a couple of lighting questions

[2point2]

96 Leg Outback

Driven at night 90% of the time.

 

Is there a simple way to make the fog/driving lights stay on when the high beams are on?

 

The reverse lights are intermittent. Where is the switch that activates them? The car is a 5spd.

 

Thanks for any input!

[EVOthis]

it is def. possible to rig the fog lights to come on with the high beams...but you could just get a set of aux. driving lights...(i dont know what the laws are were you are but here in PA if your fog lights dont go off when you switch on the high beams you will fail state inspection).......if i were you i would just get a set of driving lights if you want more light with you high beams on......

 

.......as for the reverse switch....what exactly do you mean its intermittent? the reverse lights are only working part of the time? nonetheless its a grey connector kind of next to the A/C reciever drier the connector is mounted on the bellhousing......to test to see if it truely is the switch....just unplug the connector and use a paper clip to jump the contacts and walk to the back of the car and see if the reverse lights are on....also check the wiring...could be a loose wire or something.....its fairly simple to change.....i think its a single 22mm it screws right in the side of the trans....(after you find the grey connector just follow the wire into the trans tunnel).

[edrach]

Fog lights: Use a relay to activate them. A fused 12V line to the relay contacts and then to the foglights. Coil activation can go to either the low or high beam, whichever you wish.

[2point2]

Thank you for the replies.

I took off the connector on the back of the foglight switch, and using a VOM figured out which wire was getting 12V with the low beams on but no voltage with the high beams on. I then jumped (connected) that wire to one that had 12V regardless of high/low selection. The fog lights stay on now with the high beams.

As far as the back-up switch - I have to PLANT the shifter in reverse - sometimes holding a slight pressure on it to keep the back-up lights lit. I do see the switch on the side of the tranny, but I don't think it's adjustable.

Thanks again everyone!

[forester2002s]

I then jumped (connected) that wire to one that had 12V regardless of high/low selection. The fog lights stay on now with the high beams.

Just a thought, but on my 2002 Forester, the headlights and foglights are fed from separate fuses.

In fact the LH headlamp, RH headlamp and foglight-pair are all on different fuses.

 

So I hope that you are not overloading a fuse by piggybacking two loads into one.

[2point2]

The wires that go to the fog light switch are very small and only have a small amount of current in them to control the fog light relay - the relay is where the full current to run the lights is drawn.

I will certainly update this thread if a problem arises.