FOG lights

Why can't I turn on JUST the fog lights in my 2005 Camry?

DUH! I know that's how it's designed. I want to know WHY!

Fog lights only would be ever so helpful during . . .

FOG.

But I have to turn on the headlights in order to get the fog lights on, and the headlights reflect back in FOG, making the fog lights about useless in . . .

FOG.

Any reasons why that is?

Any relatively easy way to make the fog lights come on by themselves?

Will my 2006 Scion xB that's arriving next week have the same setup?

-Don (curious in Rochester MN)

Reply to
Don Fearn
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Please explain this quip.

Reply to
badgolferman

I haven't tried this yet.

This is for an '87/88 Supra. If you're handy and can use a volt/ohm meter, you should be able to translate this to your car. Not having a 2005 Camry, I can't do it for you!

Category: MKIII _ 1986.5-1992 Subcategory: Body Electrical System Visited: 2058 Usability Rating: Coming Soon

Article: Authored by: Darin Moore

Tools Required: Wire strippers/cutters, Elec. tape, Solderless connectors

Skills Required: Wire stripping/splicing

Note: Tested on an 87, should work fine on 88 too

Okay everybody, here is the rewire for the 87's. I know this works, because I just did it.

I recommend taking the driver's seat out, it makes it much easier to get underneath the dash.

1) Remove the kick panel from the driver's side footwell. Also remove the dash piece under the steering column, and the scuff plate from the door sill.

2) RELAY : Locate the F/L relay. It is just behind the dashboard up and away from the fuse block. It clicks when the fog lights on turned on. Locate wire #1 (red/yellow) It will test at a constant 12volts. leaving enough wire to splice with, cut the wire, and tape off the dash side. Attach a splice / lead to the relay side, and connect it to a wire or fuse that is 12v when the lights are switched on. ( I used the bottom side of the Tail fuse). Locate wire #2 (white/green) cut this wire the same way, but attach your lead from the relay to a known ground. (There is a large screw very close to the relay that works perfect.)

3) SWITCH : pull the switch panel with the fog light switch away from the dash. It snaps right off. locate the third wire from the top (red / black). Cut this wire, tape off the dashboard end, and run a lead from the switch to the third wire of the rear defogger switch (yellow). Splice your lead into this wire.

4) TEST : TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH ON! turn the parking lights on, then click the fog light switch, it should work. If it doesn't, recheck all your wires, and make sure that you have the relay connected to a fuse that is

12v when the parking lights are ON, and that you have a good ground. If you have a test meter, it makes it much easier. If it works, put every thing back together, and you are done. Note : My fog light switch was wired with the third wire being red and green. My guess is this was done during service some time before I bought the car. simply take the wire plug out of the fog light switch, remove the back, and arrange the wires from top to bottom in this order. 1 white/green, 2 green, 3 red/black, 4 red/green. You will notice that all the switches have the white/green and green wires in the same place.

Oh!, and make sure you turn the ignition switch on when testing, I feel like an idiot, but I forgot to do that, and was halfway through my sailor's dictionary of swear words before i saw my keys sitting on the passenger's seat. Doh!

This should provide a starting point; you'll at least have some idea what you're looking for. Toyota has probably changed wire loom colors, so that's where the meter will come in handy.

Perhaps if you can find the relay (chances are it will be close to where it's described here) and can give us the wire colrs/voltages, someone here may be able to help you out a little more.

Hey, tomorrow's Saturday; what ELSE did you have to do??? ;)

Good luck Write back with what you find!

Reply to
Hachiroku

I coulda sworn "badgolferman" typ'd:

I'm a M*A*S*H fan.

If you're one too, no other explanation is necessary.

If you're NOT, no other explanation will suffice.

-D

Reply to
Don Fearn

In some states, like Illinois, it is illegal to drive with just fog lights when headlights are required so Toyota built this into their systems. The same reasoning applies to the fog lights turning off when the high beam headlights are on.

Reply to
Ray O

Not really - properly adjusted low beams in fog don't help that much, but they don't hurt either if you have real fog lights on. Now as to the people with their low beams aimed too high, or who try running with high beams or driving lights on...

Yeah, because most US states and many other countries have laws on the books restricting fog lights to be used only when the headlights are on. Some say low beams only, others specify just 'headlights'.

The reason for the law being there are too many morons out there who would not turn on their tail lights and try driving around with the fog lights only, and the blacked out back of the car would be a sure target to get rear-ended in the fog...

The wiring can be changed, but why do you want to? You know better, but other drivers of your car can get popped for that 'no headlights' ticket.

