Fog Lights

[Brett Johnson]

This light is illustrated in the 356A accessories book? Anybody have any? Are they Hella? Model type?

Also, is anybody out there an expert on Hella 128s and can tell me the intricacies of lens changes?

[Paul Hatfield]

Read Ivan Fullers post here
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=25300&p=266634&hil ... 28#p266634


Paul

[Greg Bryan]

Brett asked me a question about when the fog light wire was added to the front harness - there may be a thread where this is discussed, but cant find it, if so.
I don't know the answer to the question, but I did look at my collection of original wiring diagrams and the first one that I found to have the wires actually shown from the fuse to the fog lights is what I call the 54-55 diagram. Notice the wire ending with the NI tag next to the horns. This is shown in all subsequent wiring diagrams.

54-55 WD.jpg (694.96 KiB) Viewed 2884 times

[Joris Koning]

Brett,

I believe they were Bosch and only used on cars with the overriders. When the factory switched to the higher bar they switched to Hella 128 lights for the final A cars. These were mounted outboard the guards on the pushrod cars and inboard on the Carrera's. My A Carrera cab, the last one made by the factory has them. They are still on the car and are listed on the kardex.

J.

[Greg Bryan]

This brings up another question I've always wondered about. The NIR image - fog light Relay - that showed in most factory diagrams in the mid to late 50s - appears to be a relay and switch combination. I've never seen one or even a picture, if that's what it is.

NIR Wiring.PNG (770.26 KiB) Viewed 2870 times

It's wired similar to later cars in that a signal from the high beams will shut the fog lights off. Fog lights get power from the running light fuse when they're on and fuses 5 and 6 are for the fog lights.

[Greg Bryan]

My rendering of the circuit based on the above drawing

[Joris Koning]

I researched this years ago and was never able to find an A car with factory fitted fogs with a relay. My cab also does not have one.looks like this started with the T5s

[Greg Bryan]

Thanks for the input, Joris. The A cars you've seen with factory fitted fog lights just have an on/off switch?
That image as above with the seemingly combined relay and switch was in numerous factory diagrams until, as you say, the 1960 full color diagram has the more typical late car normally closed relay and separate switch.

[Joris Koning]

Yes, on/off switch, same switch as used for the coils and fuel pump on the 4-cams

[Greg Bryan]

Very interesting - thank you ...

[Greg Bryan]

Sorry - one more question - is the switch wired to get power from Fuse 7-8 so that the fogs will go off when the lights are turned off?

[Eric Lenius]

Another data point on fog light relays. My 1960 T-5 coupe with factory fog lights has only a switch. No relay. The harness for this is very simple, just two wires in a black sleeve from the switch (above the cigarette lighter) to the fuse block. No provision for the relay in the harness. The fog lights are listed on the Kardex. So, the non-relay configuration persisted into early T-5 at least. While the harness includes the fog light wires, they just run from the fuse block to the lights. The aftermarket schematics I have seen for T-5 typically include the relay but I am skeptical.

Eric L.

[Greg Bryan]

The ubiquitous September 1960 Wiring Diagram created by (I assume) Porsche at the introduction of the T5, and the only 356 color diagram created by Porsche that I'm aware of, includes the yellow normally closed relay for the fog lights. The relay is used as a logic device; it turns off the fog lights when the headlight high beam is selected. It's not necessary in the circuit - it doesn't reduce current through a switch, for example - and the fog lights can be, and apparently were, fitted without the relay.
The wire that comes from high beam fuse #11 energizes the relay coil then goes to ground. This opens the contacts in the relay when high beam is selected and prevents fog light operation. This logic relay is used into the 911/912 series.
I have no idea when the yellow relay was actually first used, but since it's in this 'authorized' WD, they must have intended its use in this era.

[Steve Douglas]

Hi Brett, saw you were looking for the factory small fog lights for the US bumper cars. I bought a pair years ago, NOS, but not sure if they are the same as what was offered by Porsche in 57-59.
They came with brackets that bolt into the inside of the bumper, larked L and R and with a (H) logo. They also look like the VW backup light brackets found on 67 Bugs. The inside has a hood over half of the bulb and have a moveable ball pivot mounting on the bottom, where the VW backups just have a fixed stud.
Photos are of: light mounted to my 59, mounting from bottom of bumper, numbers on the bezel, and the box they came in.
I think that Ted Blake in Sacramento has a 58 Speedster with factory fogs, but they are clear lenses.

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