changing a reverse light to a fog light

[matlee]

Ive searched pretty much every where for a guide on how to carry this mod out but with no luck so im hoping someone can help out a little?

[CaptiV8ted]

I did this mod earlier this year because I couldn't bear the poxy add-on light strapped under the bumper. You will need a 21W red fog light bulb. These are common later Focuses and such, that have clear rear lenses.

First of all,you'll need the remove the reversing bulb from the driver's side light cluster. replace this with the red bulb. Cut the wires feeding the bulb holder and tape them up with insulating tape or a closed / female bullet connector. Not too short though, as you'll be joining the fog light wires to this after. The wires going to your original fog light need cutting from the fog lamp and threading up into the boot. In the boot floor near the battery, I have a rubber grommet. I don't know if this is standard or not. I fed the wires through this and joined the wires to the bulb holder wires. You'll need to identify with one is the +12 Volt and which is earth. Best join is solder and heat shrink, but crimp on connectors will suffice.

That essentially is it. My MOT man didn't like the fact that my fog light switch didn't have an amber indicator lamp on the dash, so I had to run a parallel cable in from the light cluster to retain the original switch. A cheapy amber lamp from a motor factor in a switch blanking panel rectified that. How did it pass numerous MOTs before I asked seeing the original switch has no amber light? He said it shouldn't have basically...

There is a very good guide here...

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6...

...Just thought I'd add my own experience to the mix.

[Gilhooligan]

I'm looking to do this also. But surely, can't you just reroute the fog lamp wires to the driver side reverse light and connect it to the reverse lamp connectors on the rear of the light cluster, then just add a red bulb?

[VladD]

Gilhooligan said:

I'm looking to do this also. But surely, can't you just reroute the fog lamp wires to the driver side reverse light and connect it to the reverse lamp connectors on the rear of the light cluster, then just add a red bulb?

I've done it to mine, but I have the centre mounted boot brake light, so I did it to that. The the centre light now doubles up as a brake light and a fog light. Very cool.

Edited by VladD on Monday 5th November 14:30

[CaptiV8ted]

Gilhooligan said:

I'm looking to do this also. But surely, can't you just reroute the fog lamp wires to the driver side reverse light and connect it to the reverse lamp connectors on the rear of the light cluster, then just add a red bulb?

Isn't that exactly what I've explained above?

[Gilhooligan]

CaptiV8ted said:

Isn't that exactly what I've explained above?

Upon re-reading your post, yes it is. What I don't get though is why you needed to run a second wire to allow for an amber fog light indicator? If you are using the original fog lamp wire and just re-routing it to the drivers side reverse light why do you need to do that?
Do enlighten me as I want to do this but I'm not particularly clued up with the electric side of cars!

[CaptiV8ted]

For MOT, you should have an indicator lamp so it's blindingly obvious when your fog light is on. The original fog lamp switch did not have any kind of illumination. Hence why I quizzed the MOT man. If your happy to have an after-market switch (as shown on the MX5Nutz thread), then you'll already have the indicator included in the switch (easy life). If you wish to keep it more original as I did, you have to have some sort of parallel arrangement, so the amber indicator lights up when the fog light is on. Unless, that is, your MOT chap is more relaxed than mine!

[Gilhooligan]

CaptiV8ted said:

For MOT, you should have an indicator lamp so it's blindingly obvious when your fog light is on. The original fog lamp switch did not have any kind of illumination. Hence why I quizzed the MOT man. If your happy to have an after-market switch (as shown on the MX5Nutz thread), then you'll already have the indicator included in the switch (easy life). If you wish to keep it more original as I did, you have to have some sort of parallel arrangement, so the amber indicator lights up when the fog light is on. Unless, that is, your MOT chap is more relaxed than mine!

I see!
Tbh I know the guy who does my mot's. If he can pass my car with a de-cat then I'm sure ill be fine

[CaptiV8ted]

Happy days! I said at my MOT, 'How come it's passed since it was imported in '07 then?'

He told me blankly that it shouldn't have. So what happens if you have a really old classic car? You have to butcher the electrics for a silly little amber light? Load of toss.

[timbo999]

Good guide to doing this in latest Hardtop Softtop - OC mag

[Eunos226]

I know it's a long while since this subject came up but you can "multi task" the reverse light to also be a rear fog. Classic Car LEDs supply a dual purpose LED bulb, it needs a bit of fiddling , but basically you need to fit a switch inc warning light (if you don't have one) to turn on the reverse light.
The bulb holder, also available from Classic Car LEDs, will need to be changed to fit the new LED, one side Fog the other Reverse. All this is a fairly straight forward wiring job, probably and hour or so to do.

[finishing touch]

I see getting rid of your reverse light as a backward step.



Reversing lights (IMHO) are way more important than fog lights.

My thoughts on fogs; all you need do is drive at a speed that is sensible for the road conditions and within minutes you will have a tailgater
flashing his blue, high intensity main beams at you, while posting on his phone (on P H ) about those inconsiderate drivers who deliberately
dazzle them. They will of course have their mains, dips, drl's, fogs and carbon arc spot lights burning the paint off your boot lid.

