H3 upgrade question

[curtklze]

I have factory H3 fog lamp bulbs in my fog lamps, are there any bulbs that will plug right into the housing that are more powerfull? H7, H9?

thanks

[curtklze]

TTT

[Taras]

H7 is as powerful as H3. H9 is a bit more. But what is more important is that H3 is a transverse filament and H7/H9 is longitudinal. You placing H7/H9 in an H3 housing will affect your beam pattern to a negative. H7/H9 or even H1 are so much longer tha H3, so you will not be able to match the focal pont of the filament. You are better off with H3 with its transverse filament anyway, because it will give you a wider beam and that is what you want in a fog light anyway.

Another thing to consider is: Fog light brightness. I guess that is what your original question refers to. If I may ask. Why do you want to see fog better? You know HID is really the brightest, but do you see OEM use HID for fog lights? They do use Xenon gas discharge technology for Low beam, High Beam and Spot lights. But not for fog. Because it's like driving with your high-beams in the fog. Too much backdazzle will reflect back at you and blind you.

If you really have to have really bright fog lights, then you can opt to purchase overwattage H3's. Just make sure that you have metal housings with glass or quarts lenses and run it through a 14ga harness with a good realy. The thing though is that overwattage bulbs have shorter life beacause they run hotter. For example 130W H1's with ceramic bases that is used in Rallye lasts 100Hrs or so. H3's are probably even worse, they are really small with tiny base, that leaves almost no material to sink the heat in. Kinda pain in the arse to change your bulbs to often.

If you want a source for various bulbs, try www.suvlights.com I would recommend good quality Gold/Yellow fog bulbs.

[curtklze]

I dont drive in fog at all(maybe once a year) so I thought that I could get a brighter light and use them as driving lights. I got them with my bumper and it would seem a waste to replace them with aftermarket driving lights if I dont have to.

They are the factory 30-X lights with a metal housing and glass projector lenses.

[curtklze]

TTT

[millionflame]

If you want to keep the fog lights, then just use an H3 bulb. Don't fiddle around trying to put a different bulb in there. It's designed for it, like Taras mentioned, so it works perfectly.

Trying going to a slightly higher wattage bulb like 65W, if you can find it. I've seen 85W H3 bulbs too.

If you don't want these, then go ahead and use a driving light instead of a fog light, but you'll be blinding people left right and centre. If you go this route, I'd suggest making a shield of some sort (ie..paint, metal, etc.) to stop light from going up too much.

~A

[Taras]

I just happened to have JDM OEM for lights as well. Yes they are metal with glass construction. I have taken them apart too.

Here is what I think:
Fog Lights - Fog Lights, short beam, wide beam, even spread (hopefully), increased foreground lighting.

Driving Lights - High Beams, long beam, narrow angle (varies), high intensity at the focus, no light to the sides.

These are inherently opposite beam designs. Fog lights can not be driving lights because their optics are different.

You can try and experiment, see if you like it. Try removing the sheild inside that is in front of the bulb. That will give you no cut-off and the light above your bumper. Chances are the light will be everywhere and it still will be a wide beam. The outer glass of those lights has flutes to disperse the light to the sides. You can alco try to play with the focal length of the bulb. Moving it out of the housing a few mm will tighten the beam. But I think that your issue would still be "fog" style outer glass.

I know guys that played with Hella 90mm low beam projectors, tried to remove the sheild and see if they will get a high beam light. Nope. Hella 90mm high-beam reflector is still a better hi-beam. It is designed for it.

You could actually try to add that one instead of your fog lights. Hella 90mm High-beam module. I bet it will fit. Unless you experiment, you do not know though. Good luck. Let us know.