The Only Fog Light Thread You Should Ever Post In

[timot_one]

only thing i can think of that you havent tried is using a multi meter to find the problem

This

[LFSoccer2k6]

Alright, it's gonna happen tomorrow!

[quickkick127]

I had a similar issue when I installed mine.  I too tested the relays and such but through the use of a multimeter found that one of the relays was getting power at times it shouldn't.  The problem was with how my dad and I added those loose wires into the 13pin connector? (It's been awhile so don't remember exacts).  One of us, I'll blame it on him, glanced at the diagram upside down for one of the wires and places it on the opposite side.  As far as I can remember, that is the only place you can really screw this up.  If it were wired correctly and it still didn't work it should be a little easier to troubleshoot.  You can hear the relays click as the fog lights are turned on and the other when the high beams are turned on (I believe).  Follow the power from the source and see where you lose it when the headlights are on and they should have power.  I personally like using the multimeter on the continuity setting.  This just tells you if what you are touching the two prongs to are connected by usually buzzing.  Meaning if you put one of multimeter leads to either side of the relay, it shouldn't buzz but once you turn the headlights on and the relay is activated, those to wires you have the lead on should be connected and then it will buzz.  Not all multimeters have this feature.  Otherwise you'd have to set it to read volts dc and put one lead to a ground and the other to the point you want to test.  It should read around 12volts everywhere there is power or less for whatever reason.  Either way, I'd check that 13 pin connector first and look over the directions again for any places that could have been screwed up, like anything other than plugging in two wire clips. 

On a side note, when I got mine, the led's in the switch were bad and nothing lit up.  I replaced the on/off indicator led but left the backlight one alone because the color of light coming through was off and looked cheap next to all the other lights on the dash though it does come on randomly.  The point is, even if your lights aren't on, you may still be getting power up there, it's just the leds.  That's why it's pretty helpful to get used to trouble shooting with a multimeter.

[LFSoccer2k6]

Thanks for the replies.  I do know that the pins are good.  I haven't moved them in 2 years, but I did check to make sure they were still in and double checked the position.  I have checked about 5 times to make sure wiring is good and I cant find anything.  Tomorrow is multimeter time.  This is what I have:
http://www.harborfreight.com/7-function-digital-multimeter-90899.html

[LFSoccer2k6]

OK I just did some testing with my multimeter.  Everything on the switch harness was getting power.  I checked the other plugs as well on the switch harness (except for the blue connector one) and they all had power.  I check the part that plugs in to the relay and it was good.  I check the 2 pins going into the hood fuse panel and the blue wire was good and the blue w/ red stripe seemed to have an issue, so I will try to explain.  With the fog switch in on position, original Honda relay connected, the blue wire w/red stripe had no power.  If I left everything the same but removed the relay, that wire then got power.  The fog lights the entire time never received power.  My only conclusion right now is something is up with that blue wire w/red stripe that goes in to the 20 pin connector.  Any ideas?

[timot_one]

First of all, it's not clear what you mean when you say you're "getting power" from all the wires.  You shouldn't get 12v from all the wires you test.  When you say you're getting power, do you mean that you're getting continuity, or do you mean that when you ground your DMM to the battery ground you're getting 12v from all the wires?

The blue/red wire is the wire that comes from your fuse box, that is the wire that's connected to the fuse.  From looking the wiring diagram, you should get 12v from that wire at all times, regardless of what position your key switch is in or your light switch is in.  Ignoring your relay for the moment, do you get 12v from both sides of the fuse, and do you get 12 from the blue/red wire when you test it at the relay?

[quickkick127]

Well that's just the wire that takes the power from the relay to the fog lights.  First make sure that when the headlights on are and the fog light switch is on that there is power to the white wire that goes into that relay.  If the white wire has power, now put one lead on the white wire side of the relay and the other lead on the prong with the blue with red stripe wire on it.  It should still be showing the same voltage becasue the headlights and fog lights are on.  If there is no voltage after the relay then either the relay is bad or something is wrong with the wiring that send the power to the relay to trip the switch. Check that first and that will tell you where to look next.

[quickkick127]

Or by Tim's post am I looking at the wrong wiring diagram?  Let me dig mine out and make sure, sorry if that turned out to be the wrong wiring diagram.

And yeah it was I'm sorry.  Tim is right that the blue/red wire is the one from the fuse box and it  should always be hot unless the fuse is blown.

[LFSoccer2k6]

Yea, there is no white wire.

As I just tested it: door open, no key in, headlight and fog light switch on, the blue w/red strip had power at the relay and in the fuse panel.

[LFSoccer2k6]

It seems like things that are suppose to be getting power do when they should and shouldn't, except for the bulbs (which I know work).  Is it possible the engine bay harness is not grounded correctly?  I just don't quite get how the one relay for my car won't work with it (I have 2 actually, bought a brand new one) but the grey one for the 05 will power it.

[timot_one]

Or by Tim's post am I looking at the wrong wiring diagram?  Let me dig mine out and make sure, sorry if that turned out to be the wrong wiring diagram.

