Back from the dead.

So i noticed that one of my fog lights burned out. I have had the Nokya H11 yellow fogs since 2008 so they have lasted quite a while. They worked well for me and I will probably buy another set however I wanted to get some feedback from others first.

I liked the way they look and the light output they gave however I am always looking for me. Who doesnt want brighter lights after all?

I am contemplating getting an HID fog light conversion kit. I do not want to spend a lot of money but also dont want some piece of junk that will die on me in 6 months. What other bulbs have you guys used that you could recommend or HID kits that you have had good luck with?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/130583639452?item=130583639452

I bought these. Had them for 8 months now, no issues and I use them a lot

Left: lights in the link above
Right: stock


They're a bit more yellow than that, but not much. you can tell the color is off a bit if you know what color the stock lights are normally. I opted for that color because the 2500k lights are too cheesy looking and too yellow for me. these were a nice medium

HID fog lights are pointless and stupid. People who run them should be slapped. HID's are not meant for reflector bowls and do not belong in foglights unless they are projectors

 

Thanks for chiming in. I read some of your posts on this topic while searching so I'm glad you responded. Personally I like the yellow look and I think they helped in the fog. I just want to get other peoples opinions on what bulbs they had good success with and which ones not to buy.

As of right now I am leaning towards the Nokya ones again. A couple others I found were the Hella Optilux or something like that but searching yielded unfavorable results on those which surprised me as I thought Hella made good products. The PIAA are good apparently but pretty expensive just for bulbs. Someone liked Hoen bulbs and I am sure there are many many others.

What is the problem with HID;s in a reflector housing? Does it spread the light everywhere and blind people?

 

Very much so, yes



That's probably one of the best comparison images. You know when civics are driving towards you and you can't see **** and want to punch them? that's what HID's in a reflector bowl will do

that, and HID's put out less heat than halogens. Halogens will melt whatever is on your lenses (such as ice) and HID's wont (well, they will eventually but not nearly as fast)

The bulbs I bought (3000K) were much better than stock for night-driving. they yellow illuminates the road in front of the car (where the HID's dont) much better and "cuts" through fog more it seems

I don't have any evidence or proof behind this, but i believe that HID's and halogens put out different "types" of light, and the halogens have different wavelengths which are better for bad conditions (snow, rain, etc) that would cause reflections. someone please correct this if it's wrong though

really you can't go wrong with whichever brand you choose. I bought mine just because i wasn't sure if i'd want to stay with the yellow-er lights or go back to stock, and $10 is easy to justify for a test

 

That is a great visual, thanks! I know exactly what you are talking about and I always thought they were just aimed too high.

So I am pretty much set on staying away from an HID kit based on what you just explained not to mention that there is less to go wrong with buying a bulb as opposed to a conversion kit.

Now the questions remains, which bulb is best? I ad good results with the Nokya bulbs so I will probably just get those again. What else have people used that they liked?

Also, it looks like the Nokyas come in a 55w version and an 80w version. Obviously the 80w will give out more light but will the extra power melt anything like my lens, housing or wiring?

 

I'd stick with 55W. Stock ones are 55W and the housings and wiring were designed for 55W. Fog lights don't need to be bright, because they're not replacing your headlights; they're just there to illuminate the road ~50 feet in front of you

the brand of bulb you get isn't going to make a huge difference. Get whatever is cheapest / sounds coolest / everyone else runs / etc., etc.

 

Figured I would stay away from the higher wattage in fear of doing damage.

Still curious what else people are using other than Nokya and the ones you bought? Cheap bulbs may not last as long. A cheap bulb is cheap at first but gets more and more expensive every time it needs to be replaced. My Nokyas lasted me over 4 years which I think is quite good.

 

Had the Nokya yellows in my last Evo. Look great and are super useful for nightime and inclement weather driving.

 

Does anyone here have experience with Hoen or PIAA bulbs? I am looking for the yellowest brightest halogen bulbs available that are still 55w. So far here are my choices:
Generic ebay bulbs- $10
Nokya- $20
Hoen- $50
PIAA- $60

 

I bought the cheapest ebay yellow bulbs I could find only to see if I liked the look on my car. I wasn't surprised when they burned out a few days later.

I bought the Nokya bulbs and after prolong periods of driving with them on (2 hour driving) I've started noticing micro fractures in the lens. Similar to heat stress on plastic.

Just fair warning. I've used them sparingly since I noticed the damage forming.

 

Thanks for your feedback. I'm surprised you had a bad experience from your Nokya bulbs. They are clearly quite popular among other members here and I personally had good success with them and one finally called it quits after over 4 years. I will most likely buy another set of Nokyas however I was looking for other peoples feedback to see what else people are using and what they think of them.

 

My dad has Nokya fogs on his Evo. No issues so far.

Also using them in the fog lights of my '07 Passat and I have a set waiting to be put in the high beams of my '04 R32.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I know the Nokyas are really popular. I'd really like to get feedback from others who tried something different. I would start another thread about this and probably get more hits but I figured I would try and resurrect an old one.

 

Going to order me a pair right meow, one of my fogs is dead so this is the perfect time!!

 

Something I was looking into was installing 3,000k hids in the fog light location. Would run cooler in theory.