Ok guys I need some ideas.

I have a 2002 Mazda, equipped with these fog lights. Stock lenses, stock bulbs etc. I don't find they put out much light.


To save buying aftermarket fogs to mount elsewhere on the truck, what can I do to upgrade my existing lights relatively cheap? Like less than $150. Oh,also if anyone has a passenger side mounting bracket and lens, I would like to buy it.

I'm looking for light bulb suggestions to use. I'd like something like an amber fog bulb, but not sure if there's anything available in the 9005 or 9006 bulb that they take.

One trick that I did learn from owning a Contour was that the headlights took 9006 (low beam) and 9005 (high beam) bulbs. You can take a 9005 and cut the tab out of the socket so that it plugs into the 9006 plug. I could adopt this same mod for slightly brighter fog lights I suppose.

Any other ideas? LEDs, HIDS? Keep cost in mind. I'm on a tight budget. My passenger side light is burnt out and the mount is broken, so now that it is time to replace, that means it is time to upgrade.

 

I run 9005 Silverstar Ultra high beam bulbs in the stock housings. You have to work them in but they fit. I also took the metal ring out from around the bulb. I get more light output with this setup but I'm sure a HID kit will produce more light. Also since the stock lights are mounted so low you will not get the same output as a Hella. Lastly the fog lamp housings are meant to produce a wide beam of light.

 

Ok,so you do the 9005 mod just like I described. Tomorrow is supposed to be stupid cold. Today would have been a good day to work on them. Oh well.

I know they're meant to produce wide, low light, but when mine are on, they're just like white marker lights and I can't tell if they're on or off.

My Silverstar headlights burnt out for the 3rd time in 6 months,so I decided to stop wasting money on them and went back to stock 9007 bulbs. I find the stock lights have less glare and reflection in the snow and are better for visibility at night.

 

Are you touching the bulbs when you install them?

 

No, they're just crappy bulbs. I make sure never to touch the bulb with my fingers.

I've even had 3 sets of sealed beam Silverstars die on me in less than 10 months, so it's not just the 9000 and H series bulbs.

 

I haven't had a problem with my Silverstar Ultras. The fogs went out after about a year and the headlights are still going after 2 years.

 

do you have princess auto out your way? you could probably pick up some cheap lights there...

i've got 1 1/2 years and 30,000kms on my silverstar ultras.

 

nearest PA is about an hour away. I don't want to buy and install a new set of lights anywhere else on the truck, I just want to replace the stock bulbs with something better for fog/snow/rain visibility.

2 of my friends have also had constant burn outs with silverstars as well. I'm not spending the extra $10-15 it costs to buy Silverstars over regular halogens which never seem to have any problems. Pair of silverstars will usually run me $25-40 depending what bulbs they are. I just bought new stock GE bulbs for $7.99 each.

 

I've got an idea. I don't know how well it will work, if at all, but I have some Duplicolor Metalcast anodized Amber paint. It is transparent, and basically like an amber version of Niteshades.

In my B2200, I had clear corner lenses and painted the stock clear bulbs amber with this paint,because the size of bulbs they took did not come in amber. After painting the actual light bulbs, they lit up amber and produced an amber light. However, they were a small bulb, similar in size to a 194.

My idea is how about taking a 9005 or 9006 standard halogen bulb,like is in my fogs now, and paint it amber? I don't want brighter,whiter light from my fogs, I want amber to cut down on glare and reflection.

Before I go out and buy new bulbs, I might try this idea with my 9006 that is still working and see how that is. If I like it,I will upgrade to 9006's and paint them. It is also high heat paint, so the heat from the bulbs should not wear it off, as it is used primarily for engine painting applications.

I'll report back on it once I'm done.

 

ah screw it,I'll do it on a warmer day. I just went out to try and pull my driver's side bulb out and it's like -15c outside and the back of my fogs are all caked with dirt,snow and slush and are all frozen and won't come apart. I can't even get the plug off of the bulb.

 

I think painting the bulbs would be a waste of time. you may get the yellow light you're looking for but i think you'll cut down on a lot of brightness.

 

Not if I am using 9005 high beam bulbs which are brighter. And it's transparent paint,so it will only affect the colour,not the brightness.

It's just an idea. Cheaper that buying, installing and wiring a set of fog lights that I don't have anywhere to mount.

