Fog light mod

Technical info on the Pontiac Vibe and Toyota Matrix including do-it-yourself info
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viber05
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:13 am

Fog light mod

Post by viber05 »

Ok yall i got this from MO.comand didnt see a post here about it so here it is.This mod will allow you to turn on the foglights when you switch the parking lights on. You will no longer have to leave the headlights on to use the foglights! Also, your foglights will stay ON when you switch to hi-beams! You will still have full control of the foglights with the stock switch.Some info to know:-Canadian spec Matrixes don't have the same fog light switch wiring so this method will not work for them.-It's a good idea to disconnect the (-) cable from your battery terminal before doing any wiring modifications. This is to prevent and shorts during the cutting.-If you use the tap in connectors pictured, make sure you buy the right size. They need to be able to at least fit 18 gauge sized wiring. If the connectors you buy are too big, they will not properly pierce the wiring insulation.-Also make sure you clamp them tightly. THEY NEED TO PIERCE THE WIRE INSULATION to make a good connection.First, you will need to disable your auto-lights/drl's.Materials:-Tap-in connector ($1.69/4pk at Radio Shack)-Phillips screwdriver-Snips-Pliers-10 minutes of your time1. Remove the lower section of the steering column cover by loosening the 3 screws. Two screws are between the steering wheel and the base cover. The third one is just to the right of the tilt-wheel lever.2. On the lower-left side of the steering column is a white wire harness. Separate the GREEN/WHITE and GREEN/ORANGE wires from the rest of the bundle.3. Take your snips and cut the GREEN/ORANGE wire. Make sure you leave some wire length to work with.4. Take the GREEN/WHITE wire and splice it with the length or GREEN/ORANGE wire closest to the plastic harness. Make sure the metal blade on the tap-in pierces all the way through the wire insulation.I used the pliers to clamp the connector's blade onto the inserted wires then I closed the hasp.5. Insulate the tip of the left over GREEN/ORANGE wire. I just clamped it underneath the hasp that keeps the splicer closed. This will keep it from shorting against anything.6. Test it out to see if it works.
Kamikaze
Posts: 2017
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:36 pm

Re: Fog light mod (viber05)

Post by Kamikaze »

Nice write up!
August 2009 VOTM Click HERE for my Garage
zionzr2
Posts: 3174
Joined: Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:59 am
Location: Austin, TX

Post by zionzr2 »

Thanks, but its Been covered!Check the Mods Index list! #14
viber05
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:13 am

Post by viber05 »

sorry for the repost then, but it doesn't have any pics, and some people along w/ me need some pics to help us along.
waveresponder
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:40 pm

Re: Fog light mod (viber05)

Post by waveresponder »

thanks...pics are great!
zionzr2
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Location: Austin, TX

Re: (viber05)

Post by zionzr2 »

No worries...I thought that it did have pics in there somplace...I must have confused it with the DRL/AHL mod.The pics are a nice addition!!
zionzr2
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Location: Austin, TX

Post by zionzr2 »

I also just added this thread to the list at #14 (Now with Pics) So both processes are still listed.
Sublimewind
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Joined: Thu May 24, 2007 4:44 am

Post by Sublimewind »

I like it up to the point I see "vampire" clips... Personally, I would never use them, but, i've also done a LOT of auto electrical work.. Other than that.... nice..
engineertwin2
Posts: 914
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2005 10:08 am

Post by engineertwin2 »

It might be worth noting that this may be illegal in some areas. Most states do not allow more than 4 forward projecting bulbs on for on-road use.I know that the bulb for the low beams is also the bulb for the high beams in the Vibe, but I believe in AZ the high beams count as two bulbs, regardless of what the actual physical situation is.Is this being done as a mod that makes the car look cool at night? I'm trying to think about when I've needed hi-beams and I can't ever recall needing hi-beams to see further out and also needing the foglights for short and to the side of the car...but maybe it's just me. I've always used my high beams when travelling between cities, late at night on highways with very few other people. When you travel at highway speeds at night, you want the light further out, not close in - you'll get faster fatigue if your eyes are constantly being drawn in to the corners of your car.
2004 Vibe GT Lava Monotone, Moon & Tunes PackageMods:Homelink17" TenzoR Mach 10s, Black w/ Red grooveTintFormer Cars: '87 Subaru DL, '99 Chevy Malibu (hated it)'99 VW Passat (like it), '99 Volvo S80 T6 (wet dreams are made of it)
viber05
Posts: 77
Joined: Sat Mar 03, 2007 10:13 am

