Alternative to OE fog light BULBS (Not HID kits/leds)

[Washburn]

I am thinking of a cleaning up my hazy fog light lenses and PERHAPS also replacing the bulbs to something that matches the rest of the OE lighting (xenons), and something with a bit more output, if possible.

Intentions:/ questions



NO HID kits / LED bulbs, etc (Just want better bulbs if possible/if such a thing exists)
Trying to match the Xenon low beam look
Same or more output. (and I do use it only when foggy and in NC i does get foggy a lot more often than one would imagine)
Yellow is better for visibility than 5000k or so "white"/xenon light? Yes or no? (I see mixed opinions when I research)
This is a 9006 bulb, yes?
If there are 9006 bulbs that get better output / looks, where does one find such?
Are M3 fog lenses same, but provide better visibility because they're clear and not fluted? Where can one get just the lens?
- or does one have to buy the whole assembly?
Where does one buy M3 lenses or assemblies?


Any feedback, esp. with links or pics would be very appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[az3579]

Well, you pretty much ruled out the best actual solution...
The Weisslicht bulb on this page is exactly what you would need.

https://bimmian.com/Accessories-for-BMW/Lighting/Fog-and-Head-Lights/LED-Fog-Light-Bulbs/

Plug and play, no ballasts, no errors (since fog lights are not monitored), is the correct bulb socket, and perfectly matches Xenons according to their description of it. It is my understanding that 4300-5000k is the sweet spot for output...

Of course, output on a fog light is a pretty moot point IMO, as long as it's visible, but output shouldn't really be an issue with these anyway.

[Washburn]

Thanks for the link.

I am not sure if the output of fog lights is completely a moot point, I mean, they do provide extra illumination in rain and fog, don't they? At least that's what I have noticed, and I am trying to increase that illumination a bit more, WHILE matching the xenon color temperature... (A solution with these demands might not exist, I am just making sure)

As for Weisslicht - even the company says it's not a good solution if you're expecting to use fog lights for the intended use....
But I do admit, they do look very nice, perfect match for xenons... if only they were a bit more useful with light output, they'd be perfect...

22883

[Washburn]

BTW, I loved the video of your Cree 25W LED turn signal bulbs - where did you get those? Do you have a link to the bulb?

[az3579]

Thanks for the link.

I am not sure if the output of fog lights is completely a moot point, I mean, they do provide extra illumination in rain and fog, don't they? At least that's what I have noticed, and I am trying to increase that illumination a bit more, WHILE matching the xenon color temperature... (A solution with these demands might not exist, I am just making sure)

As for Weisslicht - even the company says it's not a good solution if you're expecting to use fog lights for the intended use....
But I do admit, they do look very nice, perfect match for xenons... if only they were a bit more useful with light output, they'd be perfect...

22883

Your eyes must be a lot more sensitive than my 20/15's then... I haven't noticed one bit of difference with the fog lights on when there's fog out. The only reason I turn them on in fog is to increase my visibility to other drivers. Just the mere existence of there being so many online threads asking whether fog lights are even effective at all (with no clear answers) just gives me a clue that they probably don't do the job they're designed to do, at least for the front ones. I did find one page with some data that supports my theory, but I don't know how reliable this information is so I'd take it with a grain of salt. Here's the one page I found: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/fog_lamps/fog_lamps.html
I'd definitely prefer data from a reputable source, but can't really be bothered to keep looking.

The rear fog lights, however, are essential to have! This is why I retrofitted the euro LCM faceplate with rear fogs and coded the car for them. I'm not worried about hitting something, I'm worried about someone hitting me!



BTW, I loved the video of your Cree 25W LED turn signal bulbs - where did you get those? Do you have a link to the bulb?

I can't really say... they were from some random seller on eBay. It bothers me that I have four different LED bulb vendor products installed on my car. The turn signals are a different brand from the brake light bulbs, which are different from the reverse bulbs I have, all of which are LED and unknown brands. If I had to do it again, I'd buy all Weisslicht products since their products appear to be the best built and have the highest quality of all the bulbs I currently have in my car.

The only set of bulbs I know the brand of are the H7 LED bulbs I just installed last week, which are made by Weisslicht. The quality of the product is amazing, so I can only assume their other LED bulbs are equally good.

[Sockethead]

I had color matched bulbs in my fog lights for a while. They matched the Xenon perfectly but rendered the fog lights useless. I ended up putting the OEM bulbs back in. I think they were Ziza?

[fredo]

I decided to keep the OEM bulbs on my fog lights. My ZKW headlights are in decent shape, but they could a little help from OEM fog lights.

[Washburn]

I wonder if anyone did the 9006 to 9012 (HIR) bulb mod for fogs...
with a slight mod, they fit in 9006 housing, same wattage but 75% more output:

http://www.hirheadlights.com/index.htm

http://www.hirheadlights.com/FAQs.htm

http://store.candlepower.com/mohirbuba.html

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-9012-Standard-Halogen-Headlight/dp/B00480N18G/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1449454391&sr=1-1&keywords=HIR2

[Johnmadd]

I'm going 4500 hid very, very, very,soon.

[spoonerDee]

I have personal experience with PIAA bulbs and absolutely loved them. Years back when I had my eclipse I had their fog lights put on my car and they were fantastic. Bright, clear, good color, everything I wanted. They were bright enough that I could turn off my head lights and still drive. Granted the throw wasn't far or high, but it was enough. I liked them so much that I used their bulbs for my headlights for the longest time, and yes they do make color matching bulbs.