Hey rcpax, if we you had the code for this function, it would not be necessary to open the gauge, but with this installation, only I need turn on position lights to on them and in addition, I have two rear fog . . ., and is true, the european and japanese versions have more equipment that our models, and something that I want is to be able to have RDS in my MMCS

 

So you mean to say if the ETACS was programmed correctly, the rear fog indicator on the gauge cluster will light up, and there is an actual bulb/LED built-in already? So what you did was just to add an LED so it will light up because your ETACS was not programmed?

Same here. I want that RDS/TMC reception so bad. I think our MMCS just needs the actual tuner. If only we have circuit diagram for the US/EU MMCS...

And as a side note, the Europeans also get to have the "Dead Lock System" programming for their Outlanders. They just get so much toys..

 

rcpax, the OEM LED for rear fog is actually on my cluster's motherboard, I installed the LED by reason why you comment...



For european versions, the GPS antenna have two conectors, and harness # 6 is CABLE TMC, so, perhaps YES is possible “to qualify� these functions.

Yes, I agree. . .

 

Hi,

I understand that you have been very courageous in dismantling your outlander to show us how to light the side-marker lamps in the rear bumper of your Outlander. However, you should appreciate that your lights (according to your photos) fail to light the centre of the lamps where the rear fog light should be. The centre of the lamp has a special designed pattern cover that is ISO compliant and recognized as such in Europe, Asia and America. The socket bulb of this central small compartment is 12V-21W. The side-marker bulb is 12V-5W.

I have a number of ideas that I would like to put forward to be analyzed by members of this thread so with the help of the members we could have a workable, cheap, and reliable procedure to install a rear fog light in the side-marker lamps that come with the Outlander models.

MM Japan seems to build the Outlander so that can it be adapted easily to the main market where MM intends to sell its Outlander. As we already know in Japan the Outlander is sold without rear fog light capability, although it is highly probable that the rear bumper harness where these lamp are, are already there, perhaps not complete but the main harness that run under the vehicle floor to the rear is there.

 

What happen is that the sub-harness that can be ordered from any Mitsubishi dealer that runs from end to end in the rear bumper satisfies requirements of the market. For example in the US market and any other market this sub-harness connects to two lamps. As we know each of these lamps has 3-small compartments. For the US market the small compartments at the outer edges have one socket each with 12V-5W bulbs and nothing else (the centre compartment is totally covered). Each compartment has to light to comply with the US regulations. On the other hand the European market needs only one (right or left) center compartment to light but not the edges of the lamp that are covered. The center of the lamp has a hole to accept a bigger socket bulb (12V-21W). The bumper harness is the same but the lamps have been manipulated to comply with specific markets.

For a US Outlander imported into the European market the solution seems to be just the reprogramming of the ETACS-ECU and European rear lamps. However, for the US Outlander the solution is a bit more cumbersome when a rear fog light is required if we want to have a solution just by reprogramming the ECU. By only reprogramming we may cancel the side-marker light which will make the car illegal in the US.

 

I have followed a number of experiments in other forums carried out by people who wanted to have front fog light capabilities in Outlanders without affecting the DRL in some Outlander models. They bought a new stalk switch (that usually comes with the front fog light kit) and a front fog relay, installing them and then asking a Mitsubishi dealer to reprogram the ETACS-ECU ($40) which is done by using the MUT-III machine ($5000). This approach makes the DRL bulbs to light again when the driver connects the stalk switch to front fog position.

This approach made me think that a similar procedure may be done to reprogram the ETACS-ECU so the rear side-marker behaves or responds (i.e. lights) only when the stalk switch is positioned at rear fog light for the driver. Because the US stalk doesn’t have rear fog position, then a European stalk switch ($130) would do the job when this new stalk switch replaces the US switch.

 

This approach, although it may be feasible may eliminate, I think, the side marker behavior. The side marker will light at the same time as the rear fog light when the rear fog socket has been properly installed. This is a situation that we don’t need at all. The side marker will light only after the driver positions the rear fog in the European stalk switch.

The rear tailgate and bumper harness consists of sub segments of harness that join together by connectors. The idea is to buy a new bumper harness ($30) to be connected to the connectors (male) of the side marker lamps. The original bumper harness female connectors to be connected to the male connectors from the centre of the same lamps (i.e. fog bulbs). The sub-harness that are connected to the side marker bulbs have to be spliced to another sub-harness (tailgate) that runs at the left corner of the rear up to the tailgate and connects to the wires that are responsible for the license plate light. In other words, the new layout of the side marker, will receive its current from the line carrying current to the license plate bulbs. The license plate light behaves exactly like the side marker lights.

Opinions to this approach are much appreciated. I could present diagrams and drawings to illustrate the approaches.

 

Hey, no fail, just my write on post # 27 says:
"Another modification when the rear fog light was enable, was to illuminate totally the rear bumper lamp set; now, this unit turn on like as position lights. . ."

I made two modifications in those units: the three compartment are now tail lights plus rear fog light in central compartment with two poles lamp (5 W = tail function + 21 W = Fog function).
The pics attach corresponds ONLY to tail function, I didn't upload pics with rear fog on; so for me is 0k its operation because I have compared it with cars that YES have it like standard equipment, and I see the same light intensity for fog mode.

Saludos

 

Rear fog light progress (no soldering, no cutting, and no drilling)

I spent some time reading the electrical circuit of the ETACS-ECU of the European Outlander and the ETACS-ECU of the US Outlander as well as the Tailgate Control Circuit. I found out that that there are better ways to add rear fog light and side marker functionality to the US Outlander. The solution that I will explain fully with diagram rests in plugging and unplugging connectors into the “rear bumper harness” and “rear end wiring harness”. This approach is clever. This solution came about after studying carefully the electrical circuits that control the functionally of these lights in both models (European and US).

 

Fig 12 depicts schematically the arrangement of the wires in the rear of the vehicle lights. The black lines are the physical harness connections to the bumper lamps and the red lines represents the “rear end wiring harness” responsible for lighting the side markers and / or rear fog lights.

Fig 11 shows the original rear wiring as it was set originally with every Outlander sold in the US. F-18 connector is responsible for the side marker light always being ON. Connector F-17 is typical in European Outlanders because this wire activates the rear fog lights to comply with the European law. This wire is sleeping in the US Outlander because the stalk switch sold with Outlanders in the US doesn’t have rear fog light functionality. However the wiring is there.

The wire that powers the side markers is eventually spliced with the sleeping rear fog light wire in the US Outlander. This situation guaranties that the Outlander will always light the side marker after the first turn of the stalk switch. Reprogramming the ETACS-ECU to add rear fog light functionality (assuming that a European stalk switch is readily available and a rear fog bulb has been inserted into the rear lamp in addition to the side marker bulb) will render side marker light and rear fog light at the same time. However this situation will not change even when the rear fog light stalk switch is cancelled by the driver. In other words the car will be all the time with side marker lights ON and rear fog light ON regardless of what the driver may do.

To have both functionalities in operation either F-18 terminal must be unplugged or F-17 terminal must be unplugged. The unplugged connector is then plugged to a new “rear end wiring harness” which is connected to a “rear bumper wiring harness” and this is connected either to side marker sockets and / or rear fog sockets. Fig 10 depicts a situation when connector F-18 is unplugged and the corresponding connector from the new and independent “rear end wiring harness” is plugged on it.