Beefier fog fights?

madmanmlh · 03-16-2007, 12:48 PM

As most of you know our JDM fog lights suck major balls. Since i drive a lot of dark back roads. I want to replace my factory fogs with an aftermarket setup. Id like to not have to modify the housing. Its an MY04 btw. I had some PIAA 550 ion lights on my old jeep and loved them, they were great in all conditions, fog, snow, rain and just dark.

Is there anything i can do to increase the brightness of these? Im not against replacing the lamp all together. Id like to stay away from HID due to the price and balast load. Please treat me like a noob because i am, i dont know how to wire essentially anything. Splicing isnt any major chore. I dont want to have to modify anything preferably. I dont have the cashflow to fix something if i screw up. Id like to find an ion (yellow) light or lamp that will bolt right into place where the factory fog does. From my experience the yellow driving light does the job of the fog as well.

any thoughts?

thanks

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Knightmare69 · 03-16-2007, 01:27 PM

Yea, sell me your JDM fogs for dirt cheap and jimmy rig the hella's in your existing place.

madmanmlh · 03-16-2007, 01:37 PM

got a link for lamps that will bolt right into the factory spot?

also, will a higher power lamp need to be rewired or will the original everything work. Just swapping out the lamps seems too good to be true.

how does one get to the lamp housing? simply, how do i remove the fog surround?

Howl · 03-19-2007, 12:44 PM

What you need are DRIVING LIGHTS. Driving lights project a lot further up the road and are good for seeing signs, deer, curves and so on.

Fog lights have a very wide pattern that doesn't project very far and has a sharp cut off (i.e. it doesn't light anything above the height of the light).

What year is your car?

Bluefoton · 03-19-2007, 02:27 PM

I aimed my foglights higher (to the point where their beam almost overlaps with headlight low beam), changed the bulbs to 70W ones, and jumped a relay so that they stay on with high beams.

Very satisfied with the results. With low beams, they make the front illuminated area much brighter, in addition to good side illumination. (i just get irritated when i see people with "fogs" aimed a FOOT in front away from the car...sure, that helps!)

With high beams, it complements the headlight pattern giving a steady road illumination including the sides. The glare doesnt blind oncoming traffic at all..

Howl · 03-19-2007, 02:32 PM

Be careful about aiming your fog higher. If you re-aim them you may have to turn them off when you are approaching oncoming traffic or risk blinding them (which could result in tickets or accidents, or pissed-off motorists). It's a very fine line.

Driving lights should be wired to your high beams so they turn off when you turn off your high beams.

Bluefoton · 03-19-2007, 10:30 PM

Oh I agree about the dangers of aiming the lamps towards the incoming driver's eyeballs. Went on an empty parking lot facing a Home Depot wall, and checked - the flat fog line remains below the peak low beam main pattern regardless how far the car is.

I think given what I did, I'd support the idea of getting driving lights instead of replacing the fogs. IMHO, the stock ones can do a decent job, but no stock light will replace a set of driving ones (even if personally never had the need for them).

vision.dynamix · 03-20-2007, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by madmanmlh

As most of you know our JDM fog lights suck major balls. Since i drive a lot of dark back roads. I want to replace my factory fogs with an aftermarket setup. Id like to not have to modify the housing. Its an MY04 btw. I had some PIAA 550 ion lights on my old jeep and loved them, they were great in all conditions, fog, snow, rain and just dark.

Is there anything i can do to increase the brightness of these? Im not against replacing the lamp all together. Id like to stay away from HID due to the price and balast load. Please treat me like a noob because i am, i dont know how to wire essentially anything. Splicing isnt any major chore. I dont want to have to modify anything preferably. I dont have the cashflow to fix something if i screw up. Id like to find an ion (yellow) light or lamp that will bolt right into place where the factory fog does. From my experience the yellow driving light does the job of the fog as well.

any thoughts?

thanks

Im going to assume you have a 04-05.

