TL_Captain

Okay, I hope this is not a dumb question . I have spent about an hour searching this site before asking.

I'll take delivery of the 06 TL in few days (in Texas). Do I need to have the fog lights activated by dealer before it can be used? Why do I ask? We have a SUV with "integrated" fog lights (similar to TL). Because TX law prohibits fog lights to be mounted over certain height, our SUV came to TX with the fog light function deactivated. I had to "tip" the dealer tech $40 to get the fog light switch activated with the special computer.

Do I need to do the same thing with TL in TX?

cristphoto

Unless the dealer "unwires" the fog lamp switch, they should work. My complaint with the fog lamp switch is that the headlights must be on before the fog lights can be activated. If yoou've ever driven in a heavy fog, you don't want the regular headlights on.

Will Y.

Wow, that's unusual.
My suggestion would be to turn the car towards a garage door, wall, etc., turn on the headlights and then turn the inner ring of the headlight stalk (which is my TL's stock foglight switch) to see if the fog lights work-- you should see a low, wider corona of light adding to the light from the headlamps. And turn the switch in both directions in case the foglights were on all the time the headlights were on.
If the foglights work, you don't need to visit the dealer. If the foglight switch doesn't change your lighting, you'll need to visit the dealer or mechanic to activate the foglights.

csmeance

is there anyway to get over the problem of having to have your regualer lights on for the fogs?

dmarcus48

Actually this isn't as strange as it sounds. My last car was a 03 Volvo S80 2.9, I wanted fog lights. The car came prewired for the lights, all I had to do was mount them and plug them in, the switch was prewired, just needed the switch. BUT the car's computer had to be programmed to recognize the foglights AND the dealer had to do that.

Always thought that was a bit much.

Dave

btrand

My TL from TX came with the fog lights working!

johnny--2k

Nope, unfortunately this has not been figured out yet because of the CANBUS system that controlls just about everything on the TL related to electronics....which is a lot.

TL_Captain

It's a bit too much for the consumer, but that translates to $$ for the dealer A simple 5 minutes VIDAS program can be as expensive as $200, and the dealer will tell you it takes 1.5 hours to do the programming

TL_Captain

EXCELLENT!

TL_Captain

I don't own an Acura yet. All the cars that I have (had) with factory fog lights will not be on unless the front lights are on. The work around is to turn the parking lights on only. The fog lights should work with parking lights (without low beams).

Jesstzn

I wonder if there is a Euro switch for the TL .. I just came from a Passat and you could swap out the light switch for $35 to a Euro switch which allowed you to do all different options with light configuration ... including running fogs without headlights.

Hell up here we don't even get the fogs .. they changed them to DRLs

crazymjb

I highly doubt that any TLs are wired differently in the U.S. based of state to state rules. I'd assume that if they can mount HIDs at that hight, they can do so with fogs. Also, considering on the 07 TLs the fogs are the DRLs I believe they were intended to be, and the real fogs are lower, I doubt the system has been screwed with.

The CANBUS system can not be tricked with parking lights, the headlights must be on to activate the fogs.

Mike

ifrisbee

From TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE

CHAPTER 547. VEHICLE EQUIPMENT

SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 547.328. FOG[0] LAMPS PERMITTED. (a) A motor vehicle may
be equipped with not more than two fog[0] lamps.
(b) A fog[0] lamp shall be:
(1) mounted on the front of the vehicle at a height
from 12 to 30 inches; and
(2) aimed so that no part of the high-intensity
portion of the beam from a lamp mounted to the left of center on a
vehicle projects a beam of light[0] at a distance of 25 feet that is
higher than four inches below the level of the center of the lamp.
(c) Lighted fog[0] lamps may be used with lower headlamp beams
as specified by Section 547.333.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.


Since the TL sits lower than the typical SUV, our fog lights probably fall in the 12-30" range

dwest1023

Yes there is and it is easy to do. I have done this on my 06 TSX. All you need to do is find the Fog relay. Its is a bit invlolved, but since I bought the TSX sevice manual, I see I could have done it another way with out the use of a second relay and swith. I used a switch that come with the 2004 honda Accord and it fits the dash perfectly. I can still use the stalk control if I want. but my dash switch will override it. If you find the relay and can read a 12volt meter, I can tell you how to do it. Better still is someone can post the fog wiring diagram, I can work with that too. I suspect it is the same as the TSX. The acura system swtiches ground intead of 12, so all you will be doing in putting in a ground that you control

hopsdevil

I am interested in how it can be done without the use of a second relay and switch. Also, can it be done so they turn off when the ignition is off, in case they are accidentally left on during the day.

johnny--2k

me too.....post up some details....

jimmyl729

04-06 TL have fog lights!? how do i turn it on...

dwest1023

Do do the mod without the second relay and switch, I would need to see the folight diagram from the service manual. Even though I have the second relay and swtich, my fogs only come on with the parking lights are lit. That way if I leave them on after shut off, the will cut off by themselves with the parking lights. I use the parking light positive to activate the second relay.


The Acura fogs turn on when ground is applied to the fog relay. If you can find the fog relay you will find, that two of the 4 connections on the rely, are hot all the time. This is the case whether the car is on or off. The other two connections are to the fog light, and ground. If you take a wire and just ground the ground connection, the fogs will light(power on or off). The switch on your stalk, does the exact same thing when you turn it on, except if cannot switch on ground, unless the headlights are on. This is done by the control module. There are two wires that come from the stalk switch, one from the control module and the other to the relay. All you have to do is bypass the control module by wiring "This wire" to a ground. Now the ground is always available to the fogs to turn on.

