1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Wire fog lights to come on with parking lights?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Accessories and Modifications' started by donkitchen, Oct 31, 2009.

  1. donkitchen

    donkitchen Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2009
    50
    5
    0
    Location:
    Mt Airy, MD
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Does anybody know of a way to wire up or modify the fog lights so that they can come on with the parking lights vs. only the head lights? I did some searching and didn't come up with a thread that previously discussed this. If there is one my apologies, please point me in that direction.
     
  2. wls

    wls Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2009
    14
    3
    0
    Location:
    sf bay area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    look under fog lights retrofit fog light on 2010 prius. just tap in the wire from you relay that turn on the fog lights to your parking light,so went you turn on the parking lights them fog lights will go on.
     
  3. donkitchen

    donkitchen Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2009
    50
    5
    0
    Location:
    Mt Airy, MD
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    After looking at that thread it seems mostly geared at people adding fog lights to non Model Vs. I am a V owner with existing OEM fogs. Your suggestion seems to make sense but I'm curious if anybody has done this at all or can provide a specific example. I'm not too confident in jumping fuses on my own so I may just forget about it if nobody has done it.
     
  4. chrisj428

    chrisj428 Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2009
    680
    144
    35
    Location:
    Vernon Hills, IL
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    If I could speak for Don a moment, what I think he (and I) would like to do is be able to turn the foglights on when just the parking lights are on.

    Right now, the way the lights are wired, the foglights will only come on when the headlights are on, defeating the intended purpose of the foglights altogether.
     
    1 person likes this.
  5. donkitchen

    donkitchen Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 4, 2009
    50
    5
    0
    Location:
    Mt Airy, MD
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Exactly!

     
  6. jayvee

    jayvee Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2009
    341
    89
    0
    Location:
    WA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    Sorry, I hope I'm misunderstanding. You want to drive around in the fog with only fog lights and parking lights? If visibility is reduced due to fog, you are generally supposed to have the headlights on. (But I don't know your states' laws...) And if you're getting excessive glare in fog with your low beams, they may not be aligned correctly. Fog lights are intended to supplement low beams toward the sides and a short distance in front of the vehicle. If it's foggy, I want to see your low beams coming toward me, not just fogs and parking lights...

    But if you really want to do this, I think you can wire a separate switch that provides the ground path for the fog light relay, using the tail (parking) light switch position:

    Connect a switch between the following two pins of L47, which is the connector that goes into the bottom of the headlight switch stalk. (You'll need to remove the bottom steering wheel cover to do this. There are instructions here: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ofit-fog-lights-2010-prius-28.html#post949216)

    Connect a switch betwen these two wires of L47.
    Pin 4 - Light Green (Fog)
    Pin 18 - Yellow (Parking light)

    When this switch is closed and you turn on the parking lights, the fogs will come on as well. However, it also means that if you have this new switch "On" and turn on the fog light switch, it will also turn on the parking lights. This is by far the simplest solution, if you can live with them being "joined" this way.

    Before you tap into the wires, I would try this with a small jumper wire stuck into the back (wire) side of the connector pins, to make sure the ECU isn't applying some other logic to the control relays. I don't think it is, though.

    Hope this works for you! And I hope I'm not driving near you in fog!;)
     

    Attached Files:

    • L47.JPG
      L47.JPG
      File size:
      9.2 KB
      Views:
      1,610
  7. chrisj428

    chrisj428 Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2009
    680
    144
    35
    Location:
    Vernon Hills, IL
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Jay,

    There is much misunderstanding re: foglight operation in the USA.

    Heck, just about every Audi, Volvo, Jaguar and MB I've driven behind as of late is running their rear fogs on during a clear night...something which would be a ticketable offense in Europe.

    In Europe, it is expected that, in fog, you drive with foglights. Low beam headlights have too much throwback from their beam pattern. Subsequently, when designed properly, the fog lights are to be the primary source of illumination in fog. With a proper set up, fog lights should operate with parking/marker lights and independently of low beam operation.
     
  8. jayvee

    jayvee Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2009
    341
    89
    0
    Location:
    WA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    OK, but I think we're talking about front fogs here, aren't we? There are no rear fogs on the US Prius.

    Understood - I'm not familiar with European regulations. However, in most US states, as far as I know, fogs are considered "auxiliary lighting", and therefore are supplemental to primary headlights (low beams). Laws regarding required lighting under reduced visibility refer to primary headlights, not auxiliary lighting (since not all vehicles have them). It may be true that under a properly designed low beam and fog system, you could only use fogs. However, I don't think that assumption applies to most vehicles. In addition, the beam pattern for fogs is so low and drops so rapidly that your visibility to other drivers is significantly reduced if you only use fogs. That was my point.

    But hey - it's just my opinion, and if I wanted to police you, I wouldn't have provided the info. ;)
     
  9. ilusnforc

    ilusnforc Member

    Joined:
    Jan 26, 2006
    404
    14
    0
    Location:
    San Antonio, TX
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    My roommate has a Ford Ranger (somewhere around '00-'02 model) that came stock with foglights and he can turn the fog lights on/off while just the parking lights are on. The user Darelldd on these forums has instructions to wire the foglights to be able to turn on/off anytime for the Gen II Prius which I have, but have yet to perform the mod although I'd like to and for a long time have been meaning to. Very simple, just 2 wire splices and a diode. His site is:
    Darell's Electric Vehicle Page
     
  10. chrisj428

    chrisj428 Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2009
    680
    144
    35
    Location:
    Vernon Hills, IL
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    I hear ya, Jay! No hard feelings at this end at all. I guess what OP and I are looking for is a way to give us the option. :)
     
    1 person likes this.
  11. lecounte

    lecounte New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2007
    25
    2
    0
    Location:
    Indiana
    Model:
    IV
    I have mine wired this way. I used two relays, one (NO) that I connected to the parking light wire and the other (NC) to the High Beam light wire. Just got 12 Volt battery power from the fuse block on driver fender under hood. I do not have any switch, so if you turn on the parking and/or head lights they come on and off if turn on the high beams. :D
     
  12. peterjmc

    peterjmc Ping pong in Ding Dang...

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2010
    917
    189
    0
    Location:
    Clarksburg, MD
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Do you have a wiring diagram for this setup using the relays? I have almost a week off work this coming week and plan on using that time to do a few electrical mods!