fog light mod à la TL
01-24-2012, 01:13 PM
#2
Senior Moderator
Anything is possible. The design complexity depends on what features you would like to include.
01-24-2012, 01:43 PM
#4
Senior Moderator
01-24-2012, 01:50 PM
#5
Pro
Thread Starter
The ability to turn them on at any time, wether the parking lights are on or off n even low beam on or off. I did it on my 2G TL by running a wire from the instrument back light fuse with a diode. I spliced that to back of fog light switch but that switch is way different on RL.
01-24-2012, 01:53 PM
#6
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Thread Starter
01-24-2012, 02:12 PM
#7
Senior Moderator
What I did was use my DRL signal to turn on my fogs. I chose this route so that they would turn off with the car and I wouldn't have to remember to turn them off.
If you are okay just using a switch, I think this will work, but no one has confirmed. Now, using a switch in this way will not turn the lights off with the car.
There are also unused fuse slots that should turn on/off with the car. You could run a wire from one of these to the lights if you pleased.
If you are okay just using a switch, I think this will work, but no one has confirmed. Now, using a switch in this way will not turn the lights off with the car.
I found an easier way from looking at the wiring diagram. I don't have it handy, but there is a wire coming from the bottom of the fog light relay that goes into the control block. All the control block is doing to turn the fogs on is grounding this wire. So, if you put a switch to ground on this wire, your lights should come on whenever you flip the switch. This will be regardless of parking lights, DRLs, or anything.
The wire I'm looking at is in figure 46 and connects f2 and h4. I think it is light blue if I am reading this diagram correctly.
The white wire to e7 is from fig 45 and is always hot. When f2 is grounded the current through that inductor creates the magnetic field that pulls the light switch closed. At least that what I'm seeing. I would start with the car off and ground the wire. It should turn the fog lights on. If not, I wouldn't go any further.
The white wire to e7 is from fig 45 and is always hot. When f2 is grounded the current through that inductor creates the magnetic field that pulls the light switch closed. At least that what I'm seeing. I would start with the car off and ground the wire. It should turn the fog lights on. If not, I wouldn't go any further.
Last edited by oo7spy; 01-24-2012 at 02:15 PM.
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01-24-2012, 02:55 PM
#8
Pro
Thread Starter
With the link you provided, one needs extensive knowledge of electrical diagrams and stuff. Let me know if there's a simpler way of doing it. Here's an example of how we do it on 2G TL. Do u think there's way to do it this way... ?
I did Elegant's car today and here are some pictures that I took for the install. 
This is what a diode looks like and how it works, current only flows from Anode to Cathode, the silver bar shows you which is the cathode side.
That is my diode connected to some wire to the left and to the right (Anode and Cathode sides) with some shrink wrap over it. Electrical tape will be fine as well. I had soldered it but you can just twist it together.
Here it is connected to the MINI add-a-circut crimped to the Anode side of the wire to the blue thing. I used a 3 AMP fuse, probably more than needed but it is fine. Notice where it is added, the instructions of the add-a-circuit will explain.
This is the fog light switch harness and swtich. I had to undo the original fog light mod and taped up the two wires.
Just another shot
Driver side Fuse panel before I remove anything.
Drive side Fuse panel after I remove the fuse #9 instrumental panel slot. The one below it is the ACC one. Both are 7.5 Amps.
With the removed fuse I just place it into the other slot of the add-a-circuit. Again the instructions of the add-a-circuit will explain.
The add-a-circuit installed into the fuse box. I just plugged it back into the fuse #9 slot. Just that easy.
Close up!
The other side now of the diode, Cathode side, now you just use a tap to tap into white/red wire which was used originally for the first fog light mod. So you crimp the black wire extended from the cathode side of the diode to the white/red wire.
Close up of how it is crimped together.
Now you are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is what a diode looks like and how it works, current only flows from Anode to Cathode, the silver bar shows you which is the cathode side.
That is my diode connected to some wire to the left and to the right (Anode and Cathode sides) with some shrink wrap over it. Electrical tape will be fine as well. I had soldered it but you can just twist it together.
Here it is connected to the MINI add-a-circut crimped to the Anode side of the wire to the blue thing. I used a 3 AMP fuse, probably more than needed but it is fine. Notice where it is added, the instructions of the add-a-circuit will explain.
This is the fog light switch harness and swtich. I had to undo the original fog light mod and taped up the two wires.
Just another shot
Driver side Fuse panel before I remove anything.
Drive side Fuse panel after I remove the fuse #9 instrumental panel slot. The one below it is the ACC one. Both are 7.5 Amps.
With the removed fuse I just place it into the other slot of the add-a-circuit. Again the instructions of the add-a-circuit will explain.
The add-a-circuit installed into the fuse box. I just plugged it back into the fuse #9 slot. Just that easy.
Close up!
The other side now of the diode, Cathode side, now you just use a tap to tap into white/red wire which was used originally for the first fog light mod. So you crimp the black wire extended from the cathode side of the diode to the white/red wire.
Close up of how it is crimped together.
Now you are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!
01-24-2012, 03:06 PM
#9
Senior Moderator
The diode was unnecessary. All it is doing is dropping the voltage 0.7 volts. I guess it is also blocking a kick back current, but it is still unnecessary.
It appears to me that all he is doing is putting 12V on the fog light supply (or switch to turn then on) from a fuse that is on all the time. This means the fog lights are on whenever the car is on. Is that right? If so, just go with the unused fuse slot idea I posted above.
