Safe movement of the car in any road conditions depends on the equipment of the car. Automakers do not install foglights on all models. Heavy fog often forces drivers to stop, especially at night. The installation of fog lamps (PTF) will help to solve this problem. .
The main purpose of fog lights is to accurately deliver the light in front of the vehicle. Precisely adjusted PTFs illuminate a path length of 10-15 m. This is enough for safe movement in fog at low speed. And since road conditions are not always bad for driving, the driver must be able to turn on and off additional lighting on his own.
It is necessary to adjust the position of the fog lamps during their installation. This procedure should be given maximum time, patience and attention.
Features of installing fog lights
Before buying fog lights, the car owner should decide on the place of their installation on the car. Many foreign cars have special niches in the front bumper for the installation of additional optics. Accordingly, the motorist needs to select suitable fog lights for these shapes and sizes.
Some SUV fans mount additional lights on the same level as the standard optics or on the roof of the car. In this case, PTFs of any size and shape are suitable. It is important that the kit includes the correct brackets to securely attach them.
In addition to the fog lights themselves in a store or on the market, you need to purchase some additional materials for their installation:
- electric wires,
- terminals for connecting wires,
- button or handle for turning on "fog",
- fuse for 20-30 A,
- four-pole relay.
Preparing to install PTF on a car
Installing fog lights with your own hands is possible with minimal knowledge of physics and the ability to hold a screwdriver and wrenches in your hands. In this case, it is best to work in a garage equipped with an inspection pit. The motorist must be patient, and carry out the work without haste, precisely following the technological installation instructions. Before starting work, it is better to familiarize yourself with the manufacturer's recommendations, find an electrical diagram for your car.
If the car owner has "hands growing out of the wrong place," then it is better to entrust this work to a car electrician. This will avoid additional complications and breakdowns.
Fog lamp connection diagram
Fog lights can be connected in a car in different ways, the principle of action will be approximately the same. The most popular is the diagram for connecting fog lights through a relay (see the video above). In this case, you need to pay attention to the PTF marking, if the installation side is indicated on them (left or right), then it is important not to confuse them in places.
Almost all foreign cars are electrically prepared for the installation of fog lights. To verify this, you need to look into the fuse box. If it has free relay terminals with the inscription "fog lamp relay", then the preparation is done by the manufacturer. And under the bumper, most likely, you can find wires with terminals for connecting the PTF. The work of installing fog lights in such a car will be much easier.
In the process of installing fog lights, you will have to carry out several stages:
- installation of headlights in the bumper,
- wire pulling,
- relay and fuse connection,
- installation of a button or replacement of a knob for switching turns and headlights.
Each car model has its own characteristics, so in advance it is necessary to find out the nuances of connecting the PTF in car forums or from colleagues with similar cars. Work on installing foglights in the car should be started by disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery.
Installing fog lamps in the front bumper
Many motorists at this stage are faced with the problem of removing the bumper. A viewing hole or lift will help to facilitate the task. Here are some simple tips to make it easier to install the PTF in your front bumper:
- First you need to prepare a place where the removed bumper can be put.
- There is no need to rush and jerk the bumper hard, otherwise the plastic may crack.
- When the bumper is removed, it is necessary to carefully cut the holes in the appropriate places for the installation of the fog lights. It is better to do this operation, starting with a small hole, gradually adjusting it to the size of each headlight (this way it will be possible to avoid the formation of cracks through which moisture and dust will penetrate into the PTF in the future).
- For some foglights, special decorative plugs are sold, which are selected according to the car model and even the color of the bumper. With these plugs, the process of fitting the holes in the bumper to the fog lights is much easier.
- Next, it remains to screw the mounts to the bumper, and then use them to fix the headlights themselves.
When both foglights are installed in place, after installing the bumper on the car, the power connectors are connected to them.
Broach wiring for connecting PTF
From the button or knob for turning on the fog lights, you need to stretch the wires to the fuse box. To do this, you will need several wires from 20 cm to 1.5 m long (depending on the connection diagram and the characteristics of a particular car).
The meaning of the connection is quite simple: the switch must turn on the relay, which in turn will close the power circuit and supply voltage to the foglights. This work is easiest to do according to a universal scheme suitable for almost any car brand (see video above).
On machines that are factory prepared for connecting PTF, everything is much simpler. Otherwise, you will have to lay the wiring yourself.
- The positive contacts of each headlight are connected to each other, and then one common wire is connected to the corresponding relay of the power circuit, according to the PTF connection diagram.
- The negative terminal of each fog lamp is connected to the body or chassis of the vehicle. The joint must be well cleaned of paint, rust and dirt.
- It is better to fix all additional wires to the body elements or other wiring with plastic clamps or electrical tape.
Well, it will not be difficult to insert a relay and a fuse into the corresponding seat socket.
Installing the fog lamp switch
Depending on the car model, the fog lights can be turned on with a separate button in the vehicle light on / off control unit or with the turn signal and headlight control knob.
In the latter case, it will be necessary to dismantle this unit and install in its place a new unit equipped with a fog lamp switch. When performing this work, it is important to select all the fasteners of the covers and panels, then dismantling will not bring additional problems with broken plastic parts.
After completing all the stages of installing the PTF, it remains to check the connection sequence, the reliability of the fastening of the connections, connect the negative terminal to the battery and test the fog lamp. If the turning on and off of the fog lights occurs in the normal mode, it is necessary to fine-tune the light flux in height (see the adjustment diagram). In the future, do not forget to regularly clean the foglights from dirt and timely change burnt out bulbs.
