Fog lamps without turning on lights

[mfarhan_86]

Hi everyone i know a few of us would like this, but just wondering if anyone has figured out a way to turn the fog lamps on without turning the actual lights( low beam) on maybe turn on for lamps with parking lights?? thanks for everyones help.

[maxnix]

Wire them direct to the battery with a relay and a fuse.

[mfarhan_86]

thanks for your help but is there anyway to have this ability while still using the factory switch for fog lamps in the turn signal i want to keep the orignal look but want to be able to turn the fog lamps on you know beyond functunality it is just cool.

[Rex]

thanks for your help but is there anyway to have this ability while still using the factory switch for fog lamps in the turn signal i want to keep the orignal look but want to be able to turn the fog lamps on you know beyond functunality it is just cool.

There probably is some way to have them trigger/turn on as the parking lights do with the first turn (parking lights), rather than the full turn (head lights), but I doubt it's as easy as Maxnix's suggestion. So, unless you have a real strong (12v) electronics background, I wouldn't suggest going in there without a complete "How-To diagram", that doesn't exist.

Maybe qsiguy could help, as he's int he 12v electronics business.

[92Q45guy]

I remember back in my 90-93 acura integra days, the fog lights switch and the defroster switch were right next to each other. All you had to do was pop both switches out and run a wire together. Basicly you would just be taking the 12 volts constant from the defroster switch. The integra was the same it would only come on when the headlights were on. All you need to do is feed the fog light swith 12 volts and you set. The switch only see's 12 volts when the headlights are on. So you would have to find what wire gets the 12 volts, cut it run a 12 volt constant to it. Just be sure you disconnect the battery before

[szh]

In the newer models of cars today, this is not as simple as it appears!

Somebody recently asked the same question in the M35/M45 forum. Rather than re-post that info here, I will just post the link to the long answer I gave there: zerothread/235549.

Now, depending on how old the car is, you may still be able to get away with a simple rewiring, but even in a 1999 car, I might be a bit worried about the work. I suggest looking at the Service Manual to make the call!

Z

[pdqwrx]

Find yourself a GOOD car alarm installer and he or she should be able to help you figure it out. It could be as simple as providing a switched power source to the fog light fuse or as hard as finding a way to trigger the factory fog light relay. Either way, a GOOD installer should be able to figure it for not much money.

CheersScott

[szh]

Find yourself a GOOD car alarm installer and he or she should be able to help you figure it out. It could be as simple as providing a switched power source to the fog light fuse or as hard as finding a way to trigger the factory fog light relay. Either way, a GOOD installer should be able to figure it for not much money.

Agreed. But, like you say, I think you should get somebody with experience doing this kind of electrical work in the car ... like a stereo installer perhaps - many alarm installers do not fit that "good" role well!

Z

[mfarhan_86]

Thanks everyone for your help and opinion but now thining about how much work it will be just so it looks cool, particularly if i want to keep the factory switch i think i should call it quits and spend that time, $$ and effort on something else, but thanks everyone for your help much appreciated.

[qsiguy]

Sorry, didn't catch this thread til tonight. I just looked over the diagrams and it should be pretty simple to modify. I've thought of doing this before myself just never really took the time to do it.

I will write up a simple diagram of what to do. One question, when do you want to be able to turn on the fog lights? With parking lights, anytime ignition is on, etc. I would think being able to turn them on when the parking lights are on would be best but I can tell you how to wire it up any way you want. Let me know, in the mean time I'll dig into my Q and work out the details and write up the diagram.

Will probably only be a 20-30 minute job if you have a multimeter and a pair of wiring strippers/crimpers, and a few basic tools to get the panels off. In fact, the connections will most likely all be in the drivers kick panel so you probably don't even need tools to get to it! I'll provide wire colors and even some photos if you like. This could be a cool, simple mod to make a decent writeup on.

EDIT:Just looked at your first post and realized you have a '99 model. I'll have to find the diagrams for that model and figure it out. Mine is a '94 G50 so it's different. I'll still do one for the G50 and I'll also pull the diagrams and solve your wiring as well. I won't be able to physically check anything so all my info will come from the FSM diagrams. You may have to be the guinea pig if you don't mind.

[mfarhan_86]

Hey thank you very much for your help in advance... instead of guinea pig i would like to be called the test subject.. haha.. its all good as long as it is not too complicated and i can make sense of things and think that i can do it without messing something else up i will be happy with all the info i can get, as you said as well i want to be able to turn the fod lamps with parking lights(first turn). i see some audi a4's some time with their fog lights during early evening not quite dark yet for full lights it is just plain cool.. or maybe i am just obsessed with fog lights...but yeah i would love if i will be able to turn them on with parking lights... thanks kindly.Farhan.

[qsiguy]

Ok, here is how you can do it on the 1998-1999 Q45's. I can't supply actual photos as I don't have a '99 to try this on but according to the wiring diagrams this should do it. Pretty easy if you have a basic knowledge of electrical wiring. Here are two .jpg's with the instructions.





