Do you face difficulty while driving? Do fog limit your vision or do you find it painful to travel in winters? If Yes, Then you are no different. Every driver, including the experts, finds it hard to drive in fog. But the question is, Is there any way we can get rid of this fog.
Fog lights are misunderstood most of the time. Many drivers confuse them with the headlights. They use them to serve the purpose of low beams at night. But this is not the right way to use them. Fog lights are produced specially for different purposes, and you must use them wisely.
Headlights and fog lights
There are two types of lights.
Headlights
Headlights are the standard that every vehicle has. They are mandatory, and it is illegal to drive without them. Since they are necessary by law, You will find headlights on every automobile. The headlights assist the driver in seeing things at night.
Fog Lights
Fog lights, on the other hand, have a specific purpose. As the name sounds. We use them in fog. Unlike headlights, fog lights pass through the fog and give a better vision of the roads. Moreover, they also help other drivers to find your position on the road.
Type of Fog Lights
We divide Fog lights into various groups depending on model, type, or usability. You can find fog lights with different bulbs in them like halogens, LEDs, or HIDs.
But we are not going to talk about the technology they use. Since our goal is to find, How to install fog lights on your car.
We divide the fog lights into two categories.
- Universal
- Model Specific
Universal fog lights
Universal fog lights can be used on any vehicle. We see them mostly on jeeps or SUVs. If you want to install universal fog lights on your car? Just find the right place for them, Then drill some holes and do some wiring, and everything shall be perfect.
Model Specific fog lights
If you own a sedan or you do not want your car to look like junk. Then go for model-specific fog lights. Find the headlights that are designed specifically for your model. These fog lights will have housing that will elegantly fit your car, and you will not have to make a lot of changes to your vehicle.
Step by step to install Fog Lights
After getting familiar with the basic categories of fog lights. Now it is time to step into the installation process:
- We will start with electrical wiring. First of all, find the hole in the vehicle firewall. From the firewall, we will pass the fog lights wire into the interior of your car. (Firewall is part of the vehicle body that separates the engine from the interior).
- Now you will find three wires going into the fog lights switch. Ground the black one with any metal point in your car that is unpainted.
- The second wire will be red. It will go straight to the fog light relay switch. The other wire from the relay directly connects with the battery of your car.
- The last one will go into the fuse box. It is an optional wire that goes to your ignition switch fuse. This wire makes sure that your fog lights only turn on when the ignition switch is On. You can bypass this wire to use fog lights without turning your ignition to the On position.
- Once you have done the basic wirings, The next thing is to go for fog light installation. If you have bought the vehicle-specific fog lights. Then you will be able to find places already made on the bumper for these fog lights. But if there is no place on the bumper, then you will have to drill and grind the holes based on judgments.
- Drill the hole in your car bumper. If you find it hard. You can ask a professional mechanic to do it for you. Then install your fog lights assembly and tighten the screws to hold them in place.
- Take the red wire of both fog lights and tie them with the wire coming from the firewall. Take the black wires of fog lights and ground both of them with a non-painted bolt under the hood.
- Finally, connect the relay wire to your car battery. And test your car’s fog lights.
Note: You have to understand all of these steps, and read the manuals several times before finalizing the installation process. Fog light installation requires skills and without proper installation. Your car may catch fire.
Finally, You are done with installation. But wait there is one step remaining. How would you maintain your headlights and fog lights? This is a crucial step and without proper maintenance, your fog lights will be of no use. It is recommended to use a Headlight Restoration Kit. This kit gives the headlights or fog lights a new look without compromising their lifespan. Wiping with a microfiber cloth takes away dirt for a while. But it destroys your vehicle lights in the future.