Post by viber05 »

for me i did not do this for looks. i work nights so the more light i have less strain on me. If you every noticed when your high beams are on you have that dark spot in front of your car? this fixes that so everything is lite up not just way down the road. No about all that illegal stuff i dunno aint had no problem here in texas.about the vamp clips. thats the easy way. of course it is always better to cut and sod. the wires.
zionzr2
Posts: 3174
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Location: Austin, TX

Post by zionzr2 »

On dark winding hilly roads, its a big help to spot critters.
bull77
Posts: 1976
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:27 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: Fog light mod (viber05)

Post by bull77 »

just finished this walkthrough --- thanks!!
GoodVibErations2004
Posts: 310
Joined: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:19 pm

Post by GoodVibErations2004 »

this mod literally saved my vibe from a herd of deer. took 5 minutes or less and iproved my vision 200%.5stars for you
GoodVibErations2004 2004 Neptune AWD ^^^^^^^^^^^My Genvibe Garage^^^^^^^^^^^
Digger
Posts: 674
Joined: Fri Sep 09, 2005 3:36 am

Re: (GoodVibErations2004)

Post by Digger »

I used the post with pics in the DRL mod. it uses the same wires except you put a relay in and the foggs come on all the time day/night/highbeamk or low beam.
2005 AWD What's your story?It's a wonderful thingMomma always said "Help that is not helpful, is no help at all"
milocas
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 4:34 am

Re: (Digger)

Post by milocas »

Just did this How-to......Looks easier than it is.....took 5mins to do!!!Viability improved lot when the highs and fogs are on....
2003 Pontiac Vibe GT
psiu
Posts: 279
Joined: Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:19 am

Post by psiu »

I see that the DRL's are off at night with this, (ie just parking lights plus foglights), is this bypassing the DRLs then when the parking lights are on? Or disabling the auto headlight feature?Just wondering, thanks!
milocas
Posts: 53
Joined: Sun May 20, 2007 4:34 am

Re: (psiu)

Post by milocas »

Nope, Just a feature that allow you to have you fogs on with high beams, and with the Parking lights. But in order to have the Parking lights on with the Fogs while driving, you'll need to so the DRL Disable mod.
2003 Pontiac Vibe GT
lowincash
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Joined: Sat May 17, 2008 3:35 am
Location: Los Angeles

Post by lowincash »

i want to do this to my 09 too...anyone tried yet?
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-- 2009 Vibe GT in Jet Black
whytea
Posts: 41
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2008 8:57 pm

Re: (lowincash)

Post by whytea »

im looking for this in my 09 too but i guess with alot of new things we will have a wait awhile
2002sportside
Posts: 301
Joined: Tue Jun 21, 2005 9:50 am

Re: (whytea)

Post by 2002sportside »

With a wiring diagram (from each generation) it would be easy to figure out. The wiring colors and pins may not have even changed. I don't recommend just going out and trying it though...
2005 Moonstone Base Vibe 38k as of October, 2010 (41k as of 7-15-11)Moon & Tunes, power package, automatic, center console power port added
FyreMark
Posts: 23
Joined: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:07 am

Re: (milocas)

Post by FyreMark »

Did this a couple weeks back. Now I've got HID's as well =D[img][/img]
SuperSpeedWagon
Posts: 680
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2006 10:37 am
Location: Houston

Re: (FyreMark)

Post by SuperSpeedWagon »

very cool i dont know why i ever tried this mod Ill porbably do it on my next day off.... nice haha
2010 vibe gt
bassplayaz06
Posts: 484
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 12:27 pm

Re: Fog light mod (viber05)

Post by bassplayaz06 »

just did this mod, it's great and i love how much more i can see on those back country roads!
2003 Vibe GT, 1.8L, 6 speed Manual Lava Red 2 tone18" sport edition rimsCosmo CAIMy Garage http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=42483
vibe5264
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:09 pm

Post by vibe5264 »

I want to do this so I can drive with my fogs on, and no headlights for the early morning, evening, etc. I want a full drl/automatic light disable. I can't figure out how do all of this at one time, though? EDIT: Oh, and I splice both of the wires on the RELAY side (on the top in your picture?) I can't tell what half of the wires to connect together.
vibolista
Posts: 1519
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 6:34 am
Location: "Glacial", Maine!

