing else, so it has essentially no draw. Fuse 18 is a 10 amp fuse, which buys you up to 120 watts. Below is a picture of my labeled wire running off G2:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


This wire then goes to a single-pole single-thow (SPST) switch. The one I chose came from here:
https://www.superbrightleds.com/moreinfo/rectangle...itch/1884/
I like this switch because it is illumated at 2 levels whether off or on. No more fumbling in the dark. Haven't figured out where to mount it yet. Anyways, here it is wired, with the wire from the fuse panel coming in on the lower right and the wire going to the fog lights (not shown) leaving the lower left.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


That switch is rated for 20 amps, so I'm not the least bit concerned about adding a relay. The ground wire from the switch gets grounded to the "ground tree" behind the fuse panel:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Next step is to remove the front grill, and pull out the driver's side low beam headlamp. The wires will be theaded through from the outside (this is the easiest way):
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Next is to thread the wires, without connectors attached, from the outside to the inside. The main wiring harness ports are extremely difficult to use, but this port next to the speedometer cable was effortless. I chose to put the groundwire inside and also ground it to the Ground Tree, but you could just as easily ground the foglights to the body somewhere:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Returning to the inside you should see the wires poking up well behind the fuse panel. Still should be easy to wiggle in there and grab them though. Attach the power wire to the switch, and at this point you can plug everything back into the rear of the fuse panel and replace it. Before closing it up for good, I highly recommend adding a label to the inside cover of the fuse panel guard on the fuse diagram:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


At this point I've explained the parts that will interest most people and from here on out it's whatever your application is, but I'll show mine the rest of the way to give people ideas.
In the headlight picture, I routed the two wires behind the crash beam. I then pulled off the parking light, and kept feeding the wires downwards. The wires exit the bottom of the vehicle and make a U-turn in FRONT of the screw that holds the bumper sidecap on. From here they can run across the front of the bumper, and the whole thing is completely invisible and unexposed. This picture is from later but it gives an idea:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Next step is to mock up where you want the lights. I chose where I wanted mine, and drilled a primary hole through the chrome bumper, and then a secondary hole for the wiring. I then measured that location and used the measurements on the opposite side to insure symmetry:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


After the holes were drilled I removed the front bumper. You can continue with it on but this makes life much easier and is actually removing it is pretty darn easy to do. 2 pictures up shows a hole in the side cap. There is a cover here that you will need a pick or a knife to pry off. There is then a phillips screw underneath. Undo the two caps, then rip off the front black rubber bumpers. Under here are two 13 mm bolts. They are literally all that is holding the bumper on. With the bumper off it is then easy to screw on the foglights and pull the wiring through.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Put the bumper back on, then cut wiring to length for the farthest light. I used weatherproof connectors. I then T-tapped and sealed the connection for the closer (D-side) light. If the lengths are cut right so there isn't much slack in the system, the wires can just be tucked under the front upper bumper lip and will stay there hidden with no extra effort. Final product:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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PostPosted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 9:42 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

Sweet thank you been getting ready to do the same thing. Thanks for all your work
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WestyBob
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 29, 2016 10:28 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

Great report, Flomster. It's at or close to what I do too.

One thing people should be aware of is to try and put things like driving aux. lights, fog lights and rear spot lights on different circuits in case if for whatever reason you lose one you won't lose them all.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 12:11 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

great write up!
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 5:44 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

And what I'd love to see is where/how that switch got mounted!
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:14 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

Quote:
So the critical piece of info, which cannot be found by perusing the Bentley wiring diagrams, comes from Derek Drew:


No, that text is mine. The earliest surviving instance is here:
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=239158

I think the original was lost in the server failure that happened back then.

Really now, did you think Derek Drew would add a comment like this?:
Quote:
(for your low-rider under-chassis lighting, ese!)


And of course it can be found by perusing the Bentley wiring diagrams, that's exactly how I compiled it. Credit where it's due.
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 7:47 am    Post subject: Re: How To: wire LED fog lights the easy way Reply with quote

Laughing Laughing
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