fog light question

What is involved in installing fog lights? I currently don't have any. It looks like there are plugs available to hook fog light up to it. The thing is there are plugs on the end of the wires where as the fog lights I am hooking up don't have the plugs on them. Do I just cut the plug off and wire it up directly or do they make plugs that I need to wire up to the fog lights. I have a 89 Limited.

Thanks for the help

Aux lights consist of three pieces, the lights themselves, a fused relay and a switch to operate the relay, the relay is what controls power to the lights, all a relay is is a remote switch that is operated from the dash mounted switch.
Not sure about how complete the 89XJ was from the factory if no fogs were ordered. My 98 had all the internal wiring but was missing the sockets for fog relays in the PDC and the external wiring so I bought the factory add on kit and used the inside half of the kit, then I used the outside half of the hella kit to complete it.
I would not use the stock harness, it is kind of light, the harness that comes with a good set of lights is usually quite a bit heavier.
One thing you might want to check is if it had lights from the factory that rusted out and were never replaced. Is there an unused switch on the dash anywhere ???

It looks like it does have the factory foglight switch on the dash board. I don't think it had lights that rusted off.

I assuming that the wires I am looking at are for a factory set of lights. If that is the case do I need to use the plugs that the wires have or can I cut the plugs off and wire it up directly?

From the sound of it I have to buy a factory set of lights to get the plugs and then swap the fog light guts out to fit the factory wiring.

I was fooling around with my 90 limited today (coolant flush & replacement) and while 'up front' I was scoping out my non-working fogs. They may or may not be OEM, but are tied into the OEM plugs. I 'think' if you have the OEM switch on the dash, at some point there was factory - or dealer installed - lights on there. I poked at the wires at the backs of the lamps and found voltage...so I know that it's just the lights/bulbs...the inside/reflectors of these are rusty as crap and I plan to replace with Hella 550s next payday.

I'd round up a test light or DMM and turn on the factory switch...it's next to the headlight switch...mine has the fog lamp sw on the far left and the rear defogger sw on the right (left side of column) Test for 12v at the plugs (outside/in front) if you find voltage, simply wire up a set of lamps & be happy! I'd keep them at 55w or less (like Hella's are) The OEM relay & circuitry should be OK with that little bit (-10 amps)

If you get no voltage out at the plugs, I'd then use the whole harness that (should) come with the lamps... and run the switch wires through to the dash somewhere. OR skip the switch altogether, and wire them off one of the headlamp power wires if you want them to kill when a certain beam is selected...powerful driving lights can be wired to kill when ya dim to low beam...no fumbling for another switch while blinding the oncoming Highway Patrolman

Note: I 'think' the factory fog switch is wired in so that your fogs will cut off when hi-beam is turned on...some arcane DOT reg, that. using the harness & switch that comes with the lights, wired directly to the battery will allow use of the lamps at any time, regardless of whether the key is on...this 'could' be handy, but could also kill your battery/melt the plastic covers if accidentaly turned on or left on unintentionally.

FWIW my 89 MJ had no OEM switch, but did have the harness inside the dash behind the trim...I don't think it had the leads out at the bumper.

HTH and I'll share more when I know more...I'm kinda new to the extra wiring on my 88 and 90 limiteds

The '89 does not have fog light wiring unless it was ordered with fogs from the factory (or they were dealer installed). If yours has a factory wiring harness, there will be a rocker switch to the left of the steering column, and on the driver's side radiator support brace (just in front of the air box) there will be a relay. That's the fog light relay.

If you have all that, you can install new fogs and run them off that realy.

If you have the switch (and the rest of the harness) you could either find the correct plugs and attach to the lamps or just cut the plugs off and wire the lamps in that way... I'd solder on some QDs just in case the bumper or lights have to come off some day.

Curious...no holes in the top or bottom of the bumper? (as evidence of old lamps) both my old limiteds have the fogs above the bumper, just inboard of the plastic bumperettes.

I was looking at the Quadratec magazine and noticed they had factory fog lights for sale. There were two kinds one for a 91-96 and the other was for a 93-96. The one for the for the 91-96 has a plug that looks like it would hook up to my factory plugs in my 89. Does anyone know if this would work?

Thanx

Don't know if the 91-96 will be plug-compatible with the 89, but be sure you read carefully. In my Quadratec catalog, the 93-96 fog light is for the Grand Cherokee, not the Cherokee.