Fog light Shield removal ??
- Thread starter Twigger
- Start date
I'm sure it's purpose is more just to prevent the light from shining upward... unless it's inserted incorrectly. If you want more light rewire the fogs to pull directly from the alternator or the battery using a relay and buy some better bulbs. How do the lenses look? If they're frosted from road debris that'll kill their output as well.
EDIT: What year foglight is that from anyway? My pre89's have a big plate riveted inside the housing.
EDIT: What year foglight is that from anyway? My pre89's have a big plate riveted inside the housing.
Perhaps get it chromed so it'll throw the light back into the main reflector... Your best bet really is doing a rewire and getting quality bulbs (and I'm not talking about those cheap 100W bulbs either, even if you get the good ones you risk damaging things due to the additional heat).
This is a common upgrade on 90-96 300zx's I have done to my last Z made a big improvement with the fogs. Never tried it on a supra though.
Twigger - DO NOT REMOVE THAT SHIELD!
You will piss off other drivers and endanger yourself. You will also attract some unwanted attention from the red and blue flashing lights and likely have to pay a fine - AND repair your fog lights (you'd have to replace them at a cost of $100+ per side).
Fog lights are designed to be low and close to the car. So if you are trying to make them do anything different you should just invest in a set of DRIVING LIGHTS! Please know however that driving lights should only be used in conjunction with your HIGH BEAMS! and not used in traffic of any kind.
A better place to spend your money would be a nice set of Hella H4 headlight lenses and a good set of PIAA bulbs (you can even go with a slightly more powerful bulb). Then drop a nice set of PIAA H3 bulbs in the fog light lenses and call it a day.
You will piss off other drivers and endanger yourself. You will also attract some unwanted attention from the red and blue flashing lights and likely have to pay a fine - AND repair your fog lights (you'd have to replace them at a cost of $100+ per side).
Fog lights are designed to be low and close to the car. So if you are trying to make them do anything different you should just invest in a set of DRIVING LIGHTS! Please know however that driving lights should only be used in conjunction with your HIGH BEAMS! and not used in traffic of any kind.
A better place to spend your money would be a nice set of Hella H4 headlight lenses and a good set of PIAA bulbs (you can even go with a slightly more powerful bulb). Then drop a nice set of PIAA H3 bulbs in the fog light lenses and call it a day.
so much crap in this thread, WTF????
Driving lights CAN BE ON with your normal lights! Ever seen a new GT mustang? Or maybe a truck that has them too?
Removing that shield won't do as much as you think, I have mine removed because I was having issues with my head lights not wanting to stay on, so sometimes I would have to drive with ONLY the fog lamps. It does have some glare, but not as bad as you'd think (only about as bad as normal headlights)
I will more than likely be either replacing the fog lamps (they're chipped to hell from road crap, and the chroming is pitted inside), or makeing a new blinder for them as I'm going with HID fog lamps. Also, E-code Hella headlight housings are worth every damn PENNY. I highly recommend them...
Driving lights CAN BE ON with your normal lights! Ever seen a new GT mustang? Or maybe a truck that has them too?
Removing that shield won't do as much as you think, I have mine removed because I was having issues with my head lights not wanting to stay on, so sometimes I would have to drive with ONLY the fog lamps. It does have some glare, but not as bad as you'd think (only about as bad as normal headlights)
I will more than likely be either replacing the fog lamps (they're chipped to hell from road crap, and the chroming is pitted inside), or makeing a new blinder for them as I'm going with HID fog lamps. Also, E-code Hella headlight housings are worth every damn PENNY. I highly recommend them...
This is on my 92. Yep still with the MKIII crowd didn’t find what I was looking for and I was able to tap into some reserves and pay off all my bills. I am just mad I wasn’t able to make the Centralia meet! Still really enjoying your wheels Keith!!
Well here is what I am thinking, I drive a few miles on country roads every day so I was trying to find a easy way to increase my light coverage. It seems to me that the baffle serves no purpose other than to classify the lights as fog lights. I have driven in fog so thick that I had to go 15mph in a 50 and as far as I saw the low headlight beams are better than the fog lights for that sort of driving anyway, so I am not worried about loosing that aspect of them. Some one told me that the baffles are there to prevent the lens from melting, but that does not seem like an issue since others have already done this.
I was looking into the Silverstar H3s, which I can get for a decent price, has anyone tried these? Any other bulbs out there? The other 100 watt bulbs just seem like a bad idea without a different enclosure.
Well here is what I am thinking, I drive a few miles on country roads every day so I was trying to find a easy way to increase my light coverage. It seems to me that the baffle serves no purpose other than to classify the lights as fog lights. I have driven in fog so thick that I had to go 15mph in a 50 and as far as I saw the low headlight beams are better than the fog lights for that sort of driving anyway, so I am not worried about loosing that aspect of them. Some one told me that the baffles are there to prevent the lens from melting, but that does not seem like an issue since others have already done this.
I was looking into the Silverstar H3s, which I can get for a decent price, has anyone tried these? Any other bulbs out there? The other 100 watt bulbs just seem like a bad idea without a different enclosure.
