Adding Rear Fog Lights to US/Candian Spec Santa Fe models.
Please Note: This modification rates a 10 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. Many of the parts necessary for this mod are difficult to come by. You should not attempt it without a fair knowledge of circuitry and decent soldering skills. A full write-up, photos, and schematics will come very soon.
Legal - Please read if you plan on performing this modification:
Owing to the fact that rear fog lamps are optional (in the United States and Canada) by SAE regulation J1319, many auto manufacturers choose not to fit them to save money. This in turn has lead most DMVs to omit the function entirely from their driver education programs and booklets. Thus, their relative obscurity in the American marketplace has lead them to be greatly misunderstood and frequently misused by a public that does not understand their purpose and proper use.
Rear fog lamps are not rear-facing white lights like those on the front of a vehicle. Instead, they consist of one or two steady-burning red rear lamps that are activated during severe inclement weather. They differ from front fog lamps in the fact that their purpose is not to improve the visibility of the driver but rather to improve the conspicuity of the vehicle for following drivers. Think of them as a bright taillight rather than a 'fog lamp' per se. Here is a list of conditions that merit their use. Please remember that their use on clear nights or sunny days with good visibility is just as pointless as driving with your high beams in city traffic. It is inconsiderate to other drivers and in many places, illegal.
Proper Use of Rear Fog Lights:
Regardless of what you may hear or read, rear fog lights are perfectly legal in all fifty states the U.S. and all Canadian provinces. However, you must follow some simple regulations.
List of Materials:
Fitting the rear fog light switch is as simple as removing the factory blank and sliding the switch in its place. No modification is needed. Here is the switch fitted in a US-spec Santa Fe dashboard.
(This is now a Sticky...Andy (see I can be nice sometimes
)
Please Note: This modification rates a 10 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. Many of the parts necessary for this mod are difficult to come by. You should not attempt it without a fair knowledge of circuitry and decent soldering skills. A full write-up, photos, and schematics will come very soon.
Legal - Please read if you plan on performing this modification:
Owing to the fact that rear fog lamps are optional (in the United States and Canada) by SAE regulation J1319, many auto manufacturers choose not to fit them to save money. This in turn has lead most DMVs to omit the function entirely from their driver education programs and booklets. Thus, their relative obscurity in the American marketplace has lead them to be greatly misunderstood and frequently misused by a public that does not understand their purpose and proper use.
Rear fog lamps are not rear-facing white lights like those on the front of a vehicle. Instead, they consist of one or two steady-burning red rear lamps that are activated during severe inclement weather. They differ from front fog lamps in the fact that their purpose is not to improve the visibility of the driver but rather to improve the conspicuity of the vehicle for following drivers. Think of them as a bright taillight rather than a 'fog lamp' per se. Here is a list of conditions that merit their use. Please remember that their use on clear nights or sunny days with good visibility is just as pointless as driving with your high beams in city traffic. It is inconsiderate to other drivers and in many places, illegal.
Proper Use of Rear Fog Lights:
- In thick fog where visibility is restricted to less than 300 feet - they are especially effective on rural roads with little street lighting.
- In freeway/motorway traffic where spray is kicked up by other cars, restricting visibility.
- In blizzard/white out conditions.
- During blowing dust or sand conditions.
Regardless of what you may hear or read, rear fog lights are perfectly legal in all fifty states the U.S. and all Canadian provinces. However, you must follow some simple regulations.
- If one rear fog lamp is fitted, it must be on the driver's side of the vehicle.
- If two lamps are fitted, they must be parallel to each other and must activate together.
- The fog lamps must only activate with the low beam headlamps and function independently of the headlamps (i.e. have an independent switch and no turn on
with the headlights)
- A steady-burning indicator must be visible to the driver and be active whenever the fog lights are on (don't worry about this; the switch incorporates an indicator light)
List of Materials:
- Rear Fog Light Switch (any Hyundai parts deparment in the UK or Europe can provide)
- Front Fog Light Switch connector (from a wrecked Santa Fe will do just fine)
- Two spools of 14-gauge wiring in red and black. (Red = Hot Wire / Black = Ground Wire)
- Two reverse or rear turn signal bulb sockets. These will fit the rear fog light unit like a dream.
- Two 1156LL light bulbs.
- Wiring diagram for the headlights (includes diagram to the front fog switch which will act as a surrogate for the absent rear fog switch connector)
Fitting the rear fog light switch is as simple as removing the factory blank and sliding the switch in its place. No modification is needed. Here is the switch fitted in a US-spec Santa Fe dashboard.
(This is now a Sticky...Andy (see I can be nice sometimes
)
