Can someone please tell me what I need to do in order to operate both the foglights and the highbeams at the same time on a 96' legacy outback? I read a few older posts regarding this, but they didn't include any detail on how to accomplish this.

In the sept. 2002 of Sport Compact Car on page 260 they tell you how. this is what they did to a 02 WRX .

1. Exposes the fuse box, and remove it from the mounts to expose the back

2. Splice a 6 to 10 inch wire into the park light power feed on the back of the fuse box

3. Find the fog light relay and then find the power wire that is hot only when the low beams are on.

4. Cut and tape this wire (but leave some on the back of the relay) attatch the new lead to the relay.

5. now your fog lights will be on when the park lights are on and your head light on low or high, but you can turn them off with the factory switch.

That's certainly gonna work if you do it right, but I have to ask:

 

WHY?

 

The fog lights are there to help you see better in low-lying clouds. The idea is for them to cast light low down, hopefully below the water droplets and let you see the road markings near the front of the car, so that you can stay on the road and out of the woods.

 

If you are in a situation where you will need full beam lighting - dark, clear weather - then the fogs will be DETRIMENTAL to your long range vision. All the light they cast on the road imediately in front of the car will help to close your pupils and make objects in the distance impossible to see. Why on earth would you want to do this???

 

Swap the fogs for some driving lights!

Well put. Also, if you are planning to mount driving lights thet should really be mounted at headlight height for maximum efficiency as their "hotspot" in the distance should be level with your headlights.

 

-Heikki

That's certainly gonna work if you do it right, but I have to ask:

 

WHY?

 

A clear advantage of this re-wiring is the ability to use the foglights WITHOUT the headlights on at all. On the dark country roads near me I'd welcome this choice in thick fog.

Stock setup allows you turn on the front fogs with only the "parking" lights on. For some odd reason you need the dipped beam on to switch on the rear fogs.

 

I don't think fog lights should be used as a supplement, but rather as an alternative to dipped/full beam. Anyone who has encountered thick fog, at night, on unfamiliar roads will agree with me :-)

 

In my most humble opinion!

Stock setup allows you turn on the front fogs with only the "parking" lights on.

 

Mine only work with the full beams ('01 OBW). I wish I could run them with the dipped beams- heck, I wish I could turn the OFF the dipped beams...

Stock setup allows you turn on the front fogs with only the "parking" lights on. For some odd reason you need the dipped beam on to switch on the rear fogs.

Your car must be different than those here in the US. Our fogs ONLY work with the low beams on; not with the high beams, and not with parking lights only. We also do not have rear fog lights (though my Volvo has ONE).

Mine only work with the full beams ('01 OBW). I wish I could run them with the dipped beams- heck, I wish I could turn the OFF the dipped beams...

Huh? "Full beams" and fog lights? By "full beams" do you mean the same as high beams? If so, you are clearly wired up wrong. The fogs on US cars only work with the low beam headlights on, no other way...

Huh? "Full beams" and fog lights? By "full beams" do you mean the same as high beams? If so, you are clearly wired up wrong. The fogs on US cars only work with the low beam headlights on, no other way...

 

 

No- my car has 4 light modes:

 

1- light control "OFF" = dipped beam headlights.

2- light control 1st setting = dipped beam headlights + parking lights.

3- light control 2nd setting = full beam headlights + parking lights.

4- high beam (push/pull tree control) = high beam headlights + parking lights.

 

Fog lights function in mode 3 only. Dipped beam headlights are always on, except when the parking brake is engaged.

Do the U.S. cars' fog lights work with the "dipped beam" headlights (AKA daytime running lights or DRL)? I guess my '96 is pre-DRL.

 

I rewired my fogs to work with any lighting, so that I could run them with just the parking lights and no headlights for foggy conditions and still have them turn off with the ignition.

 

Interesting thing is, if I turn the parking lights on with that switch on top of the steering column, I can't use my fogs. I guess that's a good thing, less bulbs to drain my battery if I hit that switch (which I tend to do when cleaning) and park the car.

 

-Heikki

It used to be that only BMW owners drove around all the time with their fog lights on. Now it's spreading.....

It's soooooo annoying! BMW/Audi drivers must be afraid of the dark. In fact, I would suggest that they must feeling a little inadequate in the trouser-department too, why else buy such a poseur's car?