Rear fog lights

[joatmon]

I know it sounds crazy, but ...I got a Vibe service manual, and was looking through the wiring diagrams tonight to try to identify an unused connector I found. Turns out it was the connector for the remote door lock receiver, in the back right compartment, but since I don't have the power package it's not used on my Vibe. At least I figured out what it was for.Anyway, there's a connector by each backup lamp in the rear bumper. This connector has three wires running in to it, and two come out and go to the backup lamp, the other isn't used. In the service manual, it identifies the purpose of the three wires as back up lamp feed circuit, ground, and "rear fog lamp feed circuit" (p 8-164/6)I hooked up a meter and turned on my fog lights, but didn't see any effect, so I'm guessing that it's not used. Maybe it works when you have the fog lights on and are also in reverse, I don't know, I didn't try that. There's a diagram for the fog light circuit, and it doesn't show anything for the rear fog lamps.The service manual doesn't show any detail on where this rear fog light line goes, and it disappears into a wire harness that I can't trace without ripping my car apart.I can't think of any time where I'd need to use it, it sounds like a bad idea in general to me, and I can't imagine anyplace to mount extra rear lamps that wouldn't look goofy, but it's odd and I'm generally curious so if anybody figures out how to use it, let me know.

[ragingfish]

Maybe something to do with towing a trailer?I dunno what they're smoking. There's no such thing as a "rear fog light."

[joatmon]

If you lay on the ground and look up inside the rear bumper, you can trace the wires coming out of the white back up lamp in the rear bumper to a connector a short distance from the lamp. There are two wires that go from that connector to the back up lamp, but on the mating connecter there are three wires coming in. The service manual identifies this thrid wire (that comes out of the main wiring harness with the other two but is not connected to the lamp) as a rear fog lamp feed.

[ragingfish]

Always amazes me in a car how the simples things have 12 wires going to them...for example, the power outlet inside the console has like 4 wires...I always thought it would be 2, 3 wires tops...craziness!!!

[Altus]

Sounds like British spec to me.In England, sometimes you'll have (usually) a single rear-facing fog lamp when driving around in their legendary fog banks. I've seen both red and yellow ones....Here's one by Hella even: http://www.rapidparts.com/Pages/vwc039p.html

[ragingfish]

Rear fog light...it's almost an oxy-moron!Like clean dirt...

[Wrx-2-Vibe]

Its probably for the euro version (if they do one). In europe many cars have a small red rear fog light. the idea is to make the car "more" visible so you don't get rear-ended. You see them a lot on 911's and I've even noticed them on some US Audi A6's (next time you see one look at the reverse lights on the truck, one is red).Hella make's them if you want one on your vibe?

[MadBill]

Red rear fog lights are found on some recent Oldsmobiles too. Just for the "Euro Look" I think...

[Geo]

Rear foglamps make a lot of sense if you think about it.In the ones I've seen all it does is leave a light on in your brakes,so that there seems to be half of your brake lights are always on. It's super bright, so you can see that there is someone actually in front of you in the foggy conditions.Mb those Europeans are onto something

[Robert G]

WRX-2-Vibe is right. I have a rear foglamp on my other car. It is only one, not two. The problem in the US is that drivers who have cars with a rear foglamp don't know how they work. So you see a car driving at night (on a clear night) with its rear foglamp lit. It is really irritating. The Oldsmobile Aurora has one.

[VibeSalsa]

Does it refer to the Japanese version of the Vibe: The Toyota Voltz???On this picture of the Voltz, you can see red lights at the location of the back up lights of the Vibe... You can find another picture there: http://www.toyota.co.jp/Showroom/All_to ... 02_svg.jpg Do you think like me that they are rear red fog lamps? It's just a thought...

[esjones]

quote:There's no such thing as a "rear fog light."Wrong. The new Auroras have them. (Or is it, "Aurorae?")See http://www.oldsmobile.com/aurora/featur ... safety.htm (OOps.. I posted this before I saw several other members pointed out the Oldsmobile....)

[philndz]

quote:There's no such thing as a "rear fog light."man....i didnt think this subject would stump people...even my first car...an '86 volvo 240 wagon had rear fog lights that you could turn on. our audi has em too. the extra red lights on the lexus GS 300/400 acts as a fog light on the euro models i believe....im not sure if they went ahead and made it a fog on american models too...or just extra brake lights or reg. lights. a bunch of cars have these....i'd say they definately exist.

[Jethro]

quote:Does it refer to the Japanese version of the Vibe: The Toyota Voltz???On this picture of the Voltz, you can see red lights at the location of the back up lights of the Vibe... Do you think like me that they are rear red fog lamps? It's just a thought...Ding Ding Ding ... We have a WINNER!The Voltz, like many cars overseas, has one white backup light in the left rear, and one red fog light in the right rear. joatmon, does your service manual show anything of the wiring for the side marker lights on the front fenders of the Voltz?

Attached files

[joatmon]

That's probably it. The line is run to near both back up lights, so I guess you could set it up to be on the driver's side, whichever side that is (Vibe left, Voltz right). It doesn't show how to get it to work though.The book doesn't mention front side marker lamps, but they're close enough to the existing front lamps that it should be easy to tie in to the wiring if you wanted to add some.

[VibeSalsa]

quote:Ding Ding Ding ... We have a WINNER!What is my prize? But I learned something from you... the white back up at the left and the red fog and the right...