Fog Light Installation Notes
My fog lights are installed, and functioning, with Chuck’s wiring modification, slightly modified. Thanks Chuck!
Honda should not be proud of the installation instructions. They could have been much better. Here are some of my comments:
When cutting the bumper openings forget measuring 10mm on the outside and 12mm on the inside; just use the existing openings on the left side and the corner holes on the right side as a guide. Be sure you don’t cut off the rib. In general, you don’t have to worry too much about making the hole a little too big, but if you make it too small you’ll have to spend time enlarging it. Test the fit of the light housings in the openings before you remove the bumper.
The instructions clearly instruct you to use the 5 x 10 mm washer-screws to install the light brackets. These are too short to mate with the spring nuts; use the longer screws here. Likewise, the “special washer-screws” are too long (or at least longer than necessary) to mount the light housing to the brackets, use the short ones. (Sure wish I had known this sooner.)
Either the wiring harness tags or the instructions misidentify the harnesses. This is pretty obvious when you go to install them. This error sure doesn’t instill confidence in the instructions.
Unless you’re working in a very clean area, put a plastic bag or tape over the fog light connectors and connector for Relay A while you’re working with the engine compartment harness. Since these connectors contain grease they attract dirt, sand, etc.
Install the clips for the right side of the wiring harness starting from the right side and working toward the left. It’s easier to line them up this way. You may find that the last clip needs to be removed and replaced with a wire tie. BTW a small socket makes a good tool to remove these clips.
Install Chuck’s wiring mod so you have absolute control over the fog lights. However, instead of soldering a jumper behind the light switch, install two wires with male/female connectors back where the legs of the harness come together. This way you can revert to “factory” operation by connecting the relay and disconnecting the jumper. You might want to do this if you sell the vehicle, many years from now
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The grommet through the firewall is a great path for other wires, e.g., your external thermometer probe. Open up the tape and fish it through before you install the grommet.
Does/did anyone install silicone sealer around the grommet, per the instructions? I think it’s much more likely to leak because the tape comes loose (remember, you took it loose when you ran the wire for your thermometer). Since the grommet fits very well, if it’s going to leak the van is in danger of sinking and this becomes a very minor problem.
Consider cutting out a slot in the mounting tab for Relay B. Getting the mounting screw out isn’t too difficult, but I had a terrible time getting it back in. I couldn’t get both hands in place hanging upside down under the dash. Cutting a slot in the side of the mounting tab, so that it could be installed by simply loosening the bolt would have saved a lot of time and frustration. It’d still be very secure.
Hope this helps someone.
Mel
Honda should not be proud of the installation instructions. They could have been much better. Here are some of my comments:
When cutting the bumper openings forget measuring 10mm on the outside and 12mm on the inside; just use the existing openings on the left side and the corner holes on the right side as a guide. Be sure you don’t cut off the rib. In general, you don’t have to worry too much about making the hole a little too big, but if you make it too small you’ll have to spend time enlarging it. Test the fit of the light housings in the openings before you remove the bumper.
The instructions clearly instruct you to use the 5 x 10 mm washer-screws to install the light brackets. These are too short to mate with the spring nuts; use the longer screws here. Likewise, the “special washer-screws” are too long (or at least longer than necessary) to mount the light housing to the brackets, use the short ones. (Sure wish I had known this sooner.)
Either the wiring harness tags or the instructions misidentify the harnesses. This is pretty obvious when you go to install them. This error sure doesn’t instill confidence in the instructions.
Unless you’re working in a very clean area, put a plastic bag or tape over the fog light connectors and connector for Relay A while you’re working with the engine compartment harness. Since these connectors contain grease they attract dirt, sand, etc.
Install the clips for the right side of the wiring harness starting from the right side and working toward the left. It’s easier to line them up this way. You may find that the last clip needs to be removed and replaced with a wire tie. BTW a small socket makes a good tool to remove these clips.
