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Old 10-10-2012, 04:14 PM   #26
Zeeper
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Quote:
Originally Posted by foghelmut View Post
Light does not "cut through" fog, unless you plan on having beams so bright and hot that the fog evaporates. The location and beam pattern of the lights is designed so that the light is not reflected back in your face. Bright lights only illuminate the fog, they do not pass through it.
So a light that illuminates nothing is more effective than a light that illuminates something, in the fog.

I get it now...

Good for us that the factory fog lights illuminate nothing, because it keeps it from getting reflected back at us in the fog!

I think you would see even better in the fog if you shut off the headlights, right?
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:14 PM   #27
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Foglights on most cars these days are also for aesthetics. Doesn't change the concept of foglights. Perhaps you have something wrong with your bulbs, mine are able to fill the gap the lowbeams don't hit just fine. The brightness seems to be on par with the light the lowbeam puts out, just in a different spot.
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:18 PM   #28
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My sport came with them installed and aimed. Maybe they missed, because I'm not seeing what you're seeing.
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:20 PM   #29
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Do you have overlays on them?
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:25 PM   #30
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They do now, but they didn't for the first 4 months, and you can do a thread search because I complained about them then.

Cosmetic bling, someone was asking about buying them and installing them themselves and I recommended they buy a 3rd party version that actually provide useable light.
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:27 PM   #31
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Have you ever had a car with foglights? If so, did they meet your needs?
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:43 PM   #32
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My hyundai also had foglights, they were also pointless.

I would not have bought these as an option, they were included with the Sport package.

I would encourage anyone looking to add functional lights, and not just bling, to avoid the Subaru version and shop for something better.

I would prefer driving lights, but am not motivated to change them over. I installed PIAA 1100X driving lights on my motorcycle, mounted at the calipers (low), and they are vastly superior to these lights in both light output and fog busting capability.

Right now I just use them for the bling, and will put LED's in eventually just so I don't have to deal with burned out bulbs.
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Old 10-10-2012, 04:53 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeeper View Post
I would prefer driving lights, but am not motivated to change them over. I installed PIAA 1100X driving lights on my motorcycle, mounted at the calipers (low), and they are vastly superior to these lights in both light output and fog busting capability.
I think that states the expectation/delivery quandary. Fog/Driving lights are not the same animal.
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:01 PM   #34
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G-Omaha View Post
I think that states the expectation/delivery quandary. Fog/Driving lights are not the same animal.
I agree, driving lights are actually useful for providing light!

I'm sure there are fog lights that can do the same thing (with a different beam pattern, and more power), but Subaru Impreza's don't have them in what they offer now.

These would probably be far better, and half the price:

http://www.amazon.com/HELLA-H13090611-Micro-Series-Halogen/dp/B00042K39C/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

or

http://www.amazon.com/Optilux-H71010241-Model-Rectangular-Halogen/dp/B000COD5A6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

I bet the secret to having fog lights that put out light is having at least 55watt bulbs...

The PIAA 1100X have 85 watt bulbs that project (no wonder cars flash me when they are aimed too high...)

If there were 85 watt bulbs aimed in a flat beam, they would be great fog lights.

Last edited by Zeeper; 10-11-2012 at 08:35 AM.
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:26 PM   #35
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Quote:
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They really make very little difference when they are on -- in the dark, and in the fog. Maybe they are aimed wrong from the factory, but I cannot tell much difference when they are on.

Mine were aimed about 4 feet in front of the car... You may need to block off the headlamps to see where yours are aimed.
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:30 PM   #36
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where do you adjust the aim? do you need to pull the trim covers to reveal some aiming screws?
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Old 10-11-2012, 02:36 AM   #37
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I have gone the retrofit HID projectors route for my fog lights. I went with the blazer kit (3000k) from the retrofit source, they have since discontinued them though.
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Old 10-11-2012, 08:26 AM   #38
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"in conditions of extremely poor visibility due to snow, fog or heavy rain, good fog lamps light the foreground and the road edges only, so you can see your way safely at reduced speeds."

The truth:
http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...fog_lamps.html



I'm not sure what you expect from fog lights. They are not an additional set of headlights.
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Old 10-11-2012, 08:34 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by foghelmut View Post
"in conditions of extremely poor visibility due to snow, fog or heavy rain, good fog lamps light the foreground and the road edges only, so you can see your way safely at reduced speeds."

