Projector Foglights for Me
04-02-2006, 06:52 PM
#1
Projector Foglights for Me
Yay...another fog light thread. I'm sure some of you have seen my talk of wanting halogen projector foglights to go with my E46 bi-xenon projectors. Well, I was going to buy the CE ones and call it day, but, they're now gone...they are sold out and as far as I know they are not getting any more. So I must look elsewhere. My questions are for those of you lighting gurus who might have some insight.
I still want halogen projectors, there's no getting around it. I want to replace my stock fog housings entirely, no retrofits. I have my own ideas to dress that up and make it look good, but for now, whatever. I've been looking on eBay and have come across stuff like this:
Projector Fogs
Would these work as well as the CE fogs? I'm not looking for anything spectacular in the way of performance...just something with a better pattern/cutoff than the stock housings that will look nice paired with my HIDs. I was inparticular looking for something that had brackets already on it so I could just bolt it to my stock foglight bracket and call it a day. I also have ideas for using all the stock foglight wiring, unmodified, plugs and all
But will these work ok? Or are they going to be complete junk? Like I said, not looking for anything spectacular...just something that might compare to the CE units.
I still want halogen projectors, there's no getting around it. I want to replace my stock fog housings entirely, no retrofits. I have my own ideas to dress that up and make it look good, but for now, whatever. I've been looking on eBay and have come across stuff like this:
Projector Fogs
Would these work as well as the CE fogs? I'm not looking for anything spectacular in the way of performance...just something with a better pattern/cutoff than the stock housings that will look nice paired with my HIDs. I was inparticular looking for something that had brackets already on it so I could just bolt it to my stock foglight bracket and call it a day. I also have ideas for using all the stock foglight wiring, unmodified, plugs and all
But will these work ok? Or are they going to be complete junk? Like I said, not looking for anything spectacular...just something that might compare to the CE units.
04-02-2006, 08:16 PM
#4
Originally Posted by Nissan 6
Nice!! They should look awesome if you pull it off.
04-03-2006, 03:51 AM
#7
Originally Posted by darklegend06
Make sure you have some back up fuses and all incase you burn something out using the stock foglight wiring. Good luck with it and show us the outcome.
04-03-2006, 10:08 AM
#8
Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 45
Originally Posted by Tatanko
Yeah, I plan to do the yellow film over the lenses, and I have ideas to use the stock fog wiring completely unmodified (although perhaps grounded better). I plan to make a shroud of sorts that covers up the hole but lets the fogs poke through, and it'll be flat black so it looks almost factory-ish.
04-03-2006, 06:11 PM
#9
Originally Posted by A_Tang
Just remember that putting any sort of film or tint on the lamp will diminsh its performance.
05-03-2006, 01:21 PM
#10
Gahhh...predicament. I have had those fogs on for a few weeks now, and the one lense ended up cracked from the inside (somehow). One of the bulbs also blew already. The way the bulbs are held in, it's impossible for me to just change bulbs. So I've now wasted $22.
So...moving on. I still want fogs, but those ones were next-to-useless. They basically just looked good, that's it. I lived with it, though, because they were cheap. Well this time I don't want to go cheap(ish).
I've found these Hella units...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HELLA...temZ8021061428
They look to be sturdier, but I worry the same cracked lense issue is going to happen. I'm also not paying that much for them if they're going to have the same crappy output as my last ones.
Any thoughts? Any personal experiences? Any other reccomendations under $50?
So...moving on. I still want fogs, but those ones were next-to-useless. They basically just looked good, that's it. I lived with it, though, because they were cheap. Well this time I don't want to go cheap(ish).
I've found these Hella units...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HELLA...temZ8021061428
They look to be sturdier, but I worry the same cracked lense issue is going to happen. I'm also not paying that much for them if they're going to have the same crappy output as my last ones.
Any thoughts? Any personal experiences? Any other reccomendations under $50?
05-03-2006, 01:36 PM
#11
shift_Puff
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 536
look, just put back the stock ones with a nice super white bulb and it'll look great!!! Also Piaa has lifetime warrenty on the bulbs and so does silvania(i think). I think you should go that route. Those pointy one don't suit it i find. Eitherway, do what you please because it's your car and not mine. I have to admit, the little ones are really bright
05-03-2006, 01:39 PM
#12
Originally Posted by 95mtlMAXSE
look, just put back the stock ones with a nice super white bulb and it'll look great!!! Also Piaa has lifetime warrenty on the bulbs and so does silvania(i think). I think you should go that route. Those pointy one don't suit it i find. Eitherway, do what you please because it's your car and not mine. I have to admit, the little ones are really bright
Anyone else?