Install Chuck’s wiring mod so you have absolute control over the fog lights. However, instead of soldering a jumper behind the light switch, install two wires with male/female connectors back where the legs of the harness come together. This way you can revert to “factory” operation by connecting the relay and disconnecting the jumper. You might want to do this if you sell the vehicle, many years from now
The grommet through the firewall is a great path for other wires, e.g., your external thermometer probe. Open up the tape and fish it through before you install the grommet.
Does/did anyone install silicone sealer around the grommet, per the instructions? I think it’s much more likely to leak because the tape comes loose (remember, you took it loose when you ran the wire for your thermometer). Since the grommet fits very well, if it’s going to leak the van is in danger of sinking and this becomes a very minor problem.
Consider cutting out a slot in the mounting tab for Relay B. Getting the mounting screw out isn’t too difficult, but I had a terrible time getting it back in. I couldn’t get both hands in place hanging upside down under the dash. Cutting a slot in the side of the mounting tab, so that it could be installed by simply loosening the bolt would have saved a lot of time and frustration. It’d still be very secure.
Hope this helps someone.
Mel
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I think there is no use for fog light in Arizona. I probably keep the 2 port holes open for air inlet to the engine. It might be better for the car. If I live in the central valley of California, it is a different story. I used to live there for almost 20 yrs. The fog can get very ugly in winter; then I need a fog light.
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342 Posts
Hi Folks,
Well, I installed my fog lamps and transmission cooler this evening. I did the transmission cooler right before I reinstalled the front facia. It was one of the easier installs I've done and I didn't loose as much transmission fluid as I expected to. All went well with the fog light installation accept for a minor problem reinstalling the front facia on the fan. It seems there's a styrofoam bumper that pads between the metal support that it the "real" bumper and the plastic of the front facia. I accidentally pumped that with my knee and knocked it off. No big deal I thought, it just snaps right in place. Only problem is, I put it on upside down.
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This made it impossible for the facia to line up properly with the rest of the car. After much fussing, I finally figured out what I was doing wrong, turned the styrofoam part over, and the front facia just slid in place!
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At this point in time, I'd like to offer a hearty thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU, to Mel. You're notes posted at the beginning of this thread were a BIG help. You were absolutely right on the mounting bolts for the fog lamps themselves. I don't know what Honda was thinking with those 10mm bolts. They are way to short for their intended purpose. Fortunately, they were easily interchanged with the longer ones in the kit and it wasn't a problem.
I didn't have any problems with the wiring looms themselves. As you said, they're pretty obvious when you look at them. Also my car is new enough that dirt in the engine compartment isn't a signficant problem yet. You're recommendation to install the retaining clips from the cars right to left also made sense once I got into it. Things worked out much easier that way.
And last but certainly not least, your recommendation to cut a slot in the mounting bracket for relay B was spot on. Once I got under the dash and started loosening that bolt, it became immediately obvious that this was going to be a "no win" situation and I guarentee that I'd have done exactly what you did without the 20/20 hind sight that you provided at this stage of the install process.
I'd also like to thank Chuck for his detective work in figuring out how to keep the fog lights active on high beam. I made that mod and am really glad I did. I didn't worry about the parking light mod as that's not a biggy to me and besides, I wasn't in the mood to do the soldering job. I'm very happy with how this worked out.
Well, I think I'm done with the add on's for a while. I may get the bug/stone deflector for the hood later on. Right now, after the subwoofer/in-dash CD changer special, the fog light special and tranny cooler modes, I've got a few bills to pay off.
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I've got the car pretty much like I invisioned it now anyway!
That's it guys!
Take Care & Drive Safe,
Steve
Well, I installed my fog lamps and transmission cooler this evening. I did the transmission cooler right before I reinstalled the front facia. It was one of the easier installs I've done and I didn't loose as much transmission fluid as I expected to. All went well with the fog light installation accept for a minor problem reinstalling the front facia on the fan. It seems there's a styrofoam bumper that pads between the metal support that it the "real" bumper and the plastic of the front facia. I accidentally pumped that with my knee and knocked it off. No big deal I thought, it just snaps right in place. Only problem is, I put it on upside down.
