You assume all responsibility for any and all results obtained by following this article.
- You do so at your own risk.
- You are solely responsible for any damages financial or material.
- This article is only applicable to MY2000 A6Q and models with the same relay and wiring.
- Read this article in its entirety before attempting the procedure.
Introduction:
On November14, 2000 I saw a line of inquiry on the Audi World web site pertaining to the rear fog lights on the A6 2.7T, 4.2, and 2.8 which intrigued me. The issue was that in Europe the right rear fog light is enabled and here in the US the left (drivers side) rear fog light is enabled. The question was since they both have the capability of working could they both be engaged at the same time? After a little investigating and the hefty investment of $6.50 the answer is yes!! However, please take note....I am not sure if it is legal or not to have them both on at the same time here in the US. But I also figure that in heavy fog two are better than one. I am sure that if you use them during normal driving conditions you may confuse some drivers (especially in that one Florida County which has trouble voting) and you may certainly draw attention to yourself. Before you make this modification you may want to check local and state laws. On a scale of 1-10 ten being the most difficult I would rate this modification a 3-5 depending on your expertise.
Tools and parts needed:
- Drill & 1" wood boring bit
- Wire taps for 14 gauge wire
- Screw driver
- Exacto knife
- 3156 bulb & housing or rear tail light fixture for import vehicles. Make sure it is the kind with two small nodes or lips on the outside rim.
- Plastic quick wire ties & 3' of black & 3' of red 14 gauge electrical wire.
Accessing the fog light assembly:
- First you must remove the sound proof carpeting housing that is on the inside of the trunk lid. It is secured by standard auto clips and four screws.
- Remove the first set of screws. These are located on emergency reflector assembly. Remove the emergency triangle and you will see two screws which fasten the reflector assembly to the trunk lid.
- Remove the second set of screws. These took me almost 30 minutes to find. These are located on the inside top of the inset trunk handle that you use to pull down the lid of the trunk with.
- Once these screw sets are removed the inside trunk cover just pops off. You should start on the drivers side and work all the way around to the other. You may also need to apply a little down pressure around the inset handle to free it from the trunk lid.
- You should now see the sheet metal and fog light assembly for the rear fog lights.
Preparing the right fog light:
- Take a good look at the rear fog light on the drivers side and remove it so you can see the bulb type. Simply grasp the light assembly and twist it so you can pull it out of the fog light lens.
- Now inspect the right fog light assembly. You will notice a silver plastic cap that prevents you from being able to insert the light bulb and the bulb harness fixture. You will need to remove the this plastic cap.
- You can remove the cap in one of several ways...with an exacto knife or by using a one inch wood boring bit and a drill. I chose to use the drill method as it was faster and the hole that it is covering is slightly (1/8") larger than the bit. I then used the exacto knife to clean the edges. You may also be able to simply punch it out with a screw driver and a hammer but I was not that brave. Once this is done you are literally 5-10 minutes from being done.
Enabling the right fog light:
- Next you will need use the wire taps to tap into both electrical wires for the left fog light assembly.
- Tap your 3' of red 14 gauge wire into the brown fog light wire and use the 3' of black to tap into the other rear fog light wire.
- Thread both wires through the sheet metal past the trunk latch mechanism to the other fog light area. Connect the red wire to the power (HOT) side of the 3156 bulb fixture you got from pep boys or your favorite auto store and connect the black wire to the grounded side.
- Insert the bulb into the now connected new bulb fixture and place into the hole that was made available when you removed the silver plastic cover. Insert it and firmly twist it to the right to make sure it locks into place.
- Start the car and test the lights.
- Tuck your wires into place and use you plastic quick ties to secure all wiring.
- Reassemble the inside trunk cover remembering to replace the two sets of screws you removed.
- Drive safe and have fun!
Results:
The result is...when the rear fog is engaged both rear fog lights will illuminate giving your car more visibility in poor weather conditions.
