95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

I installed some yellow Osram fog light bulbs that I got for free today, but when I went for a drive I realized that the fogs are aimed very differently than before. Now the fogs light up a lot more to the sides of the car, but also are aimed actually higher than my regular driving lights. It might be partly due to the headlights being aimed a little low, but even so, the fogs are aimed rediculously high. Before, they were right in front of the car, and were aimed very low. Now it seems to be almost opposite. The fogs are basically a mix of regular driving lights and high beams in terms of height. I'm pretty sure there's no way to aim fog lights, so maybe it has something to do with the new bulbs?
What could account for something like this?

BTW- They produce a real nice yellow color....where I can see them. Looking straight at the car they also look nice and yellow. I just wish they were aimed the way they used to be to get the whole effect of them.

I'll post pics of these, the AE Cefiros, AE pedals and crazy gauge cluster tomorrow....oh, and the gunmetal dash kit...

Thanks guys.

Dave Holmes

Sounds like you bent the brackets slightly when re-installing the foglight housings, or didn't get the **** on the outboard side of the housing in to the hole it goes in. You'll know what I'm talking about if you see it.
Fogs can be aimed. There is an 8mm nut on the back of the fog light assembly. Turning this aims the fogs from the inside (moves the reflector or bulb). This is how I aim my '97's fogs, a '96 may be different. you may need to remove splash guards and fiddle around to access the nuts.

Dave

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Update: Did some more night driving and experimenting. I've realized the fog lights are really aimed more for people who go bird watching at night...they are aimed in the top of freaking trees. They do give good output to the sides, but they do nothing for forward visibility. Something is definetly wrong with these. The color of the fogs isn't especially deep, but it's certainly yellow. I attempted to take pics in the dark, but I couldn't get a good shot. The camera just doesn't pick it up well.

Anyways...other ideas?

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Did you put the H3 bulb in correctly lined up with the nubs?
There's a square nub and a round one, the bulb base has the same two cut outs. MAke sure it's seated in the housing correctly. Other then that I can't imagain what could cause such a drastic change in the aiming. There's no way you can aim our cars fogs to point upwards.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

I can't say for sure if they are seated properly, but is it even possible to have them be seated incorrectly if they are staying in place?

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

I can say for sure that the circle and square line-up points are correct. Also, the housing dictates the light direction more than bulb orientation, but these DEFINITELY aim at the treetops. We put them in yesterday and the lights looked fine, but when it got dark it was clear that they were high. I do not see how we could have mis-aligned BOTH housings when all that we did was change bulbs.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

UPDATE- As of now both fog lights have gone off. They do not turn on. Super duper.

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

Hmmmmm. Both of the bulbs might have been crap, but that is unlikely. They were labelled as 55w, so I doubt that they fried your wiring. It is pretty hard to wire up an H3 bulb incorrectly...

Nuts...

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

WTF mate.....this blows

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

Check the fog light fuse. If they both went off @ the same time, that is the most likely culprit.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Do you know where that is? Could this have anything to do with them aiming so high?

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

I doubt that it has anything to do with them aiming high. It should be in ther fuse bank near your left leg.

The chances of us JUST HAPPENING to aim BOTH foglights high at the SAME EXACT angle are slim to none. I would bet that it is bilb design and the light output increase. The Dingy OEM light output was probably of the same pattern, btu it faded so badly that you most likely did not notice it like you noticed the Osrams.

Wisky97SE

iTrader: (1)

pls note. when you install the bulb dont touch the glass part with your fingers .. . handle it from the metal base.

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

I did not touch it by anything but the wire lead. I was uber-careful.

Nick- any luck with the fuse?