How to replace a fog light

Replacement of fog lights - easy work, which can be done in a garage or around the house, having at hand a standard set of tools. But the situation is often complicated by the fact that to remove the fog light you have to disassemble additional elements or even remove the front bumper. Therefore, you should understand the design features of your car model to understand how to properly organize the work.

What can be difficult

Here everything depends on the car, since the location of fog lights, their design and method of mounting can vary greatly. Therefore, it is worth remembering a few simple tips:

1. First, you should study the instruction manual of the car to understand how to carry out the dismantling of the old fog light and put the new one. A lot of information can be found on thematic forums.
   The replacement can be done by your own efforts in almost any car.
2. If the replacement requires the removal of the bumper, it is this work that will take the most time and effort. You need to find all the fasteners, as well as remove the screws that secure the fenders to the bumper.
3. If the fog lights are removed from the outside, which is typical of most older cars, there may be another problem. Due to the low location of the elements on the fasteners constantly gets dirt and screws can be very difficult to remove, especially if it has not been done for many years.

If the fasteners do not give in, it is worth treating them with a liquid wrench so as not to tear the slits in the screws.

What you need for replacement

Here everything depends on the design of the car and the peculiarities of fog lights. Most often the following is required:

1. A set of tools. It is enough even in cases where it is necessary to remove the bumper, as well as the bottom panels that restrict access. If the fog lights are removed from the outside, one screwdriver may be enough, it all depends on the design.
2. "Liquid Wrench.". More often than not, the fasteners do not lend themselves very well. In order not to break anything and not to damage the threaded connections, it is worth pre-treating them and proceed to unscrewing after 5-10 minutes.
   If the PTF is held on the latches, it is important not to break them when removing.
3. New parts. The problem could be a blown bulb, then only the bulb will be needed. If the fog light is broken, most often it is replaced as a whole. But for some options, it is possible to buy the glass separately, in which case you will additionally need a special adhesive to fix the new element on the body.
4. In some cases, you will need a jackTo remove the front wheels or unscrew the fasteners at the bottom of the bumper. But it is best to use a pit in this case.

If the fog lights have been standing for a long time and are quite worn out, if one element fails, it is better to change both, as if you leave one old, the appearance will be unattractive.

How to choose the right lamp

If the lamp has burned out, in order to change it, you should pick up a new version. Here it is necessary to remember a few tips:

1. First of all, it is worth finding out what type of lamp is installed. Put a model with a different base or type of light will not work. The information should be in the Operating Instructions. Or it can be found in the technical data of the model on specialized websites.
2. Replace the bulbs in pairs. Then they will serve approximately the same amount of time and the light will not vary. This is especially true for halogen versions, in which the spiral will thin over time.
3. When choosing, give preference to models with natural or yellowish light. It illuminates the road much better in low visibility and is less reflected by water droplets.

Most often in fog lamps are found with a waterproof connector.

How to provide access to the headlight

The main part of the work when replacing a fog light or bulb in it most often lies in providing access to the structure. There may be several options here and each has its own peculiarities.

The most convenient variant is when the PTF is simply unscrewed and gently removed from the outside. There are no particular difficulties here, the main thing is not to pull too hard, because first you need to disconnect the wiring.

The most convenient solution is to remove the PTF from the outside.

In many models, you must first remove the plastic cover that covers the fog light mount. Most often it is fixed by latches, which are convenient to squeeze with a thin flat screwdriver.

The trim is unclipped carefully so as not to break the locks.

There are cars in which to access the bulb and remove the PTF need to remove the plastic protection from the bottom, there are usually 2-3 screws that must be removed. In some cars, you will have to remove the lower fender support.

Under the fog lights there are often special hatches for access.

Finally, in the most complicated case, you will have to remove the whole bumper to replace the fog lights. But you can change the bulbs without disassembling the front of the car.

The option with the removal of the bumper is the most difficult.

The process of replacing the fog lights

Almost always the process consists of the same steps. The difference is the preparation that needs to be done. Replacing a fog light is not difficult:

1. First, the battery terminal is removed. This rule should be observed in any work on the car's electrical system.
2. Provides access to the PTF, here it all depends on the design of the front end. All options are described earlier.
3. First remove the connector wires, often it is removed along with the lamp. It is important not to break the latches, so it is better to first understand how they work.
4. Headlamp is held most often by 2 screws, which should be removed. Often they are severely damaged by corrosion, in this case it is advisable to replace them. And treat the joints with copper or other lubricant to protect against moisture.
5. The new headlight should be installed in the reverse order. But there is one peculiarity here - after installation it is desirable to adjust the light for a good effect. To do this, a line is drawn on the wall 10 cm below the level of the bulb in the PTF. Then the car is placed in front at a distance of 7.6 m and turn on the fog lights. The upper edge of the light flux should coincide with the line, if necessary, the position is adjusted.

Adjustment of fog lights - an important moment after their replacement.

To change the fog lights or bulbs in them is not difficult, if you understand the design features and the way of removing the elements on your car. Usually the most difficulties arise with unscrewing screws, so you should treat them in advance with a liquid wrench.

At the end, a few videos for replacement in specific models of cars.