coop1018

I did research and could not find the sticky on how to make the fog lights run independent from the low beams. Can anyone help me directing me to this sticky or how to do it detail wise. I want them to run alone for dusk like settings.

rbf351

i did this on another car before (Honda) all you need to do is switch 2 wires in the harness, i just forget which ones they are

coop1018

Is there any information on the site, step by step, how to do?

dmcconnell99

I asked this same question e few weeks ago. I never recieved any detailed instructions like the one for the 2nd generation TL below:

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16257

I hope this is a help for you.

I would only attempt this with explicit instructions, so if you do it to the 3rd generation TL maybe you could submit the how to to this site.

Good Luck!

chill_dog

Here's a thread where some guy did it...don't know if he's still around or if he did the write up he talked about (didn't come up in my SEARCH)...

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...=rewire+lights

I think the instructions for the 2G dmcconnell99 posted are the only ones around...some others were going to use that as the basis for the 3G (saw in another thread recently).

crazymjb

I thought the fogs could be switched off while the lows were on, or can they only be switched on when the low beams are on, not when they are off. And while on the subject of fogs, if anyone knows, what are rear fogs(don't answer that unless you are already responding to the main question, I dont want to PW)?

coop1018

I am surprised that no one has written this up for 3G directions....I am too much of a puss to try it myself with out step by step directions!

Wanta04TL

This is a dumb question but I called Acura to get clarification and they were wrong. I had a fender bender and needed my lights replaced with some body work. Well Acura doesn't do body work here so they didn't get to fix the lights either. My question is which lights are the fog and which are the xenon? I also noticed that the fog lights now turn off when I turn on the high beams. This may be normal but now I don't trust the body guys to do this right.

Amazing thing when I called Acura was that they told me that ALL of the lights were headlights and the fog lights would be lower in the spoiler!!! When I told him that was not the case, he got someone else who "owns" one who said that it was. I need help from the REAL professionals -- you guys!

Thanks in advance!

rbf351

if someone can get me the schmatic for the lighting i can figure it out, i took the switch out of the car and look to see if i can figure it out from there

Wanta04TL

In my ranting about Acura, I may not have made myself clear as I wasn't so interested in switching the lights as making sure:

1. The xenon headlights are the outside round ones.
2. The fog lights are supposed to turn off when the high beams are turned on.

Thanks,

rbf351

1) yes the xenon are the round ones, also known as projectors
2) the fogs are supposed to go off when you turn your high beams on, they also will not go on unless your headlights are on

AcuraVic

I'll scan the circuit diagram when I get home today. However, the circuit path goes in and out of 'modules' and the tech manual does not describe what the modules do with the circuit.

rbf351

thanks, guess they changed it from how it used to work

basically you "jump" one wire to another and the fogs would work with just the parking lights

AcuraVic

pinina

iTrader: (2)

so has anyone figured out this diagram?

rbf351

i need all the lighting diagrams, not just the fogs

i need the fogs, headlights and parking lights, and also the combination switch

AcuraVic

I'll scan in all that stuff this evening.

AcuraVic

AcuraVic

AcuraVic

AcuraVic

AcuraVic

AcuraVic

rbf351

thanks for all the diagrams, but they don't tell you anything about that control module, basically i'm clueless

Brettg

You would need to remove the blue/black wire from the fog light relay
and ground it somehow when you wanted the fog lights on.

The trick is to get the info on the fog light switch and get the wires to ground and the fog light relay.

Or maybe there is an easier way somehow...

crazymjb

Basically we have the little twisty control for the fogs. The fogs will only turn on when the headlights are on. This means somewhere in the headlight circuit there is a relay spliced in. The fogs will only go on when that relay circuit is completed. Now if the relay is just a plug in 4 pole :: the colon on the right(or left, or up, or down) would need to be bridged. This can be done with two male spade plugs and a jumper. Then, vuala. Now if the headlights and fogs go through a computer it is much more complex. I am gonna look at the wiring diagram and see if I can figure it out.

crazymjb

Good news. I looked at the schematics of my service manual(the ones here were too small). I think if I have some free time I will sit down for an hour or so and plot out how to do it. If anyone with a lot of electrical knowledge would like to see some high quality pics of all the lighting circuitry where wire code and color is visable PM me. I was thinkin maybe RBF351, since he seems to be pretty good with that stuff. THe hardest part of this mod is this step, finding the correct relay. After that is done it should take about 3 seconds to complete, swapping out a relay for a jumper.

johnny--2k

I know this is an old thread, but did it get anywhere?

I'd love to do this if it's an easy fix since I did it with my 03 TL.

need4spd

The problem is that unlike the 2G TL, the 3G TL uses the CAN connection (think of it as the LAN at work) to signal a modual under the hood to turn on and off the fogs, it is all computer controled.

