It rained nearly all day so I decided to tackle the installation of the HD fog light kit on my FLHX. I ended up wiring them to the accessory switch under the seat so I can turn them on/off using the rocker switch on the dash.

One thing I did do differently was I ran the wiring harness underneath the console of the tank rather than removing the whole tank. Have others also done this? Are there any big negatives to running the wires underneath the console?

Regards,
JB

 

The wire scratching the tank at the front and rear and having to remove that wire to remove the tank are the negatives I can think of now.

I always run aux wires under the tank, makes for a cleaner more professional looking job!

 

Yes, getting the tank off! If you can tackle fitting the lights surely you can manage taking the tank off to fit the harness correctly? I just fitted a set of those lights to my 1990 bike and wired them into an additional switch like the others on my bike.

 

Another option is to wire those lights to the same connectors (in the fairing) as used by the factory spot lamps.
Its the same connector the factory uses to wire in the turn signals. Easy to get to because it's in the fairing.
There are like 4 pins on those connectors. Two for turn signals, two for spot lamps. You would plug in your fog lamp wires here.

Then purchase the dash mounted Fog Light switch. It's like 20 bucks. p/n 71505-96

Use this instruction sheet to reference how to install the dash switch:
http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_US...ts/-J03966.pdf

Use your service manual to reference where the fog light wires are wired in the factory spot lamp wire location.

If you do this, no tank to remove, no wires to run down through the frame.
You get to keep your accessory switch open for...accessories, and it's factory looking.

lp

 

lp -

I actually had a spot switch in my fairing cap, it just was never connected. I've now connected it and have power to the spot switch.

When I look in the service manual (page B-30 of appendix B) I see the 4 pin connectors for turn signal and aux lamp labeled 31L and 31R. Right now 3 of the 4 pins in each are used as follows:

pin 1 = blue
pin 2 = purple w/black or brown stripe (hard to tell the stripe color)
pin 3 = black
pin 4 = empty

Are you saying that now that I have the spot switch powered, I can run the power wires from the fog lamps (white) into this 4th position and I'll be all set? Would I be able to dispose of the entire harness that came with the fog lights including the relay?

Many thanks for helping me do this!

Regards,
JB

 

You already had the switch! Awesome!

Yes, remove all the wiring from the harness with the exception of the two wires coming from the fog lights themselves. Leave as much length as possible.
Run the two wires up the engine guard. On the left side of the bike run the wires around the back side of the tank front mounting bolt, then down the factory wire harness into the fairing. Inside the fairing break out a positive and negitive pair for each side and run them to the connectors you've identified.

NOTE: You'll find that you'll only need to connect the positive wire to Pin 4 and the negative you can pretty much ground anywhere - but do ground it for safety's sake. The fog lamps being mounted to the engine guard will supply the needed ground for the lamps to operate properly. However, if you ever had the lamps on, and took it off the engine guard with your hand, you could receive a shock. So ground the wires some place easy, not necessarily on pin 3. Just somewhere.

In my manual the Aux lamp's wiring is depicted on B-27 (Tail Lamp, Aux Lamps, Directional Lamps, Tour-Pak Lamps: 2009 FLHT, FLHX...yadda, yadda).

Good luck! Let me know how it goes...

lp

 

Excellent! I wish I would have asked for install opinions before splicing into the accessory plug last night. Oh well, live and learn. My goal is to to have the fogs work independently of the low/high beam of the headlight.

Thanks again. I'll report back with the results. In the future I'll work up the courage to drill holes in the crash bar to make it clean.

Regards,
JB

 

Shoot! Might as well go and do it while your at it already!
I actually wired them though the engine guard too. Pretty easy.

The tips I have for that are:

At the top center of engine guard, with the guard still on the bike, use a marker to reach up under the frame neck and mark where you want the wires to come out of the bar. Draw a circle or something...

Mount the fog lamps and mark the location the wires would need to come out.

Remove the three bolts that hold the engine guard, place guard on a blanket or something and simply drill out the holes. You won't believe how easy it is to cut through. Takes like 10 seconds per hole. I forget the drill bit size but use one big enough to get two bullet connectors though.

Run some weed wacker cord from the center hole to the outer holes.

At the center hole attach one side of the fog lamps wires to one of the weed wacker cords and pull to outer hole. Repeat for the other side.

Wrap the wires with tape or something at all holes.

Mount fog lamps, reattach engine guard.

Looks like this:




lp

 

I guess I'm about the only one who has done it by the instructions. It works as described. Button on housing, wires run outside bar and back to under the seat with splice at the headlight. I do have a spot switch but decided to go as described.

 

lp -

You make the drilling sound sooooo easy! I believe you that it is. I remember sweating bullets when I drilled my toupak for the LED spoiler.

On a side note, I discovered that that 4th pin for the aux light loses it's power when you switch to high beam. I should have assumed it would do this since that's the way the MoCo intended. I blew a few headlight fuses in the process of testing it with the light probe although I'm not sure why the fuse kept blowing. Another trip to the hardware store for some fuses. Now I just need to decide If I want them to behave in the legal manner (fogs off when high beam on) or just leave them as wired. I'd really like to avoid pulling the gas tank to route the wires as opposed to under the console as I have it now. I don't really have anything to drain the tank with.

You're photos are great! I assume the holes are on the bottom side of the crash bar so they are concealed when you mount the light? I didn't see the other hole where the wires come out and go up into the fairing. You must have done a heck of a job hiding that!

Nice scoot by the way. I love that color.

Thanks LP! You've been a great help!

Regards,
JB