Replacing clear driving light bulb with amber color bulbs?
12-14-18, 11:07 AM
#1
Pit Crew
Thread Starter
Replacing clear driving light bulb with amber color bulbs?
Since our area gets foggy this time of year, I like to replace the current clear driving lights (not the headlights) with the yellow/amber color bulbs on our 2018 RX 350. Local Lexus dealer says there's no such option available from Lexus nor can the bulb be replaced by itself. Have any of you tried replacing the clear bulbs with amber color ones? Lexus dealer says the whole driving light is a complete assembly that doesn't allow replacement of just the bulb itself. Your thoughts please. Thanks.
12-14-18, 01:38 PM
#3
While it looks cool and retro to have the yellow beams it was written up some years ago that it
does not actually improve visibility. The real benefit of the fog lights is the low position on the
front of your car. If your eyes are four (4) feet above the ground and the low beams are three (3)
feet up then you are seeing each fog or rain drop nearly fully illuminated as with a full moon. Since the
fog lights are positioned at two (2) feet off the ground you are only seeing a partially lit object rather
more like a half moon.
Same subject involves the red dash lights that BMW and Pontiac (RIP) used. Theory was that since
submarines used red light to improve night vision then it would obviously help with cars as well...
Largely debunked science but still distinctive dash appearance anyway.
does not actually improve visibility. The real benefit of the fog lights is the low position on the
front of your car. If your eyes are four (4) feet above the ground and the low beams are three (3)
feet up then you are seeing each fog or rain drop nearly fully illuminated as with a full moon. Since the
fog lights are positioned at two (2) feet off the ground you are only seeing a partially lit object rather
more like a half moon.
Same subject involves the red dash lights that BMW and Pontiac (RIP) used. Theory was that since
submarines used red light to improve night vision then it would obviously help with cars as well...
Largely debunked science but still distinctive dash appearance anyway.
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CharmCtyIS (12-14-18)
12-14-18, 02:21 PM
#4
While it looks cool and retro to have the yellow beams it was written up some years ago that it
does not actually improve visibility. The real benefit of the fog lights is the low position on the
front of your car. If your eyes are four (4) feet above the ground and the low beams are three (3)
feet up then you are seeing each fog or rain drop nearly fully illuminated as with a full moon. Since the
fog lights are positioned at two (2) feet off the ground you are only seeing a partially lit object rather
more like a half moon.
does not actually improve visibility. The real benefit of the fog lights is the low position on the
front of your car. If your eyes are four (4) feet above the ground and the low beams are three (3)
feet up then you are seeing each fog or rain drop nearly fully illuminated as with a full moon. Since the
fog lights are positioned at two (2) feet off the ground you are only seeing a partially lit object rather
more like a half moon.
12-14-18, 09:00 PM
#5
Intermediate
Let me apologize for the science explanation that follows for those not interested in scientific fact.
The flawed interpretation of Raleigh’s scattering law (what makes the sky blue during the day, and red during sunset) goes something like we should use longer wavelengths of light to have the least amount of light scattering. The less light scattered by water particles in the air, the greater the penetration of light. In the visible spectrum, red is the longest wavelength. But red is used for brake lights, so yellow was chosen.
However, the Raleigh’s scattering law is only valid if the particle hitting the light is small compared to the wavelength of light. Since visible wavelengths of lights are in the (violet) 380 nm - (red) 750 nm, the particles must be much smaller. Water droplets are huge compared to 750 nm, so this law does not apply.
Moreover, the old fog lights used a light filter to produce the yellow light. The light filter does not pass all the light, so it produces a dimmer beam. People compared the same light with and without the filter. Since the white lights were brighter, they saw more light reflected by water, concluding yellow was better not realizing it was just dimmer.
For these reasons, fog lights today are white. If you really want yellow lights, place a yellow filter on the lens. Otherwise, you would have to replace the white LED with a yellow LED. LED lights are one assembly with the LEDs soldered to a thick thermal mass and thermally pasted to a heat sink. Thus, the LEDs are not easily swapped out.
In in terms of our atmosphere, the molecules in the air scatter blue light while letting the other colors pass through. Thus, we see the sky blue due to all the blue light being scattered around the sky during most of the daytime. At sunset or sunrise, the sunlight travels a longer distance with blue and other colors around blue being scattered, but the red light passes making the sun look reddish.
