ND4's Fog Light Anytime Mod... NO splicing, No Bending, 100% reversible

not a problem! glad you figured it out.

Like stated in my OP the male blade connectors i used were cheaper Chinese ones, they way they were made was a thing piece of metal folded on top of itself to get some thickness, i was able to snip the sides and actually make the blade half a thick, that way it was easy to get the male blade and the blade of the relay into the same spot without much issue.

 

OP, I do like the wiring and being able to go back to stock without buying another relay.
But I have a question; Has anyone tried using tail light circuit to power the fog lights ?

On my 2005 Tacoma I used a add-a-circuit fuse adapter plugged into the tail light fuse under the dash, so the fog lights would only work with the tail lights and/or headlights were on and they would turn off with the headlights when you open the door.

I would like for the fog lights to work like factory but also with the high beams. Is this possible?

 

Sub for install

 

Sub'd for the next warm day!

 

The only problem I see with this "mod" is the fogs will be or can be ON all the time when the key's ON. Because there's no luminating light telling you your fogs are on inside the cab, you have to rely on the "feel" of the switch whether its in or out. I believe they aren't controlled by the light circuit anymore so they won't be activated by that circuit. I'm going to search out a light switch activated fogs on low/high this winter.

 

I agree, that's why I was asking if someone has made it work using power from the tail light circuit. Then the fogs wouldn't come on until at least the parking lights are on. I tried and it didn't work, but I didn't have time to figure out why. I'll try again this weekend.

 

Why didn't I think of that???!!!! I have been putting off due to not wanting to bend anything... Cool!!! Thanks

 

Thanks. Just did it. Hoot!!!

 

Did this yesterday worked like a champ. Thanks

 

I would like to do this fix, however this is the kind of thing we have to deal with in Virginia. Get a good inspector and he'd overlook this fix, but a picky one will flunk the car with this mod....

The four lamp maximum is taken to include high beams, where both filaments in each bulb are on - so on high beam, cannot be wired to allow another pair of lights on too [such as Fogs]----.

Also, cannot have DRL's on when headlights are on so switchbacks may be a problem if they don't change to a low-amber color.

----From Virginia Safety Inspection Code ---
General Requirement-Section A:
No more than four lamps, including two headlamps, (includes Fog lights) may be lighted at any time to provide general illumination ahead of the vehicle.

Driving lamps
Are not required. However, if installed they must operate and be inspected.
Inspect for and reject if:
a. Driving lamps are installed on vehicles equipped with the four-headlamp system, except the "F" type headlamp system;
b. A vehicle is equipped with more than two driving lamps;
c. Driving lamps are not of an approved type or have been altered;
d. The color of the lamp is other than white;
e. The lens has a piece broken from it or is rotated away from its proper position. The lens may have one or more cracks provided an off-color light does not project through the crack or cracks;
f. Wiring or electrical connections are defective;
g. Any driving lamp is mounted above the level of the regular headlamps, or is not mounted firmly to prevent excessive vibration;
h. Driving lamps are not wired so that they will burn only when the high beams of the regular headlamps are activated;
i. Driving lamps are not aimed so that the center of the hot spot drops three inches in 25 feet so that the hot spot is directly ahead of the lamp;
NOTE: Driving lamps must be aimed using the optical headlight aimer. A tolerance of four inches in 25 feet is allowed in both the horizontal and the vertical adjustment.

