True Yellow Foglight Conversion [Mini Write-up]
11-10-2006, 09:33 PM
#1
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True Yellow Foglight Conversion [Mini Write-up]
Well, I feel I should give back to the Org, so here's a very short writeup. I am certainly not the first to do this mod, but we need a write-up for it. I didn't take many photos during the process so I apologize. It's definitely not an easy mod but it's fairly straightforward and doable if you are determined enough.
Meanbean had a great write-up with many photos for 4th gens but I see that his page is no longer online. Maybe he'll see this and put it back up, because I found it very useful. The main difference between his method and mine is that he used a Dremel to cut the housings, whereas I just pried the glass off the housings. But that's easier said than done because the sealant is VERY tough stuff on these fogs; he had a good reason for cutting the housings.
Supplies and Tools:
9006 yellow capsules from HIDtech
JB Weld
RTV silicone or other sealant
heat gun or hairdryer
thin flathead screwdriver
needlenose pliers
wire cutters
Procedure:
1. Remove fogs from car (10mm socket, careful because bolts are probably rusty)
2. Use hairdryer or heat gun* (bought my heat gun at Harbor Freight for $9.99, works fine) to heat up the perimeter of the glass where it meets the housing. Wear insulated gloves. Heat for at least 10 minutes on high, it needs to be quite hot.
3. Wedge a thin flathead screwdriver between the edge of the housing and the glass. The glass and the sealant both go way back into the housing, you'll see. You also might see that you're chipping the glass a little, which is OK since it won't be visible, but be very careful. This is the hardest step. I tried prying at all the corners first, but I finally succeded by prying at the very middle of the top of the foglight. Trust me, you WILL chew up the flimsy housing a little bit, but only in one spot or a few spots. It won't matter at all in the end.
4. Once you have the glass off, it's time to get down to business. Make sure the bulb is removed and then start bending the grey bulb cover from side to side to weaken it and then snap it off. Be very careful of the reflective coating, it's cheap and parts of it were loose and coming off on my housings.
5. After snapping off the top of the grey cover, take some needlenose pliers and grab what remains of the grey cover bracket and pull. You might need to use wire cutters to snip the bracket/ring at the base; it will then come off much more easily. Again be careful with tools in there, it wouldn't take much to damage the housing.
6. Now you're ready to install the capsules. Meanbean drilled holes through the back of the housing for the three tabs on the 9006 capsules but that seemed like way too much work and has the potential to damage the very fragile reflective coating. My method was to snip off the three tabs on the capsule and then test fit it with the bulb in the housing. You want to be sure it is centered on the bulb, with even spacing around all sides. EDIT: I would now recommend that you not snip off the tabs, and use meanbean's method. The JB Weld didn't hold up (see my January 2009 posts below).
7. Apply some JB Weld around the circumference of the capsule base, connecting it to the housing. Be very careful not to get JB Weld on any more of the reflector than you need. Also be sure to leave some spaces for air to get in and out of the capsule. It gets very hot in there. I just applied about three partial beads of the stuff, should be plenty strong if JB Weld works as claimed. EDIT: either JB Weld is weak or it just doesn't bond well to these materials! You can see the JB "welds" in the second photo below.
8. Position the foglight so the capsule is sticking straight up. Then check again to make sure the capsule is centered perfectly (you should leave the bulb in position) and let it cure for a day.
9. To reinstall the glass, get some appropriate sealant (I used grey RTV silicone sealant since I had it lying around) and put a very thin bead in the groove of the housing. Then heat up the glass with the heat gun and apply it, wiping off the excess sealant that comes out. Do not try to take off the hard grey sealant that is stuck to the glass; you definitely need that for proper fitment.
10. Let it dry and you're good to go. I recommend putting on headlight protection film (I used 3M/Xpel 40 mil stuff and cut it to shape). That way your hard work won't be ruined by a puddle or a rock cracking your lens.
*I don't recommend the oven method of heating because off all the plastic parts (including the wiring) and also the cheap reflective coating inside the housing seems like it might bubble or come off under high heat. The heat gun allows you to focus the heat where you need it.
Halfway through and finished project shots:
Yeah, so as I said, I didn't properly document this with photos of all the steps...but feel free to ask questions if anything is unclear.
Meanbean had a great write-up with many photos for 4th gens but I see that his page is no longer online. Maybe he'll see this and put it back up, because I found it very useful. The main difference between his method and mine is that he used a Dremel to cut the housings, whereas I just pried the glass off the housings. But that's easier said than done because the sealant is VERY tough stuff on these fogs; he had a good reason for cutting the housings.
