Can The Alternator Take The Load???

[Heathen]

I do a lot of long drives (12 to 21h drive) through the Rocky Mountains at night, so I mounted a set of PIAA fog lamps last year and loved them. Now I am wondering if you mounted another pair if the alternator can handle the load? They would be on for a long time non stop. How hard is it to install a voltmeter?

 

[4x4junkie]

Should be no problem at all as far as your electrical is concerned.

Keep in mind though, some (most?) jurisdictions prohibit having more than four forward-facing lights on at a time.
Instead of more fog lights you might consider getting a set of longer-range "driving" lights.
If you wire your fog lights so they'll switch on & off together with your low-beams, and the driving lights to switch with your high beams, that should keep you legal (and lets you quickly dim them for oncoming traffic).

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Are you running them throught a relay. That way you can run them directly from the battery with a inline fuse to protect the circuit. The relay coil will draw very little power from the stock accy circuit just size the fuse for the next size above the amp draw of all the lights running together.

 

[kimcrwbr1]

A volt meter would be easy to install key on hot and engine ground also add a ground wire from the alternator body to battery neg?

 

[Heathen]

Should be no problem at all as far as your electrical is concerned.

Keep in mind though, some (most?) jurisdictions prohibit having more than four forward-facing lights on at a time.
Instead of more fog lights you might consider getting a set of longer-range "driving" lights.
If you wire your fog lights so they'll switch on & off together with your low-beams, and the driving lights to switch with your high beams, that should keep you legal (and lets you quickly dim them for oncoming traffic).

I am planing on running fog lamps on the on the outside and driving lamps on the inside. PIAA 520 Ion driving & Ion fogs.
The PIAA kit does run right off the battery, so I guess I am good.
I am not worried about the COPs as I will not have them on in the city and I turn them off for oncoming traffic.

 

[Mark_88]

I agree with the relay...it's not so much the alternator that you have to worry about as the stock wire load...

They are designed to only carry the load that the stock accessories put on the system so relays help prevent wire fires...very dangerous and costly...and I see your vehicle listed as an 09...the wiring harnesses are probably close to $1,000 to replace...

 

[Heathen]

I agree with the relay...it's not so much the alternator that you have to worry about as the stock wire load...

They are designed to only carry the load that the stock accessories put on the system so relays help prevent wire fires...very dangerous and costly...and I see your vehicle listed as an 09...the wiring harnesses are probably close to $1,000 to replace...

Here is the wiring for the PIAA's I am running. Is this what you mean by relay? If not do you have a link to what I need? Thanks for your help.

 

[brinker88]

I would seriously look into a short (18" or so) LED light bar. They don't put out even a tenth of the voltage and they're a shit ton brighter. For the price you're going to pay for 4 of those lights, you'd have the price of a light bar

 

[Mark_88]

Here is the wiring for the PIAA's I am running. Is this what you mean by relay? If not do you have a link to what I need? Thanks for your help.

That looks like it runs through a relay so, yeah, that would work...

 

[4x4junkie]

×2, I see a relay top-center & left on that diagram, so you're good.

I would seriously look into a short (18" or so) LED light bar. They don't put out even a tenth of the voltage and they're a shit ton brighter. For the price you're going to pay for 4 of those lights, you'd have the price of a light bar

I got the impression the OP is looking to light up the road a further distance down. LEDs (at least current offerings with their crazy 5000-6500°K CCT ratings) are not good for distance due to their poor spectral characteristics (halogen or HID lamps are usually much better). LEDs are quite very impressive at blasting everything at close-to-medium range with light though.

 

[Heathen]

Thanks for all your help guys.
I am going to start wiring it up. As part of the install I will be converting the PIAA connectors to Deutsch connectors.
I am thinking about mounting a volt and oil presser gauges on the A pillar.