Club 80-90 Forums

Right on my latest venture into the electrics of this bollocking van has come up with a new question, rear fog lights.... I havnt got them I was reading back through previous posts and came across an old thread by Syncropatrick and was interested to see this bit of information,

Simon Baxter wrote:Is it a left hooker?
If so I bet it's not wired up.
MOT testers let vans through MOT with bulbs blown - fact.
If someone has put the switch in and made the tell tale work tester will have though "it's only a bulb" and let it go, because that's what they do.
One the right hand rear light, is there a wire missing from one of the terminals in the multiplug? if so that's the problem, when a fog lamp is fitted there should be no spare terminals.

Although it has had a rear light cluster on the left hand side replaced for a later one at some point in its past the right hand rear side has the wire missing from the multi-plug like Baxter mentions. Does anyone know if some of the westy (lhd) vans were never fitted with a fog light? The van had an MOT with it when i bought it but i am convinced it was a bent one anyway due to the head lghts not operating right so it means nothing really.

I am going to be rewiring all the front lights, spot lights, fog lights etc and do new relays in the morning anyway so i am thinking i might as well run a new wire and relay to the rear fog lights too i guess as there isnt number 53 relay in the fuse board and the wire that is in the switch for the rear fogs runs of up the right hand side of the windscreen column somewhere and isnt a standard wire due to a crimped connector on a thick black wire.


jed

Jed

My 1990 pop top Atlantic had no wiring for any rear fog lights as standard. I had to run all the wiring etc in myself.

BAYVELLE wrote:Jed

My 1990 pop top Atlantic had no wiring for any rear fog lights as standard. I had to run all the wiring etc in myself.

Thanks for the info, I best pick some more relays and cable up

jed

My 83 velle had wiring to one side.. I think.. was so long ago I sorted it...

My 92 Doka had wiring to the left.. just replaced the right lens and holder and jumped a wire across the back..

jed all german vans do not have fitted rear fogs

you will need an illuminated switch to pass the mot

Thanks for the help chaps I think I know what I shall be doing now. A full day wireing, I have a mate giving me a lift so shouldn't be to evil.

Jed

Hi Jed the wiring for the fog light is in the loom you just have to find it behind the fuse box think its yellow&white comes out in junction box in engine compartment, if light cluster hasant got bulb holder you can easly fit one and then track the circuit back to connector makes a neat job of it ,I did mine and I'am no sparky.

vanwesty wrote: makes a neat job of it ,I did mine and I'am no sparky.

Jed no dry wall screws holding it all together, wires twisted together and gaffer tapped up now!

Our early Westy didn't have one and I couldn't find any wiring for it either.

I ran a feed from the fusebox to a switch loose on the dash, carried the wire through the tailgate and bolted a temporary one to the rear bumper. It passed, depsite the guy testing it giving me the 'I know you'll be removing that down the road' look.

The Syncro Kombi (also LHD) I just bought has one nicely fitted between the numberplate/hatch and the rear light but I doubt it's original.

On my 81 Aircooled Westy I put the foglight switch in the dash, although I can't remember if there was a plug there or not, but it's not too hard to figure out the wires. Then I ran the switch wire to the back to power the fog lights. My rear lights had the bulb holders but no wiring so I just drilled a small hole through the back of the light, put the wire through and job's a good 'un. On both sides. To give the bulb the spring at the back to give it tension and hold it in place, I used the spring and connector from one of them cheap inline fuse holders. If any of that makes sense.

My solution was similar...I used a smaill BA bolt, a sping from a pen, two nuts and a small eyelet connector. I drilled a small hold to line up with the bulb contact, pushed the bolt with spring through from the inside and fixed it in position with the two nuts locking the eyelet at the same time on the outside of the lamp holder (the eylet electrically connected to the foglamp feed) it works a treat.
I have seen other people solder a wire directly to the bulb but this is not a good solution long term.

PS. you may need to file the head of the BA bolt almost flat and trim the spring to a suitable length so the bulb has room to fit and give a good sprung contact.

Martin

Ifthere is any wireing to the rear it'll only go to the left hand cluster, not the right. If theres 6 wires on the left you need only extend it over to the right and get a UK right cluster (or fit an add on light somewhere, or mod the cluster you've got).

Next up is there a plug for the switch behind the dash, if so plug it in and it should be ready to go. If not you'll have to add one and take it back to tbe fusebox. Don't worry about the lack of a relay in socket 7, its only needed/fitted if you have front fogs. To retrofit them you need to do more wireing if you don't have the wires hanging about behind the headlights and all the terminals used behind the switch (you need the wires to be in both the front and the dash looms, you might have one but not both), then just add the relay which will make the fogs work on sidelights as well as headlights.
Its shown quite well in a suro spec wireing diagram (NOT bentley!), I can email you one if you want, send a PM.

Thanks again for your advise fellas. Spent most of today getting to grips with my electrical woes and decided to start from scratch as my headlights were wired up all wrong too and i have decided to add some high up spot lights to the roof of the van for night time off road driving, wild camping etc.

I decided to do the headlight upgrade and with the front fog lights and now the rear plus the five high level spots on another two position fog light switch under the existing one on the right hand side of the dash pod. Its relay city so with the help of my chum Neil we set about running a new feed from the battery in the rear of the van (diesel) to a second new fuse/relay board under the passenger seat in the battery box. At least this way I know where everything is and how it goes and all the relays are neatly put together and labeled. James would be proud no drywall screws or tape, everything is crimped or soldered and heat shrinked, and its taken bloody ages and i recon its about two thirds done now. My headlights are well bright now so with a bit of good weather i should be wrapped up tomorrow.

jed

Well done fella!!!

Top Job Jed


so do your fog lights work now