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mOomOo
24-01-2004, 08:47 PM
Does anyone know how to remove the globes out of the fog lights? Had a quick look today and couldn't see any sort of easy access...

Am wanting to upgrade the bulbs to something that will actually be of any use if they are needed in... eg... fog... :)

Has anyone else done this? I was thinking if the stock one's are 55watt (I think that's what the manual said) that 100watt would probably do the trick...??


(sorry if this is the wrong section of the forums, but bodykits was the only thing that vagually related to this section of the car) :roll:

Cosmo Dude
24-01-2004, 09:00 PM
Mmmmm, the brighter the light the more the fog reflects (or something like that)

twilightprotege
24-01-2004, 09:33 PM
there is an easy way and a hard way - easy way = remove the bumper bar. hard way...urrr...remove the bumper bar ;)

stock are H3 55watt bulbs. if you go for a higher wattage bulb, it'll just burn out much quicker

mOomOo
24-01-2004, 10:05 PM
Just the bulb will burn out quicker? There not an item that gets used that often so burning them out quicker won't really make alot of difference I would have thought... :)
would mazda change them if I asked them to during a service?

pr1mo
24-01-2004, 11:33 PM
hey moo moo, welcome to the forums. slightly OT but we have a melbourne members meet early next month!

cheers mike

pr1mo
24-01-2004, 11:34 PM
hey moo moo, welcome to the forums. slightly OT but we have a melbourne members meet early next month!

cheers mike

twilightprotege
25-01-2004, 03:59 PM
mazda wont change them to a bulb that's not designed for it...anyway, you'll get a sh!tty bulb and they'll charge you the earth for it

Cosmo Dude
25-01-2004, 06:56 PM
What sort of globes do you intend to use and when???

mOomOo
26-01-2004, 07:15 PM
Not sure, that's also a reason for posting here :)
The when part... not sure if your refering to time of lighting them up or when to install them ;) but for driving at night when no one else is around in the country? and also heavy fog conditions....

I did however find a how to guide on getting into your fog light globes:
http://www.protege5.com/vbb230/showthread.php?s=641e2fc551d67e24961819e45931f0d4& threadid=3660
Will have to give this a go when I get some time

Cosmo Dude
26-01-2004, 07:27 PM
but for driving at night when no one else is around in the country? and also heavy fog conditions....


As I said previously the more light you turn on in the fog the more reflection you will get and the shorter your vision will be... as for the driving in the country you would be best installing better quality main lamps and leaving the "FOG" lamps as they are

mOomOo
26-01-2004, 07:31 PM
Aren't the fog lights angled so they only send light straight along... more so at the ground... not high so that they don't reflect back at the driver so much...

Have you used the stock sp20 fog lights in fog? they don't do anything... I see them more as a be seen... not a help see type device... Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought they should be quite bright but keeping the light low. :?

Cosmo Dude
26-01-2004, 07:51 PM
I've been there and done that, lights high and low pointing down and straight ahead, yellow and clear. No I don't drive an SP20 nor do I drive a BJ, I earnt my stripes in a FA4 323 and currently drive a BA.
When light hits fog it will defuse and light goes everywhere, more light = more defusion and more reflection = less vision.
In fog, without radar, slow is the way to go.

mOomOo
26-01-2004, 07:58 PM
Oh yes... definatly agree with the slow is the way to go when you reach fog...

I don't drive alot in fog... (like once or twice a year!) :P

So was just thinking of ways to help in the fog, and possibly give a tiny bit more light at night when you would normally also have the high beams on... (no fog) SP20 high beams tend to be quite narrow and high... :? Wider would be good!

Cosmo Dude
26-01-2004, 08:35 PM
OK, now we are getting there.
From what you are describing you need aircraft landing lights... 5" lights with 250w each. You will need to fabricate mounts but you will be able to blind budgies from a mile away, and yes they are not legal.

You will also need to upgrade your alternator to cope with the extra load

mOomOo
27-01-2004, 04:40 PM
Woo Hoo... just the advice I was after... Thanks ..|..

Sorry... I'm not that much of a smart ass... was just contemplating cheapish mods that could potentially help with safety...

