I may say that I was the first in this forum to describe from inception to end the use of the ETACS-ECU to implement a rear fog light mechanism without running a wire from the front of the car to the rear, rear fog switch, relays, plus drilling. In this project I did not invent anything (I did not have to build an original external device). My contribution to this forum was to provide the idea that may be a procedure other than the usual method of providing rear fog functionality in a vehicle. The idea was carried out by me and described in this forum for members to experiment and also to improve it.

With regard to the wireless rear fog light this has required to built from scratch a number of prototype samples and trying on the field its functionality. The organization, setting up and use of electrical devices, already on the market, to achieve a specific functionality is what I rightfully called ‘invention’.

Patent the “invention” Yes I could do that. For example the xenon headlamp washer jet, used in the Outlander, as well as the automatic self-leveling mechanism has been patented years ago. However, big companies may get away with not paying royalties by modifying the patent a little bit to avoid infringement of patent rights. Just to register a patent in the government patent department is very costly for individuals.

With regard to the “invention”, for the wireless rear fog light in a vehicle, it is not for sale. I was just making a contribution to the forum. Members in this forum may be curious to know of how such a system may be constructed, I am ready to help. I believe the system is still open to improvement. Perhaps the main purpose to design such a system was to convince the ECE and other entities that a wireless rear fog light is legal and it can be implemented in cars produced for the Canadian and American market imported into the European Union. Equally running a wire under the carpet of a new car from the front to the rear implies that the carpet fasteners being broken and worse the carpet layout afterwards will never be the same.. Drilling is another issue with problems of corrosion if the job is not made in a very professional manner. Rear fog light switch that may light when manually operated is also another issue.

 

Well, while your solution definitely has right to live but to me it seems to be a bit less practical then installing a new wire.
Neither running wires under a carpet nor drilling are required and no extra relay/switch likewise. 1 wire, 2 bulbs/sockets.

But for some cases wireless installation makes sense for sure.

BTW I finally confirmed LED lights I am using are performing fine. The problem is when I looked at my rear fogs they seemed not bright enough, possibly due to light beam being concentrated with lens so looking at them from eye level does not show their full brightness.
According to my friend driving behind me for some time my fogs are brighter than my stop lights when watched from at least 50m distance even from a 2nd lane.
Thus, the goal is achieved for me

 

batman47, I take it you brought your car into the UK as a personal import and had it IVA tested?

I brought mine in from Japan last summer and went through the same test. I always meant to write it up here for reference as there were a lot of steps involved.

The fog lights were probably the most time consuming. Running the wire to the back isn't particularly difficult once you know how to take the rear trim out. I didn't find all of the tabs hidden under the carpet and ended up breaking one, but the trim still sits in place perfectly. Nothing needed to be drilled.

In addition I had to wire up a new relay and fuse, get hold of a suitable switch and add an LED into the instrument panel as all of that was missing. The switch was non-toggling so I built a circuit to toggle the lights on each press. The circuit also needs to ensure the fog lights stay off when the headlights aren't on.

I'm now taking apart exactly the same trim panels as part of a tow-bar self-install, actually a few more as I need to get to the indicators on both sides, and running another wire from front to back to power the trailer light relays. The JDM car also lacks the wiring for that.

 

I bought the Outlander GT 3.0 liter in the USA. It failed the IVA test on the grounds that the xenon headlamp (original) was kicking the light to the right instead of to the left as required in the UK market.

After considerable effort I managed to fit properly halogen bulbs into the xenon light housing. It failed because a lump pattern of beams was kicking to the right instead of the left. This state is blamed to the special design of the mirror/glass of the housing wall where the bulb lights.

The wireless rear fog mechanism was perfect and passed the IVA. New directives have been given by NOVA (UK) and Europe in March 2013 stipulating that it is OK that rear fog light be ON when the dipped beam (headlight) is OFF providing that the rear fog light disappears when the “position light” is switched OFF. My wireless does exactly that.

The designed wireless system installed in my car keeps ON the side marker lights (as required for the American market), but when the rear fog light is activated the rear fog light comes ON and the American side marker light goes OFF. I think this is a nice feature.

You did not have the problems with your Japanese car because the steering wheel is at the right and the headlamp was kicking to the left direction acceptable to the UK market. Did you take off the rear bumper in order to install your rear fog light? Did you perforate the rear harness grommet in order to route your wire from the front to the rear? Did you have to run a wire from the engine compartment to the driver’s area to power the rear fog light switch, the tell-tale and the rear bulbs?

My wireless system uses a £8 remote (including 2-receivers). My system circuitry (no electronic) is housed in a little box (3 x 3” x 2”) that is screwed into a bolt (that was already there near the gas canister at the rear). No drilling was performed. When the wireless system is activated the left and the right rear fog light are activated ON.

 

I tried and broke it, the tabs so no held in place with 3M double back car trim tape
but I need to but a new one and I need to know, with detailed instructions, how to get this thing out.
I mean, looks like removing the rear fascia is the only way
I want to just add some LED's to the part of the light housing that has no bulb in it and just tap of the regular lamp thats there
just for more visual presence at night

 

If someone could tell me with step by step instructions on how to remove this light housing from my 2011 USA Outlander SE 4 CYL/CVT transmission
I broke the passenger side housing, so I need a part # for a replacment and how to remove it? I can NOT get to that screw unless I remove the whole rear fascia
Is there another way?
The edge of the cab were the tailgate meets up sticks out into the way of getting to that screw directly
and I can NOT see it, because the way it is in there
so does someone have the stealership instruction manual for service on a 2011 mitsubishi outlander se?