potmilkz

well im trying to see if i can wire my fogs independently without the use of the stock wiring system.

where in the fuse box can i get a 12v pwoer source to power up my fogs. i will be running a relay kit.

MoAbbas

cant you run it directly from the car battery and install an inline fuse?

lilsid112

iTrader: (7)

+1, This should be the easiest and quickest way. This is how I how I set mine up when I did the accord fog conversion on my 3G TL.

dwest1023

I did the same mod. Got 12V from battery and used parking wire with switch for the trigger.

potmilkz

sorry but im a bit noob when it comes to electrical.. can anyone point me to a diy guide? or something similar. i want to be able to turn on my fogs independently with a switch

Edward'TLS

The OP isn't adding a new set of fog lights.

He wants to control the existing OEM fog lights independently with a standalone switch, without interacting with the factory fog-light wiring system.

sehale

Check your owners manual for a fuse diagram of the fuse boxes - I found an empty spare slot under the driver's side dash that I used to hard wire my radar detector.

lilsid112

iTrader: (7)

This is how we do it over on the 3G side. It will give you an idea of what's involved if you decide to tackle this. Im sure things are different for you guys but it's a start.

potmilkz

what is "this"

can you link me?

lilsid112

iTrader: (7)

My apologies, I thought I added it. Heres the link: https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/g-029-07-08-acura-tl-diy-fog-light-mod-845798/

dwest1023

I have a diagram somewhere in the 4g section. You CANNOT wire the fogs the same way you do the 3g. The fogs are controlled by ECM and you will damage it if you do not know what you are doing. The factory Manual shows no safe way of doing independent fogs. What I did was to buy new fog connectors and rewire the fogs from scratch. I used a honda Foglight switch which perfectly match the TL dash. However it might be more of a challenge for you to wire this switch as it involves splicing into the dash illumination wire. You can use any single pole switch if you don't care about a factory look.

Edward'TLS

^^^^^

According to the above linked thread "G-029: '07-'08 Acura TL DIY Fog light Mod", it shows that the 3G fog lights are also controlled by the MCU/PCM.

So what the OP did on his 3G TL will also work for the 4G TL.

Basically, the OP completely separated both the fog light relay and the existing fog light switch from the factory wiring system, and then rewired them up together independently.

However, this involved lots of wire cutting and splicing, and should not be carried out by an inexperience person.

potmilkz

thats exactly what i want to do. wire it independently just like you explained.

not sure what you mean by illumination wire...

isnt there a fuse for "ACCESSORY" so when the car turns on, the fogs will turn on with it to as well as turn off at the same time.

Pseudomaniac

iTrader: (1)

What's your end goal? What are you wanting to modify / change?

If you're wanting to NOT power the fogs by the standard connection, you won't damage the electrical system by not using the factory connector.

Running a hot lead from the battery, just like you would for a stereo amplifier, and then putting a fuse between them and the battery, and an interrupt switch on the ground (to toggle them on and off from the cabin) is pretty easy wiring.

potmilkz

would you happen to have a diagram of that?

Pseudomaniac

iTrader: (1)

Pick if you're going to run a switch on the hot lead or the ground.

If you're going to do the hot lead, run a line to an inline fuse between the battery and a 2 position switch. Run the line out of the switch to the positive feed on each light. Run a ground line from one of the ground straps / anywhere you can bolt to the frame of the car into the negative leads on the lights.

When you flip the switch, you connect power to the light. When it's off, the switch still has voltage, but the lights do not. This also bypasses all the cars "idiot" features and you can leave the lights on when the car is off - so you CAN drain your battery by leaving them on.

You can do the same thing by switching the ground instead. You'd run a positive wire with an inline fuse from the battery to each of the lights positive leads, and then connect the grounds of the lights to each other, running a wire to the switch and then a wire from the switch to a grounding point. You get the same thing, but you don't have voltage going through the switch, just the ground. Same thing though, you end up bypassing all the car safety features. You're just hooking up lights to a battery.

