stock fog lights

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:00 pm

Well its been a while but I am back in here ...

Hello to all

Well I have a question :
Ive moved out of the (bleeping) state of California and have settled in the wonderful state of north carolina ..

Well there is a lot more weather and a lot more fog here...

What I am wanting to do is upgrade the fog lights in the 9005 bulb mod. but I want to put in a 100 watter
wondering if the STOCK wiring and foglight cases can handle the wattage and/or the heat...

I know that tjkj2002 was running them in an ARB bumper
I am still running stock bumper and lights
So anybody running this set-up and have any problems with it?!?!????

as always thank you all for your help

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 9:32 pm

ok ....guys

what is the highest watt bulbs Are you running

I got 65 watts in there now
is there really that big of a differance in heat between the two bulbs

candpliberty · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:28 pm

Many moons ago I worked at a company that sold Marchal lights. Any time someone wanted to upgrade to 100w lights we recommended heavier wire and a relay. They do put off much more heat. I haven't got to lighting changes on my Libby yet.

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:33 pm

the fog lights are already relayed but the wiring was a concern as well as heat in a confined area....

thanks for the input candpliberty

candpliberty · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:43 pm

See if some specs are printed on the relay or maybe find out in a service manual. Or just upgrade to a relay that you know can handle 100w x2. I don't think they are expensive. Fat wires never hurt anything!

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:45 pm

good points

thanks again

oddball · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:51 pm

It seems to me I've read where some have installed off-road lights replacing the oem fogs while utilizing the oem wiring & switch. If so, I would think 100w fog bulbs would be no different than 100w + KC Lites?? I could be wrong?

candpliberty · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 11:59 pm

Oddball, you're right. 100w is a 100w.

67Customs · **Posted:** Wed Dec 16, 2009 4:40 pm

I switched my stock fog bulbs to a yellow tinted fog bulb and it cuts through the fog better.

I know there is a lot of discussion about whether or not yellow light cuts through fog better, but it works for me and that's all I know.

e_poirier2004 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:14 pm

I have a yellowish/green HID kit (yes, with ballast and all) and it just cut through fog. The best part of it all, the current consumption is only 35w/light. Seriously, it's just a great kit. If you get one, get a good kit made by phillips or hella. I purchased a cheaper kit on ebay and it seems to have a hard time with cold weather ( around 20deg f) the light just turn off once in a while which makes me believe some components might not react too well with the cold or there's some cold joints on the board (workmanship). On aircraft, we use hella which is made by phillips. Looks a bit different but the heart of the circuit is basically a hella ballast with a filter in a fancier box on the ERJ-175.

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Thu Dec 17, 2009 11:03 am

i was planning on going with the yellow fog lights

I was just wondering if I could get away with the 100watt bulbs

i have thought of the HID kit just havent made the jump into that yet

Auberon · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 12:53 pm

Just something to think about:
As I understand it, the parabaloid reflector of foggies offers a rather more spread beam (that is augmented by fresnel lenses/fresnel lens effect). This, coupled with the lower wattage, is one of the reasons they cut thru fog & don't bounce back at you + the lower mounting height helps with bounce-back from fog.
Hi powered pencil beams you don't want in foggies.
Maybe you could consider the HID's for headlights.
OR
Maybe keep 55 W low (so you don't blind oncoming drivers) & go to 100 W hi beam?

If you are worried, use the original wiring to run a (extra? wud have to check the wiring diagram) relay for the 100W - but I haven't looked seriously at this as for most driving I find the Jeep lights OK for normal driving

BUT I do have an ARB winch bar with drivies for the bush.
Hi beam already has a relay I am pretty sure (but open to correction).
&
Yellow scatters much more in fog with less bounce-back (theoretically).

It also depends on what you are allowed to do in your area.

[b]Truckies[/b] I know don't mind bods driving with foggies on but absolutely get rabid about hi powered pencil beams in their faces....at dusk.....influences oncoming & in their mirrors. THEY ARE OFTEN BLINDED way more than us.
Hope this helps, with the other good info so far.

