[wdb]

Sorry for the delayed response, my subscription setup apparently isn't sending me emails anymore :-/

I adjusted the factory foglights a couple of weeks ago, and WOW what a difference it made. They throw a lot more useful light now. Add to that the fact that the USDM foglights are already projectors, and I may just stick with the stockers. I still want to get out some night and look at the beam pattern of the foglights by themselves (I'll cover up the headlights with a piece of cardboard or somesuch). If the beam pattern is half decent I will probably leave the USDM foglights in and be done with it.

In other news, I put the stock rims and V-Lim back on the car last weekend. As much as I liked the winter tires, I forgot just how incredibly grippy the stockers are. They're incredible! And loud, and harsh, but oh well.

 

[rasetsu]

I adjusted the factory foglights a couple of weeks ago, and WOW what a difference it made. They throw a lot more useful light now.

Did you adjust the foglights up or down? I have the USDM fog lights too.

 

[wdb]

I adjusted them up. It's easy as pie; just pop off the surround and there's the adjusting screw, big as life.

I couldn't find any information on the factory approved method of adjusting them, so I made up my own. I found some level ground and a vertical surface. Then I used a string and one of those little levels that hooks onto a string, and stretched the string from the lamp over to the wall and made a mark. I set the lights just a hair below level at 10 feet; I figured they're already pretty close to the ground so there isn't much value in aiming them down very much. I haven't run them in actual fog yet so I can't tell you whether they toss too much light back at the driver at that height, but I doubt they will.

 

[rasetsu]

I adjusted them up. It's easy as pie; just pop off the surround and there's the adjusting screw, big as life.

Turn the screws to the left on both?

 

[esemes]

sti added for effect..................

 

[BluePearl04]

Awesome car.. Glad to see another PA member. We really should organize a meet sometime soon.

 

[wdb]

rasetsu, I honestly do not remember which way I turned them. I *think* clockwise turns raised the level but I would not swear to it. If you have the lights on and aimed at a wall it will become immediately evident which way does what.

Ese, that's a very nice procedure (FAR more complicated than the '04 / '05 headlight aiming process) but it says zilch about the foglights. And the added effect should be a CGM '05.

 

[wdb]

chapter 8: rear foglight

I've seen rear foglights on other cars and they work, significantly increasing visibility as you come up behind them in crummy weather. So since my car already has them, I figured it was time to make them work too.

My inspiration was this thread on nabisco, which adds an entire new circuit for the rear foglights including switch and relay. I kept it simple and just ran a wire from the back of the car to the front, then tapped into the white/black wire on the front foglight relay. My rear foglight is on when my front foglights are on, end of story. I also chose to connect only the driver's side lamp, but I ran the wire across the back anyway just in case I change my mind later.

Pictures, in order:

• connecting to the taillight assembly: pull the center bulb (on '04/'05 cars) and unwrap the electrical tape around the wires to expose the white/black wire
• taillights only
• taillights + foglight
• taillights + foglight + brakelights

 

[LightWerkz]

I seriously dont see it

 

[Chayse]

Looks good Dave. Thinking about doing that as well. Especially with this crummy rain today. Figures we both switch back to summer livery and it is cold, rainy, and even a little snowy just after.

Fred

 

[Datadatum]

I can barely see it in the pics. How does the intensity compare to the rear driving lights and brake lights.

 

[wdb]

It's bright -- as bright as any one of the brakelights. They're daytime shots and may not do it justice. Try the nabisco link, there are more pictures there. I'll also try to take some dusk / night shots and see if they show it better.

EDIT: stoopid batteries died in the camera before I even got one shot. I'll try again tonight.

 

[ChaoticSTi]

I like it definitely a helpful mod and it seems pretty simple...good stuff

 

[alphaSTI]

oh now i get why all the mercedes have the left light that is so bright. i always thought that they had a bulb that was out on the left side. so now i get that its a rear fog light sort of thing. interesting. ive only seen them on some E-class and C-class.

 

[rasetsu]

oh now i get why all the mercedes have the left light that is so bright. i always thought that they had a bulb that was out on the left side. so now i get that its a rear fog light sort of thing. interesting. ive only seen them on some E-class and C-class.

Same here, but I think it has to do with wiring problems too because I see them on by themselves sometimes with the car off or the reverse lights are stuck on. I know the MINI offers a rear fog light as an option.

 

[wdb]

Okay. So as not to further muddle up the forums I have opened a thread on this topic in a more appropriate place:

IWSTI.com > STi Technical > Exterior/Styling > Rear fog light activation

Now you can go back to specifically making fun of my car in this thread.

 

[BluePearl04]

Great work! Keep it up.

 

[wdb]

Chapter 8.1: rebadged

Rather than show you pictures of the mess I made of my V-Lim, I thought I'd keep things positive and post a picture of the back of my car with the "STi" badge (finally!) added to my otherwise debadged trunklid. I got the badge from Renick Motorsports; great folks to deal with. The badge came in a nice, big box along with a set of Hotchkis 'street' swaybars, which sadly remain in the box awaiting a sufficiently large round tuit.

However I did get the Cobb short shifter installed and will write more about it later. Preliminary results are that it's a definite keeper, but I want to drive a bit more with it before making any grandiose pronouncements.

Anyway, without further ado, here is the back of my car as of about 5:00pm EDT Saturday May 20.

 

[JPWEraser]

I think your STi just said, "I'm a REAL boy!". Looks good man, keep up the good work.

 

[wdb]

Chapter the Ninth: Cobb Short Shifter

I've had the Cobb short shifter sitting around the house for a few weeks and finally had a chance to install it. It's only been in for one day and maybe 100 shifts. So far I can tell you that I like it well enough to keep it, and that I'm probably not finished futzing around with the throw/height adjustments. It's a beautiful thing to behold and works as advertised.

Here is a link the Cobb Short Shifter Product Review section on IWSTI, including my comments on installation and function.

Here is a link to a thread on a step the Cobb installation missed!

Pictures below show the shifter without the shift boot (it's too pretty to cover up!) and with the boot installed. Also there is a shot of the orientation of the gizmos under the car which keep the reverse lockout cable from grinding away on the driveshaft. I included the last picture because all of the instructions I've seen so far call for two tie wraps, but my car already had one cable guide and so I only had to add one tiewrap.