This is all mega simple electrical stuff - so if you're not comfortable digesting it as such, I'd let someone else tackle the project you're thinking of, or leaving it alone.

potmilkz

Pseudomaniac,

i know how to just wire - and + to the battery, but i want it to where it will work with the car.. like the fuse box.

i have done this with my integra back in the days where i had both - leads from fogs grounded to chassis and 12v power source came from fuse box. I did it this way so that when i turn off the car, the fogs turn off as well, but i can run independent fogs.

Will this work the same way?

dwest1023

Since my switch is a factory OEm switch, It lights up with the other dash switches. All your switches in your car have a wire that is connected to this illumination wire to so they light up when you turn your lights on. The reason I did not use the OEm fog connectors is so when I get rid of the car I will just reconnect same and they will work as OEM.

If all you want to do is have your fogs come on when you start the car, all you will need to do is cut the the wires to the fogs. Wire one side to ground, and take the the other wire and connect to hot on daylight running lamps. Use a inline fuse between the hot line and fogs.

potmilkz

what do you mean by "HOT"?

do you mean positive (+)?

also, here is a diagram i would like to follow. i am going to purchase another set of fog light plugs so i do not have to splice my factory one just like you. I will not be using the car's factory fog light harness rather to use a seperate switch



my question is, do you think there is a socket in the fuse panel where i can get a power source to power up the fogs as you refer to "HOT" line.

dwest1023

[QUOTE=potmilkz;14109290]what do you mean by "HOT"?

do you mean positive (+)?

also, here is a diagram i would like to follow. i am going to purchase another set of fog light plugs so i do not have to splice my factory one just like you. I will not be using the car's factory fog light harness rather to use a seperate switch



my question is, do you think there is a socket in the fuse panel where i can get a power source to power up the fogs as you refer to "HOT" line.[/QUOT


The reason I used the parking light + was, if I left the fogs on, they would cut off automatically. Im not sure this will happen using a Accessory +. They make a fuse tap and you can just tap on any accessory or hot fuse.

potmilkz

well im not worried about having automatically cut off as i do not even use that feature on my car.

im just more concerned about having it shut off when the car is off..

now do you think it is safe to use the fuse box accessory to power up the fogs as a HOT wire? also i am going to be using a fuse tap.

dwest1023

As long as you wire it like the diagram. The fogs will be running off the battery. The fuse box is just turning on the relay which does not use much current at all. You will be ok.

potmilkz

woot thats all i need to know..

BartmanEH

Has anyone tried this on a 4G yet? Even if someone did a 4G, I wouldn't be surprised if my '12 has different wiring from the '09-'11. The door wiring is different I can assure you.

dwest1023

Since you are bypassing the whole foglight cirucit it will work on ANY car. I used he same setup on my Nissan Frontier.

BartmanEH

No, I mean what peeps did on the 3G by just modifying the existing wiring and using the existing fog light switch on the combination stalk. According to Edward'TLS, per my quote of his above, the 3G wiring mod, documented in this thread, should work on the 4G as well.

potmilkz

i dont think its the same..

again dwest is advising to wire it independently and not use the stock harness.

i will attempt this soon. i know what needs to be wired now.

ill do a diy for you guys

Mr Marco

This is one of my biggest gripes about this car. Lights must be in "on position" to use fog lights. Not on "brights" either. WTF? If I want to turn on just my fog lights I should be able to do so whenever I wish.
G-luck with this mod P-milkz.

Edward'TLS

What the 3G guy did was completely separated (=cut off) both "the fog light relay" and the existing "fog light switch" away from the factory wiring system, and then rewired the two up together into a new circuit. So the new circuit became a separate circuit and had no connection to the factory wiring system at all, other than the pair of fog lights.

So this should work on all cars, like Dwest1023 has said.

However, this involved cutting up lots of wires in the factory lighting system.

dwest1023

My method does not involve ANY of the car wiring,and is 100% reversible.

LaCostaRacer

I believe there are laws that govern how auxiliary lights should work. I know fogs are suppose to cut out when the high-beams are on- at least in California. Hopefully the 4G fogs are better than the 3G fogs- I don't use mine at all. I went with a DRL LED solution instead and that is always on with the ignition.