How To: 2002-2007 foglight mod (clean - no butcher job)

[Big-E]

Parts needed (RadioShack or N/K/A: "The Shack"):
*Small package of self-tapping ("vampire") connectors, in red (for 18-22 gauge wire).

*Small package of male & female bullet connectors, in red (for 18-22 gauge wire).

*A length of 18-gauge wire (say with yellow insulation shielding) about 6-inches long. Just buy a small spool of stranded copper wire.

REMOVAL/INSTALLATION:

NOTE: it is recommended that you put all of the items you remove in your trunk or cargo area to keep them out of the way while doing your work.

Step 1: remove coin box from driver's side lower dash cover.

Step 2: remove driver's side lower dash cover, one side clip fastener and two screws at the lower part - all phillips type.

Step 3: unplug switches AND unplug the OBD-II connector from the lower dash panel and move the panel completely out of the way.

Step 4: remove 10mm nut from top of fuse box:


Step 5: gently release two clips on either lower side of fuse box and then pull fuse box out toward you to clear the metal bracket, then downward a bit to have room to access the relay block, which is to the right of the fuse box:




Step 6: using a long-nose pliers, gently compress each of the three 'clips' that hold the fuse board to the side of the metal bracket - use a little sidewards pressure to keep any of the now unfastened clips from refastening:



Step 7: move relay block to the right very slightly, then downward to gain access to the back where the wires are:


NOTE / REFERENCE: the third relay up from the bottom is for the foglamps

Step 8: locate the RED WIRE WITH GREEN STRIPE - this is the trigger wire that turns the relay on and off.

IF YOU HAVE A 2002 TO 2004 OR 2005, YOU WILL (MORE-THAN-LIKELY) HAVE TO CUT THIS WIRE.

IF YOU HAVE A 2005 OR DEFINITELY A 2006 AND PROBABLY A 2007 MODEL, YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY UNLOCK THE TERMINAL FROM THE RELAY BLOCK FOR THIS WIRE AND NOT HAVE TO CUT IT, BUT TO MAKE THIS WORK YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET A LOCK-TYPE FEMALE TERMINAL TO PLUG INTO THE RELAY BLOCK THAT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO YOUR NEW 'YELLOW' WIRE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE.

THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN CHANGE TO THE RELAY BLOCK.

Cut this wire approximately 2-inches from the back of the relay block AND install a crimp-on male bullet connector.

Install a crimp-on female bullet connector to the other side of the wire that was just cut - this is the "car side" Why? Because if for some reason you want to restore the foglamps to their original set-up, you can. Also, you don't want a live circuit hanging out behind the dash as well.

You can see the red wire with the green stripe in this picture:


If you look at the picture above, you'll see the vampire clip that I have that is wrapped with orange colored electrical tape. The wire that I tapped into is an "ignition only" switched wire. This is the first relay position up. That wire is GREEN WITH A WHITE STRIPE. This is the starter interlock relay, which means it only works when the car is running/igntion is on. It will not work with the key in the accessory or off position.

What does this mean? It means that when the car is running, I can have my foglights on at anytime. I shut the car off and the foglights go off.

REVERSE ORDER TO REINSTALL.

Happy Motoring!

[hanson]

Wait, I'm confused, can't I have my foglights on at any time anyway when my lights are on by pressig the foglight button?

or am i being dumb...

[VIR-A346]

This mod allows you to turn on the fog lights even if your headlights are off. Great write-up btw.

[blue07sti]

Originally Posted by VIR-A346

This mod allows you to turn on the fog lights even if your headlights are off. Great write-up btw.

Cars looks sick during the day when they drive around with their foglights on.

[hanson]

I see. Very detailed write-up!

Out of curiosity, what is the application of this mod?

[Big-E]

Application: 2002-2007 Impreza (as title says)

[hanson]

What i mean by application is when would you need your fog lights on without your headlights on?

[Bulletproof2000]

for one, the ability to avoid having the glare from the headlights when it gets really foggy, unless you have daytime running lights of course...

looking at this mod, does this affect the turning off of the fog-lights when the high-beams go on?

I should pull out my wiring specs I guess...

[Big-E]

Originally Posted by hanson

What i mean by application is when would you need your fog lights on without your headlights on?

You wouldn't. But the "fog light mod" is just that: so you can have your fogs on independent of the headlights. I mean this respectfully.

Originally Posted by Bulletproof2000

for one, the ability to avoid having the glare from the headlights when it gets really foggy, unless you have daytime running lights of course...

looking at this mod, does this affect the turning off of the fog-lights when the high-beams go on?

