Adding DRLs (or fog lights) to the v2/v3

I'd like to add some sort of LED Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) to my v. I don't want them switched, I just want something that will be on whenever the car is on. The point isn't so much for illumination as to make me more visible to other drivers, especially when the main headlights are off. (I believe the v5 - maybe just ATP? - comes with fog lights and auto-sensing headlights, both of which would either make an installation like this more complicated, or make it completely unnecessary.)
I'd be happy to install these DRLs in the panel that houses the fog lights on the v5, but I could also hide them elsewhere in the lower grill. I'm not TOO concerned about placement of the lights, though - I think I can figure that out. I don't care whether it looks perfectly factory, but I don't want anything that sticks out from the dash, or protrudes down towards the road.
For the lamps themselves, I was thinking of either a strip like this that could be put in the lower grill, or a circular "spot" like this that would fit into a hole cut in the fog light panel. Not too concerned about that either - there are plenty of choices.
(EDIT: I'd recommend you stay away from iJDMTOY. I bought a pair of their strip LEDs, and one totally failed after less than a year. They won't replace it. See update post below.)

My primary question is whether there are any particularly good spots to wire in a light setup like this. In other words, I need a wire somewhere in the engine compartment that is hot whenever the car is on, and could spare an extra amp or so.
Alternatively, a spare circuit in the fuse box would be fine - again, as long as it's hot whenever the car is on.

I wired a pair of simple LEDs into my Scion xD using a Buss "Add-a-line", which I used to tap into the EFI circuit. (details here) In my Scion, I figured the EFI would be on whenever the car was on, and this worked pretty well. However, it had the odd side-effect of briefly turning the lights on about 5 hrs after the car was turned off - something about the fuel system cycling? Anyway, that was strange and less than ideal. Also, I suspect the fuel injectors on the Prius would shut down when the ICE is off, so I'd rather not use this circuit again.

Any suggestions? I found a few nice fog light installation instructions written up for the regular Prius, but I don't want this switched, and I'd rather not mess with relays etc. if I don't have to.
Thanks in advance,
Andy

 

Nothing installed or ordered yet, but I had my v raised yesterday anyway, so I took some pictures of the bumper insert. This is the insert where the fog lights are located in the fancier models, and where I'll likely install my DRLs if/when I figure out a good system. Figured this might be helpful for anyone who wants to swap out a fog light bulb or add their own DRLs/fogs. I'll probably end up installing something very similar to what I had in my Scion - link in OP. But I may be able to tap into a fuse slot (currently empty) that's labeled in the manual as "DRL". We'll see!

Re. the fog light bumper insert, there are 7 (overkill?!) clips that hold it in to the bumper, circled in the pictures. To access the rear of this insert, you have to take off the big sheet of black plastic under the front of the car. This is held on by about a dozen screws and bolts with 10mm heads - I recommend a drill with a 10mm socket attachment to speed up this process. Once you get this big ugly black plastic sheet off, there's actually quite a bit of room behind the bumper insert, and it's just a matter of releasing all 7 clips for each insert, and pushing it out the front of the bumper.
I took pictures with a ruler to document the size of the insert (and therefore the size of DRL housings that would fit in it), but text is probably more helpful - it's about 4-1/4" tall by 5-1/2" wide.
If you want to install a thin rectangular LED in the center lower bumper grill, the slots are about 3/4" high by 4-1/2" wide.

Hope the pictures help,
Andy


First pic is behind and underneath the bumper, looking up:

 

OK, I did it! I now have LEDs on my v that are on whenever the engine is on. :nod:

I'll go ahead and start with the finished pictures, and then if you're interested in my installation method, read on.








I used the same installation method for these that I did for a pair of LED DRLs I put in a Scion xD. First step was to identify a fuse in the engine compartment that was ON when the car was on/READY, and OFF when the car was off. Would you believe that out of all these fuses, there are only about 5 that are OFF when the car is off? Almost all of them read a full 12.6V when the car is off.



Of those five, I think only three come ON when the v is in READY mode. I picked fuse #28 (PCU, Inverter & Converter). I tested this both with and without the ICE running, and it was consistently on when the engine was on.

I used a BUSS Mini Add-A-Line (also called a "Fuse Tap") from Advance Auto Parts (Part No BP/HHH, $7). This allows you to tap into an existing fuse jack, keep a fuse of the original amperage, and add a new fuse. (This pic is from my Scion; accessory is the same.)



