Can I Use My Fog Light Housing For Daytime Running Lights?

[wastedagen]

HI,

As the question stands, Can I use my Fog Light Housing as DRL's.

I plan on putting in a lower wattage bulb (no more than 20watts), making my own wiring loom and feeding of a 12v Iginition Feed. So the lights switch on and off with said Ignition.

Would this now be legal?

As a lot of cars now have DRL's down low I don't see the issue of using this space wisely. I personally have never found fog lights useful.

The markings on the glass are as follows:

Valeo OD2

[CCC] A044633

SAE F03 02B (E2) 04709

Is there anything here that states these are fog lights only?

Thanks for any advice.

Regards

[Speed_Chaser]

Where are you going to find H11 bulbs with lower wattage? LED bulbs are illegal to use, so that's not an option if you want the lights to be legal.

[tavy]

Where are you going to find H11 bulbs with lower wattage? ...

a very simple idea; connect both h11 bulbs in series, and you'll get 15 W aprox. for each bulb; in addition the bulbs will last longer than before.

you can check how strong the light will be, making the circuit on the desk and connect it to a 12 V Battery...

[wastedagen]

Where are you going to find H11 bulbs with lower wattage? ...

a very simple idea; connect both h11 bulbs in series, and you'll get 15 W aprox. for each bulb; in addition the bulbs will last longer than before.

you can check how strong the light will be, making the circuit on the desk and connect it to a 12 V Battery...

Getting a 20-35watt halogen bulb with a H11 socket isn't a concern. I'm just curious as to wether I can use the fog light housing as my DRL housing.

A nice idea connecting in series. Will try that first. The only draw back would be one blows and both the lights go out.

Using the formula P=IV, at 110watts wouldnt this will draw 9.5 amps. But I suppose as long as the wire and fuse are rated for the power draw then it's ok.

Regards

[r3g]

@Speed_Chaser - I'm not sure about your comment about LEDs being illegal. If they were, then Toyota have serious problems as my new Auris Hybrid uses LEDs for the daytime running lights as do most new Audis and several other makes.

I'm not familiar with the fog light housing in question, but you can pick up a bunch of pre-wired white 12v LEDs off eBay for a couple of quid, so if they can be made to fit the housing then this would surely be the best option as they draw so little current and have a life span measured in thousands of hours rather than hundreds, so once fitted it's unlikely you will ever have to replace them.

[tavy]

...A nice idea connecting in series. Will try that first...

I tried today for you series connection of 2 H11 bulbs; the light is enough for DRL, and the current is 3.4 amps, this means 20...21 wats power for each bulb...

[Speed_Chaser]

I'm not sure about your comment about LEDs being illegal. If they were, then Toyota have serious problems as my new Auris Hybrid uses LEDs for the daytime running lights as do most new Audis and several other makes.

That's true. But those are installed by Toyota. The aftermarket LEDs do not have E-marks on them and are therefore illegal.

[bluebear49]

I'm not sure about your comment about LEDs being illegal. If they were, then Toyota have serious problems as my new Auris Hybrid uses LEDs for the daytime running lights as do most new Audis and several other makes.

That's true. But those are installed by Toyota. The aftermarket LEDs do not have E-marks on them and are therefore illegal.

HI EURO CAR PARTS are selling a day time running light kit[PHILIPS]see them on there website £70

[r3g]

That's true. But those are installed by Toyota. The aftermarket LEDs do not have E-marks on them and are therefore illegal.

Ah, I see.

However, if you put the aftermarket LEDs inside the proper Toyota foglight housing, I can't see that you'd get any bother from the boys in blue. After all I can't see them asking you to dismantle your car at the roadside to check that the parts inside it meet european specifications. It would be almost impossible for anyone other than a Toyota specialist or enthusiast to know that you don't get LEDs in that type of housing. But I take your point.

[wastedagen]

...A nice idea connecting in series. Will try that first...

I tried today for you series connection of 2 H11 bulbs; the light is enough for DRL, and the current is 3.4 amps, this means 20...21 wats power for each bulb...

