V6 fog light install, first success now failure?

[Ericf45040]

Hey everyone, I have a 2006 V6 that did not include a pony package, so no stock setup for wiring aftermarket fogs. I bought an aftermarket grille with fog lights and a GT switch for inside the cabin

Now I did a lot of research when I installed my aftermarket fogs and came up with a different way of wiring them based on what i found online. At first it worked for a few weeks no problem. Then out of nowhere (car not even turned on) one of the fog lights burned out and neither fog light would work! It happened as I was reinstalling the grille one day. (No wires were cut or stripped by accident in the act)

here is how I have them wired...

This is not my car but I will use this online photo as a reference...

I have my fog lights wired to the empty slot to the right of the slot where the blue wire is, then i have my gt switch wire in the slot where the blue wire is (as the instructions tell you). then i stuffed a relay into the 4 slots (top two pegs are the slots the wires are in) the fog light relay on a GT should be according to my car manual. I also put the correct rating fuse where it should be as well.

I came up with this idea after studying the wiring diagram in my hayes manual, and using this photo as well as other forum postings. But rather than wiring to a relay seperate from the fuse box, I wanted something seemingly more stock (Probably stupid of me)

anyways it worked!..... now it doesn't and im baffled.

-No signs of wire damage anywhere, and no loose connections

-I bought new lights thinking that the old ones that came with the aftermarket grille were crap. but they do not work either. The new bulbs are not blown.

-I then checked for power on my pigtails and they operate properly.... off when the switch is off and on when the switch is on. BUT the lights do not light

-The fuse i installed is not blown

-The relay I installed clicks when i switch the fog lights to on So im guessing that it is still good.

any ideas? All logic seem to point that the lights should work as in the past, but now nothing.

Help please? lol

-Eric

 

[wmburns]

I am thinking grounds.

The post said that you tested the pigtails. How did you test? Was the test done at the fog lights themselves? What did you use as a ground? What is the resistance (Ohm) of the fog light ground connection back to the battery negative?

Also, check the pig tails for evidence of overheating. This could make a weak connection at the fog lights where they test good but the lights do not work.

Reminder, that many cars have a circuit breaker in the head light switch. If overloaded, the head lights will go out. After cooling down, the CB will automatically reset. This may be important when installing any aftermarket changes that increases the current draw (such as brighter lights ect).

 

[Ericf45040]

I am thinking grounds.

The post said that you tested the pigtails. How did you test? Was the test done at the fog lights themselves? What did you use as a ground? What is the resistance (Ohm) of the fog light ground connection back to the battery negative?

Also, check the pig tails for evidence of overheating. This could make a weak connection at the fog lights where they test good but the lights do not work.

Reminder, that many cars have a circuit breaker in the head light switch. If overloaded, the head lights will go out. After cooling down, the CB will automatically reset. This may be important when installing any aftermarket changes that increases the current draw (such as brighter lights ect).

Yes, the test was made at the fog lights, but with a circuit tester, Not a multimeter. Unfortunetaly my multimeter is dead, so I'm going to have to buy a new one.(always happens when you need it lol) I used a chassis bolt as the negative for the circuit tester.

Pig tails show no sign of damage and neither does the ground wire or connection. Also the connection is pretty tight. All my wires are crimped tight and covered with heat shrink at all connections as well.

I read somewhere that the light switch runs off a 3V system.... Is it possible the relay could have blown somehow and the power showing at the pigtails is from that? and since its only 3V vs the 12V the lights are for, they just dont light?

And I thought that maybe there was a failsafe built in the factory box... and that could be why neither lights work rather than the just the one that blew.


Anyways I just bought an aftermarket relay that bolts up seperately from the fuse box and am going to attempt that. We will see if that works, if so then im guessing it either was the relay or something with the fuse box for those outlets.

 

[Ericf45040]

And Now for a lesson to everyone that seeks to do the same thing...... DONT MESS WITH YOUR CARS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This simple problem and issue just turned into total disaster, and I dont know where to begin.

I hooked everything for the fog lights up seperately from the fusebox like you should. BUT I still wanted the gt fog light switch to turn it on. So I hooked up the gt switch to the new relay and nothing happened. I wasnt sure why and just assumed it wasnt getting the power from the switch to the relay.

Now for the dumbest thing anyone has ever done to their car.... For two seconds I forgot that the light system or the switches inside were running off of a 3V system (or so I read somewhere). and I hooked the wire to the switch to the hot located on the fusebox.

result.... My headlights turn on and stayed on..... I opened the door to find the cabin full of smoke and two wires fried through as far as i can see into the harness.

Now the problem is that my car will no longer start, and even with the light switch disconnected, the headlights, parking lights, and interior lights will NOT turn off.


Im now sick to my stomach and banging my head against the wall

I'm assuming that I need to replace the interior wiring harness behind the dash... Dealer said around $460 bucks. But I guess what im asking here... does anyone know if theres a possibility that I fried the entire smart junction box as well?

 

['08GTcaRED]

No I don't have an answer, but I wish you luck sir! Electrical has and always will be my biggest problem. Hopefully someone can help ya out...

