amgarrety
10-14-2012, 11:41 PM
Finally, time for clear instructions on how to get independent fogs on your Subaru, and good news, it isn't very hard. The exact process will vary from Subaru to Subaru, but the general idea works for just about every car.
The general idea - you need to connect a switched current (a current that only comes on with the ignition in the ON position) to the fog light relay directly.
I will outline the method for a BE/BH, specifically for the four-cylinder and six-cylinder models (they are different), but using these instructions, you should be able to roughly adapt it to your own car, no matter the model.
There are two parts to making your fog lights completely independent. Part one makes your fog lights operate independently in every stage of lights (all off, parking lights, and all on) EXCEPT high beams. This is the only part that I am fairly certain works on most Subarus. Part two then makes your fog lights independent of the high beams. In order for part two to work, you must first do part one. I can't guarantee part two will work for all cars.
Note: part one will work by itself if that is all you want.
Thanks to scoobietwo on Subaruoutback.org for writing up this simple method for the four-cylinder. I will add more pictures as I am able to get them. Pictures are found by clicking the purple text.
Four-Cylinder - Part One
1. Locate the fog relay in the engine bay. (top right, next to the fwd fuse slot, refer to your guide underneath the lid).
2. Unscrew the entire fuse box from the engine bay to access the wires behind it. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8088805161_229ac4a910_z.jpg)
3. Locate the red wire with a yellow stripe.
4. Cut the wire wherever you want, but you will be attaching a new wire onto the end that connects to the relay, not the end that leads to the rest of the wires (leading out the back of the box).
5. Look/dig around the windshield washer fluid reservoir (toward the front), there is a harness that should have nothing attached to it, unless it powers a rear windshield washer pump. It is a yellow color. This wire holds a switched current, meaning it only supplies power when the ignition is on. This will prevent from your fog lights remaining on when the car is off.
6. On the harness you found, cut the yellow wire (or tap into it if it is being used). You will be attaching a wire to the non-harness side of the wire (the side leading to the reservoir).
7. After cutting and stripping the red/yellow and yellow wires, get a piece of spare wire (try to match the wire gauge), connect the relay end of the stripped red/yellow wire to the non-harness end of the yellow wire. Solder these together, then tape.
8. Tape off the two spare ends of the yellow harness side wire, and the red/yellow non-relay side of the wire.
Six-Cylinder - Part One
1. Locate the fuse box in the driver's compartment, and the relay box just below it (near the pedals, you may have to take off the cover below the steering wheel).
2. Locate the relay furthest to the left, and the relay second from the right (the right most black relay). These are your ignition relay and your fog light relay, respectively. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8088801030_5d1ed970ba_z.jpg)
3. Behind the relay box, there is a loom of wires. Remove some tape to gain a little slack in the wires, and remove the zip tie that is holding the wires so tightly together. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8088800632_d2fd2a4393_z.jpg)
4. Behind the ignition relay, locate the green/white wire. DO NOT CUT this wire. Tap into it with a spare length of wire (it doesn't have to be very long) by either soldering, or for lack of space, using one of those little wire tapping connectors you can get from RadioShack.
5. Behind the fog light relay, locate the red/yellow wire. Cut this wire, leaving enough room on the relay side of the wire to solder to.
6. Solder the red/yellow wire to the wire you used to tap into the green/white wire, heat-shrink for security. Tape up the other cut end of the red/yellow wire for safety. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8088799655_b99f74c587_z.jpg)
At this point you can operate your fogs independently of your regular headlights. The switch on the console will now turn the fogs on or off even when the light stalk switch is turned to off (as long as the key is turned to at least the ACC position).
Part Two (BE/BH Universal)
Optional: If you want the capability to use your fogs while using your high beams.
1. Remove the panel where the fog light switch is attached.
2. Unplug the wire harness from the back of the switch.
3. Locate the yellow wire, and the black/white wire.
4. Cut the yellow wire about 2 inches down from the back of the wiring harness, you will be wiring the harness side of this wire to the black wire so leave yourself enough space.
5. Leave the black/white wire intact but simply cut a section of the middle of it bare, this is where you will be attaching the yellow wire.
