I've got a 98 Legacy Outback. It has the stock fog lights. They only turn on when the main lights are set to low. When going to high, the fog lights turn off. What I'd like to be able to do is re-wire the way they turn on so that I can turn the on or off manually no matter what the main lights are set to. Does anyone see any reason I shouldn't do this? Maybe somehow it would draw too much power or something???

 

Only reason I'd want them on with high beams is when out in the sticks trying NOT to hit any deer or other animals... I'd rather shoot them with my bow than hit them with the car. I never use them in the city.

This same idea came up in another forum for the 1990 -1996 Nissan 300ZX. If you go to TwinTurbo.net and search the archives for fog lights, you should be able to find the thread where a member explains how he hooked his up so that the fogs came on with his high beams as well. Whether its legal in every jurisdiction, and whether the same setup in your Subaru will overtax the wiring or not is another matter. Good luck!

The way I fixed mine was simple:

 

1. Go play offroad somewhere.

2. Hit a big hole too fast and break both of the stock ones.

3. Cry when you hear the price of new ones.

4. Go to Auto Zone and buy some for trucks and put them in the holes.

5. Be happy.

 

They run if the car is on or off, with or with out the regular lights on, so becareful not to leave them on or you might need a jump.

 

They don't look oem, but they don't look ghetto either.

I know this has come up before. You could try a search.

 

I think you might have more luck finding this info on the old i-club board (nasioc is it now?). You can do a direct hardwire replacement of the wiring, but I think there is an easier way.

 

Commuter

I've tried this in my impreza and it doesn't work as well as you might expect. Fog lights are aimed low, around 10 feet in front of the car. The bright light at the bottom of your vision ends up spoiling your "night vision" and your ability to see what your high beams are shining at. Now, if you could get your fog lights pointed up and outwards towards the ditches where the deer wait before they jump in front of you that might work well. You'd have to turn them off when passing other cars, though.

 

Whatever you do, don't be one of the many dough-heads out there who buy the super bright blue lights and blind the hell out of oncoming traffic. Then it won't be blinded deer you will be colliding with, it'll be blinded SUV drivers.

 

Darryl

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I tried digging around where you guys suggested, but couldn't find what I need... I'll put more effort into it later, at this point it's just something I've been considering for a while.

 

Darryl, I agree, the fog lights are pointed way too low. I'd have to figure out a way to get them pointed differently. I wonder if it's even possible...

The fog lights are pointed low for a reason. When driving in fog and blowing snow the point is to underlight the moisture so you can see thru it better. If you aim the lights up you get backscatter from the moisture and reduce your vision (which is why you turn OFF your brights in snow and fog(, and why the switch is wired to turn off the fogs when the brights are on ... they don't do the job for which they are designed with the brights on.

 

 

That said. I would like to be able to control it myself also. I like the infill directly in front of the car. You can see the shocked looks on the faces of the little critters so much better.

www.scoobymods.com

 

there is a link in there stating how to do this on the impreza's

 

should be the same on the legacy model

 

did this on my 99 gt as well as my 01 RS

 

great site for tons of modifications!

 

jamie

The way I fixed mine was simple:

 

1. Go play offroad somewhere.

2. Hit a big hole too fast and break both of the stock ones.

3. Cry when you hear the price of new ones.

4. Go to Auto Zone and buy some for trucks and put them in the holes.

5. Be happy.

 

They run if the car is on or off, with or with out the regular lights on, so becareful not to leave them on or you might need a jump.

 

They don't look oem, but they don't look ghetto either.

Can you show me some pictures of the front?

Mine are cracked and I am not willing to pay $124 a peice for new oem subaru parts.

I don't have photos of Hella's in an OB, but here's what they look like in the TS:

 

http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/mods/fog_off1.jpg

http://users.sisna.com/ignatius/subaru/mods/fog_on1.jpg

 

I have seen photos of 1st gen OB's sporting Hella's and PIAA's on Nasioc in the Legacy and Outback forums. You could try searching there.

 

Steve

mtsmiths has it right. There are driving lights - often the same shell size - that project a beam for long distances and work with your high beams. When I rallied I also used Hella, but there are ithers. I just wish the owner's manual had aiming instructions for the factory fogs.

 

Fog lights are for fog, something I wish those tools that drive Audis, Volvos, and Mercedes on clear nights with their foglights on would figure out. They have high intensity taillamps that go on with the fogs and are dazzling to the driver behind them. In Germany they'd ticket you for this, here brain-dead drivers are the norm.

 

Sylvania Xtravision bulbs will greatly improve your low and high beams, for $18 a pair at WalMart and almost no time to change them.