Replaced my OEM foglights with 3000k HIDs
 

Well I've been thinking about replacing my oem foglights which are a dissappointment really. To be honest, the 25W bulb is useless, you can't even tell if they are on or not. I've read here that the HID would melt the housing because of the heat, and some say HID is not that hot. There's only one way to find out, and I'll take one for the team to find out. So here goes.

Took the housing out by taking the clips out in the front fenderwells. You can access the foglight housing by pushing the fenderliner out of the way. It's pretty easy to take out with 4 screws. Sorry wasn't able to take pics of these, but you guys can wing it.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2519.jpg

I then took out the bulb from the housing by pressing on the tabs on top and below. Pretty straightforward. As you can see, the bulb is nothing but a glorified corner lamp.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2517.jpg

Here's the HID set I used. I opted to get the slim ballast. More on that later.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2520.jpg

Here's pic of the replacement HID bulb. It's a lot longer than the stock one. It's not a drop in replacement, but the H1 bulb would fit the diameter of the stock hole.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2521.jpg
Here's the bulb seated on the stock mounting point.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2523.jpg

Since the bulb won't lock in, I just used some heavy duty sealant to keep it in place. The bulb is pretty much tight, but to make sure no moisture would get in, I used the sealant.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2525.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2526.jpg

Here's the slim ballast I used. I positioned it below the windshield washer and radiator on the other side.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2529.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2530.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2531.jpg

Connected everything and bolted everything up. Tested the bulbs. I used 3000k bulbs to keep that JDM look and all-weather usage.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2532.jpg

Here's a nightshot with just the 3000k fogs on.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2534.jpg

Here's a shot of the 4300k headlamps with the fogs.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2533.jpg

Here's a front shot.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2538.jpg
A little bit to the side shot.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2537.jpg

Big improvement from stock as the output is far stronger than the stock fogs. Sadly, the HID makes a lot of heat and I noticed that there's a slight deformation in the middle of the plastic lens. It's barely noticeable, and using it for a few days now, it has not worsened. I'll update you guys if there's more deformation or if I straight melt my lens covers.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2532.jpg

let's hope you don't blind oncoming traffic (:

No angry oncoming drivers yet! =)

Let's hope you're not a jerk who drives around with them on when it's not foggy.

You are already melting the plastic... do you think this is a smart idea?

That sealing job screams ghetto and that beam doesnt look to great.

1-defeats purpose of fog lamps
2-how will you replace bulbs

fail..

I hope you know you are blinding on coming traffic...theres a reason why manufacturers don't use HID's in fogs. If you want a better output for your fog lights, my honest advice would be to replace those HID's with LED's. They're bright but not nearly as blinding.

LED's will not work; they look brighter than stock, but they do not have enough light output for the job.

looks like the 86 shares the same foglights of the BRZ. therefore you can upgrade them to the subaru outback's foglight that uses H11 bulbs

http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/...gt86/Backs.jpg

pare let me know if you want a set and ill try to find one at the junkyards here

PM me

That is why I specifically stated that I would take one for the team and try it out. No sense in arguing about it if it would work or not. To me, I'd rather try than just sit around thinking about it. Could have done it better, but the stock housing does not have a direct replacement. Anyway, I'm glad to say that the stock lens has not melted in any way.

Thanks pare! I'll let you know. Looks like the plastic lens is holding steady now. My front bumper has not gone up in flames yet haha! Waiting for the price of your JDM headlights as they don't have stock of them yet here.

What is the purpose of the stock ones if they don't do anything?

The sealant is easy to take off if I want to replace the bulbs.

I have yet to see fog lights on a stock vehicle that are bright. They arent meant to light up the road that far away, they are pretty much there as a cosmetic option. And yes, these will blind incoming traffic. Did you take a pic of the light pattern against a wall ?

This is a car fire waiting to happen. HIDs do not belong in halogen housings, ESPECIALLY fog light housings for that matter.

There's a reason that cars do not come with HID fog light systems from the factory.

Our roads over here are not as well lighted like what you guys have over there. So we need all the help we can get. Have you seen the stockers? They are pretty much useless. :thumbup:

I will take a pic of the beam against a wall.

Thanks for the concern. I have already ordered the outback glass foglight housing. :party0030:

Update: Installed the outback foglight housing
 

I ordered subaru outback foglight housings which takes H11 bulbs. These housings will take more heat compared to the stock flimsy ones. The lenses on these housings are beefier and I don't really know why they made the stock ones while the subaru ones pretty much bolt on. Weight savings perhaps. The housings arrived the other day and I got around to installing the H11 fogs into it.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...USv8O60_57.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2600.jpg

The housings need a little modification to bolt on. You need to trim these little hangers so it will clear the metal mount we have on the 86.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...IMG_2600-1.jpg

Everything pretty much bolts on, took me around 10 mins to bolt everything up. Since I put the H11 HID bulb in the stock housing, the light output was not as focused because the housing was not designed for an H11 bulb. With the outback ones, which are designed for the H11 bulb the output is really good and focused. Here are some light output pics:

Ground cutoff:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2603.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2606.jpg
Stock Housing with HID: (for comparison)
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2534.jpg
Light Output Fogs only:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2604.jpg
Headlight Only:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2610.jpg
Headlight and Fogs:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...o/IMG_2608.jpg
Output against a wall:
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...G_2613copy.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...G_2611copy.jpg
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...G_2612copy.jpg

Thanks in advance for the glare. Maybe some rocks will be in your foglights future.

