Argh! Fog Lights No Longer Working!

[MadMax]

Well, 2½ years ago I had a helluva time wiring up the fog lights I got from KargoBoy (see thread here).

Well, last week I got home from a short roadtrip only to find both lights out again!

I looked at the fuse panel below the dash and found the pink wire had come disconnected...



Does anyone know where it's suppose to go?

Here's where it connects to the harness...



I stripped that female end off of the wire and tried touching it to some of the points to see if they worked with no results. I checked all the fuses under the good, and everything looks good. Barring this is a wiring problem, where else should I look? Is there a chance that both bulbs could have gone out? I think the odds of that are long, but it can happen. Anything or anywhere else should I look?

Cheers! M2

[CTScott]

Snap a pic of the face of the relay, so I can see the little diagram on it with the pinout.

[auxmike]

You should buy the real Toyota relay. Snaps right into the fuse block!Then you don't have to deal with the hassles of running all those extra wires and Chinese realys. Working great for 3 years thus far...

[cali yaris]

^ I have those on the shelf.

[MadMax]

Well, turns out to have been the relay. It looked fine but when I pulled it yesterday I found that the inside had started to melt! Luckily it wasn't too bad (I'll post pics when I get home from work this afternoon), but it looks like I'll have to get a replacement and put new connectors on the end.

The relay part number is ST-01040 so I suspect I can just pic up a replacement at any auto store, right?

Cheers! M2

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by MadMax

Well, turns out to have been the relay. It looked fine but when I pulled it yesterday I found that the inside had started to melt! Luckily it wasn't too bad (I'll post pics when I get home from work this afternoon), but it looks like I'll have to get a replacement and put new connectors on the end.

The relay part number is ST-01040 so I suspect I can just pic up a replacement at any auto store, right?

Cheers! M2

I had the same issue with my relay from the same kit. Just bought a new (higher rated) one from the local auto store and it's been fine since.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by Altitude

I had the same issue with my relay from the same kit. Just bought a new (higher rated) one from the local auto store and it's been fine since.

Good to hear it, hopefully I'll have the same success!

[MadMax]

Well, nothing like taking a small problem and making a big one out of it!

But first, the aforementioned promised pics of the melted relay...







So I take the old relay to Pep Boys and they can't find anything close. I stop by AutoZone and they've got a generic one that looks like it'll work, except it is rated for 40A not 30A. Being an electrical idiot, I decide to give it a try since everything else matches up and it is for auxiliary lights. Here it is on the right (that's the old one on the left)...



So I connect the wires, they had some melted plastic on them but I got most of it off. I wanted to make sure this would work before I put in the new connectors. I hook the four ends together, turn on the lights, *think* I hear a 'pop' and nothing. No fog lights, but also no gearshifter light (I have an automatic) and oddly enough, the dimmer switch doesn't work!

I pull the center console and to add to the mess I think I disconnected the wire that tapped into the wire that runs power to the shifter light.

The car is out in the driveway and I came inside to give up on it for the evening. It seems like I am going backwards on fixing it, but at least the car still starts and runs and everything else seems to be working. I am really aggravated by all this, adding to the fact that I can't find which fuse might be the culprit of the shifter light and dimmer switch not working.

I'm going to call it a night and hope to wake up to some good advice from the bigger brains on the forum.

Cheers! M2

[Lil Abner]

The melted socket seems very odd. If I were you, I'd take the time to go back to all the connections and make sure they are tight, solid, and wrapped in electrical tape. The relay you picked-up will work just fine! But again, wrap it all up in electrical tape to protect everything. As for the dimmer not working, check the fuses. With the plastic melted, it could have popped a relay.

When I did my fog lights, I used the factory relay location, with a factory style relay. That saved a LOT of headaches, like you seem to be getting. It might be worth a few extra $$ and getting a factory style relay and cleaning up your wiring.

[Lil Abner]

Also, looking back at your pictures, it looks like you have your purple wire connected to the 12V+ spot on the fuse box, directly into your relay, then off to your fog lights. PLEASE, PLEASE, put a fuse in there!!! If that purple wire had a fuse on it, it wouldn't have melted like it did!

[CTScott]

The PANEL1 fuse in the under dash fuse panel feeds the shift lever illumination.

I agree on the adding a fuse for the violet wire. The terminal that you connected to is a 60A feed.

[MadMax]

Originally Posted by CTScott

The PANEL1 fuse in the under dash fuse panel feeds the shift lever illumination.

How on God's green earth is a full-size man suppose to get under there to pull that fuse? Also, how in the heck do you actually pull that mini-fuse (the 7.5A one, right?)?

I agree on the adding a fuse for the violet wire. The terminal that you connected to is a 60A feed.

I might just order the lights from Garm, this set I have isn't impressing me too much anymore...

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by MadMax

How on God's green earth is a full-size man suppose to get under there to pull that fuse? Also, how in the heck do you actually pull that mini-fuse (the 7.5A one, right?)?

That fuse panel requires the use of yoga. You almost have to put your head of the brake pedal to get at it. The white plastic fuse puller from the under-hood fuse panel lets you pull them. PANEL1 is one of the 7.5A ones.

[MadMax]

No kidding, I'm 6'2" and 185 lbs, and could barely squeeze in there just to see the fuse panel!

Since it's been a busy week, I put off working on this until tomorrow. Had one of those "Security Protection Virus Software" malwares infect the laptop I just got (long story), so I had to deal with that before working on the Yaris...

[auxmike]

6'2 and 185? That's slim!
Try 6 ft 220. Now THAT'S a tight fit. Darn potbelly.....

[MadMax]

Well, back from Alaska. I did get a new fuse put in before I left but it wasn't a low profile one so I gotta replace it so the fuse box door will close.

I also just ordered a new set of fog lights from Garm. One of mine was cracked already by a stone and the other was getting moisture inside it, so I figured it'd be easier just to replace them completely.

Anyone ever re-install a set of fog lights on a 2006-08 hatchback? Hopefully it'll be easier than the initial install, and I am praying I won't have to tear the entire front end of the car off to do it. Also, with Garm's "plug-'n-play" set do they still work without the ignition having to be one? Not that it matters too much, but my old set were like that and I'm hoping the new ones are as well.

Cheers! M2