Went to the local pick and pull today lookin' for some parts for my daughters' Saturn. She keeps hitting things. Anyway I wasn't having any luck. I noticed a 2003 ctd on my way out nasty t-bone damage. noticed it had the factory fogs and asked for a price $20 . Checked my truck and the factory wiring was there just behind drivers side bumper. What the hell worth a try for $20. I removed switch from dash, removed both fogs and wiring that runs along front bumper. Twenty minutes tops. Took it home twenty minutes later had Factory Fogs. The louvered covers that were in my bumper sat almost touching the lenses but i liked how it looked with the covers on so I trimmed away the louvers so there would be a half inch of clearance. They work great and really improve my low beam visibility. Anyone can do this if they have the wiring to the bumper.

 

This should show my signature so you know what truck I have.

 

I agree on the improvement on the low beam visibility. The stock headlamps suuuuuuck.

I went a step further and and did the high beam lamp conversion on the fogs and they work that much better as well. In fact, that is more effective than the high beams alone.

 

This is perception, and not fact. Unfortunatly, it's a very common perception. People drive with fog lights on all the time.

Fog lamps - when aimed properly - provide a beam that is low, wide, and flat. They should illuminate the area directly in front and a bit to the sides of the vehicle. They do not project out very far by design.

The human eye is attracted by light and movement. Your eye will naturally go to the brightest area of your field of vision. That's just the way we're built, and you can't change it. If that area is directly in front of the truck, that's where you'll focus. You'll be constantly overdriving your field of vision.

A good driving lamp will project out beyond the range of your factory driving lamps. It will illuminate very little of the area directly in front of the truck. That naturally draws your attention way out in front, where it should be.

The other issue is blinding the oncoming drivers. When you installed your new lights, did you aim them properly? Factory beams are notorious for poor design, and poor installation. It's especially bad in a truck, where the lamps are considerably higher off the ground than they would be on a sedan.

 

Not really interested in getting in a lighting debate, just wanted to let people know how to obtain an easy cheap accessory for their truck. If anyone needs any further details I would be happy to help.

 

I too have a wire hanging down that looks like it could be for fog lights. I have no other idea what else it could be used for. So you had too change out the switch also? I will try this in my 06, hope it works. Thanks for taking the time.

 

Just on a whim about 5 years ago I decided to head to the local....dare I say it....Dodge House....because I had a busted fog light. I went straight to the body shop and asked the guys there if they had any take-offs....and wouldn't ya know it, they had 2!!! Only needed one but they offered them both to me for $25....I couldn't pass that up.

That's just a thought if you don't want to spend half a day rummaging through a pick-n-pull yard. I've tried every yard around me for 100 miles and NOT ONE SINGLE YARD has any 3rd gen trucks or parts .

 

@ justen920, that wiring you have hanging down in the front is for fog lights. A few years back, I went to the dealer, and bought the fog lights and switch, as my truck didn't come with them when I bought it new, back in '06. The parts guy tried to tell me that only the dealer could install them, and that they would have to "flash" the vehicle to make them work! Told him no thanks, I'd do the install myself (about half an hour), and I'd come back later for the "flash". I never went back. At least with an '06, without the dealer 'flash", the fog lights work on high and low beam. Now I know it's illegal to go driving around with fog lights and high beams at the same time, but I only do that when I'm in the middle of nowhere, with no oncoming traffic. I also know (at least in TX), that you aren't even supposed to turn on your fog lights unless there is fog. But I see plenty of people that do drive around with their fog lights on. Anyway, at least on the '06's, the fog lights can be turned on with the high beams, as long as you don't have your truck re-flashed.

 

Thanks guys, I will do that.

 

That plug you found IS for the foglights. It has a stubborn red tab on it, this tab needs to be pushed down towards the ground to lock after you connect the harness to the foglights.