I would suggest KISS - carry a roll of duct tape in the car. If you hit heavy fog you put a strip of tape to physically block the top half of your headlight low beam lamps so they can't throw any light above the cutoff level at all. Simple, cheap, and highly effective.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Ah, yes...I missed the name associated with the quote.

Perfectly clear now!

Reply to
Hachiroku

UK is the same. Fogs only with low beam highlights. Spots and long range driving lights only with hight beam.

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Actually, in the UK, very many cars can be used with fogs on combined with only the side-lights [park lights] are on.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

Yup, my celica can have the fogs on with anything sidelights upwards including full beam.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

I realise that can many can, but I thought law on it was only with dipped headlights?

Reply to
NeedforSwede2

Hopefully, in the UK they treat "Fog Lights" as Fog Light, and not "Look at me, I'm So Special Lights." I can't tell you how often I have had to restrain myself from trying to smash the "Fog Lights" on the vehicle behind me (or ones I meet for that matter). A large number of drivers in the US feel the need to irritate as many other drivers as possible by using "Fog Lights" on clear nights and/or on busy city streets.

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Toyota builds their cars slightly differently for each market they sell to, to meet the local regulations even if the drivers don't realize it.

Over there in UKoGBaNI-land ;-) the laws are probably written that you only have to have the tail lights on with the fog lights, so they wire the cars at the factory so they work that way. In the USA several states require low-beam headlights also be on with the fog lights, so that's how we get them all.

Another example: European cars get a side turn signal on the front fender behind or over the tire, but the US only requires that the regular front side clearance markers blink. So they only add the extra fixture for EU market cars. (Volkswagen uses the same fender stampings, and blanks off the hole with a medallion.)

And a third example: Several Middle East countries require buzzers that sound if the car goes over the national speed limit. So those cars get a little box under the dash that taps into the speed sensor in the speedometer head and a simple pulse counter circuit...

And yet a fourth: Many cars in EU (I've seen several flavors of Mercedes equipped this way) are wired with a switch that turns on the front marker light and tail light on only one side or the other, in case you have to park with one side of the car sticking out into a narrow road. That feature would not be useful in the US (just another way to run down the battery accidentally) so they don't install it.

Many US states are now passing laws that require full headlights and tail lights (not just DRL's) when it's raining hard enough to require full speed windshield wipers, because there are some fools who can't figure it out that just because they can see out okay doesn't mean that other people can see THEM. (Crunch!) California just did it, which means a dozen more will pass similar laws in the near future.

Watch for this - Expect Toyota to start wiring a trigger between the windshield wipers and the headlight control module on US spec cars.

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Exactly the same here. Unfortunately. It is against the law to use fog lights where there is no fog and it is sometimes enforced, but the habit seems to be growing nevertheless.

Huw

Reply to
Huw

I dont have a copy of the text here in front of me (i do have it somewhere) but im pretty sure there is no law stating you can only use them with dipped lights - they just advise it. Hence UK sold cars have fogs enabled any time lights are on.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

Seems to be growing out of fashion here in the NW of the UK, there was a rash of it but its tailing off. I have 100/130w headlights (no, they arent dazzling as the beam is correctly aligned) and they are used to spoon out own medicine with a full beam flash when i spot fog users.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

Because Fog Lights are deemed to be Auxiliary Lighting. Since they are an auxiliary light source, they require a main light source at the same time so they do not perform main lighting services.

And Fog Lights are also tied to the Low Beams because highbeams reflect lots of light in your eyes and should NEVER be used in foggy situations. Lights that come on with High Beams are called Driving Lights, and they must be wired to not come on with the Low Beams. Driving lights are aimed higher and they shine further down the roadway, if they were used in fog they would effectively blind you. Fog Lights are aimed low to light the fog from a low angle and reduce the glare of the low beams and increase the visibility.

Actually, they wouldn't help at all as a primary lighting source. They are aimed too low to see anything by themselves.

Yes. Not because Scion makes it that way, but because the law says they have to make it that way.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Mine can :D Fogs come on with anything sidelights upwards. I get better visibility in really thick fog JUST with fogs as even my dipped beams reflect back as much as my mains give or take. When its that foggy though I'm usually travelling at about 10mph and just watching the white line, the kerb and for lights ahead lol.

J
Reply to
Coyoteboy

Actually, my BMW lights the fogs with the running lamps too. I forgot about that.

But the cops are not impressed, and they stopped me to remind me that I needed the headlamps on too.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

must have been some point where regulation kicked in in various countries that created some sort of standard for each country across makers. J

Reply to
Coyoteboy

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