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changing signal lights to fog lights

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Old 10-17-2009, 03:24 PM
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Default changing signal lights to fog lights

so i shattered one of my driving / front signal lights on my TA, and was curious if there is any way to wire the fog lights to be used as the daytime running lamps and my flasher signals? will this throw codes?
Old 10-17-2009, 11:13 PM
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you would just have to cut the wires goin to the fogs, and rewire them to the wires going to the driving lights.
Old 10-17-2009, 11:28 PM
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Are you talking about having white turn signals, then? If so, that could definitely get you a ticket.
Old 10-17-2009, 11:57 PM
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The fog lights would draw too much power and be too bright for turn signals. Why not just fix/replace the the turn signal housing?
Old 10-19-2009, 09:57 AM
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Cool idea I think, but would need to be low powered for night driving. It would be really cool to be able to turn the fog lights to always on, flash with signals, or always off.
Old 10-19-2009, 10:17 PM
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just find thee part. it couldnt cost you much at all for a new housing, just dont go to the dealer.
Old 10-30-2009, 02:18 PM
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true good call with the ticket idea... thanks guys. the lens cracked and leaked, working on making my own...
Old 11-01-2009, 12:54 PM
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Originally Posted by rabbit320
true good call with the ticket idea... thanks guys. the lens cracked and leaked, working on making my own...
Yea - BTW - A flashing white light (around 50-70 flashes per minute) is a recognized distress signal in North America. So, if you had a flashing white light on your car, you could get more than a ticket - perhaps surrounded by cops with guns drawn! (Taxi cabs in large cities have flashing white lights on them that the driver triggers when being robbed.)
Old 02-03-2010, 12:00 PM
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haha true... i didnt know that one! the stock fogs are kinda yellow white, and i buyrned one out anyway... but im going to do it with my friend in town to help me...

(2000 trans am)
- getting rid of front driving/signal lights (above the air inlets), and getting new fog lights (broke one of those too), and programming/wiring fogs to work as driving/ signals...
- any one have recommendations or any stats to do this? (electricity boggles my mind, and im an architect!) thanks!
- pics this weekend!!!

from a design point of view i think these side lights look like an afterthought, i think by getting rid of them it will help add to the four nostril grill effect that the ram air hood starts to impose...

Last edited by WhiteBird00; 02-03-2010 at 01:24 PM. Reason: merge consecutive posts
Old 02-03-2010, 01:33 PM
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So you ask a question and get a number of very reasonable responses explaining why you shouldn't do the modification and why it won't work properly yet you're going to do it anyway? All for the cost of a $30 turn signal housing?
Old 02-04-2010, 12:11 PM
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yes, sorry if i dont want to be like everyone else, another black t/a... to me my car is an art form, and i will modify it till the day i die... lol. and nothing is impossible... i will post pics after i do it. i am sure i can find a 'yellow' round driving light, besides i found bulbs that made the turn signals look white anyway, (cops only had a problem with my interior blue bulbs).
Old 02-04-2010, 12:59 PM
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One option might be to use amber LED replacement bulbs. A Google search for "880 LED amber" turned up a few possibilities (make sure you get high wattage ones - the cheap ones wouldn't be bright enough). They would plug into the existing socket and wiring harness so you wouldn't have to modify the fog light housing. You'd have to change your turn signal flasher to an electronic one because they don't draw much current compared to an incandescent bulb.
Old 02-04-2010, 09:44 PM
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cool thank you... what would be a 'high wattage' one? aye difference in electronic flashers? i assume id have to get one to match it up to the wattage of the bulb or bulbs connected to it...
Old 02-05-2010, 12:24 AM
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Originally Posted by rabbit320
from a design point of view i think these side lights look like an afterthought
They are not an afterthought. Just taken out of a parts bin. If things like this were custom, you'd end up paying for a Ferarri. The marker lights are a key thing for others being able to see you at night. (Same reason airplanes have lights on their wings.)

If you are going to look at putting in amber bulbs with clear lenses, why not do the same with the markers or use a black-out kit for them? If you really want a new look, I'm sure you could work a different light in their spot - but you still need amber markers in the front and reds in the back quarter for the car to meet DOT specs.
Old 02-05-2010, 07:35 AM
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Originally Posted by rabbit320
cool thank you... what would be a 'high wattage' one? aye difference in electronic flashers? i assume id have to get one to match it up to the wattage of the bulb or bulbs connected to it...
Try ipmart.com (non-sponsor) and search for their 880 amber LED bulb. It has 13 1/2 watt LEDs which is about as powerful as you can get.

As far as the flasher, any two prong electronic flasher will work if you leave ordinary bulbs in the back. If you replace all the bulbs (front and back) with LEDs then you'll have to get an electronic flasher specifically designed for LEDs.
Old 02-10-2010, 11:06 PM
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thanks again all... i will be talking to a shop this weekend about it and will report back with pics!
Old 06-07-2010, 06:16 PM
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ok well been working my *** off with no time, but im back on it...

**again switching my driving/parking lights to my fog lights, and deleting parking light housings**

3457 Minor volts 14 watts 8.26
3457 Major 12.8 28.54
880 12.8 27

these are the ratings for the front bulbs and the fog light bulbs, so a simple plug ad play crossover may work, and i already tried just changing/moving the connectors themselves, but of course they dont fit. now, my problem is the turn bulb has three wires going into it (light blue, black and brown), while the fog light only has 2 (purple, black). SEE PIX. this is the drivers side so maybe wire colors vary on the other side. how should i connect them? or should i just search for a fog light housing that can be used as a turn bulb as well? thanks for the input again all!

i do not want to go to hid's, i dont think they would flash well with what i have read, and i dont think they will draw to much power or burn anything, the fogs have been fine the first ten years of the cars life... and please dont ask me why...
Attached Thumbnails changing signal lights to fog lights-dscn0959.jpg   changing signal lights to fog lights-dscn0961.jpg  
Old 06-08-2010, 07:26 AM
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There are three wires because the running lights and DRL/turn signals use separate filaments on the dual filament 3457 bulbs. The brown wire powers the dim (3 candlepower) filament for the running lights when the headlights are on. The light blue (right side) or dark blue (left side) wire powers the bright (40 CP) filament for daytime running lights and turn signals.

DO NOT use HIDs if you want them to flash with the turn signals. For that matter, halogen isn't the best option either - flashing won't damage them but they tend to be slower to warm up than regular bulbs so the look may not be what you want.
Old 06-08-2010, 12:54 PM
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ah ok, so i need to have the 3457 bulb in the fog light housing? or is there an 880 version that is dual filament? or can i just not connect the brown wire, allowing only the turn signals to work and the driving lights? how would you achieve this look? thank you for the responses, i greatly appreciate it!
Old 06-08-2010, 01:16 PM
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The 880 (and its equivalents such as the 885 and 893) is not available in a dual filament configuration. Besides, they are also available only in white and it is illegal to flash white lights (for your turn signals). Trust me, this will get you the wrong kind of attention very quickly - I have friends who have been (wrongly) ticketed for a headlight modulator on their motorcycle (legal in all 50 states).

You could change the lens color to amber (film cover or special paint) and continue to use the original bulb. In that case you would just leave the brown wire disconnected. Technically that's illegal as well but I doubt anyone would notice. I would highly recommend getting LED replacement 880 bulbs since the halogen ones don't flash very well.

If you can find or modify a dual filament socket to fit the fog light housing, the possibilities are much better. For example, you could install those "switchback" LED replacements that are white for running lights and turn amber for the turn signals.


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