C5 Z06 Fog Lights Installation
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
C5 Z06 Fog Lights Installation
First I'd like to say thank you to Mark/Toque, and FourG63 97GST. 
Mark's Fog Light DIY
Ordered regular C5 fog lights, and 6000K HID bulbs, hardware, and C5 coupe
trunk/fog switch.
As I mentioned before, I'm a 3-time C4 owner, but noticed the C5 doesn't have
a headlight motor **** for it to be raised or dropped manually. I removed the dust
boot, and found it has the same mechanism, but it uses an allen bit. This made it easier, and
save the back and forward trip to the cockpit.
Remove the 4-torque bolts, and 3-philip screws per headlight.
Removed two-10mm nuts from the fuse box
Realized it was easier to work that out by removing the battery.
The box came out quite easier by removing the battery, and loosing up the fuse box's
bottom plastic box.
The infamous purple wire.
This was too easy, so damn easy that I triple check it Remove the Z06 trunk release
switch using a plastic pry bar
Install the C5 Coupe trunk/fog light switch
IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/plrx/PLRXZ06/Fog%20Lights%20Z06/Z06Fog11.jpg[/IMG]
I could not find a T-10 long screwdriver or bit long enough to reach the adjuster bolt.
I bought two flat bolts
Speednuts, and bolts
It works perfect
I tested it, and it works perfect for it's ground.
First look
Both forum members assured me that by splicing the purple wire, and connecting a
wire to both ballast would be no problem I took another route. I installed a HD relay for headlights. Created positive+ wiring connection from
the B+ wiring for the relay connection.
It was a good thing to remove the battery. The old battery was leaking, and the
positive terminal was totally corroded. Both terminal were cleaned up, and coated them
with dielectric grease.
Lights on!
Fogs
Fogs and low beam
High Beams
Working on the C5Z was easier than working on a C4. This is the first time I haven't get my arms cut or bled at all.
Mark's Fog Light DIY
Ordered regular C5 fog lights, and 6000K HID bulbs, hardware, and C5 coupe
trunk/fog switch.
As I mentioned before, I'm a 3-time C4 owner, but noticed the C5 doesn't have
a headlight motor **** for it to be raised or dropped manually. I removed the dust
boot, and found it has the same mechanism, but it uses an allen bit. This made it easier, and
save the back and forward trip to the cockpit.
Remove the 4-torque bolts, and 3-philip screws per headlight.
Removed two-10mm nuts from the fuse box
Realized it was easier to work that out by removing the battery.
The box came out quite easier by removing the battery, and loosing up the fuse box's
bottom plastic box.
The infamous purple wire.
This was too easy, so damn easy that I triple check it Remove the Z06 trunk release
switch using a plastic pry bar
Install the C5 Coupe trunk/fog light switch
IMG]http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj290/plrx/PLRXZ06/Fog%20Lights%20Z06/Z06Fog11.jpg[/IMG]
I could not find a T-10 long screwdriver or bit long enough to reach the adjuster bolt.
I bought two flat bolts
Speednuts, and bolts
It works perfect
I tested it, and it works perfect for it's ground.
First look
Both forum members assured me that by splicing the purple wire, and connecting a
wire to both ballast would be no problem I took another route. I installed a HD relay for headlights. Created positive+ wiring connection from
the B+ wiring for the relay connection.
It was a good thing to remove the battery. The old battery was leaking, and the
positive terminal was totally corroded. Both terminal were cleaned up, and coated them
with dielectric grease.
Lights on!
Fogs
Fogs and low beam
High Beams
Working on the C5Z was easier than working on a C4. This is the first time I haven't get my arms cut or bled at all.
Last edited by PLRX; Sep 25, 2014 at 12:57 AM.
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
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From: Wylie TX --> Less is More, except under the hood !
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 191
Likes: 23
From: Louisville KY
PRLX/Torque - Thanks for the detailed write ups. I tacked this project yesterday with great success. I picked up all the parts, including the complete OEM wiring harness from a salvage yard for just over $200. With the OEM harness I was able to separate all the weather-tite plugs and terminate the connections without cutting or splicing a single wire, and that made me very happy. There are actually two open positions in the terminal block which connect to the fog light relay, you do not have to splice into the purple wire, all you need is the factory harness or the GM terminal ends. With it done this way it is very hard to tell it's not a factory install.
