Rear Fog Light Install?
 

I just received my Rear Fog Light ( European Rear Fog Lamp, 2009 370Z - The Z Store, your Datsun & Nissan Z & ZX source! ) and not surprisingly, it came with no instructions of any kind.

I haven't decided if I'm going to do this myself or have a dealer do it for me...from the reading I've done, it's likely that the hardest part will be deciding exactly where to place the on/off switch as it seems the wiring harness is already in place.

Does anyone one have any thoughts on what actually has to be done to install the physical lam assembly? Does the current lens cover simply "pop off" and the replacement slips inside?

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

If you lie down and reach underneath the bumper, on the rear side of the light, you will find the bolts you need to loosen to remove the existing fake fog light. You will also find a wiring harness tail hanging there to plug into your new light.

The wiring for the whole fog lamp system is apparently already present on the car, what we lack in the US is the fog lamp itself (which you just purchased), and the alternate Canadian-spec combination switch unit (which is the pair of sticks that control the wipers and headlights, it's all one unit). The canadian headlight stick has an extra switch to control the fog lights. The BCM (Body Control Module) is what the switch and the foglight are wired to. Since the wiring is all there, I assume the BCM will function correctly if you installed the Canadian switch, but nobody has verified that. I called a dealer in Canada about ordering the switch, it was something like US $380-ish, and I didn't buy one.

So you can either buy the canadian combo switches, or you can just put a regular switch in the center console (by the heated seat switches) and wire it up manually. The +12V for the fog light comes out of the wiring harness as an orange wire connected to pin 24 of the BCM, which is in the passenger footwell. You'd have to cut that wire and route it to your custom switch, and then also wire an ignition-switched 12V power line from elsewhere to the other side of your switch.

Nobody in the US has done either yet afaik, or at least they haven't mentioned it here, so you're kinda in new territory.

Great info.! Damn why not just give his the damn rear fog light...DAMN YOU NISSAN!!! DAMN YOU!!!! OH well...I wonder if I can use the BCM from my '02 Maxima as it looks to tbe the same as the Canada version. I think on the Maxima board someone was selling one for like $40.

The BCM is the computer that controls things that aren't directly related to the engine (like lights and locks and whatnot). I imagine it's very car-specific, and not a good idea to try to swap in one from a maxima. It's likely that our BCM already works correctly anyways, assuming you had the right switches on the steering column, just nobody has confirmed that.

Oh, OK thanks for clearing that up. Someone the Maxima board was selling the switch with the fog light switch. I was using the incorrect term.

The part is the one called "25540M 370Z SWITCH ASSY-COMBINATION" in the diagrams on this page (which is a US dealership): 251 Switch :: Body Electrical :: Genuine Nissan Parts :: 370Z Parts (Z34) 2009+ :: CourtesyParts.com

25540M is a designation they re-use generically for the same sort of part on many different models in the parts books though, and the parts are wildly different. I'm not sure what the whole exact part number is for the US 370Z. I called a Canadian dealership though, and the part number he had for the Canadian version is 25560-1EA0C.

Interested to note that there is a separate trunk opener switch when you open the glove box—item C. Why Nissan chose to leave it off the 2009 model is beyond foolish.

Are you saying there is or isn't a rear hatch release in the glovbox of the 370?

I can't say I've ever looked (I don't think I've had the glovbox open more than twice since I picked up my car in January. :)

The M45 has a similar although somewhat less sophiscated outside trunk release sensor at the rear (it only opens the trunk; doesn't lock or unlock the vehicle) and has an inside trunk release as well on the driver's side.

I spoke withe a dealer today. He and his lead tech estimated 1-2 hrs labor and they agree that wiring up another "heated seat" switch as being the best place for the on/off switch without using a factory switch on the stalk.

According to them, however, there are exactly ZERO of those switches in the country at the moment and it will have to come from Japan - 3-6 weeks is the estimate for the $18 part!

I'm not sure yet if I'll have them do the install or not but we at least got the switch on order.

