Foglight Modifications
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:47 am
Mod #1: Make Your Factory Fogs Work With Your High Beams
Why You Should Consider This
By law in most states, a vehicle may not drive with its foglights/driving lights/auxiliary lights illuminated in conjuction with its high beams. In compliance, Chevrolet wired the foglights in Berettas to turn off when the high beams turn on. For the people who often drive in at night in areas with little to no traffic and no streetlights, more light is always welcome, especially in areas with high deer populations.
Parts/Tools Needed
* Crimp-on Eyelet
* Wire Cutters
* Wire Stripper
Procedure
Locate your factory foglight relay between the battery and the LH fender. Remove the battery. Find a grounding screw close to the foglight relay (there should be one or more black wires attached to it). Find the light green wire coming out of the foglight relay and follow it through the wire harness until you have a long enough length to reach the ground screw. Cut the wire and crimp the eyelet to the end that goes to the relay. Cap off or tape off the other end of the cut wire so that there is no bare wire exposed. Attach the eyelet to the ground screw. Reinstall and reconnect your battery. Turn on your foglights and high beams. Your foglights will now stay on anytime your highbeams are on.
Mod #2: Make Your Factory Fogs Brighter Without Brighter Bulbs
Thanks to Aaron Choate for this idea!
Why You Should Consider This
The factory foglights have nonreflective deflectors in them so as to reduce glare. These deflectors block direct light output, so all of the light you see is merely reflected. Removing these deflectors will give you much greater light output to supplement your low or high beams for the reasons described in Mod #1.
Parts/Tools Needed
Assuming you already have the foglight assemblies removed
* Electric Drill
* Drill Bit (1/8" or slightly smaller...It has been a while since I've done this)
* Needle-nosed Pliers
* T-20 Torx Screwdriver
* Metal File
* Masking Tape
Procedure
Remove the front bezel from the foglight using the Torx screwdriver (some cars may have a Phillips screw) (Do not remove glass, it was removed for the picture only). Pull out the lens housing and disconnect the wires. Unfasten and remove the spring clip on the lens. Remove the bulb. Locate the tabs that hold the plain metal "cap" onto the housing. Bend these tabs 90 degrees upward until the cap can be removed. Look inside the housing at the deflector and its mounting points. Bend and crush this deflector until you think it will fit through the hole. From the outside of the housing, drill out the rivets that hold the deflector. Some rivets may be rounded on the outside so your drill bit will not stay in place. If this is the case, tape around the rivets to protect the paint, then file the rivets down until they can be drilled or simply removed. Remove the deflector through the hole and reassemble the foglight. Reinstall the foglight and test it.
Use sense when making use of these mods. Don't blind people. When the deflectors are removed from the foglights, it may be best to keep them turned off while in the city depending on how they are aimed. Some people will flash their lights at you.
Why You Should Consider This
By law in most states, a vehicle may not drive with its foglights/driving lights/auxiliary lights illuminated in conjuction with its high beams. In compliance, Chevrolet wired the foglights in Berettas to turn off when the high beams turn on. For the people who often drive in at night in areas with little to no traffic and no streetlights, more light is always welcome, especially in areas with high deer populations.
Parts/Tools Needed
* Crimp-on Eyelet
* Wire Cutters
* Wire Stripper
Procedure
Locate your factory foglight relay between the battery and the LH fender. Remove the battery. Find a grounding screw close to the foglight relay (there should be one or more black wires attached to it). Find the light green wire coming out of the foglight relay and follow it through the wire harness until you have a long enough length to reach the ground screw. Cut the wire and crimp the eyelet to the end that goes to the relay. Cap off or tape off the other end of the cut wire so that there is no bare wire exposed. Attach the eyelet to the ground screw. Reinstall and reconnect your battery. Turn on your foglights and high beams. Your foglights will now stay on anytime your highbeams are on.
Mod #2: Make Your Factory Fogs Brighter Without Brighter Bulbs
Thanks to Aaron Choate for this idea!
Why You Should Consider This
The factory foglights have nonreflective deflectors in them so as to reduce glare. These deflectors block direct light output, so all of the light you see is merely reflected. Removing these deflectors will give you much greater light output to supplement your low or high beams for the reasons described in Mod #1.
Parts/Tools Needed
Assuming you already have the foglight assemblies removed
* Electric Drill
* Drill Bit (1/8" or slightly smaller...It has been a while since I've done this)
* Needle-nosed Pliers
* T-20 Torx Screwdriver
* Metal File
* Masking Tape
Procedure
Remove the front bezel from the foglight using the Torx screwdriver (some cars may have a Phillips screw) (Do not remove glass, it was removed for the picture only). Pull out the lens housing and disconnect the wires. Unfasten and remove the spring clip on the lens. Remove the bulb. Locate the tabs that hold the plain metal "cap" onto the housing. Bend these tabs 90 degrees upward until the cap can be removed. Look inside the housing at the deflector and its mounting points. Bend and crush this deflector until you think it will fit through the hole. From the outside of the housing, drill out the rivets that hold the deflector. Some rivets may be rounded on the outside so your drill bit will not stay in place. If this is the case, tape around the rivets to protect the paint, then file the rivets down until they can be drilled or simply removed. Remove the deflector through the hole and reassemble the foglight. Reinstall the foglight and test it.
Use sense when making use of these mods. Don't blind people. When the deflectors are removed from the foglights, it may be best to keep them turned off while in the city depending on how they are aimed. Some people will flash their lights at you.