Thanks for that. I now have my DRL Module so i can go ahead and install this.

On a side note, could you please show me how you got 3.4 amps with 20-21 watts. It's not that i don't believe you, just my ohms law maths is a bit rusty. I got 9.5 amps. Obviously im doing something wrong here.

Regards

Edit: oh i got it i think. You put an ammeter in series of this circuit and got 3.4amps. Then did P=IV and got a total of 40.8 watts. Giving 20-21 each. Duh!!

But as I said earlier a downside is that one bulb goes they both go out. A small price to pay.

Now if I had paid more attention in Electronics class at school I could have saved me a few days of building and testing my own 20watt Halogen bulbs

But what's done is done. Been testing them and the hottest they get is 70C. They work a treat. so i'll either carry on using these or give the 2x55w bulbs in series a go....................

[tavy]

...On a side note, could you please show me how you got 3.4 amps with 20-21 watts...

Edit: oh i got it i think. You put an ammeter in series of this circuit and got 3.4amps. Then did P=IV and got a total of 40.8 watts. Giving 20-21 each. Duh!!...

yeah, the calculation is almost like this; putting in series 2 bulbs with same wattage, you feed each bulb with 6V , that means more than 20 W power for one bulb...

...But as I said earlier a downside is that one bulb goes they both go out...

the fog headlights have transparent glass, so it's easy to see which filament is burnt out.

[SRsmithy]

i drilled a hole in mine and used 2 sidelight bulb holders pushed in fitted with 5watt 501 bulbs, i found 2 in my toolbox, think they was off a punto so they have a rubber washer to stop water entering, these worked a treat, i then just wired them up to the fuse box so they came on with the ignition, sorted

[wastedagen]

i drilled a hole in mine and used 2 sidelight bulb holders pushed in fitted with 5watt 501 bulbs, i found 2 in my toolbox, think they was off a punto so they have a rubber washer to stop water entering, these worked a treat, i then just wired them up to the fuse box so they came on with the ignition, sorted

Another idea i was toying with. But do you find using a 5watt bulb bright enough for DRL's?

[SRsmithy]

i think its just right but u can get these in 10watts aswell or use led type bulbs

[wastedagen]

Now I've made my 20watt halogen light bulbs I am sorting out the DRL Module. Now i could go and buy one, but i've been looking at putting together my own from 2 fog light relays. If i used just one relay i could easily get the lights to come on and off with ignition. But i wanted the lights to switch off as soon as i turn on my side lights or headlights.

From this diagram i put together, can someone who has more experience with electrics give it a once over and tell me if it would work or not.

I hope it's not too confusing. What ive done in relay 2 is connect the lights to output 87A as this is linked to 30 until a positive is fed then it would switch to 87 where nothing is connected, thus switching the DRL lights off when the headlights are switched on.

Thanks in advance.

[tavy]

... and tell me if it would work or not...

it will definitely work.

[wastedagen]

... and tell me if it would work or not...

it will definitely work.

Thanks for the confirmation.

Regards.........

EDIT: I did find a stand alone DRL Module that only has 3 power wires to connect. +12v, Earth and a Feed from side/Head lights. It works by detecting a voltage drop in the car Battery and shortly after turns on your DRL's. Then with the feed, the module turns off the DRL's when the side/head lights are turned on. I believe 'Ring' and 'Philips' DRL's use the same box.

The one issue I have with this is that the Module is then always connected to the Battery waiting for a voltage drop. Meaning it is drawing current all the time, albeit a small amount. I just have visions of coming back to a car with a flat Battery.

[g7jtk]

The only problem I can see with useing the fog lamp pods for daylight running lights is that the Police will keep pulling you over because the think you have your fog lights on.

[tavy]

another issue using this module is that's designed for leds (low amperage) ; I have a doubt that's working with bulbs...

[wastedagen]

The only problem I can see with useing the fog lamp pods for daylight running lights is that the Police will keep pulling you over because the think you have your fog lights on.

