Replacing OEM Fog Lamps with Pilot PL-1055C Lights

[statikuz]

Replacing Factory Fog Lamps with Pilot PL-1055C Driving Lights

 

Edit: photos are long gone - I couldn't find them

 

Thanks to Mr. Pickles for much help!

 

Eventually, the bumper-mounted fog lights on your Pathfinder are going to have an unfortunate meeting with a rock, or another car, or maybe they're just going to commit heri-keri on you and cease to work. Sure, you could pay $40 per side to replace them with OEM fogs, but why would you do that when you can replace them with a much cheaper [and arguable better] alternative, such as the Pilot PL-1055C lamps. These can be had for cheap almost anywhere. Here's how to ditch your factory fog lamps and toss in some new Pilots. Estimated installation time is around 15-20 minutes per side for the novice mechanic. You're going to need: a screwdriver, pliers, a Torx-10 bit [to remove stock mounting screws], and a couple of bolts, nuts, and washers [to affix the new bracket to the old one].

 

First you will need to remove the old fog lamp. The stock fog lamps are held in by little clips, but this is only part of the whole fog lamp assembly. To get the WHOLE thing out, remove the two little plastic caps. These cover some screws. In mine they were Torx [Torx-10] screws, but in yours they may be different. Unscrew these, which hold in the stock fog light mounting bracket. While you're at it, you might want to remove the turn signal, which will allow you to remove the entire plastic trim piece, which makes doing this a little easier.

 

Once you get the stock bracket out, it will have the OEM fog housing still attached to it by a nut. Remove the nut, and remove the fog housing, leaving you with just a chunk of metal. You're now going to have to bend the bracket that came with your new lights to fit the curve of the OEM bracket.

 

You can pretty much do this with your hands. Now, to "connect" the two brackets.

 

Just use the hole in the middle of the Pilot bracket and the hole in the middle of the stock one. Use a screw, big flat washer, and nut to hold the two together. Now, this will place your new lamps a LITTLE towards the bottom of the stock location. If you want it more in the middle, this is not a problem.

 

Use some big pliers to bend the outside tabs of the Pilot bracket so they slant up a little bit. This will put the new light more in the middle of the stock hole.

 

Now, these are H3 lights, which will take any H3 bulb, which have a standard connector on them, which will fit into the stock connector in the bumper. However, the ground wire [black] from the new lights, doesn't fit right into the vehicle's ground wire [green]. Not a problem. Use some skinny needle nose pliers to pry out the round connector on the new wire so its flat, and some wire cutters [or the like] to trim it off so it will fit inside the stock connector.

 

Once you have it bent out, you can hook up all your wiring. Since the wires aren't protected in any sort of housing anymore, I wrapped them up with some electrical tape.

 

Cool. Now use the short stubby bolts that came with your new lights to connect the light itself to the mounting bracket system thingy. =) You might need to bend the bracket around a little more so the light fits in securely. Now that you have the light mounted in the bracket, the whole kit-and-kaboodle can go back into the bumper.

 

Put in the trim piece first, and then the turn signal. One of the turn signal screws also holds the trim piece, so if you do this, it won't be moving around on you as much when you screw in the bracket/light. Slide the bracket inside the hole in the bumper, and use the screws you originally took out to mount the bracket back into place. Make sure you put in the little plastic side pieces, or it won't work. =)

Edited January 5, 2010 by statikuz

[jdub]

Nice complete write up.

 

Between you and Pickles, everyone better be able to do this now, its so simple, even if you don't have stock fog lights like me.

 

I will have to get mine in one of these days.

[Mr. Pickles]

Also, you don't have to necessarily remove the plastic trim around the lights and such with the torx screws, although it may be easier. I don't know. Mine were rusted in place and just stripped when trying to remove those screws, so I removed the metal trim type piece that runs the length of the bumper just beneath and behind it. From here, its a bit of a squeeze, but you can reach the nut that holds the stock light to the bumper bracket. So, I never had to take out this piece that you screw the new pilot bracket too. I just did it with it still in the bumper, and the rest is the same.

[statikuz]

Yeah, the two on the passenger side of mine were rusted/stripped, so they had been replaced with normal screws. I guess you could take off the valence [is that what its called?] to get at the bracket and whatnot.

[revgolem]

does anyone have any advice or info on running the wiring for these? I apparently have the lights, and the switch, and SOME wiring... but it looks like there's no relay and these arn't ANY wires going to the switch. ugh...

[statikuz]

Just search around for "auxiliary light wiring" on Google. All of them are essentially the same.

 

http://www.carcentral.net/content/guides/H...liaryLights.php

[Crazy Geologist]

What about for the 91's that had the fog lamps mounted under the front bumper? Is there an easy swap for the oem BOSCH lamps? I busted one last winter, and the stealer says it is $200 for each side for the fog lamp assebly. Any one know of an alternative?

