[mblackwell]

Pictures of my fog and driving lights. Sorry it took so long since I posted about this project. It took a lot more time to plan than to actually accomplish.

 

[colin25]

Very nice DIY (do it yourself)

I have a 453 now, which is very difficult to wire extra electric lights in as they are all tied through the cars computer, some lights even need coding. Puts me right off DIY work.

When I owned my 451 Cdi, I installed some Daylight running lights DRL's, low down, where the blanks are for the fog lights.

Got the pair of 8 led horizontal row of DRL's off Ebay, as photo below......

 

[mblackwell]

Mine are not wired through the vehicles computer. They run directly off the battery using a separate harness and four pin relay for each. Fogs are triggered by the low beam circuit at the fuse box and driving lights by the high beam circuit so they go out when dimmed (dipped). Lights are switched by 5 pin toggles under the single din radio. The harnesses had to be modified in length because they were made for a battery-under-hood layout, so wiring inside the car was too long and under the access panel (hood) too short. I used the longest wires to the lights for the shortest run to the closest light and added 54" to the shortest light wires for the longer run. Wires from the toggle switch to the relay, fuse box, and battery all had to be shortened by various amounts. Hardest part of the entire process was getting the right measurements for wire length. After various unsuccessful attempts, I found it easiest to combine the task of measuring wire lengths with the wire fishing task. I used a 20'+ piece of string and a sharpie to mark the distance between the components. As I fished the wire I was able to pull the first 15' of string through and measure between the marks with a tape. You could just pull everything first and cut/add as needed but it would involve a lot of working on your back under the dash.

 

[mblackwell]

Latest wiring diagram

 

[SMARTKAR]

Wondering if you are running the fogs off the battery can you just wire the fog, fuse, relay then switch?

 

[mblackwell]

Fogs & driving lights are powered directly by the Battery. The 5 pin switch controls the relay and is only operative when the cars headlights are on, the relay controls power from the battery to the fog/driving lights reducing load on the switch. If you are asking, can they be wired without tying in to headlight circuits, the answer is yes. This is ok for off-road applications and is much easier, however they won't turn off with the car's light switch so you will have to remember to switch them off when you leave the car. Also the driving lights will not be controlled by the high beam circuit and will need to be switched off whenever you meet oncoming traffic. I have wired lights like that in the past, but didn't like dimming the brights and fumbling for the driving light switch as well. I have also killed the battery by forgetting the fogs were on.

 

[Bill Harris]

Mine are not wired through the vehicles computer. They run directly off the battery using a separate harness and four pin relay for each. Fogs are triggered by the low beam circuit at the fuse box and driving lights by the high beam circuit so they go out when dimmed (dipped). Lights are switched by 5 pin toggles under the single din radio. The harnesses had to be modified in length because they were made for a battery-under-hood layout, so wiring inside the car was too long and under the access panel (hood) too short. I used the longest wires to the lights for the shortest run to the closest light and added 54" to the shortest light wires for the longer run. Wires from the toggle switch to the relay, fuse box, and battery all had to be shortened by various amounts. Hardest part of the entire process was getting the right measurements for wire length. After various unsuccessful attempts, I found it easiest to combine the task of measuring wire lengths with the wire fishing task. I used a 20'+ piece of string and a sharpie to mark the distance between the components. As I fished the wire I was able to pull the first 15' of string through and measure between the marks with a tape. You could just pull everything first and cut/add as needed but it would involve a lot of working on your back under the dash.

That is the best way to do this. Simply bypass the Canbus system and lay in a new subharness from the battery. I've done similar additions on my Canbus Nissans.

--Bill

 

[mblackwell]

I still need a couple of refinements. I should have ganged the switch illumination so both fogs and drivings glow when the park/headlights lights are on. Right now only the switch for the fogs glows when lights are on. The switch for the driving lights only glows when high beams are on, whether the DLs are on off. Fine for now, I plan to improve it the next time I have the radio surround off.

 

[Bill Harris]

Pictures of my fog and driving lights. Sorry it took so long since I posted about this project. It took a lot more time to plan than to actually accomplish.



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Good. I was wondering if they might not block air entering that grille. I have a pair of Hellas oval lamps like these that will fit neatly in that spsce.

 

[mblackwell]

Those are nice lights! I haven't noticed any cooling problems with the grill being blocked so far. I use an Autool 60 to monitor the coolant temp and it appears to be unchanged since the lights were installed. The lights are out about 2-3" in front of the grill But its cold now so might be a problem in the summer.