At this point in time, I'd like to offer a hearty thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU, to Mel. You're notes posted at the beginning of this thread were a BIG help. You were absolutely right on the mounting bolts for the fog lamps themselves. I don't know what Honda was thinking with those 10mm bolts. They are way to short for their intended purpose. Fortunately, they were easily interchanged with the longer ones in the kit and it wasn't a problem.
I didn't have any problems with the wiring looms themselves. As you said, they're pretty obvious when you look at them. Also my car is new enough that dirt in the engine compartment isn't a signficant problem yet. You're recommendation to install the retaining clips from the cars right to left also made sense once I got into it. Things worked out much easier that way.
And last but certainly not least, your recommendation to cut a slot in the mounting bracket for relay B was spot on. Once I got under the dash and started loosening that bolt, it became immediately obvious that this was going to be a "no win" situation and I guarentee that I'd have done exactly what you did without the 20/20 hind sight that you provided at this stage of the install process.
I'd also like to thank Chuck for his detective work in figuring out how to keep the fog lights active on high beam. I made that mod and am really glad I did. I didn't worry about the parking light mod as that's not a biggy to me and besides, I wasn't in the mood to do the soldering job. I'm very happy with how this worked out.
Well, I think I'm done with the add on's for a while. I may get the bug/stone deflector for the hood later on. Right now, after the subwoofer/in-dash CD changer special, the fog light special and tranny cooler modes, I've got a few bills to pay off.
That's it guys!
Take Care & Drive Safe,
Steve
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1,383 Posts
Intrepid175 and tomhan,
You're very welcome, I've very happy you found the information useful.
Please note, the wiring modification to allow operation of the fog lights anytime the parking lights are on can be made without any soldering. Use "3M™ Scotchlok™ 557 Electrical IDC, Pigtail" (I copied that description from the 3M page), or something similar, to tap into the wiring for the fog light switch. These work especially well when you make the mod back on the wiring harness instead of at the switch since you don't have any possible space constraints under the dash like you may have near the switch.
Mel
You're very welcome, I've very happy you found the information useful.
Please note, the wiring modification to allow operation of the fog lights anytime the parking lights are on can be made without any soldering. Use "3M™ Scotchlok™ 557 Electrical IDC, Pigtail" (I copied that description from the 3M page), or something similar, to tap into the wiring for the fog light switch. These work especially well when you make the mod back on the wiring harness instead of at the switch since you don't have any possible space constraints under the dash like you may have near the switch.
Mel
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97 Posts
First, thanks to Chuck and to you Mel for your very helpful notes on installing the fog lights. I installed mine this weekend after having ordered the fog lights from Trevor last May. However, I was able to use the 5x10mm washer-screws with the spring nuts to mount the brackets. What I did was to mount the spring nuts with threaded hole in the front and not behind the front bumper. This mounting of the spring nuts is opposite of what I've been used to seeing. But that is the only way that the short screws will reach into the spring nut thread.
MarioB
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1,383 Posts
MarioB,
I thought about using the spring nuts that way but decided against it. The I've always thought of the "spring" part of such fasteners as an aid to assembly, not an integral part of the final assembly. Mounting them "backwards" relies upon the "spring" to keep the attached part secure. I don't think this is a good idea. Anyway, if you switch the screws you don't have to compromise anything.
Mel
I thought about using the spring nuts that way but decided against it. The I've always thought of the "spring" part of such fasteners as an aid to assembly, not an integral part of the final assembly. Mounting them "backwards" relies upon the "spring" to keep the attached part secure. I don't think this is a good idea. Anyway, if you switch the screws you don't have to compromise anything.
Mel
OK. I went the easy way( and was too chicken to do it anyway). Bought the foglight from HandA and had my mechanic installed it on Monday. I trust the mechanic and even he told me it was hard. He did mention this is the first Ody fog light he installed. The labor cost was $100. The total cost for foglight is $390, which saves me $200 from the deal's asking price. I know I don't get the Honda warranty on this part, but I will cross my fingers....