The simpliest fix would be to run a seperate ground wire from a NEW switch inside the car (use the blank switch plate to the left of the steering wheel) and connect to the fog relay under the hood (maybe the switch for the dealer installed honda fogs will work?).

that new ground would be connected to the blue/blk wire (blue with black stripe) of the relay (you would need to disconnect that wire from the relay also, as you would back feed the computer controler, and I am not sure what would happen if you did this.

I will try to draw something up, I missed this post where they put the wiring diagrams on the net, I was waiting for someone to post them.

The fog light indicator light on the dash will not light in the scenario above.

I will see what I can find, and see if there is another easier way?

Note- edited to correct relay wire color.

johnny--2k

There was another thread where I-MOD said he had done it, but he never got around to posting it. I sent him a PM late last night, but still have not gotten a response!

mbwmn

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...highlight=lamp

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...highlight=lamp

search IS our friend!

i suspect the easiest way would be to jumper aire that turns positive w/ ignition on into the combo switch (use parking lamps?)....

need4spd

You cannot jumper the combo switch that is on the light stalk. It currently uses ground, and is always connected to ground.

What controls the fog lights is the control module in the wiper switch (don't ask), and based on built in logic (i.e., head light switch in "on" position, ok to turn on fog lights, head light switch on high beam or parking lights, do not turn on fogs) we can not bypass in side the car like on the 2nd gen, where it was directly connected to the fog light relay.

In the 3rd gen TL you need to either:

1. Provide a new ground path to the fog relay under the hood of the car (to the black/blue wire connection spot and disconnect the black/blue wire so you do not back feed the system) per my post above, or

2. You need to run a new power circuit to the fog lights, complete with new relay to turn them on and off (or a power rated switch in the dash). And disconnect the fogs from the current relay/power source.

Option 1 would be the easier of the two.

No mater what, you need to run a wire from the interior of the car, through the firewall, into the engine compartment.

Computers are not always better!

From what I remember of reading the service manual a few years ago, only the head lights / tails and wipers have a hard wire back up system in case the computer control fails (I guess they consider the lights and wipers safety systems that can not have a failure).

So my directions should anyone want to follow them (Brettg was also right on this) is as follows (I claim no responsibility for any issues on this). Try at your own risk:

NOTE - this circuit will not turn the fog lights off automatically when car is turned off, and will drain your battery if left on accidentally!!!! To have them turn off automatically, requires option 2 above, and is not described here.

Items needed:

Min 20AWG wire - length unknown (about 25 feet)
Switch for interior mounting (some may have a pilot light, instructions for this are not included)
Appropriate connectors (for relay, and possibly for ground), wire terminations
In-line fuse holder
A 1Amp to 5Amp max fuse (the smaller the better, as this circuit only powers the coil of the relay under the hood, not the fog lights themselves, the coin inturn activates the factory power circuit)

1. Disconnect negative battery cable.
2. Connect one of the fuse holder wires to ground in dash area and other to a piece of wire that goes to switch.
3. Connect the new wire (connected to fuse/ground) to your new switch
4. Install switch in your favorite spot inside interior.
5. Run wire through firewall (find an existing opening, or other wire pass through). Make sure there are no sharp edges, and make sure wire is well insulated in this area (maybe wrap additional black tape around wire, or use plastic loom material).
6. Disconnect black/blue (black wire with blue stripe) from relay and install your new wire from your new fog light switch.
7. Reinstall negative battery cable.

Installation done.

Note, I have not tried this, as I no longer have my TL. Proceed with extreem caution!!!!!

need4spd

Either option 2, OR you need to find a new power source for the coil of the existing relay of the OEM fog light relay (ie, you need to cut the postive power feed to the relay coil, and connect to a power source that is controlled by the ignition switch, or to a parking light power line.

I only recommend this installation to persons knowledgeable in electrical circuits!!!

One more thing, you must INSULATE all bare wires and switch connection points!!!

johnny--2k

holy pain in the rear!


forget it.

Thanks anyways though.....i dont know if its worth that much trouble!

foot3ch

I installed my own aftermarket fog lights a while. To have the fog lights dependent to the headlights, just clamp one of those parking lights cable (the one that goes on with the parking light on and off when the parking light is off) to power the fog lights. It should get turn off when you all the lights are off.

need4spd,

What happen with your car?

madehtsobi

any updates on this??

EternaLlx

Hey how about a way to make them into Day time running lights? like its on as soon as u turn on the car and turns off when u turn the car off?

What does the canadian model have different in its fog light system?

yohan81718

that's what i read too... canadians get DRL and americans don't...
that's the way to go haha jk
so yea that's kinda ghey