Not as long as you have an alternator that will keep up.

That's the way you should do it, basically, just not by splicing into the car's old cruddy wires. I suppose if you use the factory wiring (on a240Z for example) to power lamps the way it was done at the factory, then it ought to work fine. IMO, new wiring should be added to the car in a way to protect the integrity of the factory wiring, while looking like factory wiring.

Maybe you should dirty up the new wires to make them look like all the rest?

As I mentioned, I took a wire from the starter battery post to a terminal I mounted in the fender, then I run wires to wherever I need power.

Like Steve says, the alternator is what really powers things. the battery is just there for power storage between the times the engine is running (to restart the engine.)

Edited May 3, 201410 yr by TomoHawk

I'm thinking the battery is the primary power source; the alternator attempts to keep the battery fully charged, but all the power actually flows from the battery.

That's the way you should do it, basically, just not by splicing into the car's old cruddy wires. I suppose if you use the factory wiring (on a240Z for example) to power lamps the way it was done at the factory, then it ought to work fine. IMO, new wiring should be added to the car in a way to protect the integrity of the factory wiring, while looking like factory wiring.

Maybe you should dirty up the new wires to make them look like all the rest?

As I mentioned, I took a wire from the starter battery post to a terminal I mounted in the fender, then I run wires to wherever I need power.

Like Steve says, the alternator is what really powers things. the battery is just there for power storage between the times the engine is running (to restart the engine.)

I'm thinking the battery is the primary power source; the alternator attempts to keep the battery fully charged, but all the power actually flows from the battery.

Think of the battery as a water tower. The water pressure is a function of the height of the water in the tower (This translates to your voltage or potential.). As water flows out of the tower, you have to pump more water into the tower (This is your alternator.). If the pipes are too small from the pump (wiring) or if the pump is undersized, you will have problems.

The argument of whether the alternator or battery is supplying the power is not really relevant. What matters is sizing the components (battery, alternator, wiring, switches, and fuses) for the demands of the system.

I put Cibie Series 95 driving lights above the bumper way back in the late 70's when I lived in the boonies of Wyoming. They are halogen.....fairly new lights back then... so I could see the "prairie goats" (antelope). They are wired with a relay direct to the + of the battery but with the switch tied into the high beam switch so they'd only have power if the high beams are on. I put a rocker switch into the dash heater duct trim so they can be on or off with the high beams. The front bumper is the ground so there's only the hot wire to them. The plastic covers got weather-beaten so I've "bondo'd" and patched them and repainted because I cannot find replacements and the car is also a show car now. Everything still works.

Is it OK to wire driving lamps to always turn on with the high beams? I know some people have an extra switch to disable fog or driving lamps, but driving lamps should only go on with the high beams, and it would simplify the wiring.

Edited May 5, 201410 yr by TomoHawk