SOLVED*Yet another fog light/high beam/parking light wiring question - 1999

[Xpedition99]

So I've read ALL the wiring mod threads for fog lights with high beams, parking lights ad nauseam and am still having trouble with this one...

Mostly I want to be able to run the fogs with high beams (I have crappy night vision so need all the light I can get) but having them turn on with the parking lights would be cool, too. Having taken apart the switch I'm not going to do the ramp mod so whatever wires I can jump to at least make the fogs work with high beams would be sufficient.

I've tried jumping all the wires that have been mentioned in various threads and tutorials and I just keep blowing the parking light fuse in the power center fuse box.

Any ideas??

 

[1970Maverick]

I do NOT have a wiring diagram for 1999. This info is based on common sense 12 volt wiring.

You would make the connections at the bulb connectors (not at the switch) that’s the point where 12 volts can be measured when you turn on the parking or high beams. If you try to do this at the light switch there is no way to tell if the voltage at the switch goes directly to the bulb or if the switch is an input to some electronic module.

You have 2 options.

1) You could wire a relay into the circuit that feeds the parking lights.

2) You could wire a relay into the circuit that feeds the high beams.

If you don't need to be able to turn the fogs off then all the wiring could be done up front at the parking light or high beam headlight connector and fog light connector.



In either case, you wire the relay coil (+) to the 12 volt wire that feeds the parking or high beam and relay coil (-) to ground. Then wire one side of the relay contact to a fused 12 volt source and the other side of the contact to the fog light connectors. You would have to cut the factory lead that feeds the fog lights 12 volt leaving enough wire to connect to the relay contact. then tape off the factory wire that was feeding the fog lights.


Additionally, you can wire a switch to option 1 or 2 if you want to be able to turn fog lights off with the lights on. To do this you would have to run 2 wires to a switch on the dashboard. The switch would be wired to interrupt the 12 volts going to the relay coil(+).



If all this makes sense let me know and I'll sketch a drawing for you.

 

[Xpedition99]

Thanks Maverick! That is certainly a couple options to make this work, and I had previously considered doing something along those lines.

However, after reading so many posts, threads and tutorials on how to make this happen from the switch I was determined to figure this out. Problem was finding info specific to the switched used in this MY, which seems to have only been used a a couple years. The majority of the info is about entirely different switches with a single large plug rather than the 2 smaller main plugs and involving DRLs or auto lamp.

Anyway...

What I had to do was grind and melt out the chunk of plastic that is the ramp in these particular switches, using a dremel and soldering iron, while maintaining the notches. It's not quite as smooth while executing the switching as stock but certainly tolerable. I greased it well in there and may go back in with a small diameter sanding drum to smooth it out a little but it's not a priority. After all this I can get that switch out, taken apart and put back together in about 5 minutes.

As for the wiring I was finally able to ascertain that I needed to jump the dark brown wire in the larger grey connector to the white/black wire(s) in the small grey plug on the far right.

I modified the switch also so I can just leave the switch pulled out in the "fog lights on" position even when the switch is turned off. Another piece of plastic had to be removed because the switch assembly release/removal tabs on the knob create a physical catch so the switch can NOT be left pulled out while in the off position, even with the ramp removed. Weird. So now with the switch left in the pulled out position, I simply turn the switch to parking lights or headlights and the fogs will come on with them. They also stay on with the high beams. This gives the option to still turn them off at any point regardless of the where the switch is set. So this resulted in the full spectrum of lighting options.

I blew quite a few fuses trying to get this figured out so I'm super stoked I was finally make it work by doing the switch mod.

Hope this info helps someone else!