Cheers
Auberon

95BadBoy · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 2:10 pm

67Customs wrote:

I switched my stock fog bulbs to a yellow tinted fog bulb and it cuts through the fog better.

I know there is a lot of discussion about whether or not yellow light cuts through fog better, but it works for me and that's all I know.

Don't get much fog in my area, but yellow fogs in winter for snow works very very well. In blizzards, I actually turn the headlights off and run with fogs only. Not legal for highway use, but helps to keep you out of a ditch - or worse.

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:04 pm

i think we have gotten off topic here {like that has never happened before}

what i am worried about is not if the wires can handle the load
I am wanting to know if the stock housing can handle the wattage without melting

thank you all for your input

candpliberty · **Posted:** Fri Dec 18, 2009 3:45 pm

If the lens is glass and the reflector metal I would give the 100's a shot. If plastic I wouldn't even try. This is all IMHO.

LibertyFever · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:16 am

ga_repoman wrote:

i think we have gotten off topic here {like that has never happened before}

what i am worried about is not if the wires can handle the load
I am wanting to know if the stock housing can handle the wattage without melting

thank you all for your input

Ha, somebody finally mentioned the obvious question, can the housing a wattage higher than the stock 55w bulb. I doubt it could. And if you melt or catch the stock wiring on fire you may have a hard time explaining it to the insurance company.

Also I agree with another posting about the brightness of some people's foglamps. Myself I find it quite annoying to meet somebody on the highway with extra bright foglamps. Sure they're supposed to be pointed below the fog at the pavement but they can still be blinding.

I've chosen to upgrade the color of my lamps rather than the wattage. I have Nokya Artic White bulbs in my headlights, foglights and the Hella700FF's. What a difference over the stock bulbs.
http://www.coolbulbs.com/nokya.asp

CRD Joe · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:33 pm

Ive got a 2005 CRD. Are we talking about the small fogs that sit (on the '05) below the main head lights? I havent looking into this before, can those units be interchanged with something
more powerfull and if so what kind of bulb units are they?

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 2:34 pm

i am talking about the 04 and older small fogs in the bumper

Auberon · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 10:52 pm

Apologies for double post

Auberon · **Posted:** Sat Dec 19, 2009 11:02 pm

This is not just a straight forward yes or no question you have asked. Only you can make the decision. I hope this helps be more informed.
Re fog light circuit:
1 The fog lamps have a 20 A fuse so running @ normal KJ alternator output (V=13.8-14.0 idle)
P max = 270 W approx.[b]DESIGN MAXIMUM duty cycle[/b]
& it would be prudent to work within 50% safety margin of this figure which is equal to 138 W MAXIMUM continuous duty for 2 bulbs.
I can only assume this is the design safety margin.

2 If the wires are smaller than 14 G with a run longer than 4 ft @ 240W max they are not heavy enough.

3 Yes it appears that the fuse will carry the load but heat in wires reduces current carrying capacity & consequently reduces lumen output proportionately.
A eg: a light putting out 1,300 lumens @ 13.8 V will drop to roughly 800 lumens as V approaches 12 V.......heat reduces current carrying

4 If the light shroud entraps heat (and it will), light potentially gained could well be lost by this increase in heat through reduced current carrying capacity. I know it is cool when foggy but is this cooling enough?...too variable to say....is it not?

5 A voltage drop test with a your intended working load is the only way to determine IF V WILL DROP under working conditions, with V, i measured & P calculated per globe and temperature of the light/wires measured etc You may well be surprised at how much you lose thru heat.

6 Foggies do have a relay.

7 On a simple summation (I know its more complex than that) would you not potentially be overloading the circuit?
A melted PP bumper might not be pretty. There is not a lot of room there.

My numbers are approximate but fairly good as indicators.
On this rather quick look, I would NOT be inclined to do what you are asking us without doing a properly designed Voltage drop test being conducted. You could get away with it but on the surface, I have my doubts. Sorry. Even the simple ain't that simple anymore.
Cheers
Auberon

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