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View Full Version : How to: Convert Reverse Light to Fog Light


ds2000
25th September 2006, 08:26 AM
Hi all,

Well my car didn't have a fog light on it, at all, so I thought I best get one installed. I had fogs on the front and wanted to use the front switch for the rear light as well and not have some nasty out of place thing in the car.

Hopefully this'll be of some use to a few of you :)

Well, here's how you do it:

What you need:
3m of Electrical Cable (I used house hold plug wire)
1 Red Bulb (I used glass paint from an Art shop for mine)
1 Wire Coat Hanger/old aerial
Long nosed pliers
Knife or Wire Strippers
Soldering Iron & Solder
Insulation Tape

Right onto the install:

1) Remove the rear light - 1 screw, note if the fog light isn't in the middle of the car, MOT regs state that it has to be on the off-side:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyr0&outx=640

2) Remove the reverse bulb and put in your painted red one, now put the car into reverse to test it works:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyrz&outx=640
http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyty&outx=640

3) Disconnect the battery, now cut the red (live) wire to the reverse light:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt1&outx=640

4) In the back of the boot, towards the bottom of the spare wheel well is a rubber grommet, you need to put your electrical cable through here (This requires some finesse, I used a piece of wire to pull it through:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt3&outx=640

5) Using the long (snipe) nosed pliers pull the cable through the hole where the reverse light sits:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt2&outx=640

6) Solder the end of the new wire to the red wire, obviously bulb side and not car side :yes

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhytf&outx=640

7) With that done, insulate it up:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt5&outx=640

8) Next, remove the top of the centre console and disconnect the fog light switch; you should have something that looks like this:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyts&outx=640

9) You'll need to get the new wire to the switch, this is the biggest PITA, I decided to route it under the boot trim, under the seat and then under the carpet to keep it all neat and tidy.

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt7&outx=640

I used an old aerial to pull the wire under the carpet:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyt8&outx=640

10) You need to splice into the yellow wire:

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhytc&outx=640

11) Put everything back together and admire your work, I've since coated the bulb a few more times and its now actually red :Thumbsup! :

http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhyta&outx=640
http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=yjhytb&outx=640

:D

Cheers

Dave

Rixio
25th September 2006, 12:25 PM
Nice one dave...:Thumbs-up

ds2000
25th September 2006, 12:31 PM
lol, no worries numpty ;) :) :guinness

MillSpeed
28th September 2006, 06:48 PM
I used one of those LED bulbs when I did this conversion, very bright and very very red! Works really well, you can get em on ebay.

Grizzly
28th September 2006, 09:14 PM
this sort of thing? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/21W-High-output-LED-bulb-Brake-Foglight-Red_W0QQitemZ150036638713QQihZ005QQcategoryZ72234Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

cjr
28th September 2006, 09:17 PM
would advise doing join other side off plug. simply cos if you ever need to remove rear light you just unplug, it not unplug and cut wire

RAW
28th September 2006, 10:07 PM
good post! i may have a crack at this. the led bulb sounds like a good idea. what fitment do you need? i guess it's written on the bulb base?

probedb
29th September 2006, 09:04 AM
It's a P21W fitment but can't remember what number that is US-wise which is what the LEDs seem to use. I tinted my lense red then used a red LED bulb. Also we did what Clive said and the wiring is attached so if need be it can very easily go back to being a reverse light.

Tinting the lense with red tints and using a red bulb with definitely get you through an MOT as well :)

Dominic
29th September 2006, 11:38 AM
Nice one Dave, was going to do a 'how to' on this as well because I'm doing the same conversion on my first gen which has a silly dangly fog light below the bumper, but I dont need to now :cheers

Slightly different for a 1st gen in that tinting the lens it gonna prove difficult because all the lenses are glued to the cluster housing and are therefore difficult to tint. Can also recommend the LED cluster bulbs, just bought one from motor world for about 12 squid. Think its got 13 LEDs, they are clear when switched off and very red when switched on and last a very long time, hopefully this should be good enough to get it through MOT. If not then it may be necessary to spray some lens tint through the offside reverse light bulb fitment hole when the reverse bulb is removed to tint the lens, otherwise I guess you could put the bulb in the brake light cluster??? or would this be illegal???

cannonballer
29th September 2006, 05:38 PM
Thats really good, even a numpty like me can sort that out from those excellent instructions. the bizare thing is I was having my car tracked up today and one of the mechanics said " shame about that ugly fog light, you ought to put where the reversing light is" I thought yeah good idea but I aint godda clue how to do it.


