a few wiring questions...

[whatgorilla]

Unlike most of you it seems, I have NO experience installing anything whatsoever on a vehicle. I can inflate tires and change the oil, and in a fix, can generally replace a flat with a spare tire. That's it.

That said, I am hoping to embark on that long, not-so-dark road of installing lights on my '06 Xterra. I'm planning 3 installs and have a few questions for starters:

1) Driving lights. I'll probably mount these on the bumper, below the grill, using a thin piece of steel for support (like someone else did). Then I'll hook them up to the high-beams--others seem to be doing this, and I guess it makes sense (when you need lots of light, you need lots of light, right?). So is it really as simple as just clamping some magical wire-attachment-thingy that comes with the Hella FF50s (or whatever I get) to the high-beams wire, then one wire to the battery and two ground wires? I do know, from reading this site, that relays--which I take it are something like a fuse or a breaker circuit--are important and should always be included (and they do seem to come with the Hellas).

2) Fog Lights. Either I'll save up the money for the OEM ones with the OEM stick (since the wiring harness pre-exists on my base X model), or I'll buy the non-OEM ones without the stick, and try to wire them using the pre-existing wires, but somehow hijack it where it goes into the steering column and redirect it to the center console? Would this be simple to do? And, lastly, how much would an accessories place or a best buy charge to do the wiring and switch part if I had all the stuff and the lights already mounted...say, if I got squeamish about all this surgery at the last minute.

3) Back-up lights. I'm hoping to mount two lights to the roof-rack in the back. Is there a wire I can tap-into back there for power so that I only have to run the switch-wire up to the front/cabin? Where will I hide the wire that goes from back to front? I see where it goes into the metal, but I have no idea how I would get in there--is there an easy way to do this? Any suggestions for cheap, very bright flood lights that will hold up in rain and wind--but no baja wheeling or anything like that??

Note: I still haven't figured out where the air-intake actually sucks the air from--it just disappears into what I think you guys call the firewall above my wheel well. Thanks to one of USMC's pics, I know it can be modded so that one can traverse a bit more water (though not as much as he/she could with that nice cardboard snorkle he got from AC 4x4).

[usmc xterra]

Well, The Hella has very good directions in it. Time to buy a test-light though and some terminal pliers. A relay is not what you explain, it's a gigantic switch that carries power from the Battery that can be tripped by an ever so small switch. (To save weight and allow running of thinner wires.) The Hella wire kit uses a relay that gets its trip only when power is provided to the wire that the instructions say hook to the headlamps.
Legally, that is the right spot, However, a Parking lamp wire will also trip it, The real thing is, hook that wire to a wire that will shut off when the car does, this way you can't turn em on by accident and leave them on.)
Yes the little clamp in line connectors work fine. Make sure they have "Bulb Grease" in them (Brown looking goo, AKA Dielectric compound. Autozone will know it by bulb grease. Hella has great directions, go slow, run your wires, then hook them up. You might need a extra bit of wire same AWG like 12.

2) Fog Lights. Either I'll save up the money for the OEM ones with the OEM stick (since the wiring harness pre-exists on my base X model),
Ahhhh I highly suggest the whole kit, anything less is a waste of money, seriously, I am pretty c
3) Back-up lights. Well they do sell a kit at autozone, I'd hit power that suppies the relay at the Cig Lighter socket in the rear Test that out Power is center, Hit ground at same place and then hit the Reverse wire and have that trip the relay. (At back of Plug for hitch or hitch wire harness.)

And, I would not waste time or money on the MOD I did on the air intake, I only did it because I was in there and I cross a Creek each trip into cabin, during flooding, the first dip is a do00sey! I doubt you'll ever get the X in that deep.

I'll be doing a how to on all this when you Get MC Campana off his rear and over here to do it! My X is done Now I show him and take pictures so everyone will know best easiest way.

Key is, never tap a factory wire harness above a plug in junction, That way if it goes bad, you can repair or just buy that section of wire harness. It's critical to use the bulb greese and or Below the water line silicone for boats found in boating at wal mart. MC

[whatgorilla]

Thanks much.