driving light upgrade

[kthaxton]

Just to help folks understand, here's a google image search for "fog light pattern".

https://www.google.com/search?q=fog...9NvKAhXsmoMKHZlPA9AQ_AUIBygB&biw=1371&bih=622

Look at the various picture and diagrams and note how a fog light pattern is on the garage door in some of those pictures.

As said, fog's pattern is low, wide and short, it is like a thin sliver of light. It is not low to keep it out of oncoming traffic's eyes, it is low because that is how fogs work....they minimize the reflection back up to the driver...the lower the better. Putting brighter bulbs in a fog light will only make a minute difference within the beam's set pattern....and likely make them work less effectively as a fog light, as they will reflect more light back at the driver.

 

[SnoKing]

Seems like people feel compelled to do "things" do these new near perfect trucks. I did not like my low beams head lights due to the horizontal cut off. Turning to fog lights on all the time resolved this. Drive on!

Tinting of the drivers and passengers door windows was import to us, as DW eyes are sensitive to bright sun light. Change other things? Maybe a front park view camera and LockPick. Again drive on!



SNOKING

 

[Powder Extreme]

I put the PIAA 9005 Extreme White Plus bulbs in my fog lights. Huge difference over stock bulbs. That's the same used in brights. Good ditch and distance coverage. Spectrum stays low so as not to bother other oncoming traffic or rear view of those in front. Made a huge difference when coupled with the crappy projector lights.

The EcoDiesel uses 9006 bulbs. Again, big difference. They all have the coating over the tip of the bulb and a lower wattage than 9005 bulb.

 

[seafish]

You CAN'T replace the fogs in the painted bumper of an EcoDiesel, at least not without some custom fabrication, nobody makes brackets for it. Obviously I know about replacing them in the chrome bumper of the Cummins as I stated I ordered a set and Rigid LEDs to go with them.

I disagree with your assessment of the factory fog lights, on the EcoDiesel they barely light up one car length in front of me. That doesn't do much good in any situation. The fogs on the painted bumper of a 1/2 ton are COMPLETELY different than the fogs you are thinking of.

I was not trying to say you are wrong about the poor lighting on your eco diesel, only saying that it is unreasonable to expect that putting a brighter bulb in a fog light will give you a better driving light…as you just found out, it will ONLY give you a better fog light.

 

[BarryG]

Daniel Sterns website has a ton of info on automotive lighting. The link below is some of his info on fog lights

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html

I would also click on the "study" link and read that as well

Another section about bulbs
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/superwhite/superwhite.html

I would suggest reading through his entire website. I know many would/will disagree with some or even a lot of his statements but interesting food for thought nonetheless

Don't get me wrong cant have enough light as far as I am concerned other drivers be danged (just kidding actually nothing irritates me more than high glare lights from oncoming traffic). I personally have found fog lights do little in fog, snow or rain. I use them even in good weather for the peripheral light like I suspect many do.

 

[kthaxton]

I personally have found fog lights do little in fog, snow or rain. I use them even in good weather for the peripheral light like I suspect many do.

However,.....they are far better than any other type of light in snow/fog. When its really bad, it is best to turn off the headlights and turn on the fogs. I was really surprised, and pleased to find that Ram allows us to do that. Most factory fog light will only come on when the headlights are on.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

However,.....they are far better than any other type of light in snow/fog. When its really bad, it is best to turn off the headlights and turn on the fogs. I was really surprised, and pleased to find that Ram allows us to do that. Most factory fog light will only come on when the headlights are on.

I'll have to see if my truck will do that. I wonder if that's legal here in Ca?? We don't get fog at our elevation, but 14 miles down the road and BAM! Down on the valley floor to the west of me is known for it's multi car piles up on the interstate because of Tule Fog. If the fog is bad, we typically don't go down there if we can avoid it.

 

[Dogpatch]

I was not trying to say you are wrong about the poor lighting on your eco diesel, only saying that it is unreasonable to expect that putting a brighter bulb in a fog light will give you a better driving light…as you just found out, it will ONLY give you a better fog light.

I disagree! The spectrum (area) of light filled in by the brighter bulb fog light, in conjunction with the projectors makes for a better driving experience in the dark regardless of fog. If they are too bright for the rare occurrence I encounter fog, I'll slow down or turn them off. The asset as an add-on to the projectors is most important and used more.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I tried the fog/driving lights tonight separate from the main headlights on my 16, and they do work independent of each other.

 

[seafish]

I disagree! The spectrum (area) of light filled in by the brighter bulb fog light, in conjunction with the projectors makes for a better driving experience in the dark regardless of fog. If they are too bright for the rare occurrence I encounter fog, I'll slow down or turn them off. The asset as an add-on to the projectors is most important and used more.