The truth:
http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...fog_lamps.html



I'm not sure what you expect from fog lights. They are not an additional set of headlights.
I expect them to be brighter than my signals, which they aren't, at least on this car.
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Old 10-11-2012, 09:03 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeeper

I expect them to be brighter than my signals, which they aren't, at least on this car.
Mine are. Maybe yours are aimed to high
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Old 10-11-2012, 04:26 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ST Eye View Post
Do you have overlays on them?
I have Lamin-X yellow overlays, and I like them. Not only does the Lamin-X protect the lenses, but it looks nice even when the fog lights are off.



I usually drive with my fog lights on. I use them more to help other people see me, rather than because I expect them to help me see.

I wish I could turn on the fogs without turning on the head lights. I've seen a thread on this forum describing the wiring hack that would make it possible. But I haven't been adventurous enough to do it yet, although after replacing my factory head unit, I'm sure I'm qualified.
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Old 10-11-2012, 05:38 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by foghelmut View Post
"in conditions of extremely poor visibility due to snow, fog or heavy rain, good fog lamps light the foreground and the road edges only, so you can see your way safely at reduced speeds."

The truth:
http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...fog_lamps.html



I'm not sure what you expect from fog lights. They are not an additional set of headlights.
Seriously. When it's hard to see the lane markers in a snowstorm, turn on the foglights to help. It's pretty much that simple.
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:07 PM   #43
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I am more than happy with the factory fog lights. They fill the gap from the street to the low beams perfectly & just as brightly as my low beams. The yellow overlays look nice too. & for the record the fog lights on my Hyundai Santa Fe were amazing! I don't expect them to work miracles in the fog but filling that area they do exactly what they are supposed to. Some people will just never be happy with them.
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Old 10-11-2012, 10:32 PM   #44
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I have to agree with SleepN. The fogs on my sport prem do what they're designed to do and work the same as all the other cars I've owned with fog lights. Still thinking of yellow overlays or bulbs more for looks than anything.
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Old 10-11-2012, 11:38 PM   #45
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sgoldste01 View Post
I have Lamin-X yellow overlays, and I like them. Not only does the Lamin-X protect the lenses, but it looks nice even when the fog lights are off.



I usually drive with my fog lights on. I use them more to help other people see me, rather than because I expect them to help me see.

I wish I could turn on the fogs without turning on the head lights. I've seen a thread on this forum describing the wiring hack that would make it possible. But I haven't been adventurous enough to do it yet, although after replacing my factory head unit, I'm sure I'm qualified.
Did you install any film to protect your headlights? Are you planning to?
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Old 10-12-2012, 12:50 AM   #46
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Did you install any film to protect your headlights? Are you planning to?
No, and no.
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Old 10-12-2012, 01:49 AM   #47
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No, and no.
Ok thanks, I sometimes wished our headlights were glass like European cars. Plastic turns yellow and hazes up with age and is prone to scratches.
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Old 10-12-2012, 06:16 AM   #48
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Yes, but the hazing and scratches buff out easily, and plastic lenses are less likely to get broken by a flung rock.

The fog light lenses are glass, which is one reason I put Lamin-X on them (plus I just plain like the look of the yellow).
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Old 10-12-2012, 06:32 AM   #49
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pkL

Did you install any film to protect your headlights? Are you planning to?
I plan to
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Old 10-12-2012, 07:55 AM   #50
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flyboy1100 View Post
I plan to
Let us know what product you use, and how well it turns out. I think the contour of our lenses would be difficult to do well.

From my experience with the fog lights, my strong recommendation is to do this job when everything is warm (the outdoor temperature, the light's lens, and the laminate itself). I applied laminate onto my TDI's fog lights when it was cool outside (temps in the 40s), and really struggled to do a barely adequate job. It was a hot day when I did my Impreza's fog lights, and they came out perfectly with no struggles.

With a complex shape like our headlights, I wouldn't even think of trying it unless it was a warm day. I know they say a hair dryer helps. I'm sure that's true, but it would still be a struggle. Save this job for summer time.
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