Adding fog lamps?

[johnhuebbe]

Looks good. Thanks for the photos. I'm going to do the same thing to my Focus. I'm debating if I should get the trim rings from the US or from China. Don't know if I want to wait 3-4 weeks (although your earlier post said 2 weeks).

Also, was the trim around the e-brake easy to remove to install the switch? And, can you take a photo of where you tapped in for power or post a link to a forum page showing it?

[Monkeygrits]

Actually I think It may have only taken 2 weeks to receive the bezels. Ill edit that post.
Heres a pic for reference. Not mine. This add a fuse is in the 7.5 Amp slot. I used the 10AMP fuse slot directly below it. Its hidden by the fuses sticking out the add a fuse in the pic. Gives you an idea how it looks. You have to pull off the trim around the shift boot off before the ebrake trim piece. There is a bolt under the shift boot trim piece that needs removed plus the shift boot trim snaps into the ebrake trim piece. Do yourself a favor and go to Harbor Freight or a cheap parts store and buy a set of trim tools so you dont gouge all your trim. (Click the link below) Dont use flat screwdrivers!
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-piece...set-67021.html

[thejordan]

why not just vampire tap the headlight power for the fogs so that the fogs turn on w/ the headlights (like an auto-switch) instead of a manual switch?

[Monkeygrits]

Because the headlights are controlled by the BCM. You can try that on your car if you like but Im not trying to screw anything up. The switch power wire is only using a couple amps from the add a fuse. The power for the fogs comes directly from the battery and is controlled by the relay. If you wire them with no switch/relay your asking for trouble IMO. You could run the switch power wire to the headlight power I guess and leave the switch on achieving what you want. Mine just comes on with the ignition. I would also have to run the wire back out through the firewall to the headlight which would be another PITA. You might be able to tap the switch wire from the relay directly into the headlight power. Not sure though. I like having a switch.

[thejordan]

I see, I wonder how sensitive the BCM is, if it will notice the tap or not. i just don't want to have to run a switch to the inside, i'd rather it all just turn on when lights are on.

[Tiger-Heli]

Originally Posted by Monkeygrits

You could run the switch power wire to the headlight power I guess and leave the switch on achieving what you want.

If he is going to do that and leave the switch on and that would work, he wouldn't need the switch and he could do all the wiring under the hood.

OTOH, I KNOW the guys replacing the headlights with HID's had to be careful and add some resistors so the car didn't think a bulb was out. Not sure if a vampire tap to activate a relay would cause any issues, but I think it's conceivable.

In some ways the car is actually MORE sophisticated than you would prefer.

[Monkeygrits]

Youll have to play Guinea pig with this one but if I were you I would find a way to run a relay so your main power will be from the battery.

[Tiger-Heli]

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...2&postcount=19

Chaddz3 already did this on an S model and mentions a lot of the reasons for not using a vampire tap off the parking lights (I don't think it's a good idea off the headlights).

No reason that circuit couldn't be built without the switch if you NEVER wanted to use the headlights without the fogs, and I'm not sure why it couldn't be done under the hood if you preferred to, but you would have to find new ignition and parking lights trigger wires.

[thejordan]

When I get some free time, I'll look into it.

Thanks all for the helpful info.

[Monkeygrits]

Originally Posted by Tiger-Heli

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...2&postcount=19

Chaddz3 already did this on an S model and mentions a lot of the reasons for not using a vampire tap off the parking lights (I don't think it's a good idea off the headlights).

No reason that circuit couldn't be built without the switch if you NEVER wanted to use the headlights without the fogs, and I'm not sure why it couldn't be done under the hood if you preferred to, but you would have to find new ignition and parking lights trigger wires.

So really all you would need to do instead of running the trigger wire from the relay to the switch would be to run the trigger wire directly to the parking light with a fuse of course to achieve what hes asking? Which would negate the switch and turn your fogs on when the parking lights were on but not draw but an amp or so from the parking lights?