Poodles - there's a difference between "Driving Lights", "Daytime Running Lights", "Headlights", and "Fog Lights". Those "lights" on the front of the GT Mustang are "Fog Lights".
no they're not, they're on the same line as the headlights
fog lamps are low, and are angled in such a way as to not blind you...
The baffle is really a "blinder" and is not there to stop the housing from melting. It MAY melt from 100watt bulbs though...
Get the Hella E-code housings, instead of two hot spots you'll have a WIDE beam with a sharp cutoff with a slight flare to the right of the road to show signs. Even with cheap H4 bulbs (well, I get a good discount, but they where like $3 a piece and good quality), I have FAR better light than my dad's 96 camry...
fog lamps are low, and are angled in such a way as to not blind you...
The baffle is really a "blinder" and is not there to stop the housing from melting. It MAY melt from 100watt bulbs though...
Get the Hella E-code housings, instead of two hot spots you'll have a WIDE beam with a sharp cutoff with a slight flare to the right of the road to show signs. Even with cheap H4 bulbs (well, I get a good discount, but they where like $3 a piece and good quality), I have FAR better light than my dad's 96 camry...
WOW! You want to head on over to Ford and tell them they are wrong? They call them Fog Lights on the website - and in the manual (yes, I have a friend with a Rustang GT).
How about the MkIV Supras that have those silly lights at the same level as the headlights - yes, those are fog lights too.
Fog Lights do not have to be lower than the headlights.
How about the MkIV Supras that have those silly lights at the same level as the headlights - yes, those are fog lights too.
Fog Lights do not have to be lower than the headlights.
my local DOT...
the mustang's lights are classified as either headlights or driving lights because of their height, the same reason our fog lamps can't be classified as headlights (I tried)
guess we'll agree to disagree here...
the housing COULD possibly melt as it's plastic fused to glass, though it would probbaly take 100watt bulbs to do that and it wouldn't supply that much light...
the best thing you can do is take the fog lamps and either steam clean em or get a nice soft brush and clean the inside of them really well. Mine had quite a bit of crap in them and they're much brighter now...
the mustang's lights are classified as either headlights or driving lights because of their height, the same reason our fog lamps can't be classified as headlights (I tried)
guess we'll agree to disagree here...
the housing COULD possibly melt as it's plastic fused to glass, though it would probbaly take 100watt bulbs to do that and it wouldn't supply that much light...
the best thing you can do is take the fog lamps and either steam clean em or get a nice soft brush and clean the inside of them really well. Mine had quite a bit of crap in them and they're much brighter now...
The true definition of a fog light has more to do with the beam pattern than the height.
You also have to watch out for melting the actual wires with a higher wattage bulb.
You also have to watch out for melting the actual wires with a higher wattage bulb.
Yup, wires are the primary concern... but it's not just the heat the bulb generates (not implying you didn't know this Kevin 
). Think of all the additional current you're trying to pull through aged wiring that was almost too small to begin with.
The light pattern and height are both specified by the US DOT (local governments may add to those regulations). They both effect the serviceability of the lights per their designed purpose.
). Think of all the additional current you're trying to pull through aged wiring that was almost too small to begin with.The light pattern and height are both specified by the US DOT (local governments may add to those regulations). They both effect the serviceability of the lights per their designed purpose.
I removed the baffle and it certainly allows more light out but it is still aimed low towards the ground. I just put in the Silverstar H3s which are brighter than the stock bulbs but they are still rated at 55 watts. I would think it is safe to say that these are as bright as the stock low beams. For best results I need to figure out a way to aim the fog lights up slightly so that they better compliment the head lights. I will see if I can get some pictures of comparison when I do them on a friends car. Although this may not be legal it is certainly the most effective way of increasing light coverage at low cost.
How are you judging that they are "still aimed low towards the ground"?
Removing the shield will not change that in any way. It will allow light to be shone upwards - in other drivers eyes.
Park in front of a wall with just your foglights on. In factory form your light hitting the wall should have a nice cutoff.
I can't wait for your "I HATE COPS" thread when you get a ticket for this.
Removing the shield will not change that in any way. It will allow light to be shone upwards - in other drivers eyes.
Park in front of a wall with just your foglights on. In factory form your light hitting the wall should have a nice cutoff.
I can't wait for your "I HATE COPS" thread when you get a ticket for this.
Well I am judging that because I lined them up against a surface and compared them after I took out the baffle. I have checked them over from the outside multiple times to see how they aim. If you ever took a close look at the fog light lense, which I am sure you havnt Keith, then you would have realized that they are concave. Meaning it focuses the beam and prevents it really from aiming up unless the whole fog light unit is aimed up. Which I can tell you, you will have to tilt it quite a bit to get it to aim at oncoming drivers. Actually I respect most of the cops around these parts and if they have a problem with them then I will only use them on the backroads where I do most of my night driving. If you you even put a slightly brighter headlight bulb in then you are going to cause more trouble for oncoming drivers than doing these foglight modifications. Here is a drawing so you can understand what I am saying.
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