Fog Lights: Install [Retrofit] fog lights on 2010 Prius?

I'll wait for the aftermarket to catch up. The blanks that Toyota provided don't look that bad on my silver car, I just despise the design on them.

 

I think that's a very over-optimistic assessment of what it actually takes to put these in. Using OEM parts, which the dealer pretty much has to do because of warranty and DOT issues puts the parts cost more in the $450 - $500 range. It is a several hour job in the best case scenario, and at the usual shop rate of at least $50/hr, is more like $100-$150 in labor. Add to that the fact that there is no procedure for it through TIS, so the techs just have to 'wing it', and it not at all a trivial proposition. Casumik's dealer did do the job and I don't know the exact total, but it was certainly not a $300 job with $120 in profit, that's for sure.

 

If the fog light is $100 dealer paid $50-$60. That $100-$120 per hour labor labor charge the tech will be lucky if he or she is seeing $25-$30 of it.

Like I said it is money maker if people want it and are willing to pay it. And if a tech is taking more than an hour and a half to install a fog light kit, I sure don't want him working on my car with anything else.
Shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to mount the lights and install the switch or stalk. Maybe another 30 minutes to wire, install a relay and test the lights. Add in 15-30 minutes for any unforeseen problems that might come up. Sure the first one or two may be a learning experience after that it should be easy money for the tech that has done a few of these kits.

The average car dealership is making 125% of their overhead in the service and parts department. They are paying all the bills and making most of their profits on what is coming in to the service department. The cars sold out the front door is the gravy that keeps the service and parts departments busy.

 

The fog lights list for more like $110 EACH, the covers are another $50 EACH, the stalk lists for well over $100, there's a $70 harness and assorted other parts as well. Yes, that includes markup, so there is of course money to be made - it's just not the trivial operation you seem to think it is. But I'm not going to argue with you about it - the fact is dealers aren't doing it and this thread is all about how WE can do it since the dealers aren't. This sideline has nothing to do with that, so I won't continue it further.

 

Totally agree. This would be a very expensive install with "all-Toyota" parts and dealer list prices, which they likely would charge. And if they did offer it, they would have every right to "boost" the price due to the popularity of the mod. I personally would not pay anywhere near what a dealership would likely charge for this; especially because I know how to do it myself. I'm sure there are many who would be willing to pay much more than I would (CASUMIK, for example) - but the minute a reasonable aftermarket kit is available with decent instructions, there's little reason for dealerships to offer this anymore, because even if you didn't want to do it yourself, third-party shops could offer installation of the aftermarket kits for a lot less than the dealership could offer using Toyota parts.

 

My point was if Toyota isn't offering it then a dealer could.

You complain that Toyota doesn't offer it then complain how much it is going to cost for it to be a dealer option using OEM Toyota parts.

I just don't understand the logic on this one.

 

A dealer cannot install non-DOT approved lighting or any other aftermarket parts that would void the warranty. No one here is complaining but you - we're here in this thread working out how to actually get fog lights - we were merely humoring you by trying to explain why a dealer won't/can't do what you want. If you can't accept the explanation, that's fine, but arguing with us won't get you any closer to having fog lights.

:focus: Please.

 

deleted. Duplicate info

 

I ended up ruining my Yaris foglight on/off switch while attempting to install a green LED in it. Removing the orange incandescent light (it is REALLY tiny) was a snap, but figuring out how long to make the leads on the green LED, soldering a resistor on the plus lead, soldering the 2 leads to the circuit board, and getting the whole thing to fit without jamming the switch was a process of experimentation. As a result of the experiment, the patient died.

So if any of you have no need for the Yaris switch, please sell it to me.

Thanks,

Jim

 

Sorry to hear about it.

You have gotten much farther than I ever would have even attempted. I hope you'll find someone willing to share.

 

Jim I was hoping to see the completed job today... sorry to here about the patient

 

Here comes a long and drawn out malpractice suit!!

 

Looking for some feedback. Do you think these bulbs will work well?
2010 Toyota Prius Fog Lamps lights 10 II III IV V b:eBay Motors (item 380159963860 end time Oct-18-09 12:54:57 PDT)
If you look at the picture there is a bait and switch, they show a non-V model for a before picture, and then a V model for the after.
I was planning on using them with the OEM fog lamp covers

 

They will not be a direct fit. The brackets on those don't match the Prius covers, so you will have to do some significant 'monkeying about' with them to get them mounted. Also, the switch is not shown close up, so there is no way to know if it will fit the dash or not. Why do you want those over the other, less expensive and tested kits, that were listed earlier in the thread?

 

I 100% agree with Rachael7. I see no reason to get that kit.

For $40 or whatever you can get the Yaris/Camry kit and get fog light housings that fit (100% exact perfect fit, no modification necessary) in the factory Prius fog light covers.

 

Mine pushed 800 with labor,they cut me some slack as I service 4 other bus vehicles there. They can do it now for about 650, still Alot but this is not off the mark for other oem foglight installs. I am a bit OCD and once started I couldn't stop untilcomplete.I suspect the dealer option will come but they will use a dash switch like my Tacoma. As best I can tell there is no fog indicator light(like the highbeams).the tAcoma switch lights up.now for 17" wheels!

 

Thanks for the feedback. I just saw the auction and thought they were interesting.

 

I figured out one way to replace that Yaris on/off switch that I damaged. As some of you know, the Yaris switch does fit into one of the unused switch holes in the 2010 Prius. However it does not fit as flush as some would like, and it does not snap firmly into place when pushed into the hole. Also, it uses an amber incandescent lightbulb. Personally, I prefer a green LED.

Anyway, I found a mini rocker switch at a local Autozone store. It is illuminated (not sure if it is incandescent or LED), and comes in various colors. Since the only color (for the bulb) that was in stock was blue, I picked blue. It is 3.99 plus tax, and the part number is PL-SW12B.

What attracted me to this switch is that if a CAREFULLY cut hole is made in the Prius switch blank, the mini switch can be inserted into that hole, and then the entire assembly (mini switch and Prius switch blank) can then be inserted back into the switch hole in the Prius dash, and will fit perfectly. The hole in the switch blank should be cut to 1/2 inch by 3/4 inch. The interior of the blank needs a little grinding to provide sufficient clearance for the conductors sticking out of the mini switch.

Below are a couple of photos of this mini switch / switch blank combination after I finished cutting out the rectangular hole in the blank and pushed in the mini switch.

I pushed insulated terminals (with a short length of conductor crimped onto the terminals) over each of the 3 spade terminals at the rear of the mini switch.

UPDATE: I had the red conductor and the white conductor reversed in the photos, so I corrected that in order to match the wires in the Yaris harness (red to red, white to white, black to black).

UPDATE: This switch uses an LED, not an incandescent, bulb.

Regards,

Jim

 

Looks good, Jim! Nice job!

 

It's ALIVE ! nice job:bounce: