BRZ Review/Install Guide for XML2 LED fog lights from Diode Dynamics

[4honor]

I really didn't like how orange and dim the stock fog lights are from Subaru, so thought I'd upgrade them to LEDs. After some research, seems like Diode Dynamics had the best reputation around here, and they answered my question really fast, I bought in on a pair of their new XML2 6000K LEDs. Review below~

I am a newbie when it comes to modding cars, so when I say this is easy to do, this is SUPER easy for ANYONE to do! Thought I'd include some photos of my journey in case it helps others.

First some product shots, I thought it was pretty neatly packaged, and safe:













To install, just turn the wheels in so you have room to work with:



You want to expose these tab, just lightly turn counter-clock wise and it should pop out. Then just pull them out with your fingers. (Washing your car first will make the installation a bit cleaner, ha ha):





Use some force to pry open the cover, find this white cable to the fog bulb, disconnect it, then press the top and bottom of the bulb harness to take it out:





Put the XML2 LEDs back in, connect the wires (look for the notches in the harness for polarity), and since the wires were so long now, I just zip tied it to a tab with a hole in it.



Even with the ballast in the back, it wasn't touching anything, plenty of room to work with:



Then here are some before/after comparison, and other random shots of the LED swap:













Shots below are taken with the iPhone instead for quick shots:









Pro:
- Quality made
- Easy to install
- Bright
- I got the 6000K version, but they have 4300K and 5000K to choose from
- Light spread is wide, so you see more.
- My car is super sexy now!

Con:
- Cost more than regular dimmer LEDs
- Brighter probably means worse in actual foggy condition, but we rarely get fog here
- Could blind on-coming drivers, but then it's really low to the ground
- The factory HIDs are 4300K I think, so these LEDs make them look orange. So plan on spending another $60 to change the HID bulbs to matching 6000K temperature.

Pro on DD:
- Web site is easy to find/use/buy things
- Fast reply to e-mails
- Incentives such as Diode Points, used to redeem for money on future purchase
- Quick shipping

Conclusion: If you got the money, these XML2's are worth it. I would buy again if I had other fogs to replace~

Hope this post helps!

[ckkone]

Looks good!

[SomeoneWhoIsntMe]

I wish they made yellow LED fogs. Bummer it's just 4300, 5000, and 6000k.

edit: never mind they totally do

[4honor]

They actually do: http://www.diodedynamics.com/store/l...ight-leds-pair

I had thought they just had the yellow ones in the dimmer LEDs, but apparently XML2 option is available too. I'd send them an e-mail to ask.

[4honor]

Oh, they also have the 3000K in HID fogs for $30 more. I just didn't want to mess with all the extra wiring and stuff, so LED was super easy/quick mod.

[Diode Dynamics]

Originally Posted by SomeoneWhoIsntMe

I wish they made yellow LED fogs. Bummer it's just 4300, 5000, and 6000k.

edit: never mind they totally do

The XP80 is offered in Yellow

Nick C.

[SomeoneWhoIsntMe]

Originally Posted by Diode Dynamics

The XP80 is offered in Yellow

Nick C.

Nick,

Any front shots? The glare looks pretty gnarly. I'm doing a bixenon retrofit, and I'd like to run these in the factory high beam location as DRL's with another pair as fogs in the bumper, but I hope it's not too blinding to oncoming traffic. Guess it's not a big deal because I won't be daily driving the car, but more things for cops to pull me over for is never a good thing.

Thanks,

James

[toast]

Nice writeup.

One word of warning, that zip tie is a bad idea in its current location. If you ever need to pull the front bumper off, you will be putting all the stress on the fog light bulbs/wiring. If you feel that the extra wiring is in danger of snagging just zip tie a loop in the wiring itself.

[toast]

Originally Posted by SomeoneWhoIsntMe

Nick,

Any front shots? The glare looks pretty gnarly. I'm doing a bixenon retrofit, and I'd like to run these in the factory high beam location as DRL's with another pair as fogs in the bumper, but I hope it's not too blinding to oncoming traffic. Guess it's not a big deal because I won't be daily driving the car, but more things for cops to pull me over for is never a good thing.

Thanks,

James

Indeed. If someone came down the road at me in my truck with those fogs on I would want to run them into the guardrail, they look worse than high beams.

[toast]

I just looked at their webpage. I thought the XP80 were a step above the XLM2, but it's the other way around. That means that the XLM2's are even brighter than the animated image above??? That isn't at all what the OP's pictures show. In that animated image the fogs are totally overpowering the headlights, you can't even see the cutoff anymore. If that is just fog lights in each picture why does stock have a cutoff and the led's don't?

[4honor]

Hey toast, thanks for the zip tie advice. I don't plan on taking off the front bumper any time soon, so I guess I am ok for now. This is just to show how much I have modded cars, haha!

As for running people over in your truck, I don't think these LEDs are that bright and high above the ground to blind anyone. I always get blinded by those high trucks/SUVs because the 86 is so low, even below their light cut off.

And for the brightness, XML2 > XP80. I am not sure that little animation is showing the lights on an 86, probably another car. But I did notice that maybe because the stock halogen fogs are dim, they don't seem like the spread is a lot. The XML2s are really bright, so all the sudden seems like the whole scene is lit.

I am changing my backup lights to the XP80's at the end of this month, I will do another write up on that and see if I can test the difference.

[toast]

Yeah, in your pics I don't see any light above the cutoff line of the headlights, so these seem like a good upgrade. That DD pic makes it look like you would blind oncoming drivers.

[Diode Dynamics]

As far as maintaining stock cutoff, it all depends on the housing they are installed in. Most newer style housings still maintain pretty good cutoff, such as the BRZ, shown in OP's pics. For the animated picture we posted, that's a Jeep, which uses pretty basic housings, and indeed, you get some extra glare up top.

This is the primary reason we do not recommend these bulbs for low beam or high beam. You would not want to install LEDs of any type of low beam or high beam, as they would create an insane amount of glare as they are higher-mounted and pointed straight ahead. Unfortunately, there are quite a few sellers who sell and recommend them for those applications. The focal point and actual output of an LED will never be the same as a standard bulb. For fog lights, you usually have them low, pointed down, so glare is not nearly as much of a concern. It's also an auxiliary light, not a critical component such as your low beam, so you can always simply turn them off. That's our reasoning behind offering them for fog or auxiliary applications only.

[mushyho]

I need some help regarding these fogs. Just received them last week. Tried to install them during the weekend but the notches dont line up with the plugs compared to the OE bulb. Am I doing something wrong?