Fog lights with high beams... the easy way

[angengineer]

I had wanted to make the factory fog lights operable off the switch with high beams, but after seeing the how much work was involved on the 5th gen courtesy of ANTMAN, I decided to take a different approach.

If the high beams are on, I decided there wasn't much need to turn the fogs off. Simple solution was to add a relay, with the coil powered by the high beam circuit. The relay provides power to the fogs from a constant 12V source (and of course isolates the circuits so the highs don't come on with the fogs nor overloads the circuit). In my case I have HID's installed, so I tapped the 12V fused feed from the battery at the ballast relays, and the added high/fog relay only powers the coil of the ballast relays.

One $6 relay, eight connectors and bit of wire, no cutting of vehicle wire or taking the dash apart, fog switch and indicator light still works with low beams, and I know my fogs are on whenever the high beams are on. About 5 minutes to do.

If you want the ability to turn off fogs when the high beams are on, a separate switch could be added to interrupt power to the relay coil.

 

[BigredTEX]

Sounds like an interesting solution. Would you mind posting a wiring schematic?

 

[cmass]

Pictures please...

 

[t4rjohn]

This sounds like a good option. I was wanting to free up the fog lamp switch on the stalk for use on my LED auxillary lights. This method lets me do that.

Thanks.

 

[4runner10]

This sounds pretty cool. I also really wanted to allow my fogs to work with the brights as there is a dark spot right in front of the vehicle with the brights when you lose the fogs. I'll have to check this out and give er a try!

 

[GrantK]

You want to be able to turn fog lights off with high beams for safety or don't use your high beams at highway speeds, which could also be a safety issue. When driving at highway speeds, you want your attention focused down the road and not being drawn close to the vehicle, which fog lights do. This is why they are disabled with high beams. Using fog lights with high beams off road is fine since your speed is much slower and your attention is going to be focused right in front of you.

 

[eddiebx]

You want to be able to turn fog lights off with high beams for safety or don't use your high beams at highway speeds, which could also be a safety issue. When driving at highway speeds, you want your attention focused down the road and not being drawn close to the vehicle, which fog lights do. This is why they are disabled with high beams. Using fog lights with high beams off road is fine since your speed is much slower and your attention is going to be focused right in front of you.

I've never thought of it that way but it makes total sense. I've always just figured that it had something to do with the legalities of having 6 front facing light beams on at any given time. Great point!

 

[FWP]

When driving at highway speeds, you want your attention focused down the road and not being drawn close to the vehicle, which fog lights do. This is why they are disabled with high beams.

Thanks! I always wondered why they were wired that way.

 

[angengineer]

Diagram

Diagram is attached, drawn without HID conversion. If you want to be able to shut off the fogs, a switch could easily be added between the power from the high beams and the added relay to interrupt it. I have not been distracted by the added light so I don't see the need for a switch.

My state requires that headlights have high and low, so even though the bulbs are separate it counts as one light. Three auxiliary lights and two spot lights are allowed in addition to headlights.

 

[AsAkite]

This is an old thread and I don't think the OP is active anymore...
Has anyone else done this mod?
I installed some Rigid D2s in my Fog locations, and brainfarted the fact that they won't be on with the high-beams.

I want to do this as it would solve my problem, but my knowledge of all things electrical is embarrassing.
With that said I "think" I understand the diagram, but I have no idea what relay to get, what kind of connectors or gauge of wire or anything else I may be overlooking because I know diddly about electrical do-hickys and widgets and other magical things.

Can anyone give me a parts list of what I actually need to buy? (and any other advice for keeping me from burning up my truck would be helpful) :violin:
Thanks
-Steve

 

[Roadrunner49]

There is a really clean looking plug and play product called the brite box installs in about 10 minutes sold by aspire auto accessories

 

[Wolfman’s Brother]

There is a really clean looking plug and play product called the brite box installs in about 10 minutes sold by aspire auto accessories

Looks interesting. They also appear to have a H11 > H9 conversion harness to avoid trimming the bulb itself.

Saving this info for when the BD Squadron Pro’s arrive.

 

[pableaux]

Has anyone found a way besides ANTMAN's method in running the fogs by itself?

 

[Ogre75]

There is a really clean looking plug and play product called the brite box installs in about 10 minutes sold by aspire auto accessories

It's spendy, but I'd be interested to hear reviews of that.

 

[Joewildlife]

I figured out how to control my fog lights independently on my 06 Tundra, it was a simple thing to cut one wire and supply another source of 12V to the switch on the stalk. Problem was, it was applicable only to Access Cabs w/o DRLs. That write up is out there on a forum somewhere. I'd like to do the same thing on my 4Runner. The Brite Box is tempting but it doesn't utilize the factory fog light switch on the stalk to have anytime control. You have to install a new switch. Kind of defeats the purpose to me. I'll check out Antmans technique.

 

[5Sport]

I do what the OP does too. Or actually my buddy with a stereo shop does it for me. It is pretty simple. I'll do one of my other cars this way soon. A relay then a wire to the high beam hot and a wire to the fogs. when you hit the high beam it sends the signal to the relay then to the fog lights like a switch.

I do this for those dark roads since I don't have any other aux lights.

 

[jbtvt]

I had this tab open to look into it but kept forgetting and now I'm away for work so won't have time for a while. Does anyone know off the top of their head why Brite Box has a different model for every 3rd year of the 4runner? Do they all take different bulbs? Seems unlikely but also seems like it shouldn't be too hard to design a universal plug and play for all years with the same bulbs. A lot of their site seems a little shady with the ott marketing, so maybe it's just that?

 

[Ezlife45]

I had wanted to make the factory fog lights operable off the switch with high beams, but after seeing the how much work was involved on the 5th gen courtesy of ANTMAN, I decided to take a different approach.

If the high beams are on, I decided there wasn't much need to turn the fogs off. Simple solution was to add a relay, with the coil powered by the high beam circuit. The relay provides power to the fogs from a constant 12V source (and of course isolates the circuits so the highs don't come on with the fogs nor overloads the circuit). In my case I have HID's installed, so I tapped the 12V fused feed from the battery at the ballast relays, and the added high/fog relay only powers the coil of the ballast relays.

One $6 relay, eight connectors and bit of wire, no cutting of vehicle wire or taking the dash apart, fog switch and indicator light still works with low beams, and I know my fogs are on whenever the high beams are on. About 5 minutes to do.

If you want the ability to turn off fogs when the high beams are on, a separate switch could be added to interrupt power to the relay coil.

You say no cutting of vehicle wires but how did you tap the high beam circuit for the relay?

 

[jbtvt]

You say no cutting of vehicle wires but how did you tap the high beam circuit for the relay?

Most common ways would be a scotchlock, or wrapping a wire around the relay terminal before plugging it in

 

[jbtvt]

I haven't been able to find an overall EWD in the 2016+ manual. Does anyone know if something like the one posted on the last page, standard in previous years, exists for newer 5th gens or is the attached image all we get these days?

Trying to figure out which wire on the plug (at the H16 lamp connector) is ground and which is power, without the vehicle in front of me, but there are no terminal #s or wire colors shown.