[josh]

<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>Replacing Factory Fog Lamps with Pilot PL-1055C Driving Lights</span>

 

 

Thanks to Mr. Pickles for much help and a picture or two. =)

 

Eventually, the bumper-mounted fog lights on your Pathfinder are going to have an unfortunate meeting with a rock, or another car, or maybe they're just going to commit heri-keri on you and cease to work. Sure, you could pay $40 per side to replace them with OEM fogs, but why would you do that when you can replace them with a much cheaper [and arguable better] alternative, such as the Pilot PL-1055C lamps. These can be had for cheap almost anywhere. Here's how to ditch your factory fog lamps and toss in some new Pilots. Estimated installation time is around 15-20 minutes per side for the novice mechanic. You're going to need: a screwdriver, pliers, a Torx-10 bit [to remove stock mounting screws], and a couple of bolts, nuts, and washers [to affix the new bracket to the old one].

 

First you will need to remove the old fog lamp. The stock fog lamps are held in by little clips, but this is only part of the whole fog lamp assembly. To get the WHOLE thing out, remove the two little plastic caps. These cover some screws. In mine they were Torx [Torx-10] screws, but in yours they may be different. Unscrew these, which hold in the stock fog light mounting bracket. While you're at it, you might want to remove the turn signal, which will allow you to remove the entire plastic trim piece, which makes doing this a little easier.

 

Once you get the stock bracket out, it will have the OEM fog housing still attached to it by a nut. Remove the nut, and remove the fog housing, leaving you with just a chunk of metal. You're now going to have to bend the bracket that came with your new lights to fit the curve of the OEM bracket. Thanks to Mr. Pickles for the following picture.

 

 

You can pretty much do this with your hands. Now, to "connect" the two brackets.

Most people drill two holes in the stock bracket, so they can position the Pilot bracket a little more in the middle of the stock one. However, I was lazy and didn't want to drill anything, so I came up with the following solution.

 

 

Just use the hole in the middle of the Pilot bracket and the hole in the middle of the stock one. Use a screw, big flat washer, and nut to hold the two together, as you can see in the picture above. Now, this will place your new lamps a LITTLE towards the bottom of the stock location. If you want it more in the middle, this is not a problem.

 

Use some big pliers to bend the outside tabs of the Pilot bracket so they slant up a little bit. This will put the new light more in the middle of the stock hole.

 

 

Now, these are H3 lights, which will take any H3 bulb, which have a standard connector on them, which will fit into the stock connector in the bumper. However, the ground wire [black] from the new lights, doesn't fit right into the vehicle's ground wire [green]. Not a problem. Use some skinny needle nose pliers to pry out the round connector on the new wire so its flat, and some wire cutters [or the like] to trim it off so it will fit inside the stock connector. Like so:

 

 

Once you have it bent out, you can hook up all your wiring. Since the wires aren't protected in any sort of housing anymore, I wrapped them up with some electrical tape.

 

 

Cool. Now use the short stubby bolts that came with your new lights to connect the light itself to the mounting bracket system thingy. =) You might need to bend the bracket around a little more so the light fits in securely. Now that you have the light mounted in the bracket, the whole kit-and-kaboodle can go back into the bumper.

 

Put in the trim piece first, and then the turn signal. One of the turn signal screws also holds the trim piece, so if you do this, it won't be moving around on you as much when you screw in the bracket/light. Slide the bracket inside the hole in the bumper, and use the screws you originally took out to mount the bracket back into place. Make sure you put in the little plastic side pieces, or it won't work. =)

 

BAM!

 

 

 

do you still have the pictures I would like to do this.

 

thanks

 

josh

[BLouisGod]

A lilttle note = I had oem fogs that didnt work for some reason. I used similarn Pilot fogs which are pretty ******, but to wire them up, i just ran the wire that connects the lamps (+) to the oem switch, using the terminal below the purple one, and remove the white wire. Now the work like stock.

[jitterymonkey]

OEM lights on my Pathy were busted out when I bought it so I'm going to do this swap.

 

Are these the best replacements out there?

 

Also I'm a cheapskate.

 

Summit racing wants 28.00 for the PL1055C lights,

anyone know of someplace that has them cheaper?

[GhostPath]

What about for the 91's that had the fog lamps mounted under the front bumper? Is there an easy swap for the oem BOSCH lamps? I busted one last winter, and the stealer says it is $200 for each side for the fog lamp assebly. Any one know of an alternative?

 

 

A long overdue reply - yes, Hella 450 will fit just fine. You will have to do some splicing of wires.

[5523Pathfinder]

Well, I had a rock take out my right fog lamp. I got one from Nissan, but apparently, its like the last one in the system. So, I looked this mod up a little to late as I got the lamp and installed it. What I noticed on the lamp is the factory Bosch part number. I thought I would pass it along if anyone would like it.

 

1 305 354 945

[silverton]

my broken ones part number is

 

0 305 555 002

[Tungsten]

The pilots don't seem to be available anymore.

 

EDIT: They're not on summit but Advance seems to have those.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_x_16280031-P_x_x?cm_mmc=CSE-_-Google-_-VALUE3-_-VALUE4&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=#

Edited February 5, 2012 by Tungsten

[Tungsten]

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Performance-Lighting-PL-1058M-Rectangular/dp/B000GUPB0I/ref=sr_1_78?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1328487849&sr=1-78

 

http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Performance-Lighting-PL-1058M-Rectangular/dp/B000GUPB0I/ref=sr_1_78?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1328487849&sr=1-78

 

Has anyone tried these? They also seem to be 5x2s.

[Tungsten]

Or these...

 

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97028_103.htm

 

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97028_101.htm

 

http://www.quadratec.com/products/97028_102.htm