Fog lamps
They are not required. However, if installed they must operate and be inspected.
Inspect for and reject if:
a. A vehicle may be equipped with more than two fog lamps; however, not more than two fog lamps can be illuminated at any time;
b. Lamps are not of an approved type (DOT or SAE-F on front or F2 on rear plus two-digit year and manufacturer) or a lamp has been altered;
c. The lens is other than clear or amber. Fog lamps may have black-end bulbs or small metal caps over the end of the bulb;
d. The lens has a piece broken from it or is rotated away from its proper position. The lens may have one or more cracks provided an off-color light does not project through the crack or cracks;
e. Wiring or electrical connections are defective or filaments do not burn;
f. Any fog lamp is mounted above the level of the regular headlamps, or is not mounted firmly;
g. Lamps are not wired and aimed according to the following instructions:
(1) Fog lamps are general illumination lamps as covered in subsection A of this section. They must burn through the tail light circuit even if on a separate switch. If installed on a vehicle with a four-headlamp system, or a vehicle equipped with driving lamps, they must be wired into the low beam circuit. >>>> POST NOTE: they cannot be wired to come on with just driving lamps, or with high beams <<<<<<
(2) Fog lamps must be aimed so that the top edge of the high intensity zone is set at the horizontal centerline and the left edge of the high intensity zone is set at the vertical centerline. (Same as low beam headlights.)
NOTE: Fog lamps must be aimed using the optical headlight aimer. A tolerance of four inches in 25 feet is allowed in both the horizontal and the vertical adjustment.

Daytime Running Lamps
(DRLs) are not required. However, if installed they must operate and be inspected. DRLs must be installed in pairs.
NOTE: DRLs may or may not be wired into the tail light circuit.
Inspect for and reject if:
a. Any lamp, except headlamps, used as DRLs if not an approved type (SAE-Y2) and is not marked "DRL";
b. Fog lamps or parking lamps are used as DRLs;
>>>>>>>>>>>Post note; this is obsolete as Acura's & others use the fog's as DRL's using reduced illumination, but they come wired that way from factory and will pass <<<<<
c. More than one pair of lamps is used and/or designated as DRLs;
d. A DRL is mounted higher than 34 inches measured to the center of the lamp;
e. The color is other than white to amber;
f. DRLs do not deactivate when the headlamps are in any "on" position.
Any DRL optically combined with a turn signal or hazard lamp must deactivate when the turn signal or hazard lamp is activated and then reactivate when the turn signal or hazard lamp deactivates.
----------------------------------

 

FYI.... The high beams and low beams on our trucks can never be on at the same time by nature of how the DIM relay works. That is unless you mod the DIM relay. So a fog light anytime mod can technically pass.

 

So do they do this inspection on a annual or by annual basis. I thought CA was bad. I have an o6 and have never had an inspection that checked lights. Nor any other vehicles I have owned. The only time the brake and light inspection is done here to my experience is on a salvaged title or something like that.

 

incorrect. fog anytime can never pass (but who is going to check?)

check the info on candlepowerforums, they have exhaustively explained EU and Federal motor vehicle lighting standards and fogs can only operate when low beams are on, never at any other time. and to really get detailed, they cannot be on when the weather is dry and clear, even at night. it must be inclement weather.

for funzies...just post in the automotive forum there that you want to do this mod and just WAIT for the experts to rain the law down... they are experts, too. no one has yet been able to pick them apart. pretty impressive actually to see posts from people who really know the automotive lighting facts and science behind it.

in the meantime I am close to doing the fog light anytime mod myself. unlike most other vehicles with fogs, the tacoma fogs (my 2013 anyway) actually work great and make a huge difference in lighting up the 'chin area' directly in front and to the sides. my 4runner foglights have been and will always be useless...the tacoma, wow.

 

Yeah the 2012+ stock fogs have a great cutoff and flood. High beams with the fogs cover a lot of area!

 

subd

 

What kind of gauge wire should I be using if I want to do this mod?

Very clean & simple mod btw

 

Nothing bigger than 16

 

Great mod, it works (anytime on even on high beams), and completely reversible. Thank you

 

Regarding the modification in post number 1 in this thread: I like the idea of having fog lights available without headlights. But in this state it would not pass inspection as anytime a fog or headlight is on, the taillights must also be on. It occurs to me that using the parking light circuit as the actuating source for the fog light relay would meet that requirement. Is there a place close by to hook that brown wire into the parking light circuit? In responding to this question, assume that I know virtually nothing about automotive wiring. Thanks.

 

That wouldn't be to hard to do! But with this mod it only takes a min to undo it for any inspection. The only hard part of this mod is making the jumpers, and that should only take a few minutes. If it was me I wouldn't worry about the laws. Just don't run the fogs with out at least your parking lights. And just put it back before your inspection.