See this link. http://rallyinnovations.com/lightconversion.htm

Storz · 03-20-2007, 10:31 AM

I like my Hellas

03-16-2007, 12:48 PM	#1
madmanmlh Scooby Newbie Member#: 117562 Join Date: Jun 2006	Beefier fog fights? As most of you know our JDM fog lights suck major balls. Since i drive a lot of dark back roads. I want to replace my factory fogs with an aftermarket setup. Id like to not have to modify the housing. Its an MY04 btw. I had some PIAA 550 ion lights on my old jeep and loved them, they were great in all conditions, fog, snow, rain and just dark. Is there anything i can do to increase the brightness of these? Im not against replacing the lamp all together. Id like to stay away from HID due to the price and balast load. Please treat me like a noob because i am, i dont know how to wire essentially anything. Splicing isnt any major chore. I dont want to have to modify anything preferably. I dont have the cashflow to fix something if i screw up. Id like to find an ion (yellow) light or lamp that will bolt right into place where the factory fog does. From my experience the yellow driving light does the job of the fog as well. any thoughts? thanks * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

03-19-2007, 12:44 PM	#4
Howl Scooby Specialist Member#: 57830 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario CA Vehicle: 1999 OBS	What you need are DRIVING LIGHTS. Driving lights project a lot further up the road and are good for seeing signs, deer, curves and so on. Fog lights have a very wide pattern that doesn't project very far and has a sharp cut off (i.e. it doesn't light anything above the height of the light). What year is your car? Last edited by Howl; 03-19-2007 at 02:14 PM.

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03-16-2007, 01:27 PM	#2
Knightmare69 Scooby Specialist Member#: 25039 Join Date: Sep 2002 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Hong Kong/Dong Guan China Vehicle: 2005 CGM Stage 2 WRX SQC 275	Yea, sell me your JDM fogs for dirt cheap and jimmy rig the hella's in your existing place.

03-16-2007, 01:37 PM	#3
madmanmlh Scooby Newbie Member#: 117562 Join Date: Jun 2006	got a link for lamps that will bolt right into the factory spot? also, will a higher power lamp need to be rewired or will the original everything work. Just swapping out the lamps seems too good to be true. how does one get to the lamp housing? simply, how do i remove the fog surround?

03-19-2007, 02:27 PM	#5
Bluefoton Scooby Specialist Member#: 141373 Join Date: Feb 2007 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: Quebec, QC Vehicle: 2008 2.5i-hatch - now with a HID retrofit	I aimed my foglights higher (to the point where their beam almost overlaps with headlight low beam), changed the bulbs to 70W ones, and jumped a relay so that they stay on with high beams. Very satisfied with the results. With low beams, they make the front illuminated area much brighter, in addition to good side illumination. (i just get irritated when i see people with "fogs" aimed a FOOT in front away from the car...sure, that helps!) With high beams, it complements the headlight pattern giving a steady road illumination including the sides. The glare doesnt blind oncoming traffic at all..

03-19-2007, 02:32 PM	#6
Howl Scooby Specialist Member#: 57830 Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Ontario CA Vehicle: 1999 OBS	Be careful about aiming your fog higher. If you re-aim them you may have to turn them off when you are approaching oncoming traffic or risk blinding them (which could result in tickets or accidents, or pissed-off motorists). It's a very fine line. Driving lights should be wired to your high beams so they turn off when you turn off your high beams.

03-19-2007, 10:30 PM	#7
Bluefoton Scooby Specialist Member#: 141373 Join Date: Feb 2007 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: Quebec, QC Vehicle: 2008 2.5i-hatch - now with a HID retrofit	Oh I agree about the dangers of aiming the lamps towards the incoming driver's eyeballs. Went on an empty parking lot facing a Home Depot wall, and checked - the flat fog line remains below the peak low beam main pattern regardless how far the car is. I think given what I did, I'd support the idea of getting driving lights instead of replacing the fogs. IMHO, the stock ones can do a decent job, but no stock light will replace a set of driving ones (even if personally never had the need for them).

03-20-2007, 10:31 AM	#9
Storz Scooby Newbie Member#: 77586 Join Date: Dec 2004 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Cary, NC Vehicle: 91 Miata Red	I like my Hellas