I agree that's why I have modified my side light bulb holder to take a 20 watt halogen bulb. I am going to use as my DRL's.

[wastedagen]

another issue using this module is that's designed for leds (low amperage) ; I have a doubt that's working with bulbs...

I am in agreement here also. That's why I made my own module out of 2 fog light relays, as per my circuit diagram a few posts back.

I have tested it and it works a treat. Just gotta install it in the motor now.

[wastedagen]

Well firstly sorry for dragging this topic back up again, but I thought i'd just finish off by putting up some pics of my install.

The after market kits on sale require installation in or on the front bumper. As I don't have anywhere to put such kits I had to look into doing something else.

I thought could I use my sidelights. I did try this out but because of the sidelight reflector a 20watts bulb didn't really shine bright enough.

So next was my fog lights. I don't mind losing these cos' 1) we don't get much fog and 2) My lights are that good that when there is fog I don't need them.

Now we all know you can't just go and buy 20watt H11 Halogen lights. They just aren't made. So obviously I had to make some.

I first found a 20watt bulb then built the holder around this. Luckily small 20w halogen bulbs are easy to come buy. I used the small bulbs that are for household spot lights.

I then bought a ceramic holder. As it will get hot ceramic is a good insulator of heat.

And finally something to hold it all together. I used aircraft grade high temp silicone sealant/adhesive......................

So the project requires these items:

Now I can begin:

I first dismantled the original bulb.

I then opened it up to remove the original sealant.

I then opened up the middle to make room for the new wires.

Drilled a few holes

And slid the wires in for a fit.

Thats basically it. I saved the original metal cap and re-used it over the top of the ceramic holder. Put it all together with the high temp sealant/adhesive.

And here is the before and after. Not too shabby.

That was the easy bit. As I now have to figure out how to power/run these lights. After a few days of grey matter stimulation, I came up with using 2 fog light relays to make my automatic DRL Module.

Here is my circuit diagram:

So after acquiring 2 relays I got on with wiring them up.

Now to test everything. I tested the lights on a small 12v Battery.

Then I measured the temperature in the bulb holder.

That's the temperature probe going into the bulb holder. As you can see from the above pic it only got to 71C. The sealant is good up to 300C so no worries there.

I tested the DRL module I built and all worked well. You can just see the module next to the hammer.

Now for fitting:

Black wire to ground. Red to postive and both live feeds to igntion and sidelight feed, respectively.

And I attached the DRL module to the air intake tube.

Here is a before and after inside the fog light housing.

And finally how it looks.

Not too bright as to dazzle but bright enough to be seen.

So I thought i'd share this with you in case anyone else fancies a go. They come on with ignition and switch off when my side lights and headlights are on. I have been running these for a little while now and so far no problems with the lights or the law. <Kiss of Death>

I may have to re-fit my fogs for the MOT, but as I made everything reversable it's just a 15 minute job to do that.

EDIT: Spoke to an MOT inspector and he said front fog lights aren't an MOT requirement/inspection so my homemade DRL's are ok to go through an MOT.

[Speed_Chaser]

I've done similiar thing, in a bit different way though. Very nice result and DIY!

[wastedagen]

I've done similiar thing, in a bit different way though. Very nice result and DIY!

thanks. Care to elaborate on your DRL's

[Speed_Chaser]

I did nothing too difficult. Just bought a set of H11 LED blubs. After that I removed my bumper and cut the wires which were routed to my low beams. I inserted some more wire in between the cutted pieces to extend the wires and make them reach my foggies. After that I routed the foggy wires to my low beam lights. They did not require to be extended, as the wires are long enough from the factory. Then just put my bumper together and everything's fine now.

When I turn ignition on, my parkers and DRLs do light up. Turn the switch to the next position, and my low beams light up and DRLs are being turned off at the same time. Turn the switch to the next position and my low beams stay on and DRLs do light up aswell. In this position it is also possible to turn high beams permanently on.