2013 Nissan Leaf model S Fog Light brackets

Some people say having a 3D printer only costs money but doesn't really save any.  I disagree.  It allows doing tasks that not only are expensive but may be practically impossible!  For example, I have the basic "S" model of the 2013 Nissan Leaf that I wanted to add fog lights to.   Looking around, I could not find an OEM LED fog light kit that was specific to that model.  There were several lamp kits, but none came with bracket parts specific to the "S" model.  Once I realized this, I saw this as an opportunity to test the feasibility of manufacturing my own automotive parts!

Opening the hood and looking down past the battery, I could see the rear of the driver's left fog light port.  There appeared to be a top bracket (the one with the square hole) and a side bracket that looks like it could accept a screw for securing it. There were no brackets on the bottom or right.  Also, the brackets seem to be a bit off center.  Feeling around on the other side of the car, I found there was a symmetrical bracket arrangement on the driver's right fog light port.  

Since this was a custom job, I could decide exactly what I wanted. 

In my opinion, the most important feature for fog lights on an electric car is that they need to be  energy efficient.  Being affordable was important too. So, I used A LED fog light kit from Autozone (UPC number 84902 - 71302) that retails for $25+Tax.  

The lights come with bumper mount brackets, wires and a switch.  The size of the lights have an outside diameter of 2 3/4".  (69mm).   This includes the outside lens diameter lip. Inside diameter, behind the lens lip is 66mm. 

The one thing lacking from the kit was an internal bracket set for the Leaf.  So, one had to be designed.  It is a two piece design drawn in Google Sketchup and then exported as an .stl file for printing.  The material used is HIPS plastic although other materials such as ABS would probably work just as well.  The brackets were not printable as a single piece without using support material.  So, they were printed as separate files and attached by friction.  The fast print setting helped give some texture to reduce slippage.  The printed parts have some play in them in case the tabs are not exactly the same on each side.  Screws for the bracket were 1" 8/32 using nylock nuts. The top screw was salvaged from a an old PC power supply fan although the brackets push on hard enough that the top screw probably isn't needed.

Installation of each assembly required removing a series of bolts on the bottom of the car that hold up a plastic under shield. Once the front bolts were removed, access to the fog light cavities and front frame from the bottom was possible.   Rather than using the ground wires to the frame, I constructed a "y" ground wire so it can be attached at a spot less likely to cause corrosion.  Running the wires through black split tubing, then attaching the tubing to the front grill with black zip ties hides the wires rather well.   For power, the driver's left parking light wire was tapped which negates the need for a separate switch and also allows the fog lights to be on while the higher power headlights can remain off.  The end result adds a bit of bling to the car!

 

If you want a copy of these brackets just download the STL files and print! If you don't have a printer, no problem. Some libraries and makerspaces now have 3D printers that are open to the public.  You also have the option of sending the files to a place such as Shapeways.  I'm also providing the Sketchup files in case adjustments need to be made.  Let me know if these have helped anyone!     

Downloads:

• The STL files  (Left, Right, & Side ready for printing- print the side bracket twice)

If you want to make adjustments to brackets, here are the original Sketchup7 source files too.

• Left Bracket (Sketchup)
• Right Bracket (Sketchup)
• SideBracket (Sketchup - used with both left and right bracket)