Working On The Outside
Just some little things
Pretty Grille Work grille upgrade
This project is a simple remove and replace of the upper unit and the addition of a unit to fill the lower opening.
This upgrade was a simple one
The billet grille set that I acquired was an upper an lower set in brushed
aluminum. The upper section was a simple R&R. A handful of 10MM bolts hold the moulded plastic unit in. Once
removed the billet insert bolts directly on to the OEM bolt locations. They use the same hardware.
The lower section is a simple friction fit. There is no OEM lower unit just a big open area. The lower unit goes in from the front and is held in place by a pair of vertical straddle bars that pick up the rear lip of the opening, Just a friction fit. I put some rtv on the bolt threads to keep them from backing out but a couple of years in service and no issues.
Wingin' It adding a rear spoiler
This project added a factory rear spoiler
The wing install does require some drilling
I
came across this wing on one of my forays to Parts Galore. And I couldn't pass it up.
Removing it was simply four 10mm screws. Once removed I did a bit of documentation / notes as to the location
logistics of the mount holes. Basically a couple of pics and some measurements.
Once I got it back to the shop I needed to do a color change from the wings maroon color to my tan. Not a biggie deal. A quick cleanup followed by a total scuff down was in order. Then the standard prime and recolor. Three coats of clear topped it all off. All the standard prep and paint stuff. That is where it sat for a week before I got around to the install.
The install was pretty straight forward. EXCEPT ..... for the having to drill the mount holes in the right spot, the FIRST time. This is where those pictures and notes came in.
Clearing The Fog Fog light install
Another simple install of factory fog lights. Well kinda, sorta, maybe.
Simply pop them in
Another product of one of my
expeditions to Ryan's Pick-A-Part. I came across a new arrival HHR that had
a good front clip. It had the factory fog lamps installed so I carefully popped them out of the valence and
snagged the pigtails to go with them. These self-contained units are amazingly simple to remove and install.
They simply snap into the front valence assembly from the rear. That's it! No screws. Once you remove a few
screws and clips from the fender liner it is a simple task to reach in and nicely pry the factory assemblies
loose. Install is just as simple. On my HHR it was a simple removal of the factory fillers and then popping
the new units back into the same locations.
Getting Wired
The wiring took a bit of noodling but I got it done. The initial issue with the factory setup is that the
fogs are tied into the factory lighting controls which are integrated into the body computer. And actually
requires that you reprogram the body control to "recognise" the fog lights. I opted to use a
somewhat simpler route. A simple stand-alone set-up. The wire harness was not a big deal. The placement of the
power relay for them was a quick find of a spot in the engine compartment on the fire wall next to the main
power box. With that done it was on to the trigger/switch wiring.
The primary power for the lights ended up as a tap of the OEM installed unused fog light circuit in the front power box. I then turned my attention to the interior switch wiring. A bit of research pointed out a circuit in the interior fuse panel that was intended for the fog light function and was also a switched circuit. Meaning it went off when you remove the key. Excellent! Another tap and it was powered.
Now for the switch. Finding a location for a switch that was convenient and not gaudy was my next step. The end result was a by-product of observation and factory docs that has the switch on the center console. I hand fabricated a small insert that replaced the factory blank-off insert. After mounting my switch on my new insert it was mounted. Done!
UPDATE - Since the fogs were showing their age I opted to refurbish them. After doing a major lamp lens scuff and polish they were back chip free and super clear. With that they got a coating of headlight UV shield. Then I decided to replace the lamps with higher powered yellow LED bulbs. What a difference!
Third Eye Upgrade LED strobing bulbs
Another simple install of replacement bulbs.
Another safety feature
While the third eye is a great safety feature mine is behind the factory dark glass. I decided to upgrade to LED replacements that also strobe 3 times when braking. They are definitely brighter and they do get your attention. The Install was a simple R&R of the 4 bulbs.