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OEM Fog Lights NonOp - Purple Wire, Relay, or ?


xterra
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The OEM fog lights haven't worked since I bought my Pathy. So since I had it inside anyway to clean the leaves out of the heater box and change out the rear window washer nozzle, I figured I'd tackle this too.

 

Thanks to the information from Trogdor636 I found in this thread, I was able to trace out the wiring and do some testing.

 

Switch: Apparently works. I get continuity between the green + yellow (back and middle) wires when the switch is pushed in (which I assume if off). I get continuity between green + purple (back and front) (and green + yellow) in the "on" position. The switch looks like it might illuminate, but it never has lit up.

Wires going to the switch: Nothing. Nada, No power between any of them with the engine off, acc, or on. No power between any of them with the headlights on or off. I assumed it was a blown fuse until I found and tested it.

Fuse: Looked okay, confirmed continuity, changed it out anyway.

Fog Lights: Work when connected directly to a 12V source.

Relay: Unknown. (How do I test a relay to know if it's working???) :shrug:

Disconnected wire: :scratchhead: The purple wire in the engine compartment isn't hooked up to anything (see below). By the looks of it, it's never been hooked up to anything. And I have no way of knowing if the fog lights ever worked.

 

Since these were dealer (or port) installed, they're not in the FSM. (And it explains all of the extra wire tucked into the fender and zip tied by the relay and under the bumper.) Any information or other ideas would be greatly appreciated.

fog1.png

 

I'm eventually planning to replace the OEM lights when I add a brush guard, but that's still a ways off. So I'd like to get these working until I get to that point.

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I have the full foglight harness out of my 92 in the garage, if needed for reference.

 

Without looking at it, I seem to recall that the purple wire tapped into another wire under the dash for power to the switch or relay.

Edited by 92Path_68CJ
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That purple wire, I think, is supposed to connect to the low beam positive wire. The relay won't let it work without that wire reading the low beams are on. I just by passed that and have them directly wired to the battery with a switch and fuse, which is illegal, but who's going to look.

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Before you do that, check if the relay has one to the low beam wire first. Don't want you to screw something up, but I had a purple wire before I rewired mine and it was there, but the PO might have done something.

 

To Skibumbrian: Aren't the switch wires usually yellow and green for harnesses. But I might be wrong, I've only used Bosch and some old Napa fog lights.

Edited by Bubbley11
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Been trying to get mine to work recently. Replaced both bulbs ( burnt out), nothing. Figured it was the relay, replaced it, nothing. Started tracing wiring and power, had constant 12V to the relay but still no lights. That is when I found that if I took the purple wire and hooked it directly to the + post of the battery the relay clicked and had 12V on the out of the relay, but for me, still no lights. I have a short or open in the circuit between the relay and the lamps, just haven't got around to rewiring that yet. But if I leave the switch on the console off and power the purple wire, nothing. If I turn the switch on and power the purple wire I can hear the relay close. I just deduced that it was the exciter wire....

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I believe it is also, but you hooked it up in a different spot than I. I believe it pops on, when the power to the lights turns on, making them able to turn on.

 

As for the short look inside the housing of the light, I had a short there and it drove me nuts looking for it.

Edited by Bubbley11
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I just did that for troubleshooting purposes but might leave it that way so the fogs are not dependent on the headlight switch... I have not opened up the lamps again and did any continuity or voltage checks but will soon.. Thanks for the tip, worst case scenario I will have to run new wires....If I get mine operational before the OP I will post some pics and results.

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So just got back in from the garage and the fog lights now work like they should - but it wasn't nearly as easy as it should have been. Simple, yes - but not easy.

 

The short version: Bubbley11 was right. The purple wire does need voltage for the fog lights to work. I connected the purple wire directly to the battery and the fogs worked.

 

Then I made the mistake of wanting to hook it up "the right way" - so that they only work when the low beams are on.

 

The long version: There was a crimp-on butt connector less than an inch away from the bulb socket. I'm guessing that the fogs were connected there at one point, but the tap connector cut through the wire and whoever repaired it just wanted the headlight working. Either that, or someone many years ago way a sadist and knew that I'd need to make a connection there in 2014.

 

While I wasn't thrilled with this setup, I didn't want to mess with it either. "It's been like that for a long time," I said to myself. So I cleaned up the purple wire from where I had put on a test lead. I grabbed a new tap connector, put it all together, and tested it. Success. I win!!

 

Because of the location of the tap, I figure it wouldn't hurt to wrap some electric tape around it (to keep out any water) before shoving it all back in. While I'm putting the tape on, the wire from the bulb end of the barrel connector decides that now would be the perfect time to slide out and say hello to me... :doh:

 

Okay. Deep Breath. I figured that this is just fate telling me that, since I'm already here, I should fix it right. Or as right as I can make it with less than an inch of wire. I pull off the barrel connector and the tap connector and get out the soldering iron and shrink tubing.

 

I look at the soldering iron and am quickly reminded that I need a new tip. So after a trip to Radio Shack, I'm all set. Except that the wire is extremely corroded. And despite my best cleaning effort, I can't get any solder to stick.

 

Let's see - time for plan C. I dig out my box of electrical connectors to see what other options I have. I have some quick disconnect crimp on connectors. That should work. So I crimp one connector to the stubby on the socket and the other to both the low beam lead and purple wire. Slip on some heat shrink tubing, connect the wires, add some heat to the tubing, and it's done. Success. Victory is mine!

 

So I tuck the wiring back into place, but remember that I pulled the tap connector. I get out my electrical tape to cover the hole in the insulator (and keep out any water)... and see that the wire has already broken at that very spot. :headwall:

 

Deep breath. One more. Okay.

 

Plan D. I've lost about 2" of lead for the low beams, so I need to make up for that. I've got a whole lot of extra length in the purple cable... Hmm.

 

I could use a tap connector to add the lead to the purple wire, but that didn't work out to well last time.

 

So I cut a 4" piece of the purple wire. I grab a barrel connector and crimp the low beam lead and purple lead to one end, and the 4" piece to the other. I crimped that lead to another barrel connector that I then crimped to the stubby. I make sure that all the connections are tight and none of the wire is going to slip out. It's not pretty, but it works. Next time I go to the JY, I'll grab a new bulb socket and cut the leads as far back as I can. There shouldn't be any corrosion, so I'll solder everything and shrink tube it.

 

I look at the connections and think "You know, I should probably wrap the ends in electrical tape (to keep out any water)." So I took my electrical tape, threw it in the toolbox, and came inside to have a beer.

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Next time you're at Ratshack, pick up some soldering flux. It's great for soldering to things that don't want to be soldered to.

 

Good to hear you got them working, finally. It's never as simple as it seems like it should be. :rolleyes:

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Bubbley11- I had to go in that hole at some point - at least now I know how it's all put together. That will make it a lot easier to tear apart later on. :) Besides, I actually like working on electrical. As long as you keep your polarity straight, there are only three possibilities: It works (which is good), it doesn't work (which is bad), or or goes fizzle-fizzle-boom (which is a great excuse reason to get a new toy). :lol:

 

Slartibartfast- Thanks. I'd never even thought of that - and I've got flux in my toolbox from when I had to do some copper pipe work. :doh:

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