Let me know if you are unsure of what I'm talking about. I think it's pretty straight forward tho. Hardest part is runing a wire from the passenger kick panel to the driver kick panel.

Modified by qsiguy at 12:49 PM 4/3/2007
Modified by qsiguy at 1:05 PM 4/3/2007

[szh]

It is clearly far easier in the 1998 - 1999 Q45's than todays cars! Now, the signal to turn on the fog lights goes through the CANbus.

By the way, be sure of which FSM you are looking at. Farhan is in Canada and may have had the Canadian running lights requirement (was it needed back in 1999?) on his Q!

If true, the wiring diagram may be a bit different, although I am not sure if it impacts the fog lights in any way!

Z

[qsiguy]

.......Now, the signal to turn on the fog lights goes through the CANbus. ......

Z

The lights still turn on with 12 volts and ground so it's do-able. You are correct on the Canadian issue. It was late so I didn't compare the different models. I'll do that later when I get a chance to see if there is a difference. mfarhan_86 can you confirm which model you have? The FSM shows about 3-4 different options for the light system. Not sure if it changed the fog lights or not. I think the differences are in the DRL and the headlamp type.

[mfarhan_86]

Hey... i just came back from work... i was actully going to post me having the Canadian model with the DRL, so i tried it today took it apart maybe i am looking at the wrong wires but i tried all green wires i could find checking with the multimeter i did not find any wires that have 12v positive when turned on low beam, i just wanted to make sure before i made any cuts to the wire so i checked to see which wire had 12v+ current when i turned the lights on, i didn't find any wires. But maybe again i could have been looking in the wrong spot, i tried all the wires which were in one of the relays which i thaught might have been the fog lamp relay but i dont think it was as i took the wires out the lamps were still on. Now i am not sure if there is a differnce because of my car being a Canadian model i know there is a wiring difference but dont know about the fog lamps. After that i had to go to work so i packed everything back up. But i only saw one green wire in the kick panel and it did not give me 12v + when i turned the lights on and fog lamps on. Then another thing came to my mind when i was doing this, if i do rewire it i will loose the auto lamp function for the fog lamps. kind of give and take situation now don't know what to give up haha. So in short yeah i have the Canadian model with daytime running lights, thanks everyone for your input and help. Farhan.

[pdqwrx]

Correct me if I am wrong (It's late) but putting 12V on the green wire won't actually do anything unless the switch is "on" to complete the circut? Since I don't have the "preceding page" I don't know where the Green and Yellow/B wires go but one must go to 12V and the other to ground and the Y/B actually goes through the switch so wouldn't you want to trigger the relay with the switched lead?

Can QsGuy post the preceeding page so we can see what actually happens to the two wires?

ThanksScott

[qsiguy]

I'll pull up the Canadian model and see if it differs in that circuit and I'll check on the DRL feature as well. It will probably still work because the DRL feature turns on the parking lights as well doesn't it? As long as the parking lights are on as well as the fog light switch the fog lights will turn on.

pdqwrx, both of the fog light relays coil wires are actually switched. The fog light switch switches the ground to the relay through the yellow/black wire and the green wire goes to the head light relay and only has 12V when the headlights are on and in low beam. The purpose of this mod is to change the conditions of when you can turn on your fog lights. Right now they can only be switched on when the headlights are on in low beam and he (and I) want to be able to turn them on when only the parking lights are on.

mfarhan_86 did you make sure the headlights were on low beam when you were checking the green wire? Also, to identify that you found the right relay turn on your headlights on low beam and have someone switch on/off the fog light switch while you feel the relays and find the one that is clicking on/off.

I'll pull up the diagrams again when I get a chance and check the Canadian issue.

[qsiguy]

I checked the diagrams for the Canadian model with conventional headlights or Xenon and they are both the same as the US model as far as the fog light circuit goes. There are only differences in the wire colors in some areas of the circuit but on any of the wires we are working with. Your system should match my above directions.

[szh]

The lights still turn on with 12 volts and ground so it's do-able.

Oh, still certainly do-able, I agree!

It is just a bit more complicated because the "instruction" to energize the relay is "sent" from the switch connected to one computer module to another module in the eigine compartment via the CANbus which then turns on the relay for the light. Very unlike the far simpler diagram that you showed for the 1998 - 1999 Q! Simplifies total wiring in the car a lot in new cars.

So, in today's new cars, there is more wiring involved if you want the existing switch to turn on the fog lights without the various computer modules getting unhappy (they "watch" for the presence of the fog light switch and the main light switches, etc.)!

You pretty much have to re-wire a separate set of wires from the switch to the light, with a fuse, etc., to make it work cleanly. Or unhook from the various computer modules and connect the switch wiring to the relay - may need to add wire to new cars today

Very good info from you on the 1998 - 1998 Q, regardless of my digression on new cars!

Z