Easy Access Fog Light Switch Access (Baja Designs)

MattDaddy805

2020 VS30 4x4
I installed a pair of Baja Designs LP9 and love them. My main use of them is when we are up at our Utah mountain home and I am driving at night on the less traveled roads. Several close calls with wildlife on the roads (Elk and Mule deer) pushed me to install these lights. When driving these roads at night, as you would imagine I will come across other vehicles or areas where I don't want them on and need to briefly turn them off and back on. I understand it is not the most difficult thing in the world to reach down to the dash left of the steering column to switch the rocker switch (Agile High/low rocker switch) on and off. But it is not the simplest to the reach.

Which brings me to my question: Has anyone done a switch higher up on steering column closer to the steering wheel? This would make the switching on/off much better. I also understand that this is not some super difficult thing to do, but am interested (and appreciate) in hearing from anyone who would like to share what has worked well for them.

Below is a picture of where my current switch is installed.

Screen Shot 2021-10-23 at 8.35.16 PM.png
 

RVBarry

2023 AWD 170 DIY CamperVan
Hi, why not trigger them off of your high beams?

If you have the LED lighting package, you'll need this

If you have halogens, you might be able to trigger a relay directly off the lighting wires.
 

MattDaddy805

2020 VS30 4x4
Thanks but I am thinking the high beam off trigger would activate the "off" with a vehicle closer then I would like considering the brightness of these lights when running them in the "High" position. I could be wrong.
 

SpiritedOak

2021 4x4 170HR
Hi, why not trigger them off of your high beams?

If you have the LED lighting package, you'll need this

If you have halogens, you might be able to trigger a relay directly off the lighting wires.
US Page those interested, they also offer a contactless scanner so you don't have to splice in.

 

MattDaddy805

2020 VS30 4x4
Hi, why not trigger them off of your high beams?

If you have the LED lighting package, you'll need this

If you have halogens, you might be able to trigger a relay directly off the lighting wires.
I have LED package. How exactly does this trigger work? I understated the Auto headlight thing, but how would it work with a driving light that has a high and low setting.
 

SpiritedOak

2021 4x4 170HR
I have LED package. How exactly does this trigger work? I understated the Auto headlight thing, but how would it work with a driving light that has a high and low setting.
Senses the low voltage Canbus signal and provides a 12v signal source. I will update when I receive mine and install. There is a Can-hi and Can-lo wire according to their directions. We will see...
 

MattDaddy805

2020 VS30 4x4
I need to turn these lights off and then back on for any oncoming traffic as just switching it to low setting still is too bright to drive with safety wise and legally. This is the challenge
 

patchesj

Well-known member
I have been thinking about a similar setup, and what I've come up with would use 3 relays. I don't have high/low LP9's, but instead will have 2 pair of lights. One pair is cornering/fog the other is driving/combo, so basically the same concept.

Starting off with a single dash mount switch to "arm" the fog lights. This switch grabs 12v switched power source (so engine off, aux lights go off). and when on will feed a DPST normally off relay (arming relay). The arming relay has 12v fused battery in to both poles and each pole output goes to a SPST relay (fog relay + combo relay).

The trigger in for the fog relay is 12v from low beam, trigger in for combo relay is high beam. (I have halogen lights. if you have LED, you could use a can-h and can-low setup).

Low relay output feeds the fogs, high relay feeds the combo lights. So with the arming switch in the on position, fog lights come on automatically when low beams come on, and the combo lights come on automatically when the high beams come on.

Also thinking about adding a diode and another relay to allow for "max" mode, where the combo lights feed back to the trigger on the fogs.. High beams on would = high beam, fog, and combo lights.

turn off the arming switch on the dash and the headlights/factory fogs all work like normal.
 

MattDaddy805

2020 VS30 4x4
So I went the simplest route, and really like the functionality since my Agile rocker switch for the IP9's has a low and high.
I got a bracket and modified it to fit the Agile switch, then mounted bracket to left side of steering wheel column. I have very easy access while driving to turning on and off either High or Low fog beams.

IMG_0247.jpeg
 
So I went the simplest route, and really like the functionality since my Agile rocker switch for the IP9's has a low and high.
I got a bracket and modified it to fit the Agile switch, then mounted bracket to left side of steering wheel column. I have very easy access while driving to turning on and off either High or Low fog beams.

View attachment 204105
I like your solution! What method of fastening to the column did you go with?

I have been thinking of building a multi switch unit that attaches to the the steering column and has a stalk for each switch, to do much the same thing, quickly and ergonomically switch the correct lights for the situation without taking my hands off the steering wheel. Essentially it's a box holding momentary switches operated by long levers. It might be fun to have ditch lights operated like turn signals (up-right, down-left) and both on with a pull, but that might be going a little far. It's just an idea at this point. I am currently running an Spod Bantam and using the terminal block inputs to run switches multiple places round the van, over ethernet, so another switch unit is just more ethernet.
 

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