I am having the absolute WORST luck with my fog lights. I went through about 3 sets from June 2011 to now.

And today I cleaned the dirt off my fog lights again to only find that they're cracked! Again... and this time my fog light is only about 3 months old.

So I've tried, OEM, Depo, and Ebay. And they all have failed me

I don't know if its the constant rain in WA or if I am cursed, the used OEM one I bought lasted for a few months then water got inside and ruined the chrome, so I threw those out.

Then I bought another set of used Depo lights with a clear overlay, but one got smashed during shipping (USPS by the way).

Then I turned to Ebay and got a replacement for the smashed fog light and now here I am again.

I am starting to think I should just give up on fog lights.

Anyways, is there anyway I can buy 97-99 fog lights with plastic lenses? If not does anyone know where I can find clear or yellow pre-cut overlays for our fog lights?

I've seen people with overlays mentioning a seller/brand but it seems like they are all gone.

And if anyone has some spare clear or yellow ones, I would like to buy one of each! (I am one of those lazy people who would rather spend a little extra to have someone do it than make it himself )

 

Contact Chrisman287.

 

Also does any know why they keep cracking? I don't know if its because heat or if its the rain. Maybe bad luck?

I am using 55W H3 bulbs, which are the stock wattage, I believe.

 

Wow that was fast, will do. Thanks!

 

There's OEM foglights forsale in the 4th gen Classifieds for $70 ea....My Oem 03 Maxima fogs are glass and I would highly recommend you protecting you lense with a Lamin-X or equally strong laminate film! Regarding water and moisture getting into the lense, I would apply oring lube or vaseline to the oring and clean the Oring recess to ensure that there's a good seal @ the access cap of the foglamp!

 

the foglights on my wife's suby are carcked as well...and the outbacks have those screen/guard things on 'em. No idea how the hell she managed to do that.

I know on my GA I've only had one issue, but that was awhile ago and probably due to my own negligence (kissing a telephone pole=no bueno)

There ARE a lot of gravel / logging trucks up and down Highway 9, maybe that could be part of it? I mean, 522 isn't much better if at all. My parents live down that way and there's the gravel pit off of 180th, lots of the gravel trucks. Plus you've got Wolford trucking down off Paradise Lake Road...

 

Do the cracks have a bubble type chip? If they do, road debris hit 'em.

 

Every fog light that was cracked, has that straight line all the way across horizontally kind of crack. It almost seems like a temperature thing.

Yeah guys I'm not sure if it is rocks or debris. But I'm gonna try to water proof it then just screw it (Not literally)

 

Any non Nissan fog light will crack! It's something with the glass.
Had the same problem using aftermarket ones after a coulple of weeks.

 

nissan USED to sell thick plastic/rubber covers for the fogs

 

I had the same issue with not Ebay fogs but a set of Ebay glass 4th
gen headlights.They had a crack in them in the first month.My guess is the glass is not as strong as OEM.

 

That horizontal crack is a heat related crack and aftermarket foglights have nontempered glass or something too cause them to crack so easy usually without impact from a flying object!

That Ebay crap sucks and will crack all day even if treated with Lamin-X! Go Oem only, and treat it with Lamin-X!!!!!

Again that's eBay crap! You think it's inexpensive for no reason at all?

 

What is it that Chrisman does to the fogs? Im in need of a passenger side fog and bracket and Im leary about the ones on Ebay.

 

Nothing for the lenses unfortunately. I've got some reflectors laying around but that's about it.

 

Ebay fogs are crap! Oem fogs with Lamin-X FTW
00-01 maximas came with plastic lenses unfortunately all the rest came in glass lenses. Either heat or road debris kept cracking them untill I put on Lamin-X

 

I'm just gonna buy the ebay passenger side and bracket and do a lense swap. I have the OEM glass and only the mounting tab broke off. So I'll change the cheap plastic ebay lense and keep the glass one. I'll smoke them while I'll do the one lense swap.

 

I'm guessing you've opened up OEM fogs before? They're not as easy as opening headlights.

 

Nope. Will be my first time. Oven technique and patience, shouldn't be to hard.

 

You're gonna need heat and lots of it. They're tough as hell. Don't crack your lens!

 

OEM fogs or bust. Sure your using the right bulb? Could be getting overly hot and then splashed with cold water and cracking especially with cheap untempered glass.

 

Again as I'VE COMMENTED 2 times before this, Buy some OEM Nissan Fogs and Lamin-X them and there won't be anymore problems! My 03 and 90 Maxima(s) are bought equipped with glass foglights....My 2003 were both broke within 3 months of me buying my car off the showroom floor! I was pissed and bought another foglight kit and installed a protective laminate film back in 2003 and they've been fine ever since! My buddy invested in some inexpensive 02-03 foglights and I Lamin-X'd them and his cracked from heat damage! All the cheap ones are cheap for a reason they use thinner untempered glass that can't take the heat nor debris impact! I don't know how too make this anymore clearer for you thread originator!!!!! There's a classified fellow selling fogs for $70 ea! I believe they're OEM too!