05-03-2006, 01:55 PM
#13
hella makes good stuff. i read the best is their MicroDE but expensive. they have another line thats around 50. i didn't look at your link cus ebay is blocked at work but i've seen a few sets of hella projector fogs for around 50. i bought a pair of the CE projector fogs but never got around to installing them. good thing i bought them when i did, now that i found out they're gone.
05-03-2006, 01:59 PM
#14
Originally Posted by maximus_96
hella makes good stuff. i read the best is their MicroDE but expensive. they have another line thats around 50. i didn't look at your link cus ebay is blocked at work but i've seen a few sets of hella projector fogs for around 50. i bought a pair of the CE projector fogs but never got around to installing them. good thing i bought them when i did, now that i found out they're gone.
05-03-2006, 05:52 PM
#19
I actually like the look of projector fogs, so long as they are done right. At this point though, it looks like I'm either gonna have to have crappy ones, fragile ones, OEM ones, or none at all.
Looks like I may be trying to fix my OEM ones...
Looks like I may be trying to fix my OEM ones...
05-03-2006, 05:54 PM
#20
Originally Posted by Tatanko
I actually like the look of projector fogs, so long as they are done right. At this point though, it looks like I'm either gonna have to have crappy ones, fragile ones, OEM ones, or none at all.
Looks like I may be trying to fix my OEM ones...
Looks like I may be trying to fix my OEM ones...
05-03-2006, 05:57 PM
#21
Originally Posted by zeeman
search of Hella 1180 projectors. It looks exactly like the ones CE projectors. I think they re the same too. O and the CE projectors actually put out really good beam and light. Unlike ur ebay ell specials
I don't want to lay down $50 and have them crack on me.
05-03-2006, 06:03 PM
#22
Originally Posted by Tatanko
Those look good, but they're really pricey and look to be awfully fragile I don't want to lay down $50 and have them crack on me.
I don't want to lay down $50 and have them crack on me.Its up to u tho. I m gonna put the CE on end of this month and post some pics. Hopefully it wont crack on me.
05-03-2006, 06:34 PM
#23
Originally Posted by zeeman
hmm, i cant speak on behalf of being fragile or not but i have these too and a couple of orger members have them on their cars too. Nothing happened to their's and i think darklegen had it for 2 years and never cracked the lens.
Its up to u tho. I m gonna put the CE on end of this month and post some pics. Hopefully it wont crack on me.
Its up to u tho. I m gonna put the CE on end of this month and post some pics. Hopefully it wont crack on me.
05-04-2006, 03:27 AM
#25
Originally Posted by Fr33way
Projectors in OEM housings FTMFW
You can't bake'em and pry them apart like you can w/ the headlamps. Another thing about those projector fogs, the lense might be prone to cracking. Once its cracked, its no good. Retrofitting the projectors into the fog lamps gives the projectors an added layer of protection.
05-04-2006, 03:45 AM
#26
Originally Posted by Karim
I agree, but taking apart the OEM fog lamp is a pain You can't bake'em and pry them apart like you can w/ the headlamps.
Another thing about those projector fogs, the lense might be prone to cracking. Once its cracked, its no good. Retrofitting the projectors into the fog lamps gives the projectors an added layer of protection.
You can't bake'em and pry them apart like you can w/ the headlamps. Another thing about those projector fogs, the lense might be prone to cracking. Once its cracked, its no good. Retrofitting the projectors into the fog lamps gives the projectors an added layer of protection.
05-04-2006, 03:53 AM
#27
Originally Posted by Tatanko
I would love to do that, if only I had the skill. Not to mention the lenses of the stock fogs have a pattern etched into them, so I'm not so sure that would be easy to get rid of. Oh well, we'll see I guess...
05-04-2006, 08:31 AM
#29
Originally Posted by Karim
I agree, but taking apart the OEM fog lamp is a pain You can't bake'em and pry them apart like you can w/ the headlamps.
You can't bake'em and pry them apart like you can w/ the headlamps. Looks wise, that would LOOK the best no question.
05-04-2006, 05:57 PM
#31
Originally Posted by nismos14
You need to put projectors down there with HID's.
I'd love to do that, but this is all just way beyond what I want to spend. I'm going to fix up the OEM fogs and put them back in with some 3000k bulbs and call it a day likely.
05-04-2006, 08:17 PM
#32
I have the hella optilux chrome housing foglights for a month or so and they are really sturdy. The mounting bracket and screws were made of thick metal and are holding up well. One of my foglights had a bad seal and let water in. Had the foglight filled with water for a day or so with no cracking. I have gone through some puddles on my way to school when the foglights were hot(on for a while) and no cracking issues with the lenses yet. Another plus is that these foglights (yours included I think) have an actual cutoff shield, so you have an actual projector cutoff. Just a bit of info from my experience
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