How do you turn on the factory fog lights?

[OregonHillbilly]

2000 Eddie Bauer explorer. It has fog lights in the bumper but I don't know how to turn them on.

 

[koda2000]

There should be a push button switch to the right of the radio. Note they do not work when the high beams are on.

Lower RH button on this image

 

[Mr. Alligator]

And they ONLY work when the headlights are on.

 

[koda2000]

And they ONLY work when the headlights are on.

Not exactly true. I often use mine as DLR's with the headlight switch on the parking light position, but either the parking lights or headlights do have to be on.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Not exactly true. I often use mine as DLR's with the headlight switch on the parking light position, but either the parking lights or headlights do have to be on.

My 97 XLT only runs fog lights with headlights on.

I like your DLR idea.

 

[koda2000]

My 97 XLT only runs fog lights with headlights on.

I like your DLR idea.

OP has a 2000. I don't recall how our '97's fog lights worked.

 

[Turdle]

Fog lights will turn on with park lamps and or headlights on 2000

They turn off when high beams are selected.

 

[J_C]

Hmm, I could've sworn that the last time I turned my lights off on my '98 (via the rearview mirror autolamp switch), that all lights were off, then I only turned the fog lights on... not that it's especially useful to do that, I just wanted the headlights off to see where the fog lights were throwing.

I suppose I could be remembering wrong? Seems like the autolamp switch does turn the parking lights off too?

EDIT: I am remembering wrong, just tried this on my '98 and the fog lights don't come on without the headlight low beams... might've been some other vehicle I was thinking of.

 

[donalds]

Fog lights will turn on with park lamps and or headlights on 2000

They turn off when high beams are selected.

Same on my 99xlt

 

[OregonHillbilly]

Thanks guys, that was it. I never would have guessed that was the fog light switch, so far from the headlights switch.

 

[donalds]

Thanks guys, that was it. I never would have guessed that was the fog light switch, so far from the headlights switch.

Lol its a ford we find ourselves asking ...Why did ford ... all the time

 

[4rd Xplora]

Didn't someone post on how to jump power to the fogs so you can use them with the parking lights as well as the headlights? It's been a minute, but I did the mod on my '96 so it's here somewhere.

 

[J_C]

^ If you want the ability to turn fog lights on with the ignition not set to on or accessory, just connect the fog lamp relay contact 3 (yellow/black wire) to relay contact 1 (dark-blue/light-green wire).

If you want them to shut off when the ignition isn't set to on or accessory, you'd pick which circuit you want to tap into for 12V and run that to the relay contact 1.

If you want that to be the parking lights, you can do that. It would be pin 3, brown wire on the parking lamp relay, before or after it splits up into multiple brown wires to go to all the exterior lights.

Doing either only supplies the current for the relay coil (fog bulbs still get current through the relay) so there's no concern about this tiny extra current exceeding the margins on whatever you want to tap into.

Frankly I don't see why anyone would want to do it. The fog lights alone are insufficient for driving. Maybe if you put very weak LED bulbs in, to minimize power draw down to almost nothing, it would be useful for near-field illumination while camping without draining the battery much while the engine is off... unless you fall asleep, wake up the next morning and still find a dead battery.

 

[4rd Xplora]

I did the brown wire mod to the parking lights.

 

[CDW6212R]

Fog lights will turn on with park lamps and or headlights on 2000

They turn off when high beams are selected.

We can fix that.

I haven't messed with my fake fog lights on any of my vehicles. They project too far, true fog lights don't, and are bothersome to other drivers. Some day I might find real fog lights to replace them with, and then they would be proper short beam lights that don't blind oncoming drivers.

What people call fog lights on cars these days, are really driving lights, they have long beam patterns that project upward enough like headlights and driving lights do. True fog lights only project brightly down and very wide, not up and far out. It's an appearance thing with everybody. People get out and look at their cars with the fake fog lights on, and then they think everyone else will like them too(sarcasm- especially oncoming drivers who are all strangers). I leave my fake fog lights off, I don't need them to see.