fog lights won't stay on

I have a 2000 XJ sport with the factory fog light option. I've read how to remove the shield to make them brighter, but how can I modify it so that they stay on when the high beams are switched on? Thanks in advance.
Chad

Just redo the wiring, all of my lighting is independent. I could run my fogs, driving/spots, rock lights, and aux reverse lights all at the same time if I wanted to. Just go grab a relay and do it the right way. Not hard at all to do.

Whoa --

First -- removing the shield will not -- repeat NOT -- put out any more light. All that will do is allow the light to scatter in all directions, where it won't help you much but will blind on-coming drivers.

Second -- fog lights are required by Federal law to go OFF when the high beams are engaged. It is illegal to rewire tham so they stay on with the high beams. Depending on your state's laws it may also be against state law, but it's definitely against Federal law.

Just remember -- the factory fog lights are "fog" lights. They are designed to put light low, wide, and close to the front of the vehicle for driving in ... fog. If you want driving lights, buy a set of driving lights. Those, however, are legally required to be installed so they operate ONLY with the high beams. They have to go OFF when you dip to low beams.

Dang, easy bro!!
There is no such thing as fog where I live so I wanted to convert them to be used for off road only driving lights, and I am probably going to replace them with simillar off road lights. I just wanted to use the existing wiring and switch.

chad said:

Dang, easy bro!!
There is no such thing as fog where I live so I wanted to convert them to be used for off road only driving lights, and I am probably going to replace them with simillar off road lights. I just wanted to use the existing wiring and switch.

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You didn't say that. Your original post specifically mentioned removing the shields on the OEM lights.

Depending on whether your "off-road" lights would be classified by your state as "fog" or "driving" lights, there are probably regulations telling you how they have to be wired. In my state, anything mounted higher than the headlights has to be covered on legal roads. That would pretty much eliminate leaving them wired with the high beams.

I don't accually want them to come on with the high beams, I just want them to stay on when I engage the high beams. Right now when I use the factory switch to turn them on they will only come on with the low beams on, as soon as I flip on the high beams they turn off. I was hoping I could rerout a wire or something to change this. This way the off road lights will stay off for normal on road driving, but when I turn on the dash switch they will stay on with both high and low beams.

That's what Eagle is trying to tell you is the illegal part. I found out the same thing when I took my MJ for inspection here in VA..I rigged up some cheap "driving lights" to a toggle on the dash, and the shop pulled the wires when they inspected it because they didn't turn off when the hi-beams were turned on. The mech said the law states something about "you can only have at max 4 forward facing light elements burning at one time", or something like that. Of course, if your rig is trail only, that wouldn't apply.
Jeff

This is the reason why I live in AZ. No damn state laws that regulate anything. I lived in VA and that place sucks for 4x4 laws. I had to let air out of my tires becuase my bumpers had to be so high off the ground and at that time off road lights werent allowed so the wires had to be cut at the lights if you had them on. In NC I didnt pay any attention to the laws so I cant comment on those but a lot more lax than VA. WA had some lax laws and some stringent laws. Now in good ol' AZ, its still legal to shoot someone that steals your horse We can pretty much do anything. I moved my "fog" lights and use them for rock lights now and re-wired them so I can turn them on at any time. Plus we can have as many off road lights as humanly possible Dang I love AZ.

Ayuh -- but Vhad is from Kalifornia, and I'm pretty certain they have laws in Kalifornia to cover this. Check before rewiring, that's all I'm saying.