RogueTadhg

Now for those that don't want to read 444 posts (at this moment). I'm going to sum all of that muss in a pretty package. Including my own pictures, I will be using other people's pictures to help explain this in greater detail. I've tried to make this as simple, straight forward, complete in one post. Enjoy. Original Thread

I performed this modification as my first step for doing a Fog Light projector retrofitment. Doing this modification fixed the problem with having HID bulbs, constantly turning on/off with the High beams.


Omicron's Method: (I did my Fog light re-wiring using Omicron's method. This way met all the prerequites I needed and I can confirm it works)
1. Useable at all times the car is running: No lights, Low Beams, High Beams.
2. Turns off when the car is not running: Will not run the battery dry if I forget to turn off the fog lights.
3. I can turn off the fog lights with my normal "Fog Light" switch.

Other Methods and variations to this modification include:
(Link) - Magnesium's Original Method. Fog lights will remain on when the car is not running. No warning sound that the lights are on. This method probably is best mated with Unser's, as his method incorporated a physical LED and switch.
(Link) - MazdaManiac's Daytime Running lights: Attached to the brake lights, these will come on whenever the "Parking" lights are turned on.
(Link) - bobclevenger's ignition circuit. The car does not need to have the accessory lights working.
(Link) - Unser's switch variation:

For Candian Cars (Credit: StealthTL): (I do not know if this works for S2 cars, but i'm sure someone might want to know.)
"NOTE FOR CANADIAN CARS.....
To bypass the DRL module (behind the glovebox) you need to disconnect the 'fog in'(light green&black) and 'fog out'(yellow&red) at the big DRL connector, and join them together ( best way is to use a tiny screwdriver to poke the terminals back out of the block - no cutting required.). They are side by side at the lower left of the connector.
Also, the 'brown' wire on US cars is 'brown&white' striped for DRL models, but it IS the same wire as in the Omicron instructions."

Websites:
http://koczarski.com/RX8/Mods/FogLight/ReWire.htm

Fuse box picture: Accessory Is the red "Acc". Brown Fog for the fog light fuse.


Schematic of the Fog lights without DRL (Daytime Running Lights)

__________________________________________________ ______________
Omicron's Method: (Short)
0. Disconnect the "-" battery terminal. Open the fuse box. take off the top connector the power cords at the top of the fuse box.
1. Find the Brown wire that's connected to the Fog Light fuse. Cut it.
2. Find the THIN Red and White wire. Splice the Brown wire (Leading to the fuse) to the THIN Red and White wire.


__________________________________________________ ______________
Omicron's Method: (Detailed)
0. Disconnect the Negative battery terminal. The black connector.

0a. Located the fuse box. This will be located at the driver's side, next to the air filter. This is what the fuse box looks like without a box cap.

0b. Disconnect the power terminals and the connector, located at the top of the fuse box. Push these between the air filter, so you won't need to worry about them later. They don't easily fall down so you won't need to worry about that.


0c. Locate the four tabs holding the fuse box down. MazdaManiac's Picture


1. Lift the fuse box. It'll want to fall back down, so proping it up with something helps a lot. I didn't prop it up, and fighting with it is not a very fun chore. This is what you'll see when you first lift it:



Intimidating, daunting a little? Using Focus-O-Vision, Let's focus on the wires you actually need to worry about. Notice the brown wire, and notice the two white/red stripped wires. Focusing on the two white wires you'll notice they differ in size. My rule of thumb "Ignore the fatty. Go with the skinny"


2. Do not cut the white wires! Using a splice connector, splice your home-made wire with the thin white wire. I added a female connector.

3. Cut the brown wire. And add connectors.
- The Fuse-side brown wire needs to be tapped with a Male connector.
- The NON Fuse-side brown wires needs to be tapped with a female connector.
Notice that if **** hits the fan, you can go back to stock and no one will be the wise

With Step 2 and 3 Done:

Focus-O-Vision:


4. Connect the Male connector to the spliced new wire's female side. Wrap in electical tape. Wrap the unused female brown wire with electrical tape. Stuff the connectors back in the place.

5. Push the fuse box down.
6. Connect the main connector and power wires.
7. Connect the negative battery terminal.
8. Reset the DSC with the steering wheel.
9. Enjoy.

After pictures:

Rydiak

Someone give this man a medal. This is an awesome post!

SpencerM1

iTrader: (1)

Very clean Sir. You have HIDs in your fogs, yes? If so who's did you end up getting?