You guys are awesome. I really envy all of you who installed the foglight. I learned a lot. Thanks
Now. I was trying to do the Chuck foglight mod #1 last night. This is the 1st time I messed with any electrical connector. So,
here comes my 1st dumb question:
How do I "release the connector with a small screwdriver and pull it out" ? I used a glasses screwdriver and exhausted all my guesses with no luck.
And to Mel,
Could you elaborate on your no soldering mod ? As a REAL newbie to this, I can't understand what you had done. Would love to have the feature...
Your help is greatly appreciated.
You guys are awesome. I really envy all of you who installed the foglight. I learned a lot. Thanks
Now. I was trying to do the Chuck foglight mod #1 last night. This is the 1st time I messed with any electrical connector. So,
here comes my 1st dumb question:
How do I "release the connector with a small screwdriver and pull it out" ? I used a glasses screwdriver and exhausted all my guesses with no luck.
And to Mel,
Could you elaborate on your no soldering mod ? As a REAL newbie to this, I can't understand what you had done. Would love to have the feature...
Your help is greatly appreciated.
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1,383 Posts
The mod I installed is Option 2. It's the best choice since it allows you complete control over the fog lights.
1. You don't need to release any contacts from the connectors with this version. You just disconnect the fog light relay that's inside the passenger compartment.
2. To make the wiring change without soldering you use wire taps, the 3M brand is called Scotchlok. These slip over the wire you are tapping on to and get crimped in place. You don't even need to strip the wire. I suggest placing your jumper on the harness, near the inside relay (read on); just trace the wires Chuck identified back in the harness.
To make the modification easily reversible and reinstallable insert a pair of insulated spade or bullet connectors in your jumper wire. To remove the mod: connect the relay and open the jumper. To reinstall: disconnect the relay and connect the jumper.
BTW: I don't trust your mechanic. This installation is NOT (technically) difficult Although, taking a saw to your new bumper is a little emotionally difficult. It might be made more difficult if you tried to remove and reinstall the bumper without a assistant just because it's a little unwieldy. On the positive side, $100 is probably a reasonable installation charge for the time involved.
Mel
1. You don't need to release any contacts from the connectors with this version. You just disconnect the fog light relay that's inside the passenger compartment.
2. To make the wiring change without soldering you use wire taps, the 3M brand is called Scotchlok. These slip over the wire you are tapping on to and get crimped in place. You don't even need to strip the wire. I suggest placing your jumper on the harness, near the inside relay (read on); just trace the wires Chuck identified back in the harness.
To make the modification easily reversible and reinstallable insert a pair of insulated spade or bullet connectors in your jumper wire. To remove the mod: connect the relay and open the jumper. To reinstall: disconnect the relay and connect the jumper.
BTW: I don't trust your mechanic. This installation is NOT (technically) difficult Although, taking a saw to your new bumper is a little emotionally difficult. It might be made more difficult if you tried to remove and reinstall the bumper without a assistant just because it's a little unwieldy. On the positive side, $100 is probably a reasonable installation charge for the time involved.
Mel
Mel. Thanks for the info. This appears to be a project to my limited ability. I'll put it into my future plan. My wife already complained I spent too much time on her van.
We have a trip to Mammoth lake this Thanksgiving. For a quick mod, could someone help with my first "dumb" question? I.e.
How do I "release the connector with a small screwdriver and pull it out" ? I used a glasses screwdriver and exhausted all my guesses with no luck.
Chuck ?? Anyone ??
Thanks
We have a trip to Mammoth lake this Thanksgiving. For a quick mod, could someone help with my first "dumb" question? I.e.
How do I "release the connector with a small screwdriver and pull it out" ? I used a glasses screwdriver and exhausted all my guesses with no luck.
Chuck ?? Anyone ??
