Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 13:03:38 +0100
Reply-To: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Steven Fish <fish@SALZBURG.CO.AT>
Subject: Re: Any one activated rear fog in back light cluster?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
I have done this.
I live in Europe though.... and it is entirely possible that I have access
to parts that are not available in the States.
This would be an ultra-simple conversion... if only VW had not decided to
save the 3/4 of a cent on material costs on the tail light assembly for USA
imports.
Here's the deal:
Pull both taillights out, and release the bulb holder unit from the
reflector unit. You will see that on the right side there is a hole in the
reflector unit where your "rear fog lamp" would be... on the left there is
none.
Look at the "circuit board" of the bulb holder units... there is a hole for
the rear fog bulb in the correct position, on both left and right units...
but there is NO SPRING inside for the bulb contact (and to hold the bulb
in). This is because apparently VW thought it was necessary to produce two
different versions of the bulb holder circuit board unit... one for the USA
and one for EUROPA (major pain in the butt here).
Mine, which were traded out at a dealer here in Europe years ago, have the
P/Ns as follows:
LI (links = left) 251 945 257 EUROPA, and
RE (rechts = right) 251 945 258 EUROPA.
USA models have the exact P/N but there is a USA stamped on the metal
circuit board, instead of a EUROPA. This means that the spring is not there
(although all other wiring is present) for the USA ones.
I guess if I were doing this conversion in the States I would first try to
see if I could create a suitable spring (see how the other bulbs are held in
first) and try to attach it to the open connector right next to the outlet
on the circuit board. If you can do this, then you are on your way. You may
even be able to steal a fe "spring pieces" from an old assembly, and manage
to get them in... looks tricky though.
Next, you would run a red wire from under your dash, out the front firewall,
following the A/C wiring etc. back to the driver's side tail light. Measure
a length of red wire across to the passenger side tail light (leave some
extra for play of course). strip the ends of the wires, and connect the
drivers side tail light wire, to the length which also runs to the passenger
side tail light... and crimp a female spade connector to these two wires
together... solder if you are a freak, like me. Snap the female spade
connector into the rear of the bulb assembly into the open position between
all your other tail light female spade connector wires.
Now run that length of red wire from the drivers side light, over to the
passenger side light, hiding it nicely behind the coolant overflow etc....
crimp on the female spade, and click into the connector as above.
You are now ready to CUT YOUR REFLECTOR UNITS! The drivers side has to be
cut anyway, as there is no hole at all, and the passenger side should be cut
too, as the hole is too small for the required 12 watt bulb to fit into.
Get a nice sharp drill bit, and make a hole, and then a little saw, as is on
your Swiss Army Knife can be used to make a hole... it should be of course
bigger than the bulb diameter.
Once your holes are set, you can do the electrical up front, which is just a
matter of having power coming off the battery into the number 30 terminal of
a 30 amp headlight type relay... Terminal 87 would be the wire going out to
the tails... and the 86 is the ground. 85 comes off your fog light switch
(you can decide which position to use... the way they do it here, is
position one is front fogs only, i think, and position 2 is both front and
rear fogs).
The power for your fog switch needs to be a hot power source ONLY when the
lights are on (and ignition is on) you can steal this from the main
headlight switch with no problem... just splice the correct wire over.
(if you have front fogs too, you need to do this wiring set up for them too,
with a seperate relay etc.)
Then test it out! You will see a nice bright red light in each of these
rear fog positions, when the switch is on.... very cool!
The question remains though... could this modification actually be going
agains certain states inspection codes???
Anyway, feel free to Pmail me if you need more details. I wrote this really
quickly... so I hope it is clear.
Ciao,
RSF
<º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{ <º)))>{
Robert S. Fish
Salzburg, Austria
1987 Wolfsburg Vanagon 2.1 GL Weekender
1987 Golf Cabriolet
1991 Golf
----- Original Message -----
From: "DaveC" <voicebox@DNAI.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Friday, March 29, 2002 9:43 AM
Subject: Re: Any one activated rear fog in back light cluster?
> >>I picked up a fog light switch for my 87 Westy and have a set of Hella
fogs
> >>left over from my rallying days. The fog light switch has two
> >>positions...one for rear fog, and the other for front and rear fog. I
took
> >>the tail light unit out of the right side of my Westy and there is a
hole
> >>for a bulb where the European versions have the rear fog, but the bulb
> >>holder does not have the wiring.
> >>
> >>Has anyone ever converted their US spec tail lights to have a rear fog?
If
> >>so can you tell me how you did it?
>
> -=-=-=-
>
> >Is this BOTH lights or only the right? I pulled my Caravelle's left
> >and there was no foglight provision.
>
> I believe it is the right only. Typical configuration in Europe, I
> think. My '84 Mercedes has right tail fog availability (no bulb). No
> left, though.
>
> I converted both (left and right) fog locations to extra brake lights
> (in the MB). Don't drive much in the fog...
>
> Dave
> --
> Dave Carpenter
>
> Whatever you wish for me,
> May you have twice as much.
>
> "Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think
> we're not. In either case the idea is quite staggering." -- Arthur C.
> Clark
>