Racer
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 355
Likes: 7
From: Cherry Hill New Jersey
Greets Guys,
Just joined the forums, but have been reading alot over the last 6 months since finally becoming a corvette owner after 25 years of waiting.
I wanted to thank PLRX for the write up & pics, it helped my installation of stock fogs into my C5 (not a Z06) but I took a different approach for the wiring since they weren't HIDs.
But now seeing that I upgraded the bulbs to 885 (50w) and they still for a lack of a better word suck, I wanted to switch them to HID's. But my question is I see Toque's write up and yours for the 6000K, but what watt ballast did you guys go with? 35 or 55? I was looking at the 55w but I was unsure if this would be too much for the fog light housing as far as heat.
I have read some say its fine, other say you shouldn't, but I'd like a clear answer, personally, I'd like to go with the 55w ballast opposed to the 35w.
Thanks for the Response and Merry Christmas
Just joined the forums, but have been reading alot over the last 6 months since finally becoming a corvette owner after 25 years of waiting.
I wanted to thank PLRX for the write up & pics, it helped my installation of stock fogs into my C5 (not a Z06) but I took a different approach for the wiring since they weren't HIDs.
But now seeing that I upgraded the bulbs to 885 (50w) and they still for a lack of a better word suck, I wanted to switch them to HID's. But my question is I see Toque's write up and yours for the 6000K, but what watt ballast did you guys go with? 35 or 55? I was looking at the 55w but I was unsure if this would be too much for the fog light housing as far as heat.
I have read some say its fine, other say you shouldn't, but I'd like a clear answer, personally, I'd like to go with the 55w ballast opposed to the 35w.
Thanks for the Response and Merry Christmas
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 34,988
Likes: 515
From: Riverside County Southern California
Co-winner 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
2018 Corvette of Year Finalist
2017 C4 of Year
2016 C7 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '09 thru '20
Mine were ordered as 55W.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 20,030
Likes: 289
From: Wylie TX --> Less is More, except under the hood !
Greets Guys,
Just joined the forums, but have been reading alot over the last 6 months since finally becoming a corvette owner after 25 years of waiting.
I wanted to thank PLRX for the write up & pics, it helped my installation of stock fogs into my C5 (not a Z06) but I took a different approach for the wiring since they weren't HIDs.
But now seeing that I upgraded the bulbs to 885 (50w) and they still for a lack of a better word suck, I wanted to switch them to HID's. But my question is I see Toque's write up and yours for the 6000K, but what watt ballast did you guys go with? 35 or 55? I was looking at the 55w but I was unsure if this would be too much for the fog light housing as far as heat.
I have read some say its fine, other say you shouldn't, but I'd like a clear answer, personally, I'd like to go with the 55w ballast opposed to the 35w.
Thanks for the Response and Merry Christmas
Just joined the forums, but have been reading alot over the last 6 months since finally becoming a corvette owner after 25 years of waiting.
I wanted to thank PLRX for the write up & pics, it helped my installation of stock fogs into my C5 (not a Z06) but I took a different approach for the wiring since they weren't HIDs.
But now seeing that I upgraded the bulbs to 885 (50w) and they still for a lack of a better word suck, I wanted to switch them to HID's. But my question is I see Toque's write up and yours for the 6000K, but what watt ballast did you guys go with? 35 or 55? I was looking at the 55w but I was unsure if this would be too much for the fog light housing as far as heat.
I have read some say its fine, other say you shouldn't, but I'd like a clear answer, personally, I'd like to go with the 55w ballast opposed to the 35w.
Thanks for the Response and Merry Christmas
What I'm hearing is that 35W is best for the stock C5 GM plastic fog light HID housing. I heard some say that 55 is a little hot for the plastic housing. Just what I heard.... no experience....
I lucked into a set of the C5 GM Euro metal fog light HID housings. I may go with a 55w in them one day. Thats why I got the GM Euro Fogs.
Toque
Here are my 35W on a wall in my garage.