 

[Ericf45040]

No I don't have an answer, but I wish you luck sir! Electrical has and always will be my biggest problem. Hopefully someone can help ya out...

Thanks for the wish! Luckily all that happened was a single short between the wire I tapped into, and a negative wire at the switch connection. The negative wire completely fried its rubber housing and damaged some wires further down the wire harness.

The lucky part was that the wire only fried to the point where it connects with 5 other negative wires before heading behind the radio area. Just replaced a couple wires, and everything works fine. Just to be safe I looked over the entire harness and checked for any other damages or shorts.


Anyways for anyone else reading this.... Take this little lesson as a warning, and I strongly suggest wiring up any aftermarket fog lights seperate from the stock wiring system There are even some great looking rocker switches that I found that will match the interior very well.

 

[Ghostrider2k]

I went round and round looking for data so I made up a guide so others wouldn't have to go through what I did. Thus I am spreading the information on old posts, forgive me, for people using the search feature or coming in through Google search. This is also relatively cheap.
I put a pony package grille in mine (got it at Carlisle Car Show for $45) came with no lights, so I got some off of eBay for $30 clear lenses. Came with a harness and no directions.
I bought a GT headlight switch (mine was a base model with nothing special) off of eBay for $30, went to Autozone and got a generic Bosch style 4/5 pin relay, and here is what I did...

First disconnect your battery.......................
On a Bosch style 4/5 pin relay, do this;
Pin 30 and 86 slice together and run wires to your +12 volt source (fuse box bolt) and put a fuse between the splice and the power source.
Pin 87 run a wire to the (+) side of your fog lights.
Pin 85 run a wire from here to inside your car. If you have a headlight switch with fog option, great, if not get one.
Pop out your headlight switch. Use something thin and flat (knife, screwdriver, what have you. Just don't mar up you dash).
Once out, you will see two harnesses. One black and one gray. Disconnect them both if you are replacing the non-fog headlight switch with one that has fog light capability switch, otherwise just the gray harness.
On the gray harness, look for the orange wire with light green trace. (only one on the harness, its in a corner) Cut it 3-5 inches back.
On the car side of the cut wire, tape it up and secure it out of the way.
On the harness/switch side, connect the wire you ran into the car to the orange wire with light green trace. Solder/crimp connect and insulate.
Ground the (-) side of your fog lights to the frame/body.

You should test it all before popping the switch into the dash. You should have lights when you pull out on the switch with parking lights on.
This is called a ground trigger relay setup. Your switch, when on fog, grounds the circuit and activates the lights.
I also have a quick relay diagram if anyone needs it.

-GR2K

 

[promad]

I went round and round looking for data so I made up a guide so others wouldn't have to go through what I did. Thus I am spreading the information on old posts, forgive me, for people using the search feature or coming in through Google search. This is also relatively cheap.
I put a pony package grille in mine (got it at Carlisle Car Show for $45) came with no lights, so I got some off of eBay for $30 clear lenses. Came with a harness and no directions.
I bought a GT headlight switch (mine was a base model with nothing special) off of eBay for $30, went to Autozone and got a generic Bosch style 4/5 pin relay, and here is what I did...

First disconnect your battery.......................
On a Bosch style 4/5 pin relay, do this;
Pin 30 and 86 slice together and run wires to your +12 volt source (fuse box bolt) and put a fuse between the splice and the power source.
Pin 87 run a wire to the (+) side of your fog lights.
Pin 85 run a wire from here to inside your car. If you have a headlight switch with fog option, great, if not get one.
Pop out your headlight switch. Use something thin and flat (knife, screwdriver, what have you. Just don't mar up you dash).
Once out, you will see two harnesses. One black and one gray. Disconnect them both if you are replacing the non-fog headlight switch with one that has fog light capability switch, otherwise just the gray harness.
On the gray harness, look for the orange wire with light green trace. (only one on the harness, its in a corner) Cut it 3-5 inches back.
On the car side of the cut wire, tape it up and secure it out of the way.
On the harness/switch side, connect the wire you ran into the car to the orange wire with light green trace. Solder/crimp connect and insulate.
Ground the (-) side of your fog lights to the frame/body.

You should test it all before popping the switch into the dash. You should have lights when you pull out on the switch with parking lights on.
This is called a ground trigger relay setup. Your switch, when on fog, grounds the circuit and activates the lights.
I also have a quick relay diagram if anyone needs it.

-GR2K

 

[promad]

could you send me the relay diagram ?

 

[Reaper69]

I just wired my v6 lower led fog / spot lights in with a toggle switch. Switch fits perfectly just to the right of the light knob.

I wired it with a relay and a dpdt switch so it turns on and off with low beams, but I can also turn it on all the time if need be.

I have a hand drawn sketch if interested but my daughter skribbled on it a bit

 

[CtCarl]

...I put a pony package grille in mine (got it at Carlisle Car Show for $45) came with no lights, so I got some off of eBay for $30 clear lenses. Came with a harness and no directions.
-GR2K

Can you provide a link to the ebay listing? Everywhere I look a pair of fogs are at least $55 or so.