914 FOGLIGHT REWIRING INSTRUCTIONS
Ever wish you could use your foglights without having to have your headlight on,
or wish they would stay on when you switch on the highbeams? Well, this set of
instructions will explain how to rewire your 914 so that you can!
This set of instructions has been compiled from a variety of sources:
- Instructions from GPR (no longer on the web as far as I know).
- Instructions from a technical article in
Porsche Panorama July '89.
- Studying the wiring diagrams from the factory manuals (note: the wiring
diagrams in the Haynes manual for '75 and '76 cars is incorrect when it comes
to the fog light wiring, so do not use that diagram as a reference).
DISCLAIMER: I have only done this conversion on my '74 914. These instructions
may or may not be correct, and cannot account for any previous re-wires that
may have been done to your electrical system. So follow these instructions at
your own risk!
The first step is to figure out how you want your fog lights to work. From the
factory, your fog lights will only operate when the headlights are on ('70 and '71
cars can use their foglights with the running lights), and will turn off when
your headlights are switched to high beams.
Conversion #1 (choose 1a or 1b), will modify when you are able to use your fog lights.
Conversion #2 will keep your fog lights on when using high beams.
Conversion 1a: Fog lights enabled with the running lights. This option will enable you
to use your fog lights anytime your running lights are on. This is my preferred
method because I can just leave my fog light switch on permanently. Whenever
I want just the fogs, I pull the headlight switch to the running light position,
and of course, they stay on with the headlights as well. '70-'71 cars (4cyl and
6cyl) already come from the factory wired for this.
Conversion 1b: Fog lights enabled with the ignition. This option will allow you to turn
on the fog lights anytime the igniton is turned on. This option is best for
people who want to use their fog lights as daytime running lights, or for those
who simply want to use their fog lights without any other lights being on.
Conversion 2: This option will enable your fog lights to stay on when the headlights are
switched to high beam. This is a completely separate change from options 1a or
1b. Personally, I did not see the purpose in doing this (I very rarely use my
high beams anyway).
Conversion #1 Instructions.
1. Disconnect the negative side of the battery.
2. Remove the headlight switch from the dash mounted location and let it hang
down below the dash.
3. Locate the following black wire w/ blue stripe:
- '70-'71 914-4 and 914-6: Black wire w/ blue stripe will be
plugged into the #58b terminal on the headlight switch, along with a grey wire.
- '72-'73: Black wire w/ blue stripe will be plugged into the #56
terminal on the headlight switch, along with a grey wire and a red w/white striped wire.
- '74-'76: Black wire w/ blue stripe will be plugged into the #56
terminal on the headlight switch, along with a red w/white striped wire.
4. Carefully cut the black wire w/ blue stripe as close to the end (spade terminal) as possible
leaving no part of the wire exposed. Crimp a piggy-back spade connector to the
end of this wire. A piggy back spade terminal looks like this:
5a. (do this step if you selected option 1a above):
To enable your fog lights with the running lights, locate the 'K' ternimal
on the headlight switch and remove the connector that is attached to it. Plug
on the black wire w/ blue stripe and then piggyback the wire that was originally
on the 'K' terminal.
5b. (do this step if you selected option 1b above):
To enable your fog lights with the ignition, then locate the #15 ternimal on
the headlight switch and remove the connector that is attached to it. Plug on
the black wire w/ blue stripe and then piggyback the wire that was originally
on the #15 terminal.
6. Now put the headlight switch back into place and continue on to conversion #2
if you decided to do that modification as well. Otherwise, go ahead and hook
up your battery and test out your fog lights.
Conversion #2 Instructions.
1. Disconnect the negative side of the battery.
2. Remove the fuse cover and remove the screws which hold the fuse block plate in
place - pull down the fuse block assembly and let it hang.
3. Locate and cut the following white w/blue striped wire:
- '70-'71 914/4: First, you need to locate the combination relay. I believe it
is mounted on the fuse block panel. The white w/blue striped wire will be
attached to the 'F' terminal on the combination relay (along with a plain white
wire). Cut this wire as close to the relay as possible leaving no part of the
wire exposed.
- '72-'73 and 914/6: There will be two white w/blue striped wires attached at
the #1 fuse on the fuse block. One of these wires goes to the high beam
indicator in the tachometer, the other is for the fog light relay. You need
to determine which is which (trial and error, multimeter, etc), and leave the
high beam indicator wire in place. Cut the other (the one for the fog light
relay) white w/blue striped wire as close to the end (spade connector) as
possible leaving no part of the wire exposed.
- '74-'76: The white w/blue striped wire is attached at the input side of the
#1 fuse on the fuse block (input side is toward the rear of the car).
Cut this wire as close to the end (spade connector) as possible leaving no part of the wire exposed.
Note: There is another white w/blue striped wire attached to the output side of the #1 fuse - leave this wire
alone as it is for the high beam indicator light.
4. Now you need to permanently ground this white/blue striped wire. You will
notice that there is a ground connection located at the upper left side of the
fuse block mount with a bunch of other brown wires held down by a 13mm nut.
You may need to splice in a few inches of additional wire to reach this ground
point. Crimp a solderless terminal which will fit over the ground stud onto the
wire, and fasten it to the ground connection with the other wires.
5. Now put the fuse block back in place, and hook up your battery. Your fog
lights should now work with the high beams!
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