 

I believe those yellows are sold if im not mistaken, I was the one thread jacking sorry OG. Someone please post pics of this Lamix X stuff. I don't feel its necessary, I have been on the same OEM fogs since I bought my car new in 1997. I guess its a matter of being fortunate my fogs lenses never broke/cracked. I will be using the OEM fog glass lense since mine isn't craked, just a mounting tab broke off and the mounting bracket is broken as well. I know the plastics lenses are cheap so I'll just swap the lense.

I don't like the yellow look and all my lamps are smoked or black so Im going to smoke mine.

Why is it so difficult to remove the glass fog lense?

Im guessing if its heating long enough with a temp of no more than 200 or 250 deg in the oven it should come off with patience. I use low temps so nothing melts I know this from experience of melting tail lights in the oven in the past.

 

That yellow is just an overlay/film!
http://www.lamin-x.com/Default.asp

 

There's a **** load of butyl and it's stubborn. Plus, with the glass lenses, you have to be really delicate.

You're gonna need 300 degrees unless you wanna be there forever.

 

Ahhh I see I guess whatever works for you guys.

I'll see what happens when I start on it. I've been without fogs forever lol never felt the need for them with projectors but I think the look is cool

Any you gus have a part number for the head light sealer? I guess thats the butly stuff. Nissan sells a black sealer and a gray one I believe.

 

I hope I am not hijacking this thread....I am still in the middle of reading other threads, but I think it is appropriate to ask my question here...

Hey ChrisMan287,

I made a thread a couple months back about opening R34 headlights (I didn't get around to doing them yet) and you also suggested that I use the baking procedure as a beginner since it is probably safer. Do you or anyone else know whether preheating the oven at 400 degrees, turning it off, and leaving the lights in for 10 minutes (this was the recommended procedure for those headlights) will work here for the fogs?

Also, I am very much aware that the 95-96 fog lights are different from the 97-99 fogs, but does anyone know whether or not if I practice an opening procedure on a pair of 95-96 fogs, I can expect similar results with the 97-99 fogs. I am asking this because I will have an extra pair of 95-96 fogs lying around as I am going to upgrade my bumper.

Once I have the fog lights open, I plan to just manually clean them (with windex LOL or any other product that you guys may recommend) and then seal them really good to prevent water from entering, hopefully them fogging up, and becoming all icky.

Lastly @ maxprivate, I was planning to PM you, but I think other users can benefit from hearing your technique that you used to open the tail lights. I know I SURE CAN since I naively used roughly the same procedure of 400 degrees for 6 minutes and warped the heck out of those poor lights.

Thanking you in advance for the feedback everyone!

Oh, and happy holidays!!

~M3

 

Exactly what I was thinking.

 

[QUOTE=MadManMax-M3;8689759]I hope I am not hijacking this thread....I am still in the middle of reading other threads, but I think it is appropriate to ask my question here...

Hey ChrisMan287,

I made a thread a couple months back about opening R34 headlights (I didn't get around to doing them yet) and you also suggested that I use the baking procedure as a beginner since it is probably safer. Do you or anyone else know whether preheating the oven at 400 degrees, turning it off, and leaving the lights in for 10 minutes (this was the recommended procedure for those headlights) will work here for the fogs?

Also, I am very much aware that the 95-96 fog lights are different from the 97-99 fogs, but does anyone know whether or not if I practice an opening procedure on a pair of 95-96 fogs, I can expect similar results with the 97-99 fogs. I am asking this because I will have an extra pair of 95-96 fogs lying around as I am going to upgrade my bumper.

Once I have the fog lights open, I plan to just manually clean them (with windex LOL or any other product that you guys may recommend) and then seal them really good to prevent water from entering, hopefully them fogging up, and becoming all icky.

Lastly @ maxprivate, I was planning to PM you, but I think other users can benefit from hearing your technique that you used to open the tail lights. I know I SURE CAN since I naively used roughly the same procedure of 400 degrees for 6 minutes and warped the heck out of those poor lights.

Thanking you in advance for the feedback everyone!

Oh, and happy holidays!!

~M3[/QUOTE
400 deg is way to hot for these lenses even for 6 min but if that worked for others more power to them. Like I stated in earlier posts , I would stick with a low temp around 200 to 250 deg.. for about 7 to 9 min maybe a bit longer.

You just have to keep an eye on them and keep testing to see if the sealant is soft enough to gently pry them apart with your fingers. Start on one corner with a small screw driver and if its ready you will see it start to open .. then you are ready. I would do one tail light at a time. This worked out for me and I didnt melt or break anything.. good luck.

 

OK thanks, I will give that a shot because I do not want to have another warping episode!

 

Ive had my ebay fogs for well over a year...and no problem.

DO NOTE: They have a laminate overlay on them


EDIT: Didnt notice the thread was old. Just seen it was started in 2012..didnt look at the month