LED porn

[David's8]

Also, fog lights use to be designed with a very flat but wide beam intended just to pick up kerbs and other roadside objects so you could slowly proceed in real pea-soupers. The flat beam from lights mounted low down meant that backscatter was reduced. And as HP mentions yellow reduces backscatter too.

[ScottD3]

Don't fit HIDs to your fog light

I'm off to get some yellow film for my fogs.

[David's8]

Ski goggles often have interchangeable lenses with yellow for foggy days and red for sunny ones.

[M-A8]

Originally Posted by ScottB5

You'd be surprised what heat does to the LEDs.

I've repaired a couple of flickering sidelights resoldering the resisters back on and they worked fine.
Its the resisters that generate the heat and causes issues.

I don't get the point of LED or high powered fog lights, surly that kills the point of fog lights?
Bright lights don't work well in fog, the light just bounces off the fog and you can't see anything.

Let me rephrase it.
I know how much heat leds produce, trust me, many burned finger tips.
I assume he would notice a hanging off resistor.
I've tested several 501 leds which flickered straight from the beginning before they got hot and some after few hours even if resistors were still in place, and that's what seems to be happening here.

The link for 501s I posted is something I've got for 2years now and no issues, first they were on 10w resistors and now without after coding DRLs and Sidelights together, no issues.
Another example why cheap **** can be ****, as Johnny said they are not branded or anything like that so I assume they are cheap.
So another reason why its worth spending 15quid on a pair of decent 501s, one, they will last no matter what heat they generate, two, you wont have to constantly fight with them (replacing), removing air intake etc.

In regards to fog lights, I agree, white light is almost pointless, that's why proper fog lights are properly yellow, more than a standard halogen.

For me it's purely the look as I did sometimes had fogs on during the day, mainly when traveling with speed of light (more lights on more visible I am) and occasionally just for .... I don't even know how to call it)

LED fogs are nice if you don't use them as fogs, if you driving around with them on at all times or most of the time.

[ScottD3]

The resistor don't need to hang off for it to cause an issue.
It could just not be making a solid connection.
A quick resolder fixes it or it has fixed it in the past for me.

Really cheap LEDs are not worth the risk but I would not want to spend over the odds on LEDs. There are some stupidly expensive ones out there.

Fog lights are fog lights, they are not driving lights, looking cool lights, driving round town in your car lights or rain lights.
They are designed and built for us in foggy conditions.
I can't see what benefits they have for anyone who drives with them on during the day or during dry fogless conditions.
Its a massive bugbear of mine but its something I need to ignore I think as it appears that manufactures have started using them for turning lights and DRLs.

Why DRLs? was sidelights never enough?

[David's8]

Originally Posted by ScottB5

Why DRLs? was sidelights never enough?

Its my understanding that those sidelights are, in fact designated and designed as parking lights (for when parked in unlit areas) and were not intended to used as "running lights" despite the fact that they are used (and are useful in many circumstances) as such. I have no idea what the UK Construction and Use regulations say about DRLs.

[HPsauce]

They are actually called position lights in the legislation.
And in general they have to be on when it is "dark" (as defined in the legislation) at all times, whether in use or parked.
There are exceptions for parking in defined areas such as most 30mph zones.

The parking technicalities seem to be largely ignored.

[ScottD3]

My main issue with DRls really is the fact that they are normally brighter than any other light on the car.

I've seen a couple of people driving round when its getting dark with the DRLs are and no side lights. so you can't see them from the back.

Never used the parking light side of things on the cars.
Worked with a guy in a garage who use to use his all the time when parked on the side on the side of the road but he was from germany, so I guess they used it all the time?

[johnny_quattro]

I will admit to being a Honda man a while back, as I had a 4 wheel steer Prelude of '89 vintage. It was a very good car although not quite in the same league as our cherished A8s. That was the only car that I'd owned that had proper yellow fog lights, installed at the factory. I did think that I'd be able to change the 'yellow' bulb for a white one but if I recall correctly from memory, there was a yellow glass diffuser or something within the foglight itself and a standard white light foglight bulb. I only had the two options of either sticking with them as yellow, or replacing both foglights. I couldn't be arsed with the expense to be honest!

With regard to the CREE LED foglights, there's certainly nowhere near the same sort of light output compared to the standard halogen H3 bulbs so they now look more like positional lights instead of being vaguely useful. The original filament bulb that failed in one of my foglights didn't appear as a warning on my dashboard though? The car only seems to warn me if a brake light or similar goes bad.

Interesting to know about the light scatter with yellow fogs, proving the old adage true once again - you learn something new each day :-) I've attached some pics of my old Prelude - wheel buffs will hopefully notice the beautiful Antera 123 alloys which cost me £2,216 shod in Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres - ouch!

[M-A8]

Originally Posted by ScottB5

The resistor don't need to hang off for it to cause an issue.
It could just not be making a solid connection.
A quick resolder fixes it or it has fixed it in the past for me.

I hear you Scott and agree, but he did mentioned that they were cheap

Originally Posted by ScottB5

Really cheap LEDs are not worth the risk but I would not want to spend over the odds on LEDs. There are some stupidly expensive ones out there.

I agree, and 15quid for a set which will last at least over 2 years its a fair price I think

Originally Posted by ScottB5

Fog lights are fog lights, they are not driving lights, looking cool lights, driving round town in your car lights or rain lights.
They are designed and built for us in foggy conditions.
I can't see what benefits they have for anyone who drives with them on during the day or during dry fogless conditions.
Its a massive bugbear of mine but its something I need to ignore I think as it appears that manufactures have started using them for turning lights and DRLs.

I agree mate, I just said that sometimes when I'm on a motorway cutting through with a speed of light I've got all the light on no matter how bright is outside, just to make my self more visible from distance, which is having whole front lit up

I've noticed that as well, VW T5s from 10 or 11 plate using fogs as turning light, it's not a bad idea and cheaper than a proper cornering lights so I think nothing wrong with it

DRLs are another Health&Safety idea, being bright as f**k makes people more visible on the road in the day light, which makes roads 'safer'