Supplies and Tools:
9006 yellow capsules from HIDtech
JB Weld
RTV silicone or other sealant
heat gun or hairdryer
thin flathead screwdriver
needlenose pliers
wire cutters
Procedure:
1. Remove fogs from car (10mm socket, careful because bolts are probably rusty)
2. Use hairdryer or heat gun* (bought my heat gun at Harbor Freight for $9.99, works fine) to heat up the perimeter of the glass where it meets the housing. Wear insulated gloves. Heat for at least 10 minutes on high, it needs to be quite hot.
3. Wedge a thin flathead screwdriver between the edge of the housing and the glass. The glass and the sealant both go way back into the housing, you'll see. You also might see that you're chipping the glass a little, which is OK since it won't be visible, but be very careful. This is the hardest step. I tried prying at all the corners first, but I finally succeded by prying at the very middle of the top of the foglight. Trust me, you WILL chew up the flimsy housing a little bit, but only in one spot or a few spots. It won't matter at all in the end.
4. Once you have the glass off, it's time to get down to business. Make sure the bulb is removed and then start bending the grey bulb cover from side to side to weaken it and then snap it off. Be very careful of the reflective coating, it's cheap and parts of it were loose and coming off on my housings.
5. After snapping off the top of the grey cover, take some needlenose pliers and grab what remains of the grey cover bracket and pull. You might need to use wire cutters to snip the bracket/ring at the base; it will then come off much more easily. Again be careful with tools in there, it wouldn't take much to damage the housing.
6. Now you're ready to install the capsules. Meanbean drilled holes through the back of the housing for the three tabs on the 9006 capsules but that seemed like way too much work and has the potential to damage the very fragile reflective coating. My method was to snip off the three tabs on the capsule and then test fit it with the bulb in the housing. You want to be sure it is centered on the bulb, with even spacing around all sides. EDIT: I would now recommend that you not snip off the tabs, and use meanbean's method. The JB Weld didn't hold up (see my January 2009 posts below).
7. Apply some JB Weld around the circumference of the capsule base, connecting it to the housing. Be very careful not to get JB Weld on any more of the reflector than you need. Also be sure to leave some spaces for air to get in and out of the capsule. It gets very hot in there. I just applied about three partial beads of the stuff, should be plenty strong if JB Weld works as claimed. EDIT: either JB Weld is weak or it just doesn't bond well to these materials! You can see the JB "welds" in the second photo below.
8. Position the foglight so the capsule is sticking straight up. Then check again to make sure the capsule is centered perfectly (you should leave the bulb in position) and let it cure for a day.
9. To reinstall the glass, get some appropriate sealant (I used grey RTV silicone sealant since I had it lying around) and put a very thin bead in the groove of the housing. Then heat up the glass with the heat gun and apply it, wiping off the excess sealant that comes out. Do not try to take off the hard grey sealant that is stuck to the glass; you definitely need that for proper fitment.
10. Let it dry and you're good to go. I recommend putting on headlight protection film (I used 3M/Xpel 40 mil stuff and cut it to shape). That way your hard work won't be ruined by a puddle or a rock cracking your lens.
*I don't recommend the oven method of heating because off all the plastic parts (including the wiring) and also the cheap reflective coating inside the housing seems like it might bubble or come off under high heat. The heat gun allows you to focus the heat where you need it.
Halfway through and finished project shots:
Yeah, so as I said, I didn't properly document this with photos of all the steps...but feel free to ask questions if anything is unclear.
Last edited by VQuick; 01-14-2009 at 12:05 PM.
11-11-2006, 08:08 AM
#6
Chassis Freak
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Originally Posted by wikidminds
so is the yellow capsule glued to the bulb's base or the fog lamp assembly?
NJMax, the glare is not bad at all. The fogs are aimed low anyway so they don't blind oncoming traffic. And there's nothing stopping anyone from affixing the stock grey bulb cover onto the yellow capsule (some have done that); I just didn't think it was worth the effort.
Your yellow bulbs aren't half as yellow as the Lexus capsules (as well illustrated by your signature pic); they're really not comparable. Plus they cost more than standard H3 bulbs and probably burn out faster too. You should check out irish44j's thread if you haven't already. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=449650
11-11-2006, 10:24 AM
#7
Great writeup, I actually have Meanbean's original writeup here: http://mysite.verizon.net/dinhdu/index.htm
Also he mentioned to glue the shield on the top of the capsule to keep the glare down.
Also he mentioned to glue the shield on the top of the capsule to keep the glare down.
11-11-2006, 04:40 PM
#10
Chassis Freak
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Don't have any night pics at the moment, just those late afternoon ones.
I've never looked at 95/96 fog up close. They are shaped differently but I'd bet that inside they're very similar. Only one way to find out.
I've never looked at 95/96 fog up close. They are shaped differently but I'd bet that inside they're very similar. Only one way to find out.
11-12-2006, 09:25 AM
#15
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Originally Posted by TurTLe*
did you put the old cap on the yellow cap?