 

Wow, you've got to be doing something wrong. I've had the same pair of 9007 Silverstars in my Ranger for over 4 years. I just recently upgraded to the Ultras, but my Silverstars are still good.

Now my 9005's on the other hand burn out every 6 months to a year. The 9005's don't seat and seal very well and moisture gets in....the 9145's are the proper bulbs for the fogs, but I like the 65 Watts vs the 55 Watt 9145's.

Maybe there is something with your headlights and that the bulb doesn't seal in properly or it's loose and rattles around.

As for you fogs, your lenses look fogged up and the right one is yellow/brown stained and aimed down. Are the clips broken?
You might need clear lenses and brighter bulbs.

Someone around here or on RPS has yellow (amber) fogs and they have real bulbs. I really don't know how well painting them would turn out. I know Hella sells amber fog bulbs. Give them or eBay a check.

 

the brown packedged silverstars seem to out last the silver/ blue ones

 

It always seems that it's my driver's side low beam that burns out. Since about 2004, my headlight lens had had condensation in it, but the passenger side has always been okay. It's only ever had 2 bulbs burn out in 6 years, where the driver's side has gone through about 5.

As for my fog light lens..yes the passenger side clips are broken and the brown is most likely water and crap inside the lens. My dad has always used 9006 bulbs in the fogs (its an 02,so maybe the bulbs changed to 9145 later?). He also had problems a couple years ago with water getting into the wiring. My dad cut the fog light wires on the pass. side and spliced in new wire and heat shrunk it and wrapped it up tight with electrical tape.

Here they are in working order with regular 9006s, and the broken clips on the pass. side.


Does anyone have a link or a pic of the fog light bulbs you're talking about? I will search in the meantime. I want to take my lenses apart and take out the metal ring like Christian said and also clean out that passenger side lens.

I've always had problems with aftermarket lights,except for the H4's I installed in my B2200. Never had a problem with those. I bought projectors for my Cadillac and they took H7 bulbs and in 3 months I went through about 4 bulbs in the low beams. I usually use Silverstar,Eurolite or Cool Blue bulbs when I replace OEMs.

 

I found these on Ebay.

My bulbs painted with the Metalcast amber paint will look the exact same colour.


I'm going to go to the store now and buy some bulbs and paint and try my idea out and see if it works.

If it doesn't,will putting lacquer thinner on the bulbs to remove the paint hurt them?

On a second thought,instead of painting the bulbs,I could just paint the lenses first...

 

What about wet sanding the lenses? They look a little cloudy. Maybe that will help the light output

 

If I take them out of the truck and take them apart I will clean and sand them and make them better than new. Just getting them out in this weather is a pain. I can't even twist the bulbs out of the housing. They'll move back and forth,but won't unlock and I don't want to break anything.

I went to the store to buy bulbs and the paint,but they didnt have the paint in stock,so I didn't buy any bulbs either.

I'm interested in finding a set of those 9006 fogs, but I'd really like to use a 9005 60w and paint them, or paint the lens, but when they're off,I don't want amber lenses, which is why I want the coloured bulbs.

 

ok,so I found these bulbs through www.supremepowersports.com

They are SPP Precision Optics bulbs. As specified, my truck takes a 9006 fog light bulb.

These bulbs are available in 9005 55w and 80w and 9006 65w.

From experience, a 9006 bulb socket can be easily modified to fit a 9005 plug.

I do not want to modify my wiring, yet would like a fairly bright light. I think 80w would be overkill and melt my plugs and wiring, so I am torn between choosing the proper 55w 9006, or I can get the 9005 65w which I am leaning towards. I don't think the extra 10w will really hurt my wiring or plug, as my fogs are never on for extended periods of time like my headlights are.

What would you go for?

 

This is the effect I'm looking for.




I'm not sure exactly what lights this guy is using,but they are amber fog bulbs. And do they ever look purty...especially with those headlights...

 

Found these Nokya 2500k 70w 9006's on Ebay. I might buy them.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ITEM&viewitem=

Says they aren't DOT approved, but I assume that is for use in headlights, since fogs are auxilary lights, they might be okay.

I can get them on Ebay for $25, and I am seeing the same ones advertised on other sites for over $40.

 

Okay,so I ended up buying the ones from www.supremepowersports.com

I bought the 9005 65w ones so I can mod them to fit. Should be here in 10 days.

This will give me time to disassemble, repair and clean my fog light lenses and repair my passenger side bracket.