Fog Lights - Use w/o Headlights?

[ddustan]

Hi everyone!

Can foglights be used without having to have the headlights up/on? I tend to use lights for visibility but don't want to drive with my headlights out there slapping the wind!

David

[Stuart Lehr]

I did this on my 914 30 years ago- works great for dusk conditions, etc. It is mentioned in old Pano's, and in the UpFixing books put out by the PCA... if I remember it's easier to do on a 4 than on a 6 due to wiring differences, but it's been a LONG time ago I did it.

[HMeeder]

Do a search in the archives for "driving light" and look for a string dated 2-6-2001 and titled "Another driving light question." A bunch of us danced around this question for several days and I think all of the options were covered. Also check out www.members.rennlist.com/gman/porsche/html . It has a diagram that makes the conversion very clear.

Good luck!

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Herb
'72 1.7 Tangerine 'Teen
'74 2.0 Red Rustmobile

[This message has been edited by HMeeder (edited 09-08-2001).]

[ddustan]

Thanks for the notes. I'll look for the info and report back later!!

David

[paulhagedorn]

I found the old post and put it here for ease of searching. I was curious as to how to do it and now I know.

914 FOG LIGHT CONVERSION 1970-1974

Many of us 914 owners have wished our U.S. fog lights worked all of the time and not just with the low beams. Well it's not as hard as you think! You will need only basic hand tools and a few assorted solderless connectors.

First: Disconnect the negative side of the battery.

Second: Remove the fuse cover, remove the mounting screws and pull down the fuse block and let it hang.

Third: Remove the headlamp, fog and hazard switches from their dash mounted locations and let them hang down with the fuse block.

Fourth: Take the headlamp switch and look for a black wire w/blue stripe that is plugged into the #56 terminal, there will also be a grey wire and a red wire w/white stripe all connected together, carefully cut the black wire w/blue stripe as close to the end as possible leaving no part of the wire exposed. Install a piggy-back spade connector.

Fifth: Locate the #15 terminal on the headlamp switch and pull remove the connector then plug in the black wire w/blue stripe and then piggyback the connector that was just there.

Sixth: Now find the white wire w/blue stripe going to the #1 fuse, this wire is coming from the #85 terminal of the fog light relay (round black relay, far left on fuse block). Be certain you have selected the correct wire (white wire w/blue stripe) you are about to cut at the #1 fuse (just as you did before), cut it and find a solderless connector to fit the ground connection located at the upper left side of the fuse block mount. You will see a group of brown wires held down by a 10mm nut. Remove the nut and add the white wire w/blue stripe. You may need to add a 2 to 3 inch piece of wire so it will reach the ground connection. Be sure to tighten this ground connection.

Seventh: Reinstall the three switches and fuse block in reverse order making sure not to pinch any wires when tightening up the fuse block. Now connect the negative battery cable to the battery.

Eight: To test--turn the ignition switch to the "ON" position and turn on the fog lights. You may now enjoy your fog lights any time the ignition is on.

Problem: The lights still go out when High Beams are engaged. though they do work when the lights are off. Great for using them as daytime running lights in inclement weather.

2. My '74s fogs were re-wired by the PO and do stay on all the time. When I pulled the fuse block to see how he did it I found that the relay seems to have been bypassed and the switch was simply wired straight to the block (the white and blue wire and the white and red wire were both cut and it looks like hot juice is run from the fuse block, through the switch and then on down to the fogs.) Is this dangerous? Or is it a perfectly valid way to accomplish what I want to do in the first place?

[ddustan]

Paul,
Thanks! This doesn't look at all as hard as I thought it might. Now to get all the pieces together....

Thanks again!

David

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Paul, I'd try to get the relay back into the circuit... I figure they used the relay for a reason.

--DD

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Pelican Parts 914 Tech Support

A few pics of my car: http://www.pelicanparts.com/gallery/Dave_Darling