I am sorry, but you have misunderstood my statement…I did not say or even mean to imply, that using brighter bulbs in the fog lights will not make for a better driving "experience". I simply said that they will not make a better "driving light" and that remains a fact… as others have mentioned here, a "driving light" is one that intentioanlly is designed to project light much farther down the road then a fog light…that it WHY they are called by differnt names..they do in facct have different uses,all personal preferences aside. That being said, certainly I do agree with you or anybody that brighter bulbs in ANY position offer a "better driving experience". Hell, even brighter bulbs in the tailights, will make for a "better driving experience" because they make it less likely that anyone will rear end you while you are driving, but they certainly don't make a better "driving light".

 

[seafish]

I tried the fog/driving lights tonight separate from the main headlights on my 16, and they do work independent of each other.

That is interesting!!!! and unless they in fact changed the law in CAlifornia, I am not sure that it is legal to use them that way here…I could probably find the applicable CVC if I wanted to…LOL.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

^^ I don't think it's legal either. The amber parking lights work also in conjunction with the fog/driving lights. If I get a chance to try them on a foggy day, I'll try shutting the headlights down and see if it truly makes any improvement.

 

[kthaxton]

It certainly makes a difference in snow.....I don't have a lot of fog driving experience....but it seems like it also helped the couple times I've tried.

With that said, nobody should be expecting to see very far ahead in either scenario, you likely won't see a deer or anything else in the road in heavy snow/fog until it is too late. It just make it so you can actually see some of the road in front of you and you lose the disorientation feeling of millions of lit up snowflakes flying at you. Basically, it makes a really, really crappy driving situation, slightly less crappy.

 

[mrbb]

drove 80+ miles in very thick fog last night, warm air, from snowy ground, making HEAVY fog, at times less than 50 ft advisability or less
trying to JUST drive with FOG/Bumper lights alone SUCKED
unless I wanted to just drive at 10 mph
using both low beams and fog/bumper lights, wasn't a ton better, being SIDE BY side with truckers with YELLOW fog lights, I could see twice as far in there beans than I could in mine if you follow

I get a TON of fog here, live at top of a PA mountain, and many many times I cannot see 25 ft here, its like being in a thick cloud
I drive in a LOT of fog, and for yrs I ran separate FOG lights(mounted below the bumper) and then BUMPER mounted driving lights like our FOG lamps NOW are
as I would for sure use driving lights a LOT more than TRUE FOG lights, and having a better DRIVING light adds a LOT more safety to night time driving IMO< being able to see crap on the hwy farther ahead, cannot tell you HOW many Bungee cords and like times I have been able to miss due to having BETTER than OEM lighting on my trucks, and countless deer and other critters as well
having a 2006 for 10 yr and switching to a 2016, my old 06 had better lights, could see way better with the fog/driving lights in bumper and then LOW beams combo, than these in my 2016
the HI beams in the 16 are better I will say that

but based on how far lighting has come in the past 10 yrs since my 06 was NEW, I think Dodge is behind here in what they COULD offer us
after all these are NOT cheap vehicles in any trim level!
and many CHEAP cars have better lighting than we have

I would personally LIKE to find a complete DROP in DRIVING light to replace my OEM Fog lights
and not the double LED's or such I have seen folks use
I am sure they are bright set ups and good, I just want to try and keep the oem look if possible

 

[kthaxton]

I think your caps lock is sticking....intermittently.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

Basically, it makes a really, really crappy driving situation, slightly less crappy.

What a great description

 

[Powder Extreme]

I live in Montana, I've driven in many, many snowstorms... I've NEVER been in one where all you run are fog lights. In actual fog, absolutely the amber ones work better.

 

[kthaxton]

I likve in Montana, I've driven in many, many snowstorms... I've NEVER been in one where all you run are fog lights. In actual fog, absolutely the amber ones work better.

Thats strange, have you tried it? I lived in the mountains of Utah for 19 years (about 7600 ft.) only moving to town last year....yet still in a mountainous area (live in Heber, commute to Park City (yes, the ski town)), I can't count the amount of times I've turned the headlights off. In those situations all they did was light up the snowflakes making it impossible to see anything else. Its like being in the Millennium Falcon and going into hyperspace.

 

[toledoupsguy]

Our older tractors could be driven with the parking and fog lights on and it worked great in torrential downpours, blizzard like snow and pea soup thick fog. Our newer tractors have to have the headlights on and I think that is a step backwards.

 

[Powder Extreme]

Yup, I've tried it. I know what you mean about the Millennium Falcon effect, however there is still more light out on the road. Some fog lights just don't reach out more than a car length ahead and that just isn't enough. I'll post a comparison between my 1500 with Philips X-Tremes (which are noticeably brighter than stock) and the 3500 with stock lights, fogs only. You will see the 1500 fogs really are pretty useless.