The flawed interpretation of Raleigh’s scattering law (what makes the sky blue during the day, and red during sunset) goes something like we should use longer wavelengths of light to have the least amount of light scattering. The less light scattered by water particles in the air, the greater the penetration of light. In the visible spectrum, red is the longest wavelength. But red is used for brake lights, so yellow was chosen.
However, the Raleigh’s scattering law is only valid if the particle hitting the light is small compared to the wavelength of light. Since visible wavelengths of lights are in the (violet) 380 nm - (red) 750 nm, the particles must be much smaller. Water droplets are huge compared to 750 nm, so this law does not apply.
Moreover, the old fog lights used a light filter to produce the yellow light. The light filter does not pass all the light, so it produces a dimmer beam. People compared the same light with and without the filter. Since the white lights were brighter, they saw more light reflected by water, concluding yellow was better not realizing it was just dimmer.
For these reasons, fog lights today are white. If you really want yellow lights, place a yellow filter on the lens. Otherwise, you would have to replace the white LED with a yellow LED. LED lights are one assembly with the LEDs soldered to a thick thermal mass and thermally pasted to a heat sink. Thus, the LEDs are not easily swapped out.
In in terms of our atmosphere, the molecules in the air scatter blue light while letting the other colors pass through. Thus, we see the sky blue due to all the blue light being scattered around the sky during most of the daytime. At sunset or sunrise, the sunlight travels a longer distance with blue and other colors around blue being scattered, but the red light passes making the sun look reddish.
Last edited by lexnewbi; 12-14-18 at 09:14 PM.
01-04-22, 12:14 PM
#6
Driver School Candidate
2017 RX 350 Fog Light Bulb Replacement
I would like to replacement the factory fog light bulb with a yellow bulb. Has anyone done this swap on an earlier Gen 4? I know the original bulb has a Lexus/Toyota part number but is it equivalent to a H7, H8 or some ther standard? Thanks!
01-04-22, 02:01 PM
#7
You may reduce that turning function lighting if you do. Originally orange/yellow light s wer good to reduce glare in heavy fog.
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01-04-22, 03:56 PM
#8
Racer
WHY? They are not real fog-lights, they only call them so just to squeeze a few more $$$ out of you and in some models they are connected with the steering wheel (they light up in the turn direction)
You may reduce that turning function lighting if you do. Originally orange/yellow lights were good to reduce glare in heavy fog.
You may reduce that turning function lighting if you do. Originally orange/yellow lights were good to reduce glare in heavy fog.
01-05-22, 06:05 AM
#9
WHY? They are not real fog-lights, they only call them so just to squeeze a few more $$$ out of you and in some models they are connected with the steering wheel (they light up in the turn direction)
You may reduce that turning function lighting if you do. Originally orange/yellow light s wer good to reduce glare in heavy fog.
You may reduce that turning function lighting if you do. Originally orange/yellow light s wer good to reduce glare in heavy fog.
01-05-22, 07:23 AM
#10
Intermediate
Yes, the cornering lights light up at low speeds in two conditions:
The fog lights only turn on when the low beams are on. When the high beams are on, federal law requires them to be off.
As far as fog lights, the white light is brighter since larger spectrum of light is produced (more light), as previously explained. The main advantage of fog lights is that the farther offset from your eyesight, you experience less partial reflection from the huge water droplets. In my experience on my RX450h, the fog lights are great for illuminating the road just in front of the car and a little to the sides. But, not so great as reducing water droplet reflections since they require the low beams to be on and are not that far offset from your eyesight plane. I normally leave them on all the time since it illuminates the street better, but foglights do not improve visibility in fog.
- When the front wheels are turned
- When backing up
The fog lights only turn on when the low beams are on. When the high beams are on, federal law requires them to be off.
As far as fog lights, the white light is brighter since larger spectrum of light is produced (more light), as previously explained. The main advantage of fog lights is that the farther offset from your eyesight, you experience less partial reflection from the huge water droplets. In my experience on my RX450h, the fog lights are great for illuminating the road just in front of the car and a little to the sides. But, not so great as reducing water droplet reflections since they require the low beams to be on and are not that far offset from your eyesight plane. I normally leave them on all the time since it illuminates the street better, but foglights do not improve visibility in fog.
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