Go to post #34 of this thread by Magnesium with pics. That's the technique I used and it works great. He also gives a text only description in post #24

Zoom, Zoom!

 

So you want US to read the 275 posts and tell you which one to follow? Sorry, *I* don't have that kind of time

I have mine wired where they are connected to the accessory power as is described here someplace. The foglight switch controls them so I can have fogs only, fogs w/parking lights, fogs w/low beams, fogs w/high beams (makes no sense) if I want. Just read along until you find the proper post - you connect the same wire from the fog light relay it just depends on where you connect the other end - I sure don't remember the details, but it is all here with pictures.

Dennis

 

hahaha, i feel your pain bro... someone should post the actual DIY clearly at the beginning...

here's some highlights:
1. http://koczarski.com/RX8/Mods/FogLight/ReWire.htm
2. Page 12, post 170
3. Page 7, posts 100, 101
4. Page 6, post 76
5. Page 5, post 62 (looks really helpful)
6. Page 4, post 52
7. Page 3, post 34

 

Thanks for pointing me to the right posts, everyone—I really appreciate it!

 

Be sure to switch the fog light switch OFF if/when you take your 8 into the dealer for service. Having the log lights on w/o the low beams could make them think something was WRONG with your car and then open the fuse/relay box and "find" your mod.

Dennis

 

Great mod. Simple and effective. I liked the pictures from http://koczarski.com/RX8/Mods/FogLight/ReWire.htm best. They are very clear.

Thanks!

 

They did it to me once I made them change it back.

 

One head is good but two is better... Thanks for the mod... Молодцы!

 

Great thread. I plan on doing the mod this weekend along w/ marker lights. Thanks to everyone espcially Magnesium.

 

I just completed the fog light rewire mod in about five minutes. Super easy, works like a charm.

Thanks to everyone that contributed.

 

Took five minutes. Hardest part was unclipping the fuse box. lol. thanks all

 

Wouldn't it be simpler and more reversable to remove the relay and jumper the power pins for the fogs?

 

No, at least I don't think so.

The 'Brown' wire is the trigger for the Fog Light Relay and goes "hot" when the headlights are receiving power. If you jumper the Fog Light Relay switching terminal to the Tail Light relay or Accessory relay, you will give power to the Fog Light Relay and allow them to turn on early, BUT you will also be putting power into the 'Brown' wire to which is connected to the headlight circuit.

Without looking at the wiring diagrams, I am not sure what adverse affect (if any) this may create. But I imagine you will still have to cut the 'Brown' wire.

It is definately another way of solving the same problem, but if you still must cut the 'Brown' wire, I think the soldering to the Tail Light relay trigger wire ('Black/Red') would make a more solid connection with less risk of fire or blown fuses.

Just my 2cents....

PS I organized the DIY from "Maniac" for using the 'Brown' and 'Black/Red' wires in order to have an OEM-like function, with fogs coming on with parking lights. I put the pictures and instructions into a more printer friendly format in a Word doc. Unfortunately, it appears to be too large to attach on here. Anybody willing to host it and post up a link? Leave me a PM with an email addy so I can send the file.

Credit goes to Maniac, Post #62 for the best and most professional method, in my opinion.

 

this is a great mod but I just soldered the wires instead of tapping into the green wire like the instructions say to.

 

green wire? I must have missed that set of instructions!

I know of 2 methods (but I didn't spend hours sifting through this thread):
1 - Brown wire into Black/Red wire --> fog lights go on with parking (running) lights

2 - Brown wire into small White/Red wire --> fog lights can go on anytime you turn on the fog light switch independent of headlights AND parking lights.

I have no clue about a green wire????

 

it's pouring rain right now but I"ll take a pic when I get home of what I did.

 

Hmm, I think we might be on different wavelengths here. That or I'm completely talking out of my ***.

The relay (and it's socket) should have four terminals that we are concerned with. Two for signal/switching (headlight) and two for providing power to the switched circuit (fogs). There may be more, depending on whether or not it's more than just an SPST relay. My idea is to just short the switched terminals on the relay (or it's socket) so that it doesn't matter if the relay is open, closed or not even present, power will still flow to the fog lights.