RAW

That picture thats next to your user name, Thats at the ring for a guess.
Ive got exactly the same photo ( but with me in it).
I was in 205 (modified) tho and did a 9.08.
Wot was your time?

Sorry Dave for changing the subject.

Crazy Eddie
29th September 2006, 10:39 PM
Fantastic post Dave, nice 1:Thumbs-up
1 Question though you have said that it is connected to the current front fog switch and I thought the rear fog light switch had to light up to let you know it was on for the MOT please let me know if I'm wrong as I hate my rear fog light switch at moment!
Cheers
Eddie

Grizzly
30th September 2006, 08:59 PM
Does anyone have a Good contact for the red LED bulbs? We could do with a Group buy. I am after one at the Mo.

ds2000
30th September 2006, 10:16 PM
Fantastic post Dave, nice 1:Thumbs-up
1 Question though you have said that it is connected to the current front fog switch and I thought the rear fog light switch had to light up to let you know it was on for the MOT please let me know if I'm wrong as I hate my rear fog light switch at moment!
Cheers
Eddie

Don't know about that to be honest, the one on my Prelude has never been illumunated :dunno: :)

RAW
1st October 2006, 10:56 AM
That picture thats next to your user name, Thats at the ring for a guess.
Ive got exactly the same photo ( but with me in it).
I was in 205 (modified) tho and did a 9.08.
Wot was your time?

Yep-certainly is the ring. no idea about the time-not only was it my first time on the ring but also my first time on a track! i was taking it pretty easy, especially as there were frequent snow storms and rain in between dry patches....

Mobilemick
7th November 2006, 07:53 AM
On me FC, I just used one of me brake lights as a fog light, all 4 b/lights still work, but can have one on all the time to act as a fog light :)

Might post a pic, if i have time,

Mick

TB20 Driver
21st April 2008, 05:27 AM
Hi Dave,
Thanks for this write up. I've just followed these instructions and used a 21w red LED lamp and was very please with the ease and simplicity it could be done with a neat outcome. One difference noticed was the the wire running to my fog light switch was white where the one above was yellow.....minor confusion for a second ;-)

Cheers

Ash

marcusd666
28th August 2008, 01:52 PM
Hi Dave,
Thanks for this write up. I've just followed these instructions and used a 21w red LED lamp and was very please with the ease and simplicity it could be done with a neat outcome. One difference noticed was the the wire running to my fog light switch was white where the one above was yellow.....minor confusion for a second ;-)

Cheers

Ash

Hi Ash, where did you get your led lamp from mate?

Cheers Marcus

Matt_K
28th August 2008, 02:11 PM
I used this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360082516325&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fse arch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dm37%26satitle%3D 360082516325%2509%26fvi%3D1

works fine. It's a P21W fitment IIRC you need. I would imagine there are cheaper suppliers out there tho. Have a search.

marcusd666
28th August 2008, 02:22 PM
Cheers for that, my mot coming soon so will have to get round to going this.

jjbowman
8th September 2008, 12:56 PM
Just used this guide for my rear fog great write up cheers dave

also found this online shop for a emarked red bulb

http://www.discountcarbulbs.com/productdetails.asp?ProdText=Trade+Pack+382+Red&ProdID=1343&CatID=403&Offset=0

they came and worked a treat now all i have to sort is a tell tale light as the mot man said it needed on (ball ache)!! If anyone knows how to wire this up aswell would be gratefull!!!

cheers fellas!

logicalChimp
8th September 2008, 01:31 PM
Hmmm - whoever bodged my rear fog light in used a switch the light built in... might be easiest to do the same, rather than try to fit a separate light?

batman
8th September 2008, 08:33 PM
i have the same guys but a little tip the paint looks pink and not mot able SOOo
tip use a vauxhall movano rear fog light there already red because the clusters are clear :P