So, one of the first things I did after taking delivery of my STi was to install the JDM rear fog. I opted to go with the OEM fixture (as opposed to F1-style LED versions) because I just liked the way it looked better and most of the extra features seemed silly.

This works great, except the OEM version is a single intensity filament and the included 7440 bulb is super bright. I decided to go with a 7443 bulb instead and use it as a 4th brake light AND a running light. This wasn’t as simple as I had hoped, but IMWO (weird) it’s worth the extra effort… Wait, no it’s not. Just get a lower wattage bulb and use it as a running light or pay the extra and wire it up to the fog switch.

Parts

Installation

Installation was relatively easy. Took about 20 minutes of prep (not necessary unless you’re eccentric like me), and 30 minutes of actual install time. You’ll need these tools:

• Flathead Screwdriver
• 12mm Socket Wrench
• Pliers

This video was helpful for the install, but there are a few differences for the OEM version (noted below).

• The 3 “C-Clips” or bolt clips are used (2 on the fog light assembly, and 1 on the bumper itself).
• The OEM and/or the Subispeed modified wiring harness only has two leads (more about this below).
• The hole/plug used in the video was already used on my STi, but there’s an identical one on the passenger side. So, I wired up everything to the passenger side tails.
• One of the YouTube videos I watched instructed the “H” marker on the bracket be on the bottom left. It should in fact go on the top right with the fringe of the bottom bracket arms aligning to the bumper.

The wires on the factory harness you’ll want to tap into with the Subispeed-included T-taps are:

4th Brake Light Wiring

So, here’s where my craziness comes in. I tried 3 or 4 different Amazon listings and every automotive parts store in the area looking for a 7443 socket that fit the fog light assembly. I finally gave up and decided just to run the third lead to the bulb directly. It’ll make it significantly more difficult to change the bulb, but hopefully the LED outlasts the car.

I bought these LED bulbs off Amazon, and used a multimeter to identify the negative lead (conduction test) and then pulled the low-intensity positive lead down. Wired it up to another lead wire, threw on some heat shrink tubing and pushed it through the rubber insulator at the base of the bulb.

Ran the wire through the whole Subispeed wiring harness, added the extra connector and added heat shrink tubing to all of the leads.

And finally, taped it all up and installed it as described in the video. Here’s what the end result looked like:

Conclusion

All things said and done, I think I would have been plenty happy with pulling the high-intensity pin and switching sides on the socket to the low-intensity side. There’s a lot of simpler solutions. I’m definitely super stoked about how it turned out, but the extra effort probably wasn’t worth it.

Best of luck on whatever rear fog you decide to go with.