Front Fogs - Does Any Wiring Exist?

[Aminorjourney]

I'm looking at adding front fogs, but I'd love to use OEM wiring if possible.

I know the BCM has pinouts for front fogs (and actually rear, according to the factory manual) - but I'd love to know if the wiring already exists, to the bumper or not. I haven't taken the front off, so hoping someone already has - and knows

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[shoopg]

Definitely no wiring in the bumper. I just swapped my bumper harness to add adaptive cruise.

There’s the frunk harness that connects the bumper harness to the BCM as well. I highly doubt it has the wiring pinned out either but I’m not 100% certain on that, just very confident that it doesn’t since the harness is unique to Lightnings and no Lightnings have fogs.

 

[Aminorjourney]

Definitely no wiring in the bumper. I just swapped my bumper harness to add adaptive cruise.

There’s the frunk harness that connects the bumper harness to the BCM as well. I highly doubt it has the wiring pinned out either but I’m not 100% certain on that, just very confident that it doesn’t since the harness is unique to Lightnings and no Lightnings have fogs.

That's what I thought. Guess I'll be running wires then

The BCM does have the fuse and pinout for it, so hopefully...

 

[JvdMaat]

I'm looking at adding front fogs, but I'd love to use OEM wiring if possible.

I know the BCM has pinouts for front fogs (and actually rear, according to the factory manual) - but I'd love to know if the wiring already exists, to the bumper or not. I haven't taken the front off, so hoping someone already has - and knows

Rear fog lights are mandatory in Europe, so it would make sense that US manufacturers have made allowances for that at the factory.
(You'll also find that in Europe (at least 2 decades ago) people would only use their front fog lights in... Actual foggy weather. As opposed to the US where they are kept pretty much always on for a lot of drivers.)

 

[WildBlue]

That's what I thought. Guess I'll be running wires then

The BCM does have the fuse and pinout for it, so hopefully...

Where would you physically mount the fog lights on the front of the Lightning. There's no OEM cutout, right? Or maybe I am just missing something.

 

[carys98]

I’m curious what effect fog lights will have on glare free lighting. It will be interesting to see how it responds to a second light source aligned with the headlights.

 

[jefrank]

Rear fog lights are mandatory in Europe, so it would make sense that US manufacturers have made allowances for that at the factory.
(You'll also find that in Europe (at least 2 decades ago) people would only use their front fog lights in... Actual foggy weather. As opposed to the US where they are kept pretty much always on for a lot of drivers.)

When I was driving the Powerboost loaner while my battery was having a module replaced I ran with the fogs on because I couldn't stand the extra darkness at the edge of the road when the brights weren't on. Gotten too used to my glare-free setup providing light away from the on-coming traffic so I can spot the eyes of the 4-legged, sometimes-antlered critters that tend to leap without looking both ways first.

 

[Aminorjourney]

I’m curious what effect fog lights will have on glare free lighting. It will be interesting to see how it responds to a second light source aligned with the headlights.

I'm curious too, but let's be clear: the front fogs are for situations where glare-free already struggle.

I grew up in a place where front fogs were optional and rear fogs were mandatory. I had it drilled into me when and how to use them.

Up here in the coast range in the PNW, we get HEAVY thick fog at this time of year, and having lights down low and able to actually throw light to the sides of the road is important.

Several folks here have done front-mounting solutions, so I'm hoping to replicate that!

 

[Athrun88]

In traditional set ups, when high beams are engaged, fog lights usually turn off. With glare free, would they not also turn off if they were wired into the stock wiring system? If you made your own wiring circuit direct to the LVB, then they'd just stay on but not sure if they'd freak the system out since fog lights don't throw light as far as your low beams. I'm not an expert at all though so what I said might just be nonsense!

 

[JvdMaat]

In traditional set ups, when high beams are engaged, fog lights usually turn off. With glare free, would they not also turn off if they were wired into the stock wiring system? If you made your own wiring circuit direct to the LVB, then they'd just stay on but not sure if they'd freak the system out since fog lights don't throw light as far as your low beams. I'm not an expert at all though so what I said might just be nonsense!

Wouldn't you want the fogs to turn off when you engage high beams? In fog/snow conditions (ie when fogs are needed), high beams will completely kill your visibility through reflection.

 

[bc1]

On the fords I've had, the factory fogs turned off with the high beams. But with the Prius and Subaru they are independent and I run with both on all the time as the high beams don't look down in front close up. Seems like most people run both around here and particularly the semi trucks. They sort of do the same thing as the glare free but so far I don't think my glare free are all that bright in the ditch and I wouldn't mind having additional fog lights.

As an aside, if you have every driven in a blinding blizzard then fog lights low to the ground is all that will get you around. I remember getting caught in a blizzard needing to drive 20 miles north into it with no fog lights. Drove 20 miles just crawling along with the wife holding a flashlight out the passenger window shining straight down at the ground which at least illuminated the blacktop and edge of the road. The flashlight works in the fog too so carry a good bright one.

Glare free headlights in a blizzard would still leave you in a blizzard or heavy fog as a sitting duck on the highway stalled or creeping along when some semi truck with fog lights comes high ballin up behind you.

The lower to the ground they are the better. Even some bolt mounted led lights drilled in below the bumper would be better than nothing. I would angle them towards the ditches as well.

 

[Athrun88]

Wouldn't you want the fogs to turn off when you engage high beams? In fog/snow conditions (ie when fogs are needed), high beams will completely kill your visibility through reflection.

Yeah, that's true, but I haven't driven in blizzard or fog conditions with glare free yet. I usually disabled my auto high beams on my Subaru prior to the Lightning so my lows+fogs were on, but I don't have personal experience with how glare free operates in those conditions yet. Perhaps someone else can give some insight.

 

[Runaway Tractor]

See link in my signature for how I did mine.

 

[3rdgenfan]

No wiring baked in for the fogs at the bumper, the harnesses us base models used early on in the ACC retrofit included fog light connections though; but I'm sure they weren't terminated on the body harness side of things.

I’m curious what effect fog lights will have on glare free lighting. It will be interesting to see how it responds to a second light source aligned with the headlights.

From what I can tell the glare free setup is triggered by the camera at the rearview mirror, so unless a light source is pointed directly at it there wouldn't be any cut offs.

 

[21st Century Truck]

Rear fog lights are mandatory in Europe, so it would make sense that US manufacturers have made allowances for that at the factory.
(You'll also find that in Europe (at least 2 decades ago) people would only use their front fog lights in... Actual foggy weather. As opposed to the US where they are kept pretty much always on for a lot of drivers.)

I just spent some time in Europe this November, and in between other business I actually visited a Ford dealership which had an imported F150 on the lot.

I am a big fan of rear fog lights ever since my 1991 BMW (US spec) for which this was an option. I added them later to my Ford Fusion / "Mondeo" and to my Mach E Mustang.

Unfortunately, their F150 was a North America spec vehicle. The smart tech said that the only two Euro countries with significant F150 Lightning presence are Norway and Switzerland... and neither of these countries is in the EU. Therefore, Ford Corporate had chosen to so far not to field rear fog lights or Euro-style outside mirror glass for the F150 as there is no market demand yet for EU-mandated safety gear.

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