Oh well... Nothing will probably come of this...

Cosmo Dude
27-01-2004, 04:44 PM
You just want realy bright lights. I knew that from the start but I wanted you to know it as well :P

mOomOo
21-02-2004, 12:06 PM
Well how about changing them into being driving lights :P
So... Bright lights... but only come on when you turn on your high beam?

Would this be worth it? Or would it not give you any more light to see with and be better off upgrading the high beam lights?

twilightprotege
21-02-2004, 09:38 PM
piaa make driving light replacements for our fogs - see www.nopionline.com

in terms of being worth it - how often do you use your high beams? i use my low beams 99% of night driving. fog lights help for sure and that's what i'm sticking with.

mOomOo
22-02-2004, 07:47 AM
I use my high's quite a bit... do a bit of country driving. Have only driven about 3 -4 times in the fog. The current fogs didn't seem to do anything? perhaps I'm not using them right? do you run the fogs without other lights? or run the fogs with low beam lights on as well in fog?

*nudges kitty for silly question time*

twilightprotege
22-02-2004, 11:25 AM
i run the fogs when i run the low beams all the time. if you aim them correctly the fill quite a lot of places that the low beams miss. i find it gives a very very good beam coverage

MrShadow
22-02-2004, 08:36 PM
From what you are describing you need aircraft landing lights... 5" lights with 250w each. You will need to fabricate mounts but you will be able to blind budgies from a mile away, and yes they are not legal.


Just read this...funny as, nearly had to get a change of pants... :oops: :oops:

As for fogs, they're not designed to light up the road in fog. They are mainly designed to reflect off cats eyes and the lines on the road. What you are looking for are points of light reflecting off the cats eyes/lines. Of course, driving in the country, there may be no cats eyes/lines, so...

I actually use mine more as driving lights, as they do show up areas that normal low beams miss, they also have a wider spread. Of course, using fogs when you're not in fog is illegal, and if you get a smart ass cop, well. I should also mention, these are aftermarket fogs (55w) installed in a BA Hardtop, not an SP20, but the theory is still the same.

Oh, and never use your fogs on wet roads (unless, of course, there's fog). Even though (and also because) the lights are aimed low, the light WILL reflect off the shiny surface of the road and blind oncoming traffic, not good if oncoming traffic happens to be Mr Plod with a monkey up his arse.

Cosmo Dude
23-02-2004, 09:03 AM
OK, maybe I should've written 'what you want' not 'what you need' but read back to see where I was coming from.
I also didn't mention the strain on the wiring or the altenator that those lights would cause. 2 X 55W lamps at 12V draw about 9 Amps while 2 X 250W lamps at 12V draw over 40 Amps :shock:

MrShadow
23-02-2004, 09:58 AM
Aeroplane electricals draw a huge amount of power don't they? I think you'll find that most aviation electronics are 24V, but I'd guess that landing lights and other large current devices run off 120/240V AC (at least on larger passenger aircraft), but even so, they still draw massive amounts of power.

Cosmo Dude
23-02-2004, 10:52 AM
They are available in 12V, you've just gotta look around (had a pair on my old Datto 1600). I was using Watts law to calculate the figures.

theAsTiNa5TURBO
06-04-2004, 10:38 AM
hey man, i just did that on my car. you gotta remove the lower skirt cover. there's like maybe 3 hex screws. then the whole light unbolts from the chassis. after the light unit is out, take the back cover off the light. now you can replace the bulb. it's kind of a B*tch to do, but it's worth it....good luck

mOomOo
06-04-2004, 05:01 PM
So what wattage did you end up wacking in it?

What situations have u used it in? and the results? (I'm guessing good as you said it was worth it) :)

platypus
06-04-2004, 10:31 PM
laws state that you can use fogs alone, while parking globes are on... law also states you can drive with your fog lights on in adverse conditions....

i do the first one quite a lot, but you HAVE to SLOW, because you don't have the viewing distance, but you have clarity....

the second one i only do about twice a year, Mt White area of the freeway gets madly fogged up, esp at 11pm !!