My thoughts on reversing lights; apart from the obvious illumination of whats behind you in the dark, they also tell the driver behind that you
have stopped to parallel park, or possibly that you are about to reverse out of a parking space, drive, petrol pump space etc.
As many pedestrians are also drivers they may well appreciate a warning that a car is about to move backwards.


In the 9 months I've owned my MX5 I don't think I've used rear fogs once, but I've needed reverse lights almost every time I've been out.



I should point out that my MX5 is a second car and if I was to go out on a foggy November night to dodge the cars parked the wrong way
round with no lights at all then I'd take the Merc.

Pau G

[Gilhooligan]

finishing touch said:

I see getting rid of your reverse light as a backward step.



Reversing lights (IMHO) are way more important than fog lights.

My thoughts on fogs; all you need do is drive at a speed that is sensible for the road conditions and within minutes you will have a tailgater
flashing his blue, high intensity main beams at you, while posting on his phone (on P H ) about those inconsiderate drivers who deliberately
dazzle them. They will of course have their mains, dips, drl's, fogs and carbon arc spot lights burning the paint off your boot lid.

My thoughts on reversing lights; apart from the obvious illumination of whats behind you in the dark, they also tell the driver behind that you
have stopped to parallel park, or possibly that you are about to reverse out of a parking space, drive, petrol pump space etc.
As many pedestrians are also drivers they may well appreciate a warning that a car is about to move backwards.


In the 9 months I've owned my MX5 I don't think I've used rear fogs once, but I've needed reverse lights almost every time I've been out.



I should point out that my MX5 is a second car and if I was to go out on a foggy November night to dodge the cars parked the wrong way
round with no lights at all then I'd take the Merc.

Pau G

It’s just the removal of one reverse light though? So you still have a reverse light..
I converted mine years ago. One of the best cheap/ free mods you can do as most fog lights, whether Mazda UK fitted or aftermarket import, invariably look terrible.

[finishing touch]

Gilhooligan said:

It’s just the removal of one reverse light though? So you still have a reverse light..
I converted mine years ago. One of the best cheap/ free mods you can do as most fog lights, whether Mazda UK fitted or aftermarket import, invariably look terrible.

Apologies. I haven't grasped what this is about.

I have a Mk 2.5 where the inboard light on the cars offside is the fog and the inboard on the cars nearside is the reverse.
Pic shows my nearside light unit.

I had this vision of a red bulb replacing the clear reversing bulb.


Whoops, Sorry.

[Mighty-147]

CaptiV8ted said:

I did this mod earlier this year because I couldn't bear the poxy add-on light strapped under the bumper. You will need a 21W red fog light bulb. These are common later Focuses and such, that have clear rear lenses.

First of all,you'll need the remove the reversing bulb from the driver's side light cluster. replace this with the red bulb. Cut the wires feeding the bulb holder and tape them up with insulating tape or a closed / female bullet connector. Not too short though, as you'll be joining the fog light wires to this after. The wires going to your original fog light need cutting from the fog lamp and threading up into the boot. In the boot floor near the battery, I have a rubber grommet. I don't know if this is standard or not. I fed the wires through this and joined the wires to the bulb holder wires. You'll need to identify with one is the +12 Volt and which is earth. Best join is solder and heat shrink, but crimp on connectors will suffice.

That essentially is it. My MOT man didn't like the fact that my fog light switch didn't have an amber indicator lamp on the dash, so I had to run a parallel cable in from the light cluster to retain the original switch. A cheapy amber lamp from a motor factor in a switch blanking panel rectified that. How did it pass numerous MOTs before I asked seeing the original switch has no amber light? He said it shouldn't have basically...

There is a very good guide here...

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=6...

...Just thought I'd add my own experience to the mix.

Excellent!

I have been planning to do this also...

I already have a switch for the fog light on the side of the dash in the drivers footwell area just below knee height.
The switch lights up red when on and passes this with the MOT just fine.

There is one aspect I need clearing up with the swapping of the reverse light and rear fog wires though....

So I'll de-solder and un-attach the reverse light wires feeding the bulb cluster on the driver's side..

Then the wires from the Rear Fog are cut and are re-routed and soldered/ attached to the rear bulb cluster and a red bulb put in.

(actually what I might do is do a trick that I've done with some front indicator Amber lights where the paint has come off whereby instead of replacing bulbs where the amber paint has come off; because the bulb still works ok I've covered it carefully with an orange sweetie wrapper like the ones that come off from chocolates such as 'Roses' or 'Quality Street'. It's a cheap fix and it lasts ages and passes it's MOT lol!
So I'll just reuse the Fog light but cover it in red sweetie film wrapper haha)

Right so with the red Fog Light Bulb in place it should shine through sufficiently through the clear lens cluster right?

So my question is this; the wires for the reversing light on the driver-side which are now unused ; do I just tape the ends 'capping off' the wiring or are they joined or soldered together to complete the wiring 'loop'?

I guess I could answer my own question by just doing it and seeing if the passenger-side reverse light works with the unattached driver-side reverse light wires just left unconnected...

Thanks for any help!

[Mighty-147]

timbo999 said:

Good guide to doing this in latest Hardtop Softtop - OC mag

Hurrah thanks I found it and have started doing this!
The only thing it doesn’t explain is;

The black wire from the fog lamp; what happens to this? Do I just tape the end up or something?...