need brighter fog lights!!
11-04-2007, 03:09 PM
#1
need brighter fog lights!!
just installed some oem fog in my 95 max and i was expecting to see a huge difference in night time driving. i just thought that they would brighten the road a whole lot better than what it is now. already aimed them to be as high as possible but still dont illuminates a whole lot. so what can be done, new bulbs, would that make a differnce?
11-04-2007, 04:10 PM
#2
they should be aimed lower to the ground, not up. the reason why the mount foglights low is to illuminate the ground when visibility is low duie to rthe reflection off moisture from the headlights. the beam pattern for fogs is wider than the headlights as well but does not focus as foward. if you want brighter lighting, stick with the fog housing but use HID instead of halogen.
even with halogen bulbs in the fogs, you should see a difference in a wider beam.
even with halogen bulbs in the fogs, you should see a difference in a wider beam.
11-04-2007, 04:25 PM
#3
i think that the lights that are on there now are some from walmart their about 5 bucks a piece, i was looking into some piaa bulbs like these http://www.piaa.com/Bulbs/Bulbs-H3.html. which one of these three would be the best bet.
1) H3 XTREME WHITE PLUS
2) H3 STAR WHITE
3) H3 SUPER PLASMA GT-X
1) H3 XTREME WHITE PLUS
2) H3 STAR WHITE
3) H3 SUPER PLASMA GT-X
11-04-2007, 04:38 PM
#4
ive used the 55W Xtreme White Plus before and ive been satisfied up until i switched to HIDs. the others im sure are fairly similar to the Xtreme White bulb. just dont get the 85W one or else you'll melt everything around it.
11-04-2007, 06:38 PM
#9
I JUST CAME FROM OUTSIDE AND THE LIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT AT ALL ITS A YELLOWISH OLD LOOKING COLOR AND THE LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE PROBABLY 8-10 FT IN FRONT OF THE CAR THE BRIGHTEST PART IS FROM THE LIGHTS TO ABOUT 5 FT. BUT ONCE I TURN ON MY HEADLIGHTS ITS LIKE IF I DIDNT HAVE ANY FOGS. IS THAT THE WAY THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE?
11-04-2007, 07:32 PM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
I JUST CAME FROM OUTSIDE AND THE LIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT AT ALL ITS A YELLOWISH OLD LOOKING COLOR AND THE LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE PROBABLY 8-10 FT IN FRONT OF THE CAR THE BRIGHTEST PART IS FROM THE LIGHTS TO ABOUT 5 FT. BUT ONCE I TURN ON MY HEADLIGHTS ITS LIKE IF I DIDNT HAVE ANY FOGS. IS THAT THE WAY THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE?
11-04-2007, 09:15 PM
#12
from my experience with fogs are it lights up the area under your headlight beam pattern. It fills almost everything in. that is about the most you can expect from FOG Lights because thats what you need to see in FOG.
11-04-2007, 10:24 PM
#13
^^ Ditto that, search old posts on this; our fogs are pretty much useless even for fog lights. Also light output is even worse for us 95-96ers, just put cheap bulbs in them or do what others have said and replace them with non-oem fogs.
11-04-2007, 10:47 PM
#14
I hate being slow
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Jenks, Oklahoma
Posts: 55
why not just go steal the spot light from the cop cars and retro those into your bumper? can't get brighter than that...when they pull you over it illuminates the road around and infront of your car...its BRIGHTER
11-05-2007, 06:54 AM
#15
my i got piaa xtreme whites. They go out about 10 ft in front of the car and they do go much wider than my headlights. But now i got yellow overlays on the fogs so it cut my light shorter. so between my foglight patter on the ground and my headlight pattern theres a good 6 ft between them...... i need my headlights to be brighter.
11-05-2007, 03:17 PM
#17
Newbie - Just Registered
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 4
I second the motion about the "spot light"
Fog lights aren't supposed to be that bright (that's why we have headlights and high beams...) They just look cool....
