Fog Lights No Longer Work???

[Focus_Sh1ft]

Ok so I rewired my foglight setup as it seemed stupid to pursue the original setup when I knew I could do something else. I bought a simple rocker switch at radioshack. I have the acc wired in for supply and the output directly to the fogs (with the switch grounded and acc wire fused of course). I also tapped the fog light in wire into pin 7 on the D76 connector on the combination meter to fire the fog light indicator. Everything works perfectly.

I'm wondering though... how safe is this without a relay? From my understanding a relay is used as a means for a low voltage switch to control a high voltage current. In the aftermarket harness, I believe both the switch and fogs receive 12v, so what's the point of a relay?

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by Focus_Sh1ft

Ok so I rewired my foglight setup as it seemed stupid to pursue the original setup when I knew I could do something else. I bought a simple rocker switch at radioshack. I have the acc wired in for supply and the output directly to the fogs (with the switch grounded and acc wire fused of course). I also tapped the fog light in wire into pin 7 on the D76 connector on the combination meter to fire the fog light indicator. Everything works perfectly.

I'm wondering though... how safe is this without a relay? From my understanding a relay is used as a means for a low voltage switch to control a high voltage current. In the aftermarket harness, I believe both the switch and fogs receive 12v, so what's the point of a relay?

The relay isolates the low current control side from the high current bulb side. The stalk isn't designed to switch the current of the lamps, so the relay is there to let the stalk just have to switch the current required by the coil. If you use a rocker switch, as long as it is rated for 15A, then you are OK.

[Focus_Sh1ft]

So they do use different current afterall? It's still kind of interesting how relays are used here, whereas the proper switch eliminates the need for it...

CTScott, any hunches on the initial problem? It remains unsolved. Although unimportant now, I hate not being able to figure things out

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by Focus_Sh1ft

So they do use different current afterall? It's still kind of interesting how relays are used here, whereas the proper switch eliminates the need for it...

CTScott, any hunches on the initial problem? It remains unsolved. Although unimportant now, I hate not being able to figure things out

The same fuse feeds the coil and the contacts, but the current switched to one versus the other is significant.

As for the initial problem, I would suspect a bad ground connection. All of the lighting circuits on the Yaris are switched on the ground leg, so to complete the circuit you have to ground it.