Unless I'm way off here and the power for the fog lights comes from the same circuit that triggers the relay (which I don't see as very likely as the fogs have their own switch).

I'm probably being a little noobish here as my electrical knowledge is somewhere just below beginner.

 

If you bypass the relay, the fogs will always be on as long as the log switch inside the car is on. So if you forget to turn that switch off, you will drain your battery.

The various ideas here tie the control line of the fog relay into something like a parking/running light or to the switched +12v. Then the fogs come on when the switch on when the parking or headlights or on or when you turn the key on. In both cases, turning off the key and the lights will result in the fogs goinf off automatically even if the switch is left on.

I wired mine to the switched accessory source and use them as DRLs - the come on and off with the key (unless I turn off the fog switch). I did a similar mod on my new "snow day" car, a Scion xB and again use them as DRLs.

Dennis

 

Yea, I think we might be a different wavelengths here

I think the mod you are suggesting is to create a DRL situation; in other words, fogs come on with ignition.

My understanding of the relay switching circuit is that yes, there is generally 4 terminals. Two of the terminals can be thought of as the high current input/output...essentially a break in the main power wire. This "break" in the main power cable becomes connected by the internal switch which is triggered by power to the "switching" circuit. This is made up of the other two terminals, one of which provides + power to the relay switch itself, and the other is - ground.

Once again, I am not sure I followed you correctly, but when you said you are not concerned with whether the relay is open/closed, you are suggesting jumping the input/output terminals together.

Generally speaking, high current lighting applications require the use of a relay to isolate the switching system from the high current wire, mainly to protect the switch itself. The high current wire (on the input/output terminals of the relay) is usually connected directly to a main power distribution point on the battery.

If you short the two main wires together, you are by-passing the switch and I believe the result will be fogs that are on until your batter dies regardless of any relay (or interior headlight switch).

I still believe this entire long thread can be summed up with two high quality/reliable DIYs:

1) For a DRL effect, where the fogs come on with ignition (unless you turn off the fog light switch on the stalk): cut the "Brown" wire and connect the fuseblock side of the cut wire to the small white/red-stripe wire (ACC)

2) For the same OEM-like function where the fog light switch on the stock can be left on, but the lights only come on with a lighting circuit (modded to the parking light circuit instead of the OEM method of the headlight circuit): Cut "Brown" wire and connect fuseblock side of cut wire to the black/red-stripe wire on the parking light circuit.

 

I will add to your summary:

If you do the mod, but sure to turn off the fogs (at the stalk) when you take the car into the dealer for service. If they notice any difference from normal behavior they may investigate or try to "fix" it. If you turn them off at the stalk the odds are very slim they will even look at them at all.

Dennis

 

i read through all the post...well skimmed. do i use the black/red or green/white? i want the fogs to go on when i use the DRL or headlights, not anytime i want.

the fogs also go off when i turn off the DRLs right?

 

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the step-by-step + detailed photos. It's much more easy to follow for a newbie like myself. If you don't mind, I have quick follow-up questions as well..

What do u do to protect the other side of the cut brown wire? (ie the side no longer connected to the relay.) do u just use electrical tape to cover the tip or is it safe to just leave it dangling?

Also, is it true that your flavor of this mod is actually "safer" than Omicron's ACC one? It sounds safer to me, because it doesn't mess w/ the ACC wire (ignition) at all, which could potentially mean your car won't start if you mis-wire or do something incorrectly.

Thanks in advance for clarifying these points for me.

Detrich

 

Argh - why can't I do something so simple.......

Brown Wire goes from blackbox to thin white w/ red strip wire two blackboxes down.

Right??

At one point the lights were all flickering crazy. Then I rewired and got lights working normally (except fogs would never come on). I've reversed all changes out, but now the car won't start.

 

Well, this wasn't exactly a quick mod for me. My first mistake was trying to wiretap using the the brown wire leading away from the box. My second mistake was using cheap connectors/wiretap. My third mistake was not recoginizing a blown fuse.

Those 3 led to all sorts of confusion. A very easy Mod, if you take your time. I tried to rush it and screwed stuff up. =)

But - the car is okay now, AND i can turn on my fogs whenever I want now (did Omicron method)

 

Thank you! I about had a heart-attack when it was flashing....