RogueTadhg

I use Hoen endurance fog lights for 9006 bulbs. No HID projector yet. That was just the after picture of what the diy did.

SpencerM1

iTrader: (1)

Impressive, I might use the same instead of a HID kit. Less **** to wire up. Besides, you don't want overly bright fogs anyways unless you want to blind people.

RogueTadhg

Yeah, fog lights were made for low-speed traveling. I believe it's under 35 mph. but hell, I love my lumens.

i3oots

Where's the "Like" button!

i3oots

I followed the instructions and it worked however my console didn't work after that. Like my clock, AC, radio, all that stuff had no power going to it and at first I thought I blew a fuse but I just put the wires back to the original configuration and it worked. Did anyone else have this issue?

The way I wired it was the brown wire from the fuse to the skinny red striped wire coming from the light, then the skinny red striped wire coming from the fuse to the brown wire coming from the light. I'm assuming they're coming from the light, I don't actually know where the wires are coming from lol.

Ok nvm I found out what I did wrong. I wasn't suppose to cut the striped wire only tap into it oops lol. I'll try it tonight and see if I can get it right this time.

paimon.soror

iTrader: (15)

The only thing I see mentioned in the DIY is to connect the fuse side brown to the wire that you tapped onto the skinny white/red wire. sounds like you had that part down then you made another connection that wasn't mentioned here...

New Yorker

I'm not even doing this, but just had to chime in and compliment you on the clearest, best written directions I've ever seen on this forum. I've always thought it's unfair to ask people to spend hours (or days) wading through endless pages of posts just to figure out how to do something that could be explained in 5 minutes. Cheers to you, sir. And on behalf of everyone who's wasted a day and a half trying to find only what they need to know to do a simple mod, thank you.

ShadowRotor

Did you ever figure out what this was? The same thing happened to me (I cut it because I didn't read closely). And I couldn't start the car either. All my ACC stuff was out...

godesshunter

great write-up. thanks! i just did this following each step to a "T" and it worked perfectly.

EricB

iTrader: (7)

Hey, i know this is a diy written for S2's but ive checked the S1 diy and with a quick look they look really similar, can i follow this on my S1? your instructions are as clear as day compared to the others ive seen.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Yeah, it will work for the Series One. As stated, this is the condensed version of the original Fog Light Rewire thread.

rx8_fun_man

Thanks so much just wondering what do you mean reset the dsc?

godesshunter

Turn key on, dont start engine. Turn the wheel all the way to lock right then all the way to lock left. Done.

SubliminalPollution

A quick Google search on Fog light rewire yielded this awesome writeup!

I don't get how some people say they searched for hours and found nothing. Lol.

First search, 10 seconds later, BAM! This dope thread.

omgitspeeb

iTrader: (2)

I did this mod yesterday - the DIY was very well written! Thanks for posting!!

fyrstormer

I've been looking for this mod. Thanks for the DIY.

jamarctatum

Sorry to revive an old thread, but i am new to this forum. I tried this tonight only to find the fog lights work the exact same (lights must be on to use fogs). I have an 09 rx8 and the only mods are megen lowering springs, bho ignition mod and goodridge ssbl. Anyone have a clue why it didn't work for me? I also posted in the series 1 thread as it is the exact same?

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...502890_HDR.jpg


Edit: After many trials, and checking every relay and fuse, i switched methods and still no different than stock. They now only work when ignition/accessory (dependent upon wire location) and headlights on where as before they worked in any position as long as headlights were on.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...449161_HDR.jpg

MaD666MaX

iTrader: (3)

On canadian cars the brown wire is white with a brown stripe

Removed the 15amp drl fuse so no more lights up there when parking brake is disengaged

jamarctatum

Thank you for the reply. My car isn't Canadian though. I don't have daytime running lights and I traced the wires to the right relays. I'm not sure what's wrong unless something is different on series 2'

mgilden

Anyone have experience with the electrical cutting out while the engine is running? The tripometer resets to zero, all radio presets go away, GPS stops working. Turn off the engine and next morning it's like nothing ever happened.

hedoboy

Just tried this on my 2010. It did not change anything? any ideas?? I purchased the car in Pittsburgh, so I don't think it is Canadian? any suggestion. I taped the brown wire and left as is until someone responds?
I did this on my 2005 when I had it and it worked????

hedoboy

I have auto-on headlights...would this be why it did not work? Please help!!