I wouldn't recommend HID for the yellow mod because the HID color temperature is wrong. Incandescent bulbs emit much more yellow light than a HID. It probably wouldn't look good but who knows.
11-27-2006, 01:58 PM
#20
Originally Posted by Cdg2125
Where is the best place to find the capsules?
11-30-2006, 07:37 PM
#27
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It's a big project, good luck. If you make it past getting the glass off, you are home free. That's the hardest part but it's really not that hard if you are careful and follow my directions. Trust me, capsules will look better than yellow film, at least to most people looking at your car. 
If you can wait a day or two I can send you pics of mine with the lights off.
MaxBlack - yes, but IMO yellow film/glass looks terrible. To each his own!
If you can wait a day or two I can send you pics of mine with the lights off.MaxBlack - yes, but IMO yellow film/glass looks terrible. To each his own!
11-30-2006, 08:56 PM
#31
Chassis Freak
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Actually, I had the same problem: one of my fogs had broken glass too. The nice thing is that will make getting the glass off much easier since you can just pry out the pieces with a flathead screwdriver. The bad news is you will need a new foglight to get a new glass lens. I bought one (OEM) on eBay used for $80 or something but you might be able to find a better deal.
Glass foglights crack very easily because they are low on the car and subject to rocks and cold water splashing up on the hot lens. That's why, after all my hard work with the yellow capsule mod, I put the 40 mil 3M plastic covering on the glass. Now I don't have to worry about the glass breaking; that plastic is thick stuff.
Glass foglights crack very easily because they are low on the car and subject to rocks and cold water splashing up on the hot lens. That's why, after all my hard work with the yellow capsule mod, I put the 40 mil 3M plastic covering on the glass. Now I don't have to worry about the glass breaking; that plastic is thick stuff.
01-12-2009, 08:17 AM
#33
I'm trying to do this on my 99 max. A member is selling his 95-96 fogs with yellow capsules. What would I need to do to make it work on my 99 max? The lights are a different shape so that won't fit right? Can I just replace my wiring and bulb with his bulb, wiring, and capsules as one or will I need to open up my lights to put these in? Here are the pics of what he has:
01-12-2009, 09:46 AM
#35
I want to install yellow capsules in my foglights. From what I have read on here so far I realized there are two capsule sizes so I don't want to buy the wrong ones. Also I know you have to take your fog light apart and mount the capsules using jb weld. The ones he is selling from his 95-96 looks like the capsule is part of the bulb socket and wiring harness. Is it?
Should I buy this: http://hidtech.com/images/02152.jpg
or this: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...5-shipped.html
Should I buy this: http://hidtech.com/images/02152.jpg
or this: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...5-shipped.html
Last edited by Quickywd01; 01-12-2009 at 09:57 AM.
01-12-2009, 02:11 PM
#37
For my conversion i did as exactly as meanbean did, (except i use a 100w h3 and not a 55w and found out about every year or so the glass capsules break from the extreme heat) So i bet if you used the standard 55w lights you wouldn't have that problem.
It was easiest for me to just dremel the lights and not fool with the heat gun.
I drilled the capsules to the housing so they wouldn't bounce around cause jb weld is good but won't hold up to the heat and bumps.
I have some more pics to take but look at my sig and they are at night and the HID's are 12000k not the new 30000k i have on now.
NO GLARE EITHER I HAVE THEM POINTED DOWN FAR ENOUGH....any ? Just ask me....
It was easiest for me to just dremel the lights and not fool with the heat gun.
I drilled the capsules to the housing so they wouldn't bounce around cause jb weld is good but won't hold up to the heat and bumps.
I have some more pics to take but look at my sig and they are at night and the HID's are 12000k not the new 30000k i have on now.
NO GLARE EITHER I HAVE THEM POINTED DOWN FAR ENOUGH....any ? Just ask me....
01-12-2009, 04:10 PM
#38
I'll get the capsules. Found them on ebay for $25 shipped. should I transfer the bulb shield to the capsule? I'm going for functionality rather than looks so if it helps the light output then I'll reuse them. Since the shields are a flat color would making the shield reflective help? With chrome paint, tinfoil, reflective tape, whatever. Anyone looking for capsules: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...m=150319444734
Last edited by Quickywd01; 01-12-2009 at 04:40 PM. Reason: ebay link 3 left
01-12-2009, 05:01 PM
#39
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So yes, I agree that JBweld is not sufficient. What did you use to attach the housings?
01-13-2009, 04:03 PM
#40
The capsules i bought off of ebay already had the metal housing attached to the bulbs. They have three little prongs on them already so what i did to make sure that they were straight when i drilled them i put alittle red paint on the ends and carefully rested them in the housing, making sure they are straight and not touching the h3, then i drilled the little red dots. Then bent the little tabs backwards.