EDIT: I suppose the diode is also keeping a voltage from whatever is on the tapped line from getting back to the fuse, but that is just a fix for a poorly thought out design.
It appears to me that all he is doing is putting 12V on the fog light supply (or switch to turn then on) from a fuse that is on all the time. This means the fog lights are on whenever the car is on. Is that right? If so, just go with the unused fuse slot idea I posted above.
EDIT: I suppose the diode is also keeping a voltage from whatever is on the tapped line from getting back to the fuse, but that is just a fix for a poorly thought out design.
Last edited by oo7spy; 01-24-2012 at 03:15 PM.
01-24-2012, 03:20 PM
#10
Pro
Thread Starter
The diode is for preventing kick back. When the car is running, the fogs can be turned on independantly of the headlight's power state. When turning the car off, if the lows are off, fogs will turn off also automatically but if the lows remain on, fogs stay on also. (Been a while since I lost drove the TL, will have to confirm this)
01-24-2012, 03:33 PM
#11
Senior Moderator
It would also help to know the use of the fuse slot and red/white wire.
Also, when you say, "the fogs can be turned on independantly of the headlight's power state", what controls whether they turn on or not?
Also, when you say, "the fogs can be turned on independantly of the headlight's power state", what controls whether they turn on or not?
01-24-2012, 04:18 PM
#12
Pro
Thread Starter
The red/white wire is the one going to the fog light harness/switch. The fuse slot is that of the instrument panel back light which has always current when the car is running. So the 12V is drawn from that fuse with the help of a mini add-a-circuit and through the diode to the foglight harness switch on the dashboard and tapped onto the red/white wire. This short circuits the 12V current the foglight takes from I dunno where when the lows are on thus supplying that current all the time when car is running.
And you operate the foglight simpply by the switch on the dashboard, left of the steering column.
Last edited by M T L T L; 01-24-2012 at 04:22 PM.
01-24-2012, 04:43 PM
#13
Senior Moderator
Got it. Take an unused fuse slot that turns on when the car is on. Route the 12V from the fuse through a switch on your dash and to the positive wire on each fog light.
Done and done.
Done and done.
01-24-2012, 04:55 PM
#14
Pro
Thread Starter
Would you know where the wires coming from the fog light "ring switch" on the handle are running through so I could just clamp the 12V coming from a fuse slot onto that ?
Talking about this guy here
Last edited by M T L T L; 01-24-2012 at 04:59 PM. Reason: picture
01-24-2012, 06:44 PM
#16
Senior Moderator
I don't. I looked through the wiring diagram and it's like it was made in Japan. 
I chose the route I did b/c I didnt want to interfere with the internal wires of the system. There are control modules and micro controllers throughout these systems that are just black boxes in the diagrams with no insight into how they will react to external stimuli. The recommendations posted above are the best I can do. Maybe someone else has a good idea for you.
If you have questions about my setup, feel free to ask.
I chose the route I did b/c I didnt want to interfere with the internal wires of the system. There are control modules and micro controllers throughout these systems that are just black boxes in the diagrams with no insight into how they will react to external stimuli. The recommendations posted above are the best I can do. Maybe someone else has a good idea for you. If you have questions about my setup, feel free to ask.
01-24-2012, 07:33 PM
#18
Pro
Thread Starter
I don't. I looked through the wiring diagram and it's like it was made in Japan. I chose the route I did b/c I didnt want to interfere with the internal wires of the system. There are control modules and micro controllers throughout these systems that are just black boxes in the diagrams with no insight into how they will react to external stimuli. The recommendations posted above are the best I can do.
I chose the route I did b/c I didnt want to interfere with the internal wires of the system. There are control modules and micro controllers throughout these systems that are just black boxes in the diagrams with no insight into how they will react to external stimuli. The recommendations posted above are the best I can do. lol I would have questions for your setup if I ever see a detailed write up with install pics as above.
As it is right now, my brain doesn't process half of the info you've posted up there. 
Plus, I haven't done any work so far on the RL, I have no idea or a brain image of the layout of the components of this car. I'm a visual learner. 
01-24-2012, 07:43 PM
#19
Senior Moderator
My suggestion with the switch involved putting a switch in the blank next to the rear view mirror controller. You could also add in a toggle switch just under the dash near the hood release.
My write up is really an explanation into why it works. Understanding it isn't entirely key to successfully achieving it. I have tossed around the idea of building a bunch of these for people here. However, my work is pretty hectic now, so I haven't taken the time to really figure out the logistics of it.
My write up is really an explanation into why it works. Understanding it isn't entirely key to successfully achieving it. I have tossed around the idea of building a bunch of these for people here. However, my work is pretty hectic now, so I haven't taken the time to really figure out the logistics of it.
01-24-2012, 08:00 PM
#20
Pro
Thread Starter
Thank you oo7spy, I'll look into ur suggestion when it gets a little warmer around here. I guess the hardest part will be to run the wire from the switch to the positives of foglight.
01-25-2012, 10:24 AM
#21
The best setup would be to have the ability to control the foglights, independent of having the headlights on, with the factory switch. This would have to be done with something like MTLTL did. But its very risky in a car with electrical compoenents such as the RL. I'd be afraid of short circuiting something important but itd be cool as flubb to be able to control the foglights with the factory switch.
01-25-2012, 10:58 AM
#22
Senior Moderator
Agreed. It's too bad the wiring diagram has so many black boxes. That was my first approach, but I couldn't find a way.
01-25-2012, 02:05 PM
#24
Senior Moderator
I believe pages 45-47 are of most interest here.
Whaaaaat? You mean there is useful info in the garage?!
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