Tail lights?

[Hgarcia]

i wanna put in the fog light bulb for my tail lights but idk what bulbs to use, can anyone help me?

Also are there any procedures for replacing the top brake light above of the trunk in a sedan?

[fcpgroton]

First thing first what year Passat do you have? Also have you wired your car up to have the rear fog light function?

[flygliii]

There is a seller that formerly advertised on here IIRC that sells the wire and bulb kit on eBay. Or you can search for the same online, they're cheap. Don't forget the European headlight switch for the double pull on the fog...the second pull is for the rear fog. It's a fairly easy job.

[Hgarcia]

I have a 99, and no i havent, i didnt know i was suppose to i just saw that it had the spot for it and that a regular bulb didnt fit due to the fitment on the actual tailight not where the bulbs stay

[scotts13]

I have a 99, and no i havent, i didnt know i was suppose to i just saw that it had the spot for it and that a regular bulb didnt fit due to the fitment on the actual tailight not where the bulbs stay

There you go. USA spec cars don't have the control or wiring for a rear fog light, just the vestigial bulb socket. You can modify the car to support it, you'll need something like THIS and THIS.

[Hgarcia]

ohh ok thank you, but do you know the size of the bulbs?, i already have the wire and the adapters at home i work a lot with electrical stuff so i dont think i wanna buy the kit when i dont need it.

and does anyone know how to replace the high mount bulbs?

[scotts13]

and does anyone know how to replace the high mount bulbs?

Should be pretty easy. According to the Bentley manual, You reach under and unplug the electrical connector. Then you press the "lock retaining spring" and pull the bulb holder out. The seven type 2825 bulbs just pull out of the holder.

I'm pretty sure the rear fog bulb is an 1156, though it (obviously) doesn't show up on USA replacement charts.

[Steve in Chicago]

The bulb socket in the back plate accepts a standard single filament bulb. You'll need to open up the hole at the back of the tail light fixture reflector to accept the bulb. I did this to mine when I did the 5-brake light modification. I used a stepped drill bit.

[Hgarcia]

wow thanx guys, ill try the high mount bulbs when i get a chance

[Hgarcia]

i got the high mount bulbs out, they got stuck but i took out a clip and slid it right out

[flygliii]

1156 and it is 21w, IIRC.

[Hgarcia]

so i was going to do the rear fog light, and my friend said he did some research and said i needed a diode, i havent touched it because of the cold weather, but i wanna know if i just wire it to the switch or do i really need the diode?

[Steve in Chicago]

I can't think of a reason why you'd need a diode if you get power from the correct pin on the headlight switch and bring that power (you'll need to pull a wire from the switch to the tail light fixture) back to the correct contact on the tail light assembly.

Now if you were going to construct a circuit so those extra bulbs would function as both rear fog lights off the headlight switch and extra brake lights (like the 5 brake light mod) off the brake light circuit... then you'd need some diodes.

[Hgarcia]

oh ok that makes sense, thank you for answering all of my questions

[flygliii]

Na, no diode needed.

Matter of fact, I recall seeing a how-to on here or Passat World for getting power to the dash icon so it can light up, too. Should still be around, if you are interested.

Hey, do any of you know if this is mod is just as easy on the newer Passat models? Why a comparable Audi includes it and the VW doesn't makes no sense to me...

Anyway, good luck with your project, it's a very practical one, IMO.

[Hgarcia]

thank you very much, i think it should be the same way i dont see why not

[Hgarcia]

i saw a gti with them, they were aftermarket lights but it should be the same

[Hgarcia]

by any chance do u know what u searched, or have a link, im pretty interested and wanna see some of the steps

[flygliii]

No link. But, IIRC, I had googled "Passat rear fog" or something like that. I just did it the one time I did the mod several years ago, but there still should be something around.

[E CODE]

Just buy the ECS kit...

[flygliii]

Just buy the ECS kit...

Totally the easy way to go. But, I thought the OP was also trying to illuminate the dash icon? That's a bit more involved, but wiring the rear fog is fairly simple. Remove fuse panel, swap switch, wire to switch, discreetly run wire under the trim panels to light cluster/tub, throw in bulb, put it all back together, then give it a go...

[Hgarcia]

yea its all actuly pretty easy its just connecting/soldering a wire running from the pin, over to a pin on the instrument cluster harness, i looked it up and its pretty awesome, i stil havent done it do to rain, and cold weather, also have been working alot and school but i should be able to get to it by next week when i have a couple of days off from school.

[Hgarcia]

I have finally finished, it was pretty easy but did take me a couple of hours, still have to run it to the passenger side, but i managed to get the 5 brake mod, and the rear fog light, along with the indicator on the dashboard. PHEW!!!

[flygliii]

Check your local laws on running one vs. two rear fogs, seems some people get freaked out enough over one rear fog...crazies.

[Hgarcia]

lol i will, but i mean if worsst comes to worst i could just shut em off

[flygliii]

Yeah, or you could just disconnect the passenger side if it's ever a legal issue. They're pretty common now, but I guess not everyone knows what they are or how they're intended to be used. Enjoy!

[nolesfan]

Congrats on getting this to work. I thought about it since I got the Euro switch a couple years ago, but haven't pulled the trigger on it yet. I want to go all out with it, getting the dash light to illuminate, but I've never tackled any wiring job and I'm a little nervous about diving in. Any suggestions?

[Hgarcia]

its really not terrible, have u ever used a soldering iron or gun, if u have this turns into a simple task, I soldered everything before i ran it in the car just so i would be more comfortable, the only thing i did was pull out the the pin from the instrument panel connector, then got to soldering, are u only doing rear fogs or are you also gunna do the 5 light brake mod?

[Hgarcia]

does anyone know if there is a way to make the rear fog light brighter? mine seems really dim compared to those ive seen in pictures and videos.

[E CODE]

LED bulb?

[Steve in Chicago]

Does anyone know if there is a way to make the rear fog light brighter? Mine seems really dim compared to those I've seen in pictures and videos.

What wattage bulb did you use?
Is it a single or double filament bulb?
What gauge wire did you use to run from the switch all the way back to the tail light?
Are you running just one rear fog light or do you have both tails wired and bulbed?

[Hgarcia]

im not sure how many watts, i got some of the smd Led bulbs, im sure its single, i think i ran it with either 16 or 18, i ran it to both sides along with the diodes with the 5 brake light mod.

[Hgarcia]

Is it bad if i have Led, bulbs?

[Steve in Chicago]

The LED's will draw fewer amps, create less heat and are supposed to last longer (if not over-volted).

If you have a set, pop in some regular incandescent bulbs and see how those look. The LED's may not have the light output you're looking for.

[Hgarcia]

alright, im gunna see if i got one kicking around, thank you.