As someone pointed earlier in the thread... they hardly even help during heavy fog...
/dotanj
Fog lights aren't supposed to be that bright (that's why we have headlights and high beams...) They just look cool....
As someone pointed earlier in the thread... they hardly even help during heavy fog...
/dotanj
11-05-2007, 07:22 PM
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Bethany Beach, DE
Posts: 127
I JUST CAME FROM OUTSIDE AND THE LIGHTS ARE NOT BRIGHT AT ALL ITS A YELLOWISH OLD LOOKING COLOR AND THE LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATE PROBABLY 8-10 FT IN FRONT OF THE CAR THE BRIGHTEST PART IS FROM THE LIGHTS TO ABOUT 5 FT. BUT ONCE I TURN ON MY HEADLIGHTS ITS LIKE IF I DIDNT HAVE ANY FOGS. IS THAT THE WAY THEYRE SUPPOSED TO BE?
11-11-2007, 02:40 PM
#22
just installed some oem fog in my 95 max and i was expecting to see a huge difference in night time driving. i just thought that they would brighten the road a whole lot better than what it is now. already aimed them to be as high as possible but still dont illuminates a whole lot. so what can be done, new bulbs, would that make a differnce?
1) Foglights are designed to light up the ground between your bumper and the area covered by your low beams. To cover such a wide space that's so close, they are not focused beams like headlights. The purpose is to provide usable light in fog so heavy that your low beams aren't getting through. Considering how short the distance is that we're talking about, this really is about those super-foggy mornings where 25mph is pushing it. I've only driven in fog like that a few times in the 8 years I've owned my Maxima.
2) Aiming the foglights high is a Bad Thing. Since foglights aren't focused beams the light loses intensity within a short distance and so they don't illuminate as far as low or high beams. (What *would* do that is driving lights, not fog lights). There is a problem with what you have now - even though you aren't seeing any better, aiming them up shines very intensely into the eyes of oncoming drivers (and deer too). It's just like high beams. Even aimed properly, foglights shine a lot more at oncoming drivers. Please don't be that asshat.
3) Don't put larger wattage bulbs in. You'll fry the wiring. Many fires have been started under the hood like this.
4) My best recommendation is to polish the glass on the headlamps and fogs, put in fresh headlamps, inspect the wiring for fraying and clean the grounds, and aim them properly. Get them pointed back down where they should be and at least they'll serve their intended purpose and be useful in heavy fog.
There are some people (soccer moms, etc) who leave their stock fogs on 24/7 because they think they see things better. True, there is more road visible, but it's only the road between your front bumper and low beams - the patch of ground where an obstacle would be "too late". If anything, this is more dangerous because the driver tends to look at the most brightly lit part of road, when they *should* be focusing on the farthest reaches of their low beams. Overdriving your lights and not looking far enough ahead is extremely dangerous. So I suggest you only use fogs when it's actually foggy.
Dave
Last edited by dgeesaman; 11-12-2007 at 03:32 PM.
11-12-2007, 01:12 AM
#23
If you want to see better, do a 9007 conversion or retrofit projectors. As has been said before, fogs are NOT meant to help you in everyday driving situations, and actually they're there primarily to look cool, not to assist you in foggy situations (they really don't unless it's REALLY hairy, even when properly aimed). Ever notice how fog lights are generally an option for more sporty models?
11-12-2007, 02:10 AM
#24
Really good info. I have a gxe that did not come with fogs but was debating if I should get them or not. Contemplating because I have a CAI and it would block off some air going through where the foglight would be mounted.
11-12-2007, 03:23 AM
#25
CAIs take air from the fender, a foglight wouldn't affect that at all. Fogs won't disrupt airflow to an intake unless it's right behind one of the fog "holes."
....fog lights are not another pair of headlights.....
11-12-2007, 09:18 AM
#27
11-12-2007, 09:40 AM
#28
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