fog lights as drl’s

Greetings folks I hope you can help.....I would like to know if this is possible . I have a 2010 Maxima (US version no factory daytime running lights) with factory fog lights. The vehicle has a switch on the stalk to turn the fogs on and off, as well the vehicle has an auto on setting that turns the lights on at dark. When the high beams are turned on the fog lights will not turn on. So I am in Canada and have to have the DRL's. I don't want to add aftermarket lights, just use the fog lights as DRL's.   So back to my original question, I would like to have the fogs on as DRL's, that would come on when the vehicle is turned on, and when the headlights come on it would shut the fogs off and have the capability to turn them on with the regular switch......in short...just add the fogs as DRL's and keep the other lights functioning as before. Is this at all possible? I have the factory manual and have located the location of the wiring etc.... Thanks in advance...Norm

You could wire them up to the ignition wire in the vehicle then through a relay that breaks the connection when the headlights are turned on. You can then tie this output into the + fog light wire under the dash. This way they will automatically turn on the the ignition, then turn off with the headlights except for when the fog light switch is turned on... which would allow you to manually turn them on if you wanted along with the headlights.Kenny

Owner / Technician

KKD Garage LLC

Albany, NY 12205

Your fog lights are overly complicated. The stalk on the dash is a multiplex matrix system that connects directly to the BCM. The BCM processes the status of all switches and then determines through logic IF the fog lights are permitted to be on. If so, a signal is sent over the CAN bus to the IPDM under the hood. The IPDM under the hood is where the fog light relay is. The easiest thing to do is to add a waterproof relay under the hood that is controlled by a switched ignition source. If you need the fogs to turn off when the headlights are turned on you can possibly tap the ground side of the relay in to the + headlight feed (should rest at ground, but will need to verify). There is a company that makes a fog light module for your vehicle that bypasses the requirement to have the head lights on in order for the fogs to turn on.Kevin Pierson

Guys, thanks for the input...... It appears this is going to be complicated. After I posted I have had a couple of opinions locally. There says been a suggestion to use a second relay to turn off my 1st relay set up that controls my DRL's.   I would like to tap in ( or re-route) the fog light wires just before they enter the lights ( or after the original fog light relay). My other possibility is to use the high beams.....they are not the Xenon light the regular lights are. Usually they reduced 50% brightness. Do you think I should be using diodes so the new circuits will not disrupt the existing ? I have a shop manual as well, I have located the wires feeding the fog lights After the relay.

So your DRLs are not normally bright fogs but are reduced brightness? Or that's how you want them? That's usually done with a relay(s) that break their normal grounds and connect them together and swap one of their +12V feeds to GND, hence connecting them in series.

I am ok with the fogs maintaining their regular brightness, no reduced power.

Or why not simply follow KP's advice or buy aftermarket LEDs and stay legal.