Thanks
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1,312 Posts
To be honest, I don't recall exactly how the terminals were held in the connector housing we're discussing. Usually, if you look into the wiring side of the individual terminals you'll see a small plastic or metal (depending whether it's part of the housing or part of the terminal) tab that sticks up to engage a mating surface. This keeps the terminal from being pulled or pushed out of the connector housing. Depress this tab with something suitable while pulling the terminal towards the wiring side.
IIRC, the terminal came out without too much trouble. Good luck.
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Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes on FotoTime.
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342 Posts
Hi TurboRT,
I know it's frustrating but if you catch that release right, the connector will slide right out. I had a little trouble with it also. Just keep fiddling with it and it will pop right out. If you're like me, you'll still be wondering what you got hold of that released the darn thing!
Good Luck!
------------------
Drive Safe,
Steve R.
'01 SS LX
Cargo tray, leather steering wheel, mud guards, alarm, fog lights, transmission cooler, in-dash CD player, Kelton subwoofer, under seat storage tray.
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1,383 Posts
IIRC, the wiring mod that requires releasing the connector just keeps the fog lights on with the brights. The fog lights work well, albeit only with the low beams, when normally installed.
If I didn't have time to do version 2 (with the jumper), I think I'd just live with the "standard" installation. It's really not that bad.
Just my 2 cents worth,
Mel
If I didn't have time to do version 2 (with the jumper), I think I'd just live with the "standard" installation. It's really not that bad.
Just my 2 cents worth,
Mel
For those of you that got that spade plug out of the 4 pin harness plug, Can you explain where you were poking with the screw driver. My old eyes dont focus that well.
Did you put the screw driver in on the wire side and did you fiddle on the top or bottom.
I have tried for a couple of hours but I am sure most of it was a waste. Too bad Chucks picture didnt show the spade plug closer so I could see where the clip was sticking out.
Did you put the screw driver in on the wire side and did you fiddle on the top or bottom.
I have tried for a couple of hours but I am sure most of it was a waste. Too bad Chucks picture didnt show the spade plug closer so I could see where the clip was sticking out.
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1,312 Posts
Does this help?
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Here, the release tab is visible in the hole at the tip of my thumbnail.
From the wiring side, push the release tab (it's just a little plastic "ramp") away from the spade connector with a small screwdriver while pulling on the wire. The screwdriver must remain in place to hold the latch clear while pulling on the wire. It usually takes a few tries to get the tab clear of the connector.
Sometimes it's a little easier if you push *IN* a bit on the connector to give a little room to release the latch - then when you think the latch is clear, pull back on the wire. The connector will pull out once the tab is pushed clear.
This and a couple of other views have been added to the album.
Good luck.
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Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes on FotoTime.
[This message has been edited by ckonarske (edited 12-09-2001).]
[This message has been edited by ckonarske (edited 12-09-2001).]
Here, the release tab is visible in the hole at the tip of my thumbnail.
From the wiring side, push the release tab (it's just a little plastic "ramp") away from the spade connector with a small screwdriver while pulling on the wire. The screwdriver must remain in place to hold the latch clear while pulling on the wire. It usually takes a few tries to get the tab clear of the connector.
Sometimes it's a little easier if you push *IN* a bit on the connector to give a little room to release the latch - then when you think the latch is clear, pull back on the wire. The connector will pull out once the tab is pushed clear.
This and a couple of other views have been added to the album.
Good luck.
------------------
Chuck
Click here for Ody pics, mods and fixes on FotoTime.
[This message has been edited by ckonarske (edited 12-09-2001).]
[This message has been edited by ckonarske (edited 12-09-2001).]
Thank you, thank you, Mel, Chuck and everyone else!!! I found all the info being VERY useful when I install my fog lights at Friday night. Oh, and much thanks to Trevor and his HandA's great services and group price. Though I had previous experience installing fog lights to my Integra GSR, it is MUCH, MUCH difficult to install the ones in an Ody. It was about an hour job for GSR but it took hours for my Ody... and my back still hurts now... But, anyway, thanks for all the useful hints provided by all of you!
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