NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

I bought some OEM fog lamps from mitsu a few days ago, they quoted me $200ish for install so i decided to DIY. I have run into a little problem however. Everything is connected and grounded except for a yellow wire with a connector. I have looked all over and cant find where it goes. Here are some pics of it any help will be appreciated.

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

Is it just yellow, or yellow with a red stripe?

I don't see a single yellow wire in the fog light circuit diagram, but there is a single yellow/red wire. It goes from a junction block to the column ECU.

This is the column ECU:


And the junction block:

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

i just got through checking both areas again and found no place to plug in the connector. The wire is a solid yellow wire with the writing :

E231841 AWM 1007 20AWG VW-1 80*c 300v

dunno if that helps, but it also leads to the fog light switch. If you unplugged the fog light switch's connector the yellow wire leads to either the slot right under the ground or the very last slot below the blue wire. I hope it doesnt sound confusing, ill try to take a few pics later. Im thinking about spliceing the yellow wire to the headlights, good idea? bad?

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

Bad idea, don't mess with your headlights.

Let me pull out my fog light switch and see what's behind it. I can't seem to find a diagram of the wiring for the switch.

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

ok here are some pics showing what i was talking about.

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

Ok one last bit of information before i head off to work. I cut the looming from the mysterious connector all the way to the fog light switch. The single yellow wire from the connector branches off and goes into the switch at both points. Hope that helps you help me.

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

My wires are different colors. I have red, black, black/yellow, and green/white.

The top two in my car (red and black) are for the switching of the fog lights on and off. The other two are for switch illumination.

I'm going to guess that your single yellow wire is supposed to plug in to supply power for the switch and the switch illumination.



Of course, if you get it all wired up and working the way it should, you'll only have fog lights when your low beams are on. If you turn the high beams on, the fogs turn off. If you turn the headlights off, the fogs turn off and will stay off.

Personally, I would have installed the fog light housings, the wiring to connect them, and then just wired in a toggle switch to ground the proper pin on the fog light relay. Then you could have the fogs on whenever you wanted.

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

so could i just splice the wire to any power wire? im not really electronic savvy so any suggestions where i could do it. if that wont work then i guess ill wait till my next day off and try your other suggestion of wiring them on their own circuit.

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

Ideally, there is a place in the headlight circuit to plug into that will light up the switch and power it for turning on and off the fog lights. I took apart my steering column to have a look at mine, and couldn't find the plug, either.

Any switched power source would work. I'm sure there's a few open spots in your fuse panel that are switched on with the ignition.

Maybe you could stop in at the dealer and talk to one of the service techs? They might be able and willing to answer your question about where the wire plugs in.

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

alright i talked to a friend who is a bit of an electrician and he told me what was going on. basically he told me what you said, to cut out the relay because thats the only thing standing between me and my lights. so with his help we wired them up with a switch from autozone, and presto! lights . only problem i have now is to remember to turn them off every time i get out of the car, least now i understand how the wiring works. thanks a bunch for all the info.

Myszkewicz

iTrader: (2)

You took out the relay? That's fine as long as the switch can handle the current the lights will draw, but that's a lot of power for a switch. 15 years ago, I had a switch melt from running the power for some driving lights through it, stunk up the car with burning plastic smoke.

There are four pins on the relay, two that have +12v to them, one that goes to your fog lights, and another that doesn't seem to go anywhere (with the car and lights off). The fourth pin has no voltage present and shows an open circuit to ground. When you ground that pin, it trips the relay, and power flows through the relay to your lights. If you put your switch on the wire running from that pin to ground, you get the same control, but there's less power running through your switch. The heavy lifting is done by the relay, as it should be.

NateOZ

iTrader: (4)

wow i dont want to happen... i was thinking if a resistor would lessen the voltage to the switch so it does get too hot. is that something worth trying?

MX41

Im wondering what to do with this same wire also...PITA!!!