Fog lights can increase safety when driving in low-light and near-zero visibility road conditions. The bright and powerful beam of light that they emit can cut through moisture, smoke, and fog. This way, you can see more of the road than if you rely on your conventional headlights alone. Some cars already have fog lights installed. If yours doesn’t, there’s no need to fret. Fog light installation is easy. Here’s how:
Pick the Right Fog Light
Always choose a fog light that is appropriate for your car. You might want to decide whether to get a yellow-colored fog light or one that emits white or blue light. When driving in bad weather, it is best to use yellow fog lights. They offer better visibility on the road. Blue or white light also tends to cause more glare when they hit fog or snow. This can tire the eyes in an instant.
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Determine Where You are Going to Mount or Install the Fog Light on Your Car
Before you start with the actual process of how to install fog lights, first determine where you want to place it in your car. Most vehicle owners place it in the bumper of their cars. Many cars have a slot for fog lights in the bumper. This should make it very easy to install the fog lights. There are also cars that do not have slots for these kinds of lights. You may have to think of other ways in which to install the fixtures. Others will mount the fog lights in other places. The bumper guards, grilles, or racks on trucks and SUVs make ideal places for mounting the fog light kit.
Layout the Wiring for Your Fog Light
Regardless of the type of fog light that you are going to install or where you are going to mount it, you will have to connect it to the vehicle’s electrical system. It is best to study the fog light wiring diagram that came with your package. This will show you which wires will connect to the car’s electrical system.
A typical fog light will have several wires. These include a black-colored ground wire, a white power wire, a green switch wire, and a red fog light split wire. There is also a relay, a fog light switch, and a fuse. It is best to check the fog light manual for the functions of the different colors of wires.
Locate the pass-through hole in your vehicle’s firewall. Most cars will have this hole in front of the driver side of the firewall. This is where you will pass the fog light wires through. If you cannot find any, then it is best to drill a hole through the firewall. Make sure to install a rubber grommet around the fog light wire to help keep the elements out.
Connect the Wires
It is always helpful if you learn how to wire fog lights. This will help prevent any electrical safety issues in the long run. Open the hood of your car and disconnect the negative battery terminal. This will help prevent causing a short circuit in case a metal tool gets in contact with a metal part of the car.
If your car does not have a dedicated fog light switch, then you will have to install one. Pick a location in the steering column or the dashboard where you can install the on/off switch. Look for a ground to connect the switch’s ground wire. It can be a bolt that goes through metal. Also look for a positive connection. Check your fuse box cover for the location of a spare accessory. Plug the positive connector of the light switch to the empty fuse.
Insert the wiring of the fog lights from the engine bay through the pass-through hole in the firewall. Connect the wiring of the on-off switch to the wiring of the fog lights. You may have to double check on your fog light wiring diagram to make sure that you have everything in order. Once you are confident about the correct placement of the wires, you can secure the wiring using cable ties.
If your fog light kit comes with a green-colored wire, then you will have to connect this to the car’s ignition fuse. This wire will help activate the fog light only when the car’s ignition in turned ‘on’.
Install or Mount the Fog Light
Once you have the wiring ready, you can start with the actual process of fog light installation.
Depending on where you want to install your fog lights, you may have to remove the bumper. Check your owner’s manual on how to remove the bumper in your car. The manual should also provide information as to how you can replace an existing fog light with an aftermarket variant.
If there are no precut holes in the bumper for you to install the fog light, then you will have to create one. You will need a rotary cutting tool for this. Make sure to cut holes that are a bit bigger than your fog light. Most kits come with plastic bezels that you can mount. These bezels can hide any gap in the fog light installation.
You can also mount the fog light on your bull bar or grill guard. There are also fog light kits that come with brackets that you can screw straight through one of the grilles of the bumper. Make sure to mount the brackets in a secure manner.
The last part of the installation process involves connecting the wiring of the fog lights. Connect ground wire extensions to the black ground wires of each fog light. Connect the other end of each of these ground wires to an unpainted, metal section of the car’s frame. Link the white power wire extensions to the white power wires of each fog light. Connect the other end of each of the power wires to the power wire that comes out through the pass-through hole.
Installing fog lights in your car takes patience and a fair amount of understanding basic electrical concepts. Studying the fog light wiring diagram can help you install a fog light to improve road safety in near-zero visibility conditions.
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Sources:
- How to Replace a Fog/Driving Light Bulb on Most Cars – Your Mechanic
- How to Install Fog Lights – Wiki How
