first off, i want to apologize if im posting in the wrong section.

i got used oem driving lights for a slammin deal from a guy on craigslist. i've gotten as far as mounting them, which was easier than i thought it would be. i stopped at the wiring because i was stumped on what kind of switch i would use, and how. right now the wires are tucked in the hood liner. i have two open slots in my switch area. i want to wire the lights to a switch on there, but how? obviously i must remove that piece, but where do i get a matching switch? and how do i put the switch into the switch console? do i need to drill the plastic covering where the switch should do or is there a way to remove it? i've read that some people just buy new switch consoles with all the switches, replace the old one and re-wire everything. i want to avoid this, it seems like extra work/money. so basically i need to know: where do i buy an oem switch, how do i add it to the switch area.

 

Using the toggle bank to activate the driving lights is going to be a major project. The problem is, the factory switches aren't really conventional switches. The chrome levers just activate pressure pads on a printed circuit board that's immediately behind the "switches". As such, you really don't have the required depth to mount a real switch in your blank spot, because you'd be drilling into the circuit board.

Also, the toggle switches don't route +12V power around like conventional switches. Instead, they send low-voltage signals to the car's computer, which then handles the actual turning on and off of the accessories. That's why the people that buy new toggle banks with all the switches to add rear fog lamps have to have their cars reprogrammed at the dealer for the rear fogs to work.

When the driving lights were originally installed at the dealer, they used a pushbutton switch that mounted in the "knee panel" below the steering wheel. That would probably be the easiest route - just use a regular switch and find a convenient place to mount it.

 

haha, major wake up call. i totally thought i'd find a switch and it'd be majic. boo! you said to find a push switch, where would i put this? i'd prefer to have it by the other switches... is there a way to drill the plastic without hitting the circuit board? im assuming not. i think my plan has failed. so if i just buy a basic red push button from radio shack and hook the wires to it will it work? could i drill a hole in the panel you're talking about (i've seen the oem push button for the lights)? im a total noob when it comes to wiring...

 

i think i read this wrong... i need a switch not a button.

 

You can drill a hole in the knee panel - that's what the dealers did to mount the switch. Alternatively, if you get the "Euro Parcel Shelf" to replace the knee panel, there's a pre-cut spot on the shelf to mount the driving lights switch.

You can use a regular two-position pushbutton or toggle switch, as long as you have the actual lights themselves powered by a relay and you're just using the switch to turn the relay on & off. That way, you're not having to pass high current through the switch.

You could probably make a small housing to hold the new switch and glue it to the underside of the factory toggle panel, just to keep it near your other switches.

 

You can use a pushbutton or a toggle switch (or a rotary switch, or a rocker switch or...) You just need to make sure it has an "on" position and and "off" position, rather than just being a spring-loaded momentary contact switch.

 

thanks for all your info! i just thought i should have traded panels with the guy i got the lights from since he didnt need his button anymore... but oh well, i'll find a way =)

 

Sounds like he sold you the lites but not the complete wiring kit that comes with the factory set up. It would have had the switch that fits into the kick panel (the stck panel also has a punch out for the dl switch) and the relay pack that controlled the lites and the interconnect to the high beam circuit (technically the dl's are to be tied to high beams to be legal)

You can get a copy of the factory installation instructions here for reference, but they won't matter anymore if you didn't get the switch and the relay pack. http://new.minimania.com/_A_Installa...structions.cfm

Wiring the lights "plain" with a simple relay and a toggle is actually easier 'cept you don't have a "put it here" reference. When I've done it I'put everything under the bonnet 'cept the switch with one interupted wire loop into the pass' compartment, with the switch in line (makes the on/off), this is the relay trigger line. A relay from any parts store will have the basic wiring diagram on the package and I'll bet a decent auto parts guy could even label the spades for you.


{don't feel too bad about not getting the factory wiring - as you can see in the install directions, it is a PIA to install. To get the switch illumination you splice into wires on the back of the radio which usually means pull the radio out part way, and the high beam trigger connects to a wire in the computer all the way over in the pass' kick panel...another fun place to get to. Not hard after the first time...but the first time can be FUN}

 

yeah i didnt get the relay but i got wires coming off both the lights. radio shack here i come. i dont think he was trying to scam me by not giving me the relay and button... neither of us thought about it. i guess i could call him and ask him to meet again... he has no need for the rest of the stuff cuz he has no plans for putting lights back on... thanks for your input!