Driving Lights

Finally, I can see at night!!! I installed Hella FF75 driving lights on my 1998 Voyager, and they really do the trick. I installed them inside the front bumper, which makes for a very clean installation, but I had to remove the bumper cover to do it, and I will have to remove the cover again if I need to replace a bulb. With the bumper cover installed, there just isn't working room to get in there to remove the light housing to change the bulb.

For a look at the installation, see:
http://the-cohens.org/minivanlights.jpg

i like that. those fit it there perfect.

By the way, I bought these on eBay from PTC Factory Outlet
http://www.ptcfactoryoutlet.com which appears to have the contract to act as Hella's outlet in the US for returns & overstocks. I paid something like $27 for the set. It was advertised as having a "less than perfect carton", but otherwise complete. When it arrived, it was complete, but had one driving light and one fog light. PTC immediately made good on it. They sent me a driving light and said I did not need to return the fog log.
So, I can recommend them as a good outfit to do business with.

Now, if only I had realized that I had a fog light before I started the job. Now I have to take the bumper cover back off to switch lights...

I would love to know how you got those FF75s in the bumper. Just tried the same installation on my '97 T&C and couldn't figure out how you got them in without grinding the bumper to make it fit. Not having a grinder, I drilled holes in the bumper cover on the next level down and installed them there. The wiring was simple enough. I ran the trigger (green) wire to the fog lights (black/red). Just make sure you cut the insulation on both wires down to the copper so the clip makes contact on both wires. Otherwise you get to do what I did and go through all the wires again to find the problem.

how difficult is it to take off the front bumper cover? and how do you do it?

Not too hard, though some of the bolts are difficult to access. Disconnect the battery first. Remove the three screws and two 10mm bolts along the radiator support crossbar in the center. Helps to remove the headlight units to access the front two 8mm bolts that attach the bumper cover to the fenders, one to a side. The other two 8mm bolts, one to a side, are accessible through the top of the wheel liner. You might want to remove the round access covers in the wheel liners to help with the front two 8mm bolts. Remove the three screws on each side that hold the wheel liners to the bumper cover. Then go underneath the front and remove the four 10mm bolts that hold the bottom of the bumper cover to the frame. I found by keeping the cover attached by the plastic connectors to the air dam and just setting it down gently in front of the van, it lined right up when I put it back on. Also, for doing wiring and position checks, I was able to lift it into place and hold it there by putting in the top two bolts when needed. When I put it back together, I put in the top bolts and screws first, then the bottom ones, then the fender ones. Hope this helps.

Looks good, I had a similar experience, but approached it differently. I have a 97 Grand Caravan. When the running/fog lights went, the replacement cost was high, as usual with factory items. Instead, I took the existing fog light out, gutted it, and installed some new PIA mini lights that fit inside the existing housing. Works like a champ, no modifications to make to the body.:)

tm6068, that's a great idea, too! When my fog lights die, think I'll do that. FYI, just hanging the FF75's to the bumper cover was too "shaky", so went out today, unbolted them, drilled through the now existing holes in the bumper cover up through the bumper and rebolted them in. Much more stable now, looks the same and one unexpected benefit, discovered they come on with the headlights, not the fog lights. Also don't have to take the bumper cover off to replace them.

Here's the final result: http://home.earthlink.net/~roadlesstrvld/

Here is a silly question. My 97 GC didn't come with the fog lights. Can I change the headlight switch and plug in foglights or do I have to do a lot more? I figured that if the wiring was alreay there, why not use them?
Thanks,
Ted

Is the wiring already there? You should be able to tell by pulling the headlight units and seeing if there is an unattached harness coming through the hole the sidelight harness comes through. My fog light harness comes through that hole and goes down to the fog lights. Rather than going to all the trouble of changing the headlight switch, it might be easier to install the separate switch that comes with the fog light kit.

Put the Hellas on the wife's 98 Grand Caravan as described above. What a difference it made, they out perform the OEM (too include the highbeam) light sets by 50%. I highly recommend this mod until one can afford to get another vehicle.