Re: Fog light mod (viber05)

Post by vibolista »

Fog lights help you see in thick fog (or rain or snow) conditions. I'm pretty certain it's the reason they are called fog lights. Fog lights are aimed low and shed wide angle light to the sides to allow you to see the edge of the road close to the car. Fog lights are aimed low to keep reflected glare to a minimum (next time you are driving at night in thick fog, heavy rain or snow, flick the old high beams on for a second and see what this reflected glare looks like and what it does to your forward visibility, but only when it's safe to do so, like in your driveway or while stopped someplace). Fog lights are used when you are driving slowly, due to poor visibility using low beams as primary lighting. If you need extra light while driving in clear nighttime conditions, you should install a set of good quality SAE approved auxiliary driving lights. These lights are focused way down the road (like your brights) and actually add light farther away and out to the sides a bit more, where you really need it driving at normal speeds. Your eyes adjust to bright light close to the car by narrowing the pupil. This generally makes it more difficult to see into the night. The reason there is a "dark" area just ahead of the car (really only a few feet) when you use your bright lights, is to allow your eyes to see farther into the distance, where the brights are more effective. Make sure your primary lights are aimed properly and polished, so they work their best. Hazy or pitted light covers will diffuse or scatter the light to places that won't do you much good. There are a bunch of products out there, intended for this use, that make this job super easy, and really keep your car lights very clear. It's pretty weird to see so many drivers with their fog lights turned on in crystal clear night conditions for that "extra" light magic. I'm pretty sure the reason most drivers who run those poor fog lights on clear nights are doing it for the perceived cool factor or whatever. Check out all that oncoming traffic at night and see if all that extra lighting coming at you when it's not foggy really makes sense. It's all extra glare at you, making it more difficult for you to see. And we will now hear... "oh, but I can really see better with them on all the time... yada yada yada." Run'em if you must, but do the research to see if you are really gaining much from burning the fogs all the time. Myths love to run rampant.
'08 Manual, Sun&Sound, 17" Borbet Type CA wheels, 215/50 Summer Tires... 16" OE steel, 215/55 Snow Tires
bull77
Posts: 1976
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:27 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: (vibe5264)

Post by bull77 »

Quote, originally posted by vibe5264 » EDIT: Oh, and I splice both of the wires on the RELAY side (on the top in your picture?) I can't tell what half of the wires to connect together.to answer your question -- you only need to cut 1 wire (green/orange) and join it with the other wire (green/white)have you already disabled drl?
vibe5264
Posts: 49
Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:09 pm

Re: (bull77)

Post by vibe5264 »

Quote, originally posted by vibolista »Fog lights help you see in thick fog (or rain or snow) conditions. I'm pretty certain it's the reason they are called fog lights. Fog lights are aimed low and shed wide angle light to the sides to allow you to see the edge of the road close to the car. Fog lights are aimed low to keep reflected glare to a minimum (next time you are driving at night in thick fog, heavy rain or snow, flick the old high beams on for a second and see what this reflected glare looks like and what it does to your forward visibility, but only when it's safe to do so, like in your driveway or while stopped someplace). Fog lights are used when you are driving slowly, due to poor visibility using low beams as primary lighting. If you need extra light while driving in clear nighttime conditions, you should install a set of good quality SAE approved auxiliary driving lights. These lights are focused way down the road (like your brights) and actually add light farther away and out to the sides a bit more, where you really need it driving at normal speeds. Your eyes adjust to bright light close to the car by narrowing the pupil. This generally makes it more difficult to see into the night. The reason there is a "dark" area just ahead of the car (really only a few feet) when you use your bright lights, is to allow your eyes to see farther into the distance, where the brights are more effective. Make sure your primary lights are aimed properly and polished, so they work their best. Hazy or pitted light covers will diffuse or scatter the light to places that won't do you much good. There are a bunch of products out there, intended for this use, that make this job super easy, and really keep your car lights very clear. It's pretty weird to see so many drivers with their fog lights turned on in crystal clear night conditions for that "extra" light magic. I'm pretty sure the reason most drivers who run those poor fog lights on clear nights are doing it for the perceived cool factor or whatever. Check out all that oncoming traffic at night and see if all that extra lighting coming at you when it's not foggy really makes sense. It's all extra glare at you, making it more difficult for you to see. And we will now hear... "oh, but I can really see better with them on all the time... yada yada yada." Run'em if you must, but do the research to see if you are really gaining much from burning the fogs all the time. Myths love to run rampant. I want it simply because I like the way it looks. That's that. Thanks for the contribution. Quote, originally posted by bull77 »to answer your question -- you only need to cut 1 wire (green/orange) and join it with the other wire (green/white)have you already disabled drl?I haven't truly disabled drl yet, I've been doing to e-brake trick for now.
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g0ldrush
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Re: Fog light mod

Post by g0ldrush »

I did It! yessir, works great, I also changed my fog, beam, dome, licence plate, and parking light with Led's. Found those on Ebay for a good price too. Thanks!
Country Rock Music is what I like so far!!!
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ImUrOBGYN
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Re: Fog light mod

Post by ImUrOBGYN »

Yeah, never run your fogs when there's no fog.
Nobody ever does anything to their cars for looks or the 'cool' factor... :roll: ;) haha
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