This is all based on whether or not the TL fog is wired the same as the TSX. I bet it is. The fog relay is located on the side of the engine fuse box on the TSX. I had an 05 TL but at the time was not interested in doing this mod, so I am not sure where the fog relay is. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.

Will Y.

Inner ring on the headlight control stalk turns on the fog lights when the headlights are on. The stock TL fog lights cannot be turned on independently of the headlights.

johnny--2k

OK, I'm not sure I understand. SO, do I take the ground already in the wiring relay, and ground it somewhere else so it's a constant ground? Here is the wiring diagram from the TL, I can't read this crap, but if I know what i am supposed to do, I can do it no problem.

dmarcus48

Exactly! Things that we can do by ourselves through the MID controls, Volvo will charge $100 for it.

Dave

dwest1023

If you attach a wire to the blue/Blk and then to any ground, you would see the fogs come on. The ignition will not need to be turn on, as there is alway 12V applied to the relay. To make it simple you could just put a swicth between this new wire and turn on the fogs whenever you want. BUT if you wired in a second relay, you could then control them by any means you want. EX: when the parking lights come on. You would just wire the rely to the parking lights. This method will not interere with you normal switch at all.

Now to make them come on with the original switch you would have to find the two wires from the switch stalk. if you look at the diagram you see the switch wires #5and 12. you would need to cut those wires and wire one to any ground and the other to the Blue/Black which should be located under the relay. Using this method the fogs would still be able to turn on with the engine off. It is a possibilty if you left them on, they might turn off by themsleves. I am not sure what controls that feature on our Acura's. From the diagram, I see that all the Acura's fogs are wired the same. If you have any more question let me know.

cpgar11

My '05 TL was purchased from Vandergriff Acrua in Arlington, Texas and my fogs work like everyone else's (along with the headlights).

Will_V

It's been a while now that I've been shopping for foglight for my 04 TL. The only TL came with factory foglight that I'm aware of is 07 Type S. Am I missing somthing here? Or is it only just for the US model?

johnny--2k

OK, so the blue/black coming out of the control box is to be grounded for the fogs to come on.

So, if I wire a relay from the positive on the parking lights to the blue/black on the control unit, they will come on with the parking lights, but if the switch on the stalk is in the off position, will they still come on?

Just out of curiosity, what kind of relay are you using? Any specific part # from Radio Shack for example?

johnny--2k

Since you are in canada, your DRL is our Fog Light.

Will_V

Okay, this could be the most dumb question ever posted in 2006. Jimmyl729, where is the fog lights? At the front end, my 04 TL has a set of turn signal lights, parking lights, HID head lights and day time running lights. Thank you for your time.

Will_V

Thanks Johnny--2k.

Does anybody know where I can get a set of after market fog lights like the one on 07 TL TypeS? Does 07 fog lights will fit 04 model year?

johnny--2k

dwest....

One more question, you wouldnt happen to know where the control box is on the TL? I know it's somewhere, but never really looked for it.....hahah

dwest1023

No, I would not have a clue. I do not even know where it is on my TSX. Someone with a service manual should be able to tellyou. It might be easier to located the wires from the light stalk.

dwest1023

If you use the relay wired to the parking, then the regular stalk switch will be overridden. As long as the parking lights are on the fogs will be on too. The only thing the stalk switch will do, iilluminate the fog light on the dash. No damage can occur. Yes the radio shack relay is fine. Any 12 volt relay will work. I added the second switch in case I did not want the fogs on with the parking. I bought factory honda dash switch since it fits out dahses perfectly. I t even illuminates with the fogs are on, and the switch itself lights when I turn on the lights.
This way if I leave the new dash switch off, the stalk still works the same, with the fogs coming on only with the headlights. As I said I can turn both on at the same time and nothing happens.


Again anyone that wants to do this just strip back a little insulation from the blue/black located under your fog relay, and attach a wire from it to any ground( you can use battery ground if you like) and the your fogs will come on.

johnny--2k

Awesome.

I'm gonna try this today! I might actually have a relay laying around from some aftermarket fogs in my last car.....

johnny--2k

ok, stupid question. What would happen if I don't use a relay? Just wire the Blue/Black to the positive on the parking lights?

johnny--2k

dwest....

Can you break down the relay wiring for me? I can't seem to get it figured out for the life of me.

I need to know exactly what goes where.

Thanks

dwest1023

If you do that, will short something.

dwest1023

Ok, if you are just going to use the parking lights as the switch, you connect this way. From the hot wire of the parking lights will connect to the postive side of your relay. the opposite side of that connection goes to ground. the other two points connect to the blue/Blk and any ground. This way when ever you turn the parking lights on, the fogs will be light. You can test the rely by connecting the hot pin to the + on the battery and the other to ground. You should hear the realy clicking on and off as you remove the ground wire. All you are doing in connecting the other two points. If you take a close up of your relay and post I can also tell you which is which.

dwest1023

Before you do anything, strip that blue/Black and tap a wire on it to ground to make sure the fogs come on. Then you know you are all set.

johnny--2k

Tried sending you a PM but your inbox is full.

dwest1023

Mailbox is now empty.