I should pull out my wiring specs I guess...

No. This mod allows for full use of the fog lights independent of the headlight system.

This of course brings up the question: "why would you want your fog lights on when the highbeams are on?" You wouldn't. But see my response above.

[jrank3792]

IF YOU HAVE A 2005 OR DEFINITELY A 2006 AND PROBABLY A 2007 MODEL, YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY UNLOCK THE TERMINAL FROM THE RELAY BLOCK FOR THIS WIRE AND NOT HAVE TO CUT IT, BUT TO MAKE THIS WORK YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET A LOCK-TYPE FEMALE TERMINAL TO PLUG INTO THE RELAY BLOCK THAT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO YOUR NEW 'YELLOW' WIRE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE.

THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN CHANGE TO THE RELAY BLOCK.

Cut this wire approximately 2-inches from the back of the relay block AND install a crimp-on male bullet connector.

Install a crimp-on female bullet connector to the other side of the wire that was just cut - this is the "car side" Why? Because if for some reason you want to restore the foglamps to their original set-up, you can. Also, you don't want a live circuit hanging out behind the dash as well.


This section confuses me

[slamdspec]

Just did this tonite. Ran into a little snag. For some reason when I spliced to the Green w/ white stripe wire i got nothing. So I just spliced to the wire my turbo time gets power from and everything works great!
Thanks for the write up! It helped alot

[kh15]

Originally Posted by jrank3792

IF YOU HAVE A 2005 OR DEFINITELY A 2006 AND PROBABLY A 2007 MODEL, YOU CAN EFFECTIVELY UNLOCK THE TERMINAL FROM THE RELAY BLOCK FOR THIS WIRE AND NOT HAVE TO CUT IT, BUT TO MAKE THIS WORK YOU WOULD HAVE TO GET A LOCK-TYPE FEMALE TERMINAL TO PLUG INTO THE RELAY BLOCK THAT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO YOUR NEW 'YELLOW' WIRE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE.

THIS IS DUE TO A DESIGN CHANGE TO THE RELAY BLOCK.

Cut this wire approximately 2-inches from the back of the relay block AND install a crimp-on male bullet connector.

Install a crimp-on female bullet connector to the other side of the wire that was just cut - this is the "car side" Why? Because if for some reason you want to restore the foglamps to their original set-up, you can. Also, you don't want a live circuit hanging out behind the dash as well.


This section confuses me

also confused....

[Big-E]

Originally Posted by kh15

also confused....

I'm a proponent of not cutting wires.

Thus, this is to tell you that if you have an older model, you may not be able to simply back-out the terminal without having to cut the wire.

[Rayman812]

it's not the green/white wire....the G/W wire is NOT an ignition power wire. the thicker gauge GREEN wire is however.

HOWEVER, there is one problem with this write-up. after u do what the OP says, the green indication light on the foglight button will no longer work. however, the foglights will work independently from the headlights.

to get around that, i simply "jump" the red/green wire with any ignition-only wire (in my case, solid green). dont need to cut anything, just simply add a splice that connects those 2 wires, and u get the fogs to come on w/o headlighs and the button indicator light remains working.

[slamdspec]

Originally Posted by Rayman812

it's not the green/white wire....the G/W wire is NOT an ignition power wire. the thicker gauge GREEN wire is however.

I was just following what the write up says..

Originally Posted by Big-E

That wire is GREEN WITH A WHITE STRIPE. This is the starter interlock relay, which means it only works when the car is running/igntion is on.

Originally Posted by Rayman812

HOWEVER, there is one problem with this write-up. after u do what the OP says, the green indication light on the foglight button will no longer work. however, the foglights will work independently from the headlights.

to get around that, i simply "jump" the red/green wire with any ignition-only wire (in my case, solid green). dont need to cut anything, just simply add a splice that connects those 2 wires, and u get the fogs to come on w/o headlighs and the button indicator light remains working.

Is this an additional splice to the write up or something you should do instead?

[Rayman812]

im just saying if the lack of the indication light on the button bothers you (which it does me) then i would just splice those 2 wires together. its an option to retain that button light. so basically u have an "H" jumper and no wire should be left disconnected to anything.

[Rexxin]

bump just did this mod .... worked great ..... i tapped into the ignition wire so lights work with koeo / koer .......