So are you saying you're using a genuine fog lamp switch from Japan and are installing the switch next to the open slot by the heated seat switches?

Do you have the part number?

No...I'm using another "heated seat" switch identical to the two already in the center counsel and yes, it will go in the "middle" unused slot between the two heated seat switches already there.

I didn't get the part number from the dealer but any dealer should be able to look up the part number.

Hey. How long did it take you to recieve your fog light? Did you have a tracking number? I just ordered mine, and got my confirmation about 3 days saying it will ship out within 24hrs.

I might be a fool, but I just painted my rear valence satin black followed the DIY posted, came out great, but this is where I might be the fool, I am going to connect the Euro fog light, in which I am about to order, to the brake lights, "4th Brake Light" I have a base model with no switches and I just want to see how it would look.:stirthepot:
http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/z...i/IMG_0009.jpg

I don't have a video with it wired to the brakes...as I thought it looked excessive when I got behind the car and it was kind of bright to me and I was also trying to consider cars behind me. Just my opinion. (Reason I consider other drivers is because I can't stand seeing cars/trucks that have HID bulbs in halogen headlamps, and don't a projector kit. They are so god dam bright and blinding.)

However, I do have a video of it wired to the reverse light with a flasher if needed.

I changed out the bulb that comes with the Euro Foglight with a red LED bulb and it is not so bright, looks a whole lot better.

Awesome, I definetely am considering the flasher option as well. I believe I read your install thread a couple weeks ago. I do not know much about consideration of other drivers behind me, the rear fog light is low to the ground, usually braking in traffic when its bumper to bumper, so it would be really hard for a driver to see the for light lit up as a brake light. On the highway would be much different and if they are that close behind you to where the fog light might impose a burden on their vision, I say just drive faster:driving::tup:

I have mine wired to the brake lights and a flasher; all hooked up to the OEM rocker-style light switch. I will get a video of the flashing brake light for you guys when I get home tonight.

Without a doubt, doing a F1-style brake light will attract the attention of the drivers behind you, no matter what or how they're driving. I've also driven in front of cops and never received any sort of reprimand for it, so it seems like its legal (or at least the cops don't care enough here to bother me about it). A couple of members here (specifically toxik) has seen it so maybe they can comment on it as well.

Sorry for the crappy quality; hopefully this will help you guys see what the effect is like.

Can anyone tell me the bulb size/number for the factory JDM fog light?!?! I also want to buy an LED bulb for it, thanks.

Weird... I am wondering the same thing. I know I'm bringing back a really old conversation, but does anyone know the bulb number for the rear fog / brake light? I purchased the light from the Z Store and tried contacting them, but they did not know what bulb size it was. Can anyone help me out?

:ughdance:

If you have a bulb that is intact, the number should be somewhere on the bulb (usually the base). Or look it up in the Owner's Manual or FSM.

If you want to go to a different type of bulb (eg, incandescent to LED), the numerals in the number will usually match but the letters will change. Not always, but it's a pretty good rule-of-thumb.

With it being an aftermarket light, it won't be in the manual. And I was just curious if anyone knew upfront what bulb it was... it's a bitch to get underneath and access the light, so I was hoping to order the bulb and just have to remove it once. But I may just have to get under and check it out.

is there any way to make it blink faster than the one in that video? like X amount of fast blinks then solid? if so, how? i am an electronics novice, so forgive me if it's a dumb question.

edit: nevermind. looks like there are a ton of module options to make them do just about anything you want. this is more or less what i would want, except only wired to the fog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSia-ICRTig

honestly blinking bright red lights is extremely annoying... especially at night. it would distract me so much that i would lose some sense of distance.

:iagree:

The lights that flash 2-3 time and then go steady should to be enough to grab an inattentive driver's attention. Constantly flashing is just annoying.

edit: never mind. I wouldn't want a continuous blink either. just a slightly faster blink 3-5 times then solid

Still looking for that bulb number... :icon14:

Anyone know?

Anyone?