Fog light Question ??

[coobie]

I installed PIAA (9007) Extreme whites,replacing my stock bulbs. Has anyone installed silverstars for your foglight bulbs?Are you happy with them. Is 9006 the bulb number for the fog lights??Thanks for any info. coobie

 

[FPoitra]

I replaced my foglights with the silverstars last weekend. I am satisfied. I also changed my headlights to silverstars as well. Not much brigther, but noticeably whiter. 9006 is the #. Worth the $.

 

[WoodChuck]

PIAA makes the bulbs for both the headlights and the fog lights.

They are numbers 9007 and 9006 respectively.



The benefit of the PIAA's over the Silverstars is that they use "Xtra technology" that gives you increased output without increased heat and for the same wattage. For instance the 9006 is a 51w bulb that performs like a 100w bulb and the 9007 is 65/55w but performs like a 110/100w bulb.



I prefer the PIAA's Platinum Super White over the Xtreme white because the Xtreme white just puts more blue tinting on the bulb to change the color temperature of the light which I feel can only reduce the true light output.



The bulbs work noticeably better than stock but I'm still unhappy with the High beams on my 04.



Has anyone figured out how to rig the lights so the fogs can stay on with the high beam. I don't have the factory manual yet to study and trace the wiring schematic so I'm hoping maybe someone else has figured this out.



This would not be a DOT approved modification but I don't care.

 

[R.M.THOMPSON]

Switch the lo and hi beam wiring at the headlamp assembly or before,maybe they have common feeds from the power dist center. The only problem is the reverse logic on the "BRIGHT" blue indicator on the dash. When I figure that out or accept that it will be on when low beams are on , I am going for it... . Its a simple 15 minute mod !

Mark T.

 

[bighammer]

Originally posted by R. M. THOMPSON

Switch the lo and hi beam wiring at the headlamp assembly or before,maybe they have common feeds from the power dist center. The only problem is the reverse logic on the "BRIGHT" blue indicator on the dash. When I figure that out or accept that it will be on when low beams are on , I am going for it... . Its a simple 15 minute mod !

Mark T.

Then the fogs would ONLY be on w/high beams, right?



I'm working on a solution that will allow fogs to be on any time and when the high beams are on, the low beams stay on too.

 

[Pugster]

Replaced headlights & fog lights with Silverstars. High beams still not satisfactory. Not worth the extra $.

 

[VStahl]

foglights on both high and low

To get my foglights to work for both high and low I rigged up a relay that was tripped by the running lights on the truck instead of the headlights. The actual power for the foglights go through the relay and directly from the battery. The foglights now come on anytime the running lights (clearance lights) are turned on the truck and I can alternate between the high and low beam without the foglights switching on or off at all. I do have a switch under the dash so that I can kill the foglights if I wanted to but I have yet to use it, I just leave them on.

 

[tbrudder]

I'd be wary of using any of the Silverstar bulbs. IIRC, the filaments are overdriven (hence, they burn up fast) and given a blue tint (to cash in on the HID thing). Might want to take a look here for a bit more info.



Basically, any bulb with a tint, especially blue, is robbing light output. The only reason they look brighter is because the eye doesn't react as well to blue light, hence the glare people complain about from HIDs. HIDs aren't better because of the color temperature--the color is an effect of how they work. Some would argue they're not better, period, at least for the price.



Look at some of the other articles on the Daniel Stern Lighting site--there's some good stuff there, and recommendations on better bulbs than the SilverStars. There's just way too much hype about headlight bulbs these days. I don't think the PIAAs are any better (or worse) than Silverstars, but both are overpriced. Almost all those bulbs are marketing hype. The 'performs as well as xxx watt bulb' stuff, especially. You can't get 100W out of a 55W bulb--it's impossible. If they said the light output of their 55W bulb is greater than that of a standard 100W bulb it would be possible, but I still don't believe them. If the bulbs were rated in lumens (as they should be, IMHO), it would be a lot easier to determine whose is really brighter. The only thing the wattage tells you is how much energy the bulb dissipates--whether it's in the form of visible light or heat is not stated. Your toaster, for example, uses far more watts than any headlight, but produces little visible light--it all goes to heat.



As far as the foglights go, I believe that's an 894 bulb (just noticed this is in the 3rd gen forum--may be different for you guys). The 894 bulb is a joke, and I imagine the reflector assembly (at least the 2nd gen) is as well--they put them on because everyone wants fog lights.



If you want it for looks, put whatever bulbs you like in there. If you want/need light, go with the best white (meaning clear glass, not 'hyper-white' or 'HID-like' or 'color temperature closer to the Sun's' marketing hype) bulb you can. If you want real fog/driving lights, I'm afraid you'll have to replace the OEM lenses with aftermarket (Hella, PIAA, many others) ones that are made for the job and hold a real bulb, and not the OEM 'there-because-it-looks-cool' ones.



If it sounds like I'm being critical, I should probably note my '99 still has all the stock lighting on the front, because I live in urban-sprawl-hell now, and I don't really need them. Otherwise, I'd have some cheap housings with a couple 250W aircraft landing lights in the bumper



But really, readMr.Stern's technical articles--he puts it much better than I could.



--Ty

 

[JeffreyHahn]

I have a 79 Mercedes 300D. The headlights and fogs in US configuration are terrible. Using the advice and products I received from Daniel Stern I reconfigured and the difference is night and (not to make a pun) day. The man knows his business. I currently have a question in to him on a '04. 5 sport. I will post when I have an answer.

 

[JeffreyHahn]

Have a reply, here it is:



ordered a 2004. 5 Dodge 3500. What bulbs would you recommend?



Doesn't really matter; nothing will change those bad headlamps into good

ones.



> Sport package so fogs are included.



The fogs are about as worthless, in their own way, as the headlamps.





Got $1100 or so in the budget to fix the lights on the new truck?

 

[lschultz]

I think they could take some hints from Volkswagen. The lights on my NB light up the road very good course the low beams stay on when you switch to high. I know the wifes Honda does this too. And the NB uses a H1 bulb very small compared to Dodge but I think they have the reflector designed right on the NB.

 

[JeffreyHahn]

Here is the final reply from Daniel Stern:



It's a shame Dodge doesn't provide a "heavy duty" type headlamp assembly

for this truck, that uses a 7" round sealed beam unit. 7" round sealed

beams are standard-fit and are easily replaced with better lights. Perhaps

someday someone will produce such a bracket. In the meantime, Illusion

Lighting (http://www.illusion-lighting.com/ ) or HIDTech (www.hidtech.com)

can retrofit BiXenon projectors to just about anything.



DS

 

[SNOWMAN-47]

Well I just installed my Silverstars. First off that is kinda a pain in the arse to say the least but I'm happy with the result. They are alot brighter imho.

 

[cannongeorge]

Heat build-up & rockshields

Interesting thread.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience with the adhesive, transparent plastic films that some places will install not only over the edge of the hood (as an alternate, transparent bra protector) but also as a headlight lens protector. Will the extra heat or actual wavelength generated by high performance bulbs cause any damage to these films? The films are suppossedly UV resistant.....