[TURBOvsV8]

Has anyone tried the "H jumper" listed above? I did this on a 07 STI and foglights turn on with parking lights....add headlights....fogs and low beams work fine....but when I turn on the high beams with the fogs on the SBF No4. fuse under the dash blows.

I just did the "H jumper" nothing was cut. I can't understand why/if I cut the red wire with green stripe and connected it to power it would change my results? Can anyone help?

[nate02wrx]

Originally Posted by TURBOvsV8

Has anyone tried the "H jumper" listed above? I did this on a 07 STI and foglights turn on with parking lights....add headlights....fogs and low beams work fine....but when I turn on the high beams with the fogs on the SBF No4. fuse under the dash blows.

I just did the "H jumper" nothing was cut. I can't understand why/if I cut the red wire with green stripe and connected it to power it would change my results? Can anyone help?

I have an 02 wrx and mine did the same thing So for now I guess I just won't have the green indicator plus I have no lights and it's nightime not good so maybe the jumper only works with 04-05

[camerong]

Originally Posted by TURBOvsV8

Has anyone tried the "H jumper" listed above? I did this on a 07 STI and foglights turn on with parking lights....add headlights....fogs and low beams work fine....but when I turn on the high beams with the fogs on the SBF No4. fuse under the dash blows.

I just did the "H jumper" nothing was cut. I can't understand why/if I cut the red wire with green stripe and connected it to power it would change my results? Can anyone help?

Same thing for me. Mine work great until I put my high beams on and the fuse blew for my DRL's and now the fogs wont turn on unless the low beams are on. Any suggestions? Add a fuse?

[DenCon]

Sick scoop light!

Originally Posted by camerong

Same thing for me. Mine work great until I put my high beams on and the fuse blew for my DRL's and now the fogs wont turn on unless the low beams are on. Any suggestions? Add a fuse?

[Big-E]

Originally Posted by TURBOvsV8

Has anyone tried the "H jumper" listed above? I did this on a 07 STI and foglights turn on with parking lights....add headlights....fogs and low beams work fine....but when I turn on the high beams with the fogs on the SBF No4. fuse under the dash blows.

I just did the "H jumper" nothing was cut. I can't understand why/if I cut the red wire with green stripe and connected it to power it would change my results? Can anyone help?

The red wire with the green strip is in fact the ground wire from the high-beam switching relay located behind the glove-box.

When the car is running, with the headlamps off, there is power being fed to them. Subaru uses a switched ground system to control the headlamps.

Although off, there is power running through this circuit (red wire with green stripe) and it feeds the fog-lamp relay and switch. The relay so you can of course turn the lamps on and the switch so that when its turned on, the little green indicator lamp illuminates.

If for any reason you simply tap into the red wire with the green stripe and not fully disengage it from the relay (whether unlock or cut) you will effectively feed power backwards into the headlamp system, which will cause problems such as blowing fuses.

[camerong]

Originally Posted by Big-E

The red wire with the green strip is in fact the ground wire from the high-beam switching relay located behind the glove-box.

When the car is running, with the headlamps off, there is power being fed to them. Subaru uses a switched ground system to control the headlamps.

Although off, there is power running through this circuit (red wire with green stripe) and it feeds the fog-lamp relay and switch. The relay so you can of course turn the lamps on and the switch so that when its turned on, the little green indicator lamp illuminates.

If for any reason you simply tap into the red wire with the green stripe and not fully disengage it from the relay (whether unlock or cut) you will effectively feed power backwards into the headlamp system, which will cause problems such as blowing fuses.

Good to know! Thanks for the info. Would you happen to know how to fix the problem? Maybe change the wire we tap into?

[Big-E]

Originally Posted by camerong

Good to know! Thanks for the info. Would you happen to know how to fix the problem? Maybe change the wire we tap into?

Do me a favor, state again which wire(s) you tapped into and how you tapped into them.

Don't repost; I want this to be neat and clean, if you know what I mean.

[jonnieoh]

I apologize to the OP for being slightly off-topic...

I have a 2002 WRX wagon, and have a pair of PIAA aftermarket driving lamps that I want to hook up to come on only when my high beams are activated by the stalk. I need to know exactly which wire I need to tap into to do this. I don't want to tap into the wrong one, and mess up my wiring enough to trip any fuses. My kit came with a wiring harness with its' own dashboard-mountable switch, and a "vampire clip", as I've seen it called on other threads here, to tap into a high beam wire.

Can you help me out with identifying the correct wire, (please be as specific as possible in your description). Better yet, photography of this wire would be really appreciated! Thanks so much everyone.