6. Attach the yellow wire to the spliced section of the black/white wire (solder this).
7. Tape everything off.
Your fog lights are now completely independent.
The general idea - you need to connect a switched current (a current that only comes on with the ignition in the ON position) to the fog light relay directly.
I will outline the method for a BE/BH, specifically for the four-cylinder and six-cylinder models (they are different), but using these instructions, you should be able to roughly adapt it to your own car, no matter the model.
There are two parts to making your fog lights completely independent. Part one makes your fog lights operate independently in every stage of lights (all off, parking lights, and all on) EXCEPT high beams. This is the only part that I am fairly certain works on most Subarus. Part two then makes your fog lights independent of the high beams. In order for part two to work, you must first do part one. I can't guarantee part two will work for all cars.
Note: part one will work by itself if that is all you want.
Thanks to scoobietwo on Subaruoutback.org for writing up this simple method for the four-cylinder. I will add more pictures as I am able to get them. Pictures are found by clicking the purple text.
Four-Cylinder - Part One
1. Locate the fog relay in the engine bay. (top right, next to the fwd fuse slot, refer to your guide underneath the lid).
2. Unscrew the entire fuse box from the engine bay to access the wires behind it. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8049/8088805161_229ac4a910_z.jpg)
3. Locate the red wire with a yellow stripe.
4. Cut the wire wherever you want, but you will be attaching a new wire onto the end that connects to the relay, not the end that leads to the rest of the wires (leading out the back of the box).
5. Look/dig around the windshield washer fluid reservoir (toward the front), there is a harness that should have nothing attached to it, unless it powers a rear windshield washer pump. It is a yellow color. This wire holds a switched current, meaning it only supplies power when the ignition is on. This will prevent from your fog lights remaining on when the car is off.
6. On the harness you found, cut the yellow wire (or tap into it if it is being used). You will be attaching a wire to the non-harness side of the wire (the side leading to the reservoir).
7. After cutting and stripping the red/yellow and yellow wires, get a piece of spare wire (try to match the wire gauge), connect the relay end of the stripped red/yellow wire to the non-harness end of the yellow wire. Solder these together, then tape.
8. Tape off the two spare ends of the yellow harness side wire, and the red/yellow non-relay side of the wire.
Six-Cylinder - Part One
1. Locate the fuse box in the driver's compartment, and the relay box just below it (near the pedals, you may have to take off the cover below the steering wheel).
2. Locate the relay furthest to the left, and the relay second from the right (the right most black relay). These are your ignition relay and your fog light relay, respectively. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8045/8088801030_5d1ed970ba_z.jpg)
3. Behind the relay box, there is a loom of wires. Remove some tape to gain a little slack in the wires, and remove the zip tie that is holding the wires so tightly together. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8043/8088800632_d2fd2a4393_z.jpg)
4. Behind the ignition relay, locate the green/white wire. DO NOT CUT this wire. Tap into it with a spare length of wire (it doesn't have to be very long) by either soldering, or for lack of space, using one of those little wire tapping connectors you can get from RadioShack.
5. Behind the fog light relay, locate the red/yellow wire. Cut this wire, leaving enough room on the relay side of the wire to solder to.
6. Solder the red/yellow wire to the wire you used to tap into the green/white wire, heat-shrink for security. Tape up the other cut end of the red/yellow wire for safety. (http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8088799655_b99f74c587_z.jpg)
At this point you can operate your fogs independently of your regular headlights. The switch on the console will now turn the fogs on or off even when the light stalk switch is turned to off (as long as the key is turned to at least the ACC position).
Part Two (BE/BH Universal)
Optional: If you want the capability to use your fogs while using your high beams.
1. Remove the panel where the fog light switch is attached.
2. Unplug the wire harness from the back of the switch.
3. Locate the yellow wire, and the black/white wire.
4. Cut the yellow wire about 2 inches down from the back of the wiring harness, you will be wiring the harness side of this wire to the black wire so leave yourself enough space.
5. Leave the black/white wire intact but simply cut a section of the middle of it bare, this is where you will be attaching the yellow wire.
6. Attach the yellow wire to the spliced section of the black/white wire (solder this).
7. Tape everything off.
Your fog lights are now completely independent.