Fog light question

[Tony]

Stomper
Any idea of color temp for the HIRs?

The Silverstar 9006 lows are rated to 1000 Lumens nominal @ 12.8Vdc. 1,700 Lumens for the GEs is quite an impressive upgrade! (70% increase) I'm not too comfortable with that without aiming down as you say. I get my share of pissed off drivers as it is with my correctly aimed standard intensity Silverstars.
Silverstar 9005 highs are 1700 Lumens compared to GEs HIRs at 2300Lumens. (35% increase) That would help on those moonless nights driving the country back roads.
Do you need to modify the bulb's base or the Nissan connector for the high beam?

[HavockWK]

Originally Posted by Stomper4x4

Well First they add extra glare to oncoming traffic thus increaseing the chance of somone hitting you. And second,and more importaint for you, quite using them in normal driving conditions. They don't help you. They hurt you by causing your pupils to constrict reducing your distance and peripheral vision. The added light in the foreground gives a incorrect subjective impression of "better" lighting.

They should only be used in "soupy" weather at reduced speed. This is by beef with OEM Fog's. You can't do that and If you could they wouldn't be effective enough anyway.

The extra glare for oncoming traffic would be limited to the use of the fogs with the lows, which is the only way you can use the fogs on our trucks. And of course I do agree that the fog lights should be able to be operated independently of the highs and lows so I can use them when I want to. In foggy weather I would prefer to have them on with the parking lights so that I can be seen easier with the higher level side marker and tail lights lit, and have the fogs (driving lights) only to try and help me see the ground immediately in front of the truck. In fog, the lights are really to let people see you, not for you to see to drive.

When I'm driving down a normal road at speeds of 30+ MPH, I never notice the fogs because my eyes are focused too far ahead of me for them to give me any benefit. When I'm on a dark road with hills and tight turns, I want the largest field of vision I can get and this includes the first 5 feet I can see in front of the hood whether my high beams are on or not. The ability to see more of what is in front of me when I need to see it is what I call "better lighting". There aren't other drivers around to be blinded my my weak little fog lights when I have my high beams on which is what started this discussion.

[Stomper4x4]

Tony, Silverstars aren't brighter than your standard 9006's. They are blue tinted and have over worked filaments in an attempt to get back the light lost to the tinting. I would suspect that the headlights on the Titan come improperly aimed in the first place. From what I understand most manufactures aim all head lights the same regardless of how high the headlights are mounted. Our trucks are high and thus blind lower cars. We should all re aim our headlights.

Yes, the HIR bulbs are a lot brighter and need to be aim down a little more than what the correct aim should be to begin with. They aren't tinted so the color of the light doesn't change. They have a IR reflective coating in the inside on the bulb which increases the filament temp making it burn brighter.

All you have to do is trim the tabs on the bulbs. Wire cutters a utility knife and a few minutes is all it takes.

Havok - It's counterintuitive but what happens is the foreground light of your fogs make your pupils smaller by adding more "useless" light to your eye thus hampering your distance and peripheral vision. Useless, because anything that close to you truck at speed is worthless information. The fogs have the same effect, to a lesser degree, as driveling at night a with your interior dome lights on.

I agree about using with the parking light only. I'll be replacing mine and wiring them with there own switch.

[Titan Critter]

i don't understand nissan's logic. i've seen nissan cars (altimas or maximas) that use their foglights with parking lights only. why wouldn't that use that same setup on all the vehicles? good lord, where's the method to that madness?

[vector6]

Originally Posted by lizardking

Nobody likes running into some hillbilly with his highbeams and foglights on! WE CAN'T SEE when people have that setup!!!

hey.. theres no need to be callin names here... us hillbilys cant help it if you pennsyltuckians cant drive...

[lizardking]

Originally Posted by vector6

hey.. theres no need to be callin names here... us hillbilys cant help it if you pennsyltuckians cant drive...

No doubt!!! Good one.. LOL

[IAH Titan]

Originally Posted by Stomper4x4

Yes, the HIR bulbs are a lot brighter and need to be aim down a little more than what the correct aim should be to begin with.......

Hi Stomper,

Just curious where you purchased your HIR bulbs... I've found them on ebay, but was interested to know if you found them in a retail establishment - TIA ~ John

[Tony]

good article on HIRs:
http://bmwz.org/articles/lighting/0506trick/

Toshiba makes them too
http://www.hirheadlights.com/special.htm

Informative lighting forum:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/216460?it=1

[Stomper4x4]

IAH Titan,
There hard to find retail and when you do there pricy. I got them here. $34 each

http://www.candlepowerinc.com/?url=2

[IAH Titan]

Stomp,

Thanks for the quick reply. 2 questions if I may:

1 - are they worth it? (I know you have to re aim your headlights - I think mine are too low now already.)

2 - My last car was a '03 Miata and the cut off on the top of the beam pattern was pretty drastic (straight) when ever I went over a bump the cars coming toward me would think I was flashing them - on the research I have done tonight on the internet some sites recommended that if your car doesn't have theat drastic type of beam cutoff that there will still be too much glare - so after reaiming your headlights is there still improvement??

The reason I am even considering the switch is because I am dissapointed with the headlights on this truck - I have to drive around with my high beams on half the time.

[Stomper4x4]

There's nothing else out there I would recommend bulb replacement wise to boost your lighting. Tinted bulbs are junk. I checked my aim and I didn't think they needed adjustment, but I'm going to recheck them soon. The bights have more of an improvement. Remember, don't drive with your fogs on in clear conditions. This will improve your night vision. What you maybe not be happy with probably has more to do with the pattern than the brightness. Most cars use 9006//9005. Optics play a big role.

What I'm going to do in addition to the bulb upgrade:
Replace and rewire the fogs with Bosh Compact 100 Fog's. and add a matching set of Bosh Compact 100 Driving Lights mounted on the Bumper. I will also add some reverse lighting. Anything more than this would be for off-road only.