Fog Lights Mod/Rewire?

[Stavesacre21]

Anyone attempt to rewire their foglights to run independently from the headlights yet? Usually it's done so the fogs turn on once you turn your parking lights on but i'd seen it be completely indepenedent from all other lights.

I've did the fog light mod on 5 vehicles now, and know that its usually just a quick-splice in a spot or two...the question is always simply...where. Anyone figured out where to do this on the 2010 Mazda3 yet?

Searched it out and didn't find anything so I thought i'd start a post on it.

Thanks!

 

[BoostisLove]

Good question... i havent tried and probably wont.

 

[Stavesacre21]

I've read some info on a few other forums saying that a rewire isn't possible unless it's completely independent from the headlights (which i don't see how that's possible), but it may be the case.

I've just always found it odd that fog lights, being designed to work independently in the case of fog, aren't able to without the headlights on...thus completely deeming them obsolete for their intended use.

kinda odd, i guess.

 

[Cannondale]

I wonder whether the headlight control stalk in other countries allows independent foglight operation. With my VW, I just bought a "Euro switch" and swapped it out for the OEM US headlight switch and was good to go.

Can any of you non-US dudes and dudettes chime in?

 

[08cosmic3]

...

 

[Stavesacre21]

...

???

no thoughts?

 

[08cosmic3]

???

no thoughts?

I edited the comment out because I realized I was in the 2010 section by mistake. I have a 2008 sport MS3 and have done the Indy Fogs mod but it is probably different with the 2010.

 

[Stavesacre21]

What did it entail in the 2008?

 

[08cosmic3]

There is a very good How-to in the how-to section on mazda 3 forum complete with pics. It only works with the sport model and not the GT with HID lights. I can turn my fogs on or off with just the parking lights on.

 

[Stavesacre21]

thanks i might try it out since my model is a sport and DIDNT intially come with HIDs.

 

[special--k]

Canadian here:

Same problem. Foglight only come on with the headlights. Kinda annoying, and if anyone ever figures it out i will def do the mod.

 

[xX StitcH]

thanks i might try it out since my model is a sport and DIDNT intially come with HIDs.

Did you ever try it?

 

[Stavesacre21]

Can't say as tho i've got around to it yet. Waiting for the weather to get a lil warmer before I start spending most of my time in the garage again. I might give it a shot soon enough, but i'm thinking the splicing will be happening under the fuse box, exactly like it did for my MS6 mod.

As soon as I try it out, i'll report back. To be quite honest, with this community being as gung-ho about mods as it is, i'm extremely shocked that not a single Mazda3 owner has tried it yet.

 

[Bijou-MP5]

thanks i might try it out since my model is a sport and DIDNT intially come with HIDs.

did you try it yet?

 

[Stavesacre21]

Still haven't tried it out yet. I've dug up some info that may or may not be true, but it concludes that modifying the switch with any Mazda3 that has push-to-start could cause some problems. That would apply to me, and i'm not quite ready to jump in on it just yet.

I just got done cutting a hole in my roof for a sunroof, so i'm not quite ready to venture out onto another destructive act on the car while I still owe almost as much as it cost brand new...and i've almost got 14K miles on it already!

I've still got my ears open if anyone else has any ideas. On the Speed6, it was a simple wire to use a U-splice on. If someone is able to locate this wire on the Speed3 with a wiring manual, I might be willing to try it. However, blindly, i'm not ready to jump in just yet.

 

[dano285]

Oops, didn't even see this thread when I made the one that's currently in the forum. Must have used bad search tags or something. Still no luck?

As for your sunroof, eeks! I'm no MS3 expert but from all I've read and what the stealership told me, there was no sunroof option for the 2010 model for a reason (stiffening body). Is that all hocus pocus? I'm sure you've heard it, not trying to provide you with new news, just curious how you're going about it.

 

[Stavesacre21]

You wouldn't believe how many hours of back-and-forth arguments i've read about the 3 "reinforcement" bars in the roof, which are the reason for most of the "don't do it or you'll be sorry" nay-sayers.

I've come to the conclusions that (1) yes, they are there for a reason, but that (2) MOST of the rollover protection in a vehicle is in fact, with the frame that creates the A, B and C pillars to the roof.

This car is my daily driver and not an auto-x or even abused car. I don't plan on needing every last ounce of 110% structural rigidity offered in the car. The fact that the regular Mazda3 has those 3 bars in the roof tells me that it's not gonna make or break everything...because afterall, the Mazda3 offers a sunroof in some cars.

I've talked to another 07 MS3 owner who's had his going on 4 years now, and has noted no signs of flex or change in door gaps, frames or fit and finish. After talking to 3 body shops about my concerns with integrity, all 3 of them claimed the same...once you put in a sunroof, it has braces on all sides that actually will cause the roof to be more RIDGID due to the extra bracing required to hold the sunroof in place tightly.

If you'd like to see my whole thread with both videos and pictures of the install, check it out HERE

As for the foglights, amazingly enough...still nothing. I would have thought that there would be a ton of people wanting to have this done, as it does drive me a little crazy as well.

 

[cruzinit]

Bump - Same Question - But Id like to keep using the factory switch

 

[Mr.Myst3ry]

anything yet? and before i sold my 6 i attempted to do the same thing. it drove me insane for quite a while, at first i just tried to take a small wire and wrap it around the fog light fuse in the fuse box to the parking light fuse but my smart idea kinda back fired and i blew the fuse and burnt a wire somewhere along the lines where i had to dismantle the entire thing to find the burnt wire. after fixing that i decided to run a wire from the fog light to the battery and than ran a wire directly to the parking lights. that actually worked alot better once i switched on my parking lights. i just recently sold the 6 and now drive a ms3 and ive been looking for how to run the fog lights without turning on the head lights and just like you its driving me nuts because i cant find anything ahah.