Note that the plug on this is the size of a "Mini" ATM fuse, and the fuses that come in the Prius v are "Low Profile" ATM. The non-low profile "Mini" fuses still fit in the v's fuse box; they just stick out farther. Also, this accessory only accepts "Mini" fuses; low-profile won't fit. So you do need two "Mini" fuses in order to use this, and max capacity is 10 Amps each. Both 10 Amp would be fine, but I used a 10AMP for the original circuit and a 7.5AMP for my new circuit.
Here it is plugged into my v:



I trimmed a little slot in the side of the fuse box for the wire to exit, and still allow the lid to close.



The wire coming out of this accessory becomes the hot wire for the bulbs, and it ends in a little crimp connector. I crimped in a new piece of wire, and ran it down to the spot behind the lower grill where I wanted to install the lights. Here I am hard at work, with assistance from helper-dog Leo:



The lights I used are fairly cheap, generic 8-LED DRL fixtures. $20 from ijdmtoy.
(EDIT: I do NOT recommend these. One failed after less than a year. See update post below.)
These come with a pair of thin (20-22ga?) wires hanging out the back, and some little pieces of double-sided tape for mounting. The white wire on these fixtures is hot, black/white stripe is ground.

I chose to mount the lights in one of the lower grille openings (see pic at top), using some heavier-duty outdoor double-stick tape that I had purchased previously. (The tape that came with these fixtures didn't exactly inspire confidence.) I didn't want to cut any new openings, or do anything too permanent at this point, so I can remove these later and replace them with better bulbs if I choose.

I connected white wires from both bulbs to the hot wire coming from the fuse box, and black wires to a common ground. See diagram below. My ground point was an open metal nut that was welded to the frame - this is approximately in the middle of the car, under the bumper, facing the ground.



A few more pics of (ugly but functional) wiring. The DRL panel is highlighted here mostly to give a frame of reference for the picture, but one possibility for a nicer installation would be to either get real fog light panels from a v5, or cut holes in the existing panels. I also left the excess wire (loosely coiled here), so I can slightly change the placement of potential future LED fixture upgrades.



Wires from the passenger-side light ran between the grill and the radiator - I secured them to this little probe mount.



I secured all connections with crimp caps, cable ties, AND electrical tape - trying everything short of solder to keep connections from working loose.

Not a very photogenic installation - perhaps a simplified wiring diagram would help:



Overall, I would say I'm content with these lights. Not thrilled, but also not disappointed. They were never intended to light up the road for driving; I just wanted to increase my visibility to oncoming drivers, especially when my main headlights are off. I think they accomplish that purpose, especially at dusk or in shadows. They do provide a little bit of light, maybe useful for pulling into your garage if you don't want your big headlights on for some reason.
They look kind of like a cheap add-on, which they are... But when the car's not jacked up, and you're looking down at them from a normal standing height, they're really not obvious or obtrusive.

While I'm merely "content" with the lights themselves, I'm completely satisfied with the Add-A-Line setup. Cheap, easy to install, does what it says it will.
If/when I feel like spending $60 for better LED fixtures, or if/when the real OEM fog light kits become available for the v, I might upgrade. The circuit and wiring I have in place will make that easy. But for now, I've accomplished my goal of increased visibility, for a grand total of less than $30.

Hope this is helpful to anyone else exploring DRL options!
Andy

 

Perfect! Very nice solution. :nod:

Looks good!
Andy

 

Update: One of my LED fixtures failed after less than a year of use. Granted these were relatively cheap, but they were very inexpensive, but they were sold as "Daytime Running Lights" - they should stand up to more than a year of use! One individual bulb started flickering about a month ago, then a few were weak, and last week, the whole fixture died.
Emailed iJDMTOY's CS, and they were not very generous. They did email back, but they stuck firmly to their 90-day warranty period. They offered me a discount if I purchased another pair - why would I want another pair, if it might fail in 10 months? Moving on. I'd like to replace them, just trying to decide whether to go with another strip in the grill, or a round spot that I could fit into a cutout in the panel where the real fog lights go in the v5, or if I should just pony up for a real kit.

superbrightleds.com and ledlight.com both have very good ratings according to the Better Business Bureau, so I'll probably go with one of those sites, and keep my existing wiring.

Andy