Looking at your sig pic, I would assume that you have 03-05 coupe?  If that's the case, then your wiring diagram is different from the wiring diagram from the OP.  He has an 07.  They changed the wiring from the 7 to the 7.5.  Your wiring diagram is different.

It seems like things that are suppose to be getting power do when they should and shouldn't, except for the bulbs (which I know work).  Is it possible the engine bay harness is not grounded correctly?  I just don't quite get how the one relay for my car won't work with it (I have 2 actually, bought a brand new one) but the grey one for the 05 will power it.

First off, the grey relay is the wrong one and is not meant to be used with your car and you're just confusing yourself by using it.  You need to either throw it away, sell it, or put it on a shelf.  Do NOT use that relay any more if you expect to get accurate results from your testing.

As I explained when we talked about it on AIM, the grey relay for the 03-05 is normally closed.  That means that with that relay connected, your fog lights will always be on, unless you activate the relay.  You told me before that no matter what, your fog lights were always on with the grey relay.  What that means is that your problem could be with the wire for your front fog light control circuit (the blue wire that goes from the 14 pin connector in your engine fuse box to your relay), or the circuit itself.  It could also be the green wire that goes from the switch to the relay or the red/black wire from your under dash fuse box to the switch.

If you want to know what I would do to fix it, here are the steps I would take:

1.  test the blue/red wire of the fog light engine harness for 12v at the engine fuse box terminal and at the relay terminal
- if you are not getting 12v at the engine fuse box terminal, replace the 20a fuse and repeat step 1
- if you are not getting 12v at the relay terminal, but you are getting 12v at the engine fuse box terminal, find the damage to the wire and fix it
- if you are getting 12v at both the engine fuse box terminal and relay terminal, go on to step 2
2.  with your headlights on (low beam only) and your fog lights off, test the blue wire of the fog light engine harness for ground (continuity) at the engine fuse box terminal and at the relay terminal
- if you are not getting ground at the engine fuse box terminal, replace the front fog light control circuit and repeat step 2
- if you are not getting ground at the relay terminal, but you are getting ground at the engine fuse box terminal, find the damage to the wire and fix it
- if you are getting ground at both the engine fuse box terminal and relay terminal, go on to step 3
3.  with your headlights on and the fog light switch on, test the green wire of the fog light engine harness for 12v at the relay and at the 3 pin connector under the fuse box
- if you are not getting 12v at the relay, but you are getting 12v at the 3 pin connector under the fuse box, find the damage to the wire and repair it and repeat step 3
- if you are not getting 12v at the relay and the 3 pin connector, move on to step 4
4.  with your headlights on and the fog light switch on, test the green wire of the fog light dash harness for 12v at the fog light switch terminal and at the 3 pin connector under the dash
- if you are getting 12v at the fog light switch terminal, but not at the under dash connector, find the damage to the wire and repair it, then repeat steps 3 and 4
- if you are not getting 12v at both the fog light switch terminal and the under dash connector, move on to step 5
5.  with your headlights on (low beam only), test for 12v at the red/black wire on the fog light dash harness at both terminals on the switch connector (yes, there are 2) and at the 6 pin connector
- if you get 12v at the 6 pin under dash fuse box connector, but not at the fog light switch connector, find the damage to the wire and repair it, then repeat steps 3, 4, and 5
- if you get 12v at the 6 pin under dash fuse box connector and the fog light switch connector, move on to step 6
6.  with the fog light switch connected and in the "on" position, check for continuity between the red/black and green wires
- if you do not have continuity, replace the switch
- if you do have continuity, move on to step 7
7.  with your headlights on, put the fog light switch in the "on" position and listen for the relay to click
- if the relay doesn't click, replace your relay with the proper relay (p/n: 39795-SB2-003)
- if the relay does click, move on to step 8
8. with your headlights and fog lights on, test for 12v at the green wire of the relay connector
- if you do not have 12v, replace your engine and dash fog light wiring harness
- if you have 12v, move on to step 9
9.  soak your interior with about a gallon of gasoline, light a match and toss it in your car, walk away

If you follow these steps exactly, your fog lights should work before you get to step 9.  PM me if you need my phone number so you can call me for any additional explanation.

[LFSoccer2k6]

Thanks I will do those steps...minus 9.

Also, the only reason I ever use the grey relay is to make sure the bulbs still work.  Otherwise I keep one of the actual relays for my car connected or none connected.

[alpha]

Thanks I will do those steps...minus 9.

Also, the only reason I ever use the grey relay is to make sure the bulbs still work. 

umm.. ok..

If Tim's steps don't help, either consider step 9 or perform the following:

1.  Remove fog lights and all related harnesses, switches, etc.
2.  Put the fog light covers back on your bumper.
3.  Have a beer (if you're at least 21).

[LFSoccer2k6]

If his steps fail, I will probably just skip all the OEM wiring and wire straight through the firewall to a switch.

Or put a picture of a lit up foglight over the lens so it looks like they are on, hahaha....

Here's to you stupid fogs 

[timot_one]

If his steps fail, I will probably just skip all the OEM wiring and wire straight through the firewall to a switch.

That's a roundabout way to get to Step 9 actually.