Fog light install, what does the brown wire do? grnd or hot?

Trying to finish installing the Spyder fog lights that I didn't get from the Prius Store( lesson learned).

My harness has 2 connections that need to be hot. I want the fog lights to come on with my low beams not be on and off independently. Our state inspection laws won't allow that, IF they find it. One of the leads lights up the switch and the other one is the indicator on the switch that comes on when the fogs are on.

So in the example attachment there's a brown wire pulled out of the existing harness and a Scotchlok connector is to be attached to that brown wire.

Is that brown wire hot all the time or does it get power when the headlights are on?

AND..

Where is the wire that would get power when the headlights are ON? Where to look and what color might it be? Yes I know I can probe around all day with a 12v test light to find it but if someone knows where it is exactly it will save me a lot of time and misery.

Thanks in advance!

"ES"

 

Thanks a lot that's what I needed. Can't say I am happy with the light kit I got from Spyder, the directions suck wish I had the sheet for the OEM lights it would help me immensely. Only reason I got the kit I am bitching about is because I wanted glass lenses not polycarbonate for the fogs. Guess that's silly, no one will ever know the difference except me <sigh>

Thanks xliderrider and Azuza Prius, most appreciated.


"ES"

 

FIW I have SunTec paint protection film on my headlights and the SpyDer fogs. On my previous Prius, I used the ones with the plastic lenses. On that vehicle I used 3M-Xpel PPF on the lights and the whole front of the car. It was easier to put the film on the lens with the bulb housing in my hand, that way you aren't working against having the lens nice person'y fitted in the housing.

Well worth the time and expense if you can do it yourself. Unless you have experience I can't recommend a DIY on this one. it pays to have a pro do it if you can find one willing to show you his/her work or names of people he's done work for.

"ES"

 

xliderrider,

Just a note to let you know I ordered a SECOND set of fog lights in hopes that the directions to wire them were better than the ones I got from SPYDER.................................WRONG!!

Today I get a box from UPS and guess what?? It's a box in bright red that says SPYDER. Same bleeding thing exactly as what I have including the crappy directions.

I know for a fact that the kit I used years ago on my first 2011 was detailed and easy to follow, this is a sorry attempt to make a generic wiring harness fit a Prius. So now I have to see if the Prius Shop / Store will take them back. They are not even unwrapped! Dammit.
That's why I was asking about the 'brown wire' I only saw it on a YT video with little if any explanation. so my fogs are installed but not wired up and I have a brand new set all ready to hopefully go back from whence it came.

Thought you'd enjoy hearing that the tale of misery has no ending, it's an ongoing saga!

If YOU or anyone has the installation instructions from years back, the one with the red wire I'd sure love it as a .PDF. Those directions also told you to remove the trim at the drivers door edge and in the footwell. The ones I have DO NOT, its' up to the poor soul who's trying to find a hot wire to connect to to figure it out!

Thanks again,

"ES"

 

xliderider,

Yes you are correct! Both the color version and b & w are there. the issue now is this, all the connections show the wiring harness that came with that style / brand fog light kit, not the SPYDER kit that the store is selling now. For come reason the supplier the store was using has gone MIA and they substitute the SPYDER kit in place of of the OEM one.

What you end up with is a generic wiring harness that would work on a Mack truck or a locomotive. There are no specific directions for a Prius in the SPYDER kit. do the lights fit the front bumper cover? Yes. Does the dashboard switch fit the hole where the false plug is? Yes. Do the wire colors in the diagram apply to the SPYDER harness. NO. Those directions don't even tell you to remove the door sill plate and kick panel so you can install the new switch. That's because they weren't intended for a Prius. There is also NO mention of making a hole in the grommet in the firewall to pass the wire through! Ultimately the wiring will work, relay and all. I did a test of all connections using a 12v regulated power supply on my bench and one old halogen bulb.

Hell I still haven't found the brown wire that I showed in my OP! That photo was taken from a YT video, I can't seem to make sense of where the bloke took the shot of the brown wire being pulled up and the Scotchlok connector with the RED wire ( that I don't have) being connected!

I will be able to return the duplicate fog kit, thanks to Danny for that, great stuff.
I just may leave the lights in place and not connect them, when I go for inspection I'll rig an on off switch to the lights and turn them on to show that they 'work'!

Maybe it would help if you all understood that I have had two spinal fusions and to do this under dash work is a painful proposition for me. I am sure that many of you wonder "why the devil hasn't he got this simple job done yet?" There's your answer. Add to that it's been 90F + the last few weeks so I have to not only wait for cooler weather but a day that isn't fraught with pain.

Thanks to all who have been helping me especially xliderider

If I could come up with a harness that matched the directions I was just put on to................ I'd be DONE!

Regards,

"ES"

 

Understand what you are doing, good luck with it! As far as the photo goes that'd be great if not too much trouble for you.
Take it easy and don't overdo it, No hurry as I have to wait for cooler weather, in the 70's not the 90's
I'll keep watching and see what you come up with, best of luck.

"ES"

 

Great stuff Other than having you come to my home and make the connection, these photos tell the story. I'd have never found the bleeding thing w/o the photos! Once the wx cools off a bit I think I can get on and finally finish the job that should have been done in a couple hours time. I really appreciate you taking the time to shoot these, they will be a great help. It's a shame that the kits being sold now don't bear any resemblance, as far as instructions to the ones for sale now.

Seems a shame to be held hostage by the weather, you guys in HI are used to it I guess, but for us in Pa. the constant changes in temperature are a pain. Next comes autumn and winter <sigh>

Be safe and I'll let you know how I get on with it all. I have been meaning to compliment you on the professional work you did on your 'box' to lower the voltage to the headlights. First class work you can be proud of!

"ES"

 

Hi xliderider,
In your post with the photos you say ". These are behind the small dashboard panel with the headlight dimmer switch." Did you mean the dashboard dimmer switch?

I am stymied because of this half a++ed wiring harness I am blessed with. Lets call it a cable....instead of harness That cable has a 6 pin connector that plugs into the off/on switch for the fogs. It also has the wire that will connect to the brown wire. Here's the rub. that connector would have to have a 1/2inch hole cut in the large firewall grommet to allow it to pass from the engine compartment. No way I am doing that.

The 4 pin plug cannot be taken apart nor can the pins be removed to allow something smaller to go through that blasted grommet!
Only way I see it happening is to connect it to the new off on switch and cut the wire(s) and pull all 4 of them from the negine bay through the rubber plug, after soaking them with liquid soap or silicone or the like.

Let me know what you come up with, I never thought of this problem until I was describing what we'd done so far.

I KNOW I didn't make a huge hole in the rubber plug when I installed a set of fogs on my other 2011. I can't for the life of me figure out how it was done. I recall pulling one or tow wires through that plug but that's all <shrug>

Regards and thanks as always,

"ES"

 

Anyone.... please look at the photo and see if the harness (bundled up) looks like the correct one for a Prius. I note that the GREEN plug is the one for the OFF/ON switch.

The second bundle is what I have and both these connectors need to go through the rubber grommet, Clearly without cutting 5 wires and re-soldering them inside the car, there is no way to use the harness with the red and white multiplug.

Am I correct?

I will order another set of lights just to get the bleeding harness, if I get confirmation the one appears to be correct for a Prius and not generic.

Thanks to all,

"ES"