paulfrom94

I recently had my stock HiDs on my 07 lexus GS350 swapped out for new ones.
A friend of mine did the installs and I am loving them.
I wanted to have HiDs installed for the fog lights too but I don't want to blind oncoming drivers.
I was wondering this because for the headlights it had the glass sphere looking thing to control where the light is projected but for the fogs I believe they do not and I am worried that they may shine into oncoming lanes.
Is this a bad idea?

I would like to mention that I got brighter headlights not to look "cool" but because I have cataract in both eyes and it is hard for me to drive at night without proper lighting.
I am asking because I care for the safety of others on the road.

Thank you

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

Our fog lights barely shine on the road, I have HID in them, I noticed bit of improvement but nothing like blinding oncoming traffic. Now days cars that come with fog lights are more for the look then actual improvement in viewing distance at night.

paulfrom94

Thanks, for most people they may not notice much difference but to me fog light help tremendously.

XxGoKoUxX

That they do, you have to get good bulbs+ballasts to get good output, otherwise they just look dull IMO.

You'll be fine, foglights also have adjustments where you can point it down more if you'd like.

tbilisi79

I have 4300k hid kit for my fog lights and I love it. Got it from KB.

Install was easy and its a day and night difference at night as well. It illuminates a lot of things on the sides otherwise not seen at night. Plus it looks awesome.

Majek

I just installed a 4300k HID kit for my fogs and tested it tonight. I like the colour - they're pure white without any blue. They're much brighter than any halogen or LED bulbs I've put in. The additional light output actually helps in seeing curbs, potholes, debris when driving and also when turning on freeway ramps. I hope they are not blinding oncoming traffic (I don't believe so). My low beams are OEM Toshiba-Harison bulbs and now they look yellow compared to the fogs.

My main concern is when I touch the clear plastic of the foglights from the outside after they have been on a while, it's hot. I don't understand why, the low-beam headlights use xenon D4S and are also 35W, but they are cool to touch.

Anyone else notice the heat and is it safe for our GS?

XxGoKoUxX

It does get hot, it's because you're reflecting DIRECT beam at the lenses.... You should be okay for a few years, but a heads up, it WILL start melting the plastic lens eventually. Mine's started, but nothing $200 won't fix anyways...... That's honestly not a big deal vs the added safety I get with night-time viewing (I do a lot of night time highway driving).

Your low-beams do not heat up because, although they reflect, they bounce past a projector GLASS lense, then through your plastic. It's not hot, but it's warm. Definitely shouldn't be cool to the touch though.

Hope that explains everything to you

FYI: For anyone who thinks i'm wrong that the fog lenses do not melt, I can definitely take pictures as proof

Majek

Thanks, that helps. Can you please provide pictures? I didn't know it could melt the plastic housing! Were you using 35W or 55W ballasts and 35W or 55W bulbs? There are lots of other users here using HID fogs, I wonder if they have the same melting housings.

XxGoKoUxX

Apparently, reading the forums from HID planet, a long time ago, it is the refraction position of your bulb and reflector. If you get a bulb that refracts a certain way, it won't do that.

I'll be posting up another picture later on today for you

The bulbs were 35w bulbs, the ballast was a 35w digital ballast.

IXI187IXI

iTrader: (3)

i ran HID fogs for years with no issues. Just stick to 35w

XxGoKoUxX

I did the same IXI, unfortunately 3-years later (I believe 3-years later.... I put HID fogs on within the first few months of owning the car). The front lenses have gotten foggy due to the beam of light melting the lenses slowly.

35w ballast w/ 35w bulb.

Pics requested:

Simmsled

Outgassing is the culprit there.

Check out this website for halogen alternatives:
http://www.rallylights.com/

I've had really good luck getting proper fitting high output lamps from them.
ps. I'm a former automotive lighting engineer ;-)

The light sources those guys have hit the optics ideally, whereas the HID burner does not. You end up getting a ton of internal reflection.
High output halogens with either IR coatings or even higher wattage ratings can throw MUCH more light out than the HID burner with suboptimal reflectivity.

I've done the test on a real live goniometer, and the luminous density and spread is better. The problem is that people think that because the HID light is 'whiter', that it is brighter. It is an illusion.

XxGoKoUxX

LOL, I've been told the same thing as you said about HIDs Simmsled. The whiter it is, doesn't mean it's brighter that is. I just don't bother arguing on the forums lol.

TY for the bulb suggestion! I'll definitely check this out!

EDIT: Out of this selection, which one would you recommend for the members? That along with the 9005's too! I'm sure people would be grateful for the suggestion.

http://www.rallylights.com/all/light....html?cat=1898

worker

Here is my HID in both headlight and fog light with a bit of fog to help see the the beam pattern. Notice the beam doesn't go up, it levels out from the light and more pointing down.

Whenever I have the fog light ON, it seems a bit too bright for my liking. Foreground light, more practical when going slower. But highway speed the low beam ONLY would be better.

I appreciate you care for other's safety on the road. Many ppl doesn't care. They have high beam and HID fog light in their super glaring fog housing. Our fog housing is rectangle which prevent the light from going too high up.

Majek

Thanks for sharing the pics. Damn, that foggy part looks like it's from the inside.

I'm reluctant to turn on my newly-installed HID fogs now