 

[Bill Harris]

I also think it will have adequate cooling. We'll keep monitoring the coolant temp.
Autool 60 you say. I'll look into gauges-- this car has a new engine because the PO overheated the enfine and blew a head gasket. An idiot light for temperature comes on when it's too late!
Your "stand ahead" lights are reminiscent of an classic Mini Cooper. My Hella Free Form lights are refugees from an earlier project and will work well here. They are Halogen, and there is a direct LED replacement.

 

[Bill Harris]

Autool X60 is ttremendous!!

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www.autooltech.com

 

[mblackwell]

Yes

 

[Smarty-rants]

Pictures of my fog and driving lights. Sorry it took so long since I posted about this project. It took a lot more time to plan than to actually accomplish.



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Do you know of anywhere/anyone that sells the driving lights already mounted to the snap-in bezels? Plug N Play? My 2012 451 has blank bezels where the lights would be mounted and it is pre-wired from the factory for auxiliary lights. I bought the OEM factory dashboard switches that includes the switch for the driving lights. My MB dealer says the lights themselves are still available but the install hardware and the bezels are not. Probably why the lights are still available? I don't mind MB dropping the ball but they have taken the ball and gone home! Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance, Phil.

 

[1983JZR3W]

I found the bezels on EBay that accept the factory driving/fog lights. Look for Eastar4World. They sell a lot of smart items, the bezels, both solid and pre cut, hatch struts, mud flaps and other badges, etc. Good luck.

 

[mblackwell]

As I recall there are two types of grills, one with cutouts for the bezels (a blank bezel with no hole or one with a hole for the light) and a grill that is one piece and has no provision for either type of bezel. On either type the fog lights do not snap into the bezels but are mounted to the plastic body pieces behind it. My car, a pure had no cutouts in the grill for the bezels. I bought a new lower grill rather than cut the old one. I can see that it would be simple (for someone handy with a dremel or hole saw) to just cut the holes in either a blank grill or blank bezel. Below are pics of both.

 

[colin25]

Just beware that the blanks on the 451 are at an angle downwards, so when fitting aftermarket lights ensure they are horizontal to the ground when fitting into the blanks, so light beam goes straight out, instead of downwards.

 

[mblackwell]

OEM style fog lights are marked L and R (at least the ones I got on ebay were). The angle of the blanks (bezels) is irrelevant because they are mounted to the grill and have no bearing on the aiming of the lights. The lights are mounted to heavy plastic fixings behind the grill with 3 small screws, The only way to get them wrong is to get that backwards. I am not even sure you can do that. If you did they would be aimed not only up but crossed. As I recall, you can't really install them wrong if you use common sense. There is an adjustment screw above each light for fine tuning.

If you aren't using the OEM style, you are gonna have to find a way to bolt them on to something substantial. Other than the towing eye points there isn't much available without modifications to the body work. The lower grill is too flimsy to support a heavy aftermarket bolt on light.

 

[colin25]

OEM style fog lights are marked L and R (at least the ones I got on ebay were). The angle of the blanks (bezels) is irrelevant because they are mounted to the grill and have no bearing on the aiming of the lights.....

I would not be too sure about that statement, depending on what lights you are fitting, if on the blanks themselves. I found that out (in my message 2 above) when I fitted aftermarket DRLs and noticed the angle right away when fitting. Likely if you are fitting OEM lights and brackets then you are correct. But aftermarket stuff, watch out.

 

[mblackwell]

The question was about driving lights (DLs), not daytime running lights (DRLs). My statement was related fog lights (FLs). I replied because fog lights share some mounting requirements with driving lights. DLs FLs and DRLs have separate, specific functions. If these terms are interchangeable to you, then we are talking at cross purposes.

Driving and fog lights need to be mounted in a location that is subject to as little vibration as possible since you want them to help you see. I don't think it's feasible to attach any kind of a "functional" driving/fog light into a grill bezel or in the grill itself due to the flimsy nature of the grill (maybe it's not an issue with DRLs?). Additionally the lower grill is too low to be of much use as a location for DLs.

I have no experience with DRLs. Is there any provision for aiming them? Do they provide any useful Illumination at night? It looks like they just snap in and the aim is determined by the grill position and hence they are not capable of being aimed. As I see it, aim is critical for DLs, less critical, but still important for FLs, and not very important for DRLs, although you would want them to be pointed, more or less straight ahead so that you could be seen by oncoming traffic.

Additionally DLs should turn off with high beam dipper/dimmer. FLs on with low beams. DRLs on any time the engine is on, (or daytime only?).