Charles D Earl asks: I'm ready to begin the project of installing my new Hella 500 fog lights on the van (snip) 1)Type of installation: independent or with parking lights. First, the legals: using California as an example (I now live in NM where such things are probably on the books, but aren't enforced), your laws may vary - fog lights are typically required to operate only in conjunction with low beams, driving lights only with high beams, and "passing" lights with either. Unlike Europeans, US authorities tend to take a dim view (pun intended) of anyone operating fog lights as the primary source of illumination (which, of course, defeats their stated purpose). If wired through parking lights, is there a heavy load being put upon the parking light switch/circuit even though power from the battery is being supplied to a relay (55 watt)? No, the only additional load is that of the relay (maybe 1/4 amp - a single relay is really of no consequence) To do this the instructions show a wire running from the relay to the switch. Then you run a wire from the switch to the parking light. The parking light has 3 wires, which one do I connect to, I don't have my Bentley book in front of me, but standard European VW practice (I hate my Westmoreland Golf's americanized wiring harness with its nonsensical color scheme!) is that the black wires with white or green stripes are the turnsignals, and the grey wires with black, white, or red stripes are "running" (parking) lights - use the grey one. Is the wire from the relay the load Yes. does supply go to the parking light (its an illuminated switch) Yes (or wherever you want to get your power from). and do I additionally ground the earth connection? Yes, or the illumination in the switch may not work. (snip) So if I do it independently, do I ground the switch instead of running it to the parking light? No, the relay has to get its actuating power from somewhere; it comes through the switch from whatever "supply" you choose. 2)1 of the examples in the instructions seems to show how to hook the fog lights up in conjunctins with the highbeams, Or is the instruction sheet "generic" and meant to show you how to hook Hella driving lights up as well? Do I just leave it empty That would be my guess. On the other hand, there may be a secondary circuit in the relay that cuts power to the fog lights when the high beams come on. That way, the fogs would operate when the headlights are off (parking lights on) and also when the low beams are on. or do I need to ground it or something else? Probably not (unless you like to see smoke). -Blaine
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