If you have to use sealant on a brand new car you know you're doing it wrong.

Just had to try bro. Had the housings on order and wanted to see if the stock ones could hack it. :thumbup:

You should try driving here in the philippines bro. You would know why we do these mods. Not all road conditions are as well lighted as yours. I would never wish rocks on anybodys foglights, but you have your own opinions right?

im sure he wont last a mile driving in manila!! hahaha

Haha. Well some people really are too callous to care bro. But yeah, I would like to see him drive around here at night! Hehe. Where's my armrest?:D

im coming! :thumbup: cant wait to see that original TRD 86

Nice! See you soon bro!

I've got some 3000K HIDs in my stock housings and they're fine! Although they look bright, they are not enough to cause major blinding towards oncoming traffic.

Been trying to get the Outback composite/glass housing for mine too but the housings themselves are about $100 a piece... Yikes... Might have to wait and see how the stock ones hold up.

Love your 86 btw! :thumbsup:

Cheers! :happy0180:

half the drivers in this forum would be able to drive in pinas bro ahah! including myself.:lol:

Exactly. Never had any oncoming traffic flash me yet. IMO, the fogs are too low to cause glare on oncoming traffic. $100?! Thats too much. Found mine on ebay for under $70.
:thanks:

I'm sure. But someone complaining about glare would not.

I had aftermarket Hellas way back on my new '85 Golf GTI. Yellow.

The ideal fog light disperses light really low to the ground and wide. This way in foggy conditions you can safely navigate the road while minimizing glare/reflection from the fog. It allows you to anticipate the terrain in fairly close range.

I dont see that effect with the glaring "spotlights" you seem to have with the HID bulbs. Perhaps the Subaru reflector/H11 is better.

Otherwise, if things are that bad on night roads you need bush lighting like a rally car. The things are spotlights, not meant for regular use and oncoming traffic.

MOA parking area?. Good looking car pare. :party0030:

Thanks. That's SM Masinag's parking lot.

Hah, so the foglights actually output light above the factory lights.. yeeeah..

Anyway, if your roads really are as bad as you say and you need more light, you don't want fog lights. They aim low and wide, and you can see this in the patterns where there's some glare up high but not a whole lot of output. You want some driving lights that have beams that will output a longer distance than your headlights. I'm assuming you're actually driving at speed and not creeping along at 5mph, so by focusing all of this light in front of your car, you're doing the exact opposite and drawing your vision in. And if the roads are that bad, you're putting yourself at risk by not looking ahead.

OR.. we have the more common, but less admitted to, "I like how it looks, so no matter what the actual science behind it is, I'm going to keep it."

edit: better picture, since the original was stolen/chopped from this
http://www.realtruck.com/images/prod...m_patterns.jpg

Or maybe, you're just overthinking based on the pictures. The pictures were shot right after the foglight housings were installed. They come with an adjustment screw that you can tilt to adjust the aim. The light output is exactly what is in your picture now. The fogs light up the sides of the road like oem fogs do, oh wait, they are oem subaru fogs! I think FR-S owners frown on this mod because the FR-S does not come with foglights from the factory. Most 86s in japan and here have done this mod and consider this a must do. PIAA and some JDM tuners even came out with kits selling practically the same thing with HIDs. I've seen some FR-S owners doing the mod also with some additional wiring to pull it off.
I hope more members of this forum would be more open minded than just hating on mods that they haven't got firsthand experience on. I believe in the science of things as you do, and I believe that these do the job like oem.
Yes, the roads here are that bad, and I understand how fog lights should work, and I look ahead while driving.

It's your money so do what you want.

It's still rigging up an arc tube into a housing with optics engineered for a filament bulb. It has nothing to do with not being open minded, or hating, or herd mentality, or any other excuse. That's the actual science behind it. You say you're open minded, well, the setup is improperly engineered and will cause hotspotting and glare to oncoming traffic. I don't want to sound like a ****, but there it is.

This is where I step out though. Every time the HID thing comes up it ends up like arguing with a wall. People will do whatever they feel like, right or wrong, because that's what they want to do.

I agree with this

You say you dont want to sound like a a****, but you just did in your first comment. Anyway I agree with you about the hotspotting, that is if the bulb you use is not the correct size for the housing. It would be glaring to oncoming traffic if I used a 55W ballast, but I used a 35W. You said it yourself that the foglights are too low. I hope I can show my car in person to you to show you that it is not as bad as you think. Here's a better shot with the fogs aimed correctly. It looks exactly like your diagram.
http://i86.photobucket.com/albums/k8...psffb5c6b8.jpg

They look GREAT OP. I've had this EXACT set up on two of my cobras and my M3. NEVER had a issue with people flashing me. I have gotten flashed with the OEM lighting on an 84 Mustang....go figure...

Lot of hate in this thread. Funny, I don't see them making your car payments??? My opinion... who cares what they think?

I have aftermarket HID's in my headlight housings....you guys are more than willing to PM me your hate on how I'm blinding everyone. I will laugh at every single PM

And for those crying about blinding on coming traffic
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h8...ps29425ebc.jpg