Looking for part info (bulbs) and instructions for 2012 RX 350.

Do the LED fogs make a noticeable difference?

Thanks in advance.

 

This has been discussed in a different thread ,,

I always separate the two issues .. form and function.

With the nice appearance of 'white' light folks are moving in hoards towards hid/leds and the increase brilliance to a higher wattage filament (super brights). Manufacturers are also responding to what consumers want.

Function for fog is penetration and spread with little reflection from water vapors. [not necessarily white and bright]. I prefer a yellow tint for fogs.

Salim

 

It's more to supplement headlights-lots of dark roads around my neck of the woods...

Anyone have the link and instructions on how to replace? Bulb preference?

 

Take a look at www.xenondepot.com They are a vendor here on CL and have good products along with a drop down menu to find what fits.

 

BP1203, there's numerous threads in the forum about changing out the fog lights. I'd suggest you do a search to find bulb recommendations and even pictures. Maybe you'll come across the ones I created. I went from halogen to HID twice, tried LED and then back to halogen but using Philips brand. They were probably my favorite among them all, purchased from CL vendor Nigel. Possibly XenonDepot carries them. Bulb sizes are listed in the Specification section of the owner's manual.

 

Thanks.
Clutchless: Is replacement pretty easy? Any recommendations in bulb choice? HAve HID headlights, which are awesome-want that nice white light that will also have function as well.

 

I have not done this and have no plans to do so unless a bulb burns out so cannot help. Again, do a search as it has been covered in other threads.

 

If the OP had floated the idea of using front fog lights as always-on supplemental lights on a U.K. or Europe-based car forum, he would have likely been pummeled with ridicule and abuse.

Fog lights are for use only in inclement weather during which visibility is significantly reduced necessitating driving at low speeds. They are not meant for supplementing headlights on dark roads in clear weather. The last thing I want is to meet an oncoming ****-hole with fog lights on a clear night while driving on my 40 mile, two lane narrow, shoulder-less, winding rural country road route. The U.K. and most European countries have regulations stipulating the conditions under which the use of front and rear fog lights are permitted.

A quality front fog light will have a E-approval code on its lens. E-approved fog lights have similar lighting patterns that are designed to light up the edges of the road when driving at low speeds in bad weather. Most of the OEM fog lights on vehicles manufactured by Toyota that I've looked at over the past few years have an "E2" approval code which represents the French approval agency. If you buy a fog light that doesn't have an E-mark, it is most likely low quality and not compliant.

If the OP really does need supplement light, he should buy and install appropriate driving lights - not fog lights - and wire them into the high beam circuit using a relay powered from the vehicle battery positive terminal.

Surprisingly, eBay has an excellent discussion on the uses of fog and driving lights: http://www.ebay.com/gds/What-s-the-D...7633614/g.html

 

He didn't float the idea in a European forum, so I guess he is good.

 

The whole question is pretty complex ... but usually folks go for their favorite /(favourite) ..
Physiological [night vision] sight is never constant over time.
Mechanical [projection/focus]
Spectrum [legal codes .. which vary]
and my least favorite .. but seems important to lot of people [i concede]
Looks good

Salim

 

It's pretty dark at night, I use them to supplement my headlights-I understand the supplemental use of my OE lights, but it does help. Was just curious if an LED offered any benefits.

I'm more of a function guy than I am a flash guy-

 

BP1203, LED fog lights became standard on the 2015 RX. You can install them on your 2012. The kit will probably run you a few hundred but they are OE. Here's a thread on it. The part numbers are listed in there. I changed the fog lights on mine a few times primarily because I was looking for better lighting. The LED headlights were not the best for distance. The other part was to make them blend better. The Philips Diamond Vision halogen bulbs I had were the best in both categories. I tried LED bulbs but they didn't quite do it for me. The cost was about the same, around $50.

 

Being respectful of other drivers has been appreciated in all the countries I've driven in.

The OP has two choices:
1) misuse fog lights, not achieve desired improvement, irritate/endanger other drivers, or
2) use appropriate products, achieve his goals and not negatively impact other drivers.

The RX certainly isn't the easiest vehicle on which to install traditional aftermarket light units, but LED light bars have come to the rescue.

My first choice for this project would be the Hella mini light bar which comes in both flood (357203001) and spot (357203011) versions. The units are compact and should fit in the lower grill of the RX with perhaps a little modification. (Tools that work well for grill/body modifications are keyhole saw, Dremel, rat-tail and half round files, etc.) I would be tempted to use only the spot version of the Hella light bars to prevent excess foreground light but using one of each type might be interesting. Here is a link to the Hella catalog: http://www.myhellalights.com/pdf/201...UX_Catalog.pdf

The Hella mini light bar is available from a variety of online sources including Tire Rack and Amazon. There is also a Hella wiring harness with relay and switch for the mini light bar being sold on Amazon. Two of the mini light bars and the harness would cost a total of about $100 from Amazon Prime. The purpose of the switch is turn off the light bars when not needed with the high beam headlights.

I would probably fabricate my own wiring harness instead of using the off-the-shelf one from Hella since I've done many similar projects and already have a supply of appropriate wire, relays and even an extra round Hella switch that looks identical to the one in the pre-fab harness. (The round Hella switches are available separately on Amazon.) The trigger wire should run from one of the high beam positive wires into the interior to the on/off switch on the dashboard. (Punching wires through a firewall is usually easy - just find an existing grommet.) If you have a blank switch position on the lower left of your RX dashboard, you should be able to find a compatible two position switch that will fit on eBay or Amazon and use that instead of the Hella switch. Otherwise, I would drill a hole in a lower dashboard panel and round it out with a file or Dremel using the retaining nut that comes with the round Hella switch as a template. When creating a hole for an additional switch, I prefer to do it in a small easily replaceable panel so that it can be replaced inexpensively if desired.

The output wire from the dash mounted switch would be routed to the trigger terminal on the relay. Power to the relay will come from the accessory nut on the battery positive cable clamp in the engine compartment. Wires from the relay's output terminals will be connected to the mini light bars. Ground the mini light bars on a convenient metal structural component.

The procedure I described may sound complicated but it really isn't. Planning the installation is everything.

 

Thanks for the plug!

As for the OP's question: according to our 2012 Lexus RX350 Lighting Guide, the bulb type you are looking for is H11 for the Fog Lights. We have H11 LED Conversion Kits, as well as H11 LED Fog Light CMB Bulbs. The CMBs are designed more as a Cosmetic solution, rather than a Functional upgrade; as they will not be as bright as the existing halogens, but you can get them in 5000K (white) and 6000K (white/blue) for colour-matching.

~Robert