With the nights drawing in, my daily commute is a long old drive along an unlit and very much unused narrow country B-road.

I was thinking about the possibilty of putting in some HIDs to the fog lights, maybe even going for 3000k ones.

Obviously I know fogs only light up the small part of the road just infront of the car, but this area is perfect for kerbs/road kill/pot holes

Has anyone fitted HID's to fogs before?

If so is it pretty easy, is there any tips/hints, or things to look out for when fitting them?

I've heard there are anti glare bulbs available too, which help prevent light scatter, if so, can you get them in the bulb fitment for our fogs?

Unless you drive very, very slowly there really is no point, as you'll not be able to react, let alone stop the car, in time to dodge stuff.

My money would go on a dip beam solution personally or driving lights (while being entirely legal of course!).

I'm sure someone will be along though to help with the fitting side.

Driving lights would be great, but I doubt anyone makes them for the fabia?

If you only use fogs when they should be used, ie in Fog, then pure white/blue is the worst for driving. You will get a lot of glare in fog with them. I think You need Yellow tinted bulbs/lenses for driving in fog.

However I guess if you convert them to driving lights then HIDs will be OK. I'm not sure if the rules on levelling and washers count for fog/aux lights.

Put a relayed system in place an bump up the wattage of the bulbs! I've got 100w H7's and 100W H3's in bot the full beam and the foglights. Big difference!!!

Ive got pulled twice for using my driving lights on un-lit roads (no fog) aparantly your not suposed to use them unless its poor visibility. As said, yellow is best for fog.

Thanks for the input so far,

but really want to hear from people that might have fitted them, or am I gonna be the guinea pig?

Sorry to reiterate what others have said - but why bother when the effect will be minimal and the use illegal?

It would be more useful putting them in as reversing lights - I find those are never bright enough reversing in my drive...

Edited 29 October, 201114 yr by DRJ

As driving with foglights are legally restricted to be used in poor visibility conditions, and really not to see but be seen by other road users.

If you uprated your main beams illegally to 100watt bulbs would be advantageous for the use you want them.?

You would be obliged to switch them off with oncoming traffic anyway, and not likely to over whelm with the extra light generated with the upgrade.

You have a choice in choosing to buy the 'CLEAR' 100watt H3 main beam bulbs, and to avoid the tell-tale 'BLUE' 100watt H3 main beam bulbs.

The foglights use the same bulb type H3 as the main beam, and could if you wanted uprated them, but with oncoming traffic you would be fumbling in the dark to cancel them.

Of course you could then wire the foglights into your main beam lights connections, so then to cancel main beam would also cancel the foglights at the same instance?

These bulbs are Xenon gas filled, but heat generated and power required to operate, are the same.

I'd personally be looking into HID's into the main (full) beam. Headlight washers and levellers are not required for them being used in this instance. They will only draw 35w of power and be brighter than running 100w halogens, not forgetting they will last longer too.

Convert the Fogs to normal spot lenses with higher wattage bulbs. Use them as you would with normal high beam headlights and have them wired so they switch off when you dip the headlights.

I have tried the yellow bulbs from either Phillips or Osram (don't use any other makes but those)...but got rid, then fitted the 100% brighter versions.......way better....not much glare/bounce back on fog/snow...very good and not iligel.......they only go on when it really is very bad.....but all the other bulbs.....high and dipped are also both on 100% brighter bulbs....very good....infact the dipped is so bright that I forget to put the high beam on ......and although I have had the beams checked several times (also passed 2 mots) I sometimes point the lights down to 1 (on the internal levaling dial) even tho there is just me in the car........people flash me thinking I have my high beam on...then I flash them back.... ....mind you I ####ing hate the xenons? on the big RangeRover's.... them out!

Edited 29 October, 201114 yr by fabdavrav

I've got upgraded bulbs in all the lights at the front. I think they should be nightbreakers.

Sticking xenons into the highbeam would be an idea but surely they won't be legal in terms of having a delay when turning them on ?

Is there an mot requirement for them to instantly flash?

Yeah - I dont know how you would get your flash of the full beam to work with the hids.

I bought all my bulbs on ebay - 1 set of H7's & 2 sets of H3. I fitted a relayed switcher system into all the units so they have a direct feed from the battery.

Ebay listings:-

MTEC Bulbs from Hids-direct

No problems with MOT either!

I wouldn't know where to start in terms of adding relays and looms for direct feed. The HID route is about as far as my electrical skills could reach to be honest.

It looks like the next option is to investigate which HID kits have an instant fire up, so I can still have the ability to flash people to say thanks and stuff like that.

Driving down dark and muddy wet unlit country roads is a nightmare this time of year. The mud on the road soaks up any light from the headlights, so you can't see the edges of the road very well. And with no road markings, lines etc, it's a real danger. Throw in some rain, and later on some frost, and it becomes pretty dangerous

Just as a side note to "Polo6n1600i" mentioning 100w H7 Main Beam via a relay...

There is a 65w H7 Osram (499) lamp option that won't melt plastic lenses and doesn't require any wiring additions. The light output and spread on the 65w H7 Osram is greater than that of the Osram Night Breaker range if anyone is interested :yes:

I have the plastic headlight lenses too as im running a set of the tinted Depo headlights - Ive had no issues - even with 100W.

As for how to wire a relay - there are loads of guides about how to do it online.

I wired up a set of truck air horns to my polo this afternoon in 10 minutes!

Xenons flash instantly. My RX-8 uses the dip, and main beam for flashing, the dip being xenons.

They come on/off instantly, but take a second or so to get up to 'tempurature'. I.e., they start off yellow, and get bluer/whiter as they warm up, so there's no issue with flashing as it were.

However, I don't think that flashing with them is good for the bulbs or ballasts, which might be worth considering.