Fog Lite Retrofit with SMDs & Eagle eye & Euro signals, Finally completed with pics Options

[dangrouche]

Finally completed a retrofit, that I am happy with, of modifying the fog lites using SMDs to serve as Daytime Running Lights. Here is my previous thread on this:

http://www.914world.com/bbs2/index.php?showtopic=227721

The best thing about it, I can restore to OEM, as long as I don't lose the bulb shield that I had to remove from the reflector lamp.

Here the parts used
1. 90mm SMD angel eye from eBay ($14). The SMDs are type 5050, not the more common 3528 SMDS. (Based on my 2/19/14 posting below, I surmise 3528 SMDs will still yield a very good result.)
2. The eagle eyes were from Banggood.com. ($6) Both items were shipped from China. so these parts took about a month to acquire. Had to file down the front of the eagle eye to fit flush against fog lamp lens. (In hindsight, I could have added some clear 1/4" clear square plexigas piping instead of filing down the "cornea" of the eagle eye so that the eye laid flat against the back of the fog lense)
3. The mounting platform was was a 4" pre-cut 1/8" disc of plexiglas from the local plastic store and it cost about $5 for the pair. Total cost of this project is $25 bucks. Attached angel eye to the disc with zip ties.

The only tricky part once the reflector housing shield was removed, was how to ensure the light assembly contraption stayed flush to the glass. For this, I used a coil spring that was placed on the shaft of the eagle eye and it pressed on the most rearward portion of the relector, aka the "retina" of the lamp housing. I applied pressure to the reflector as I re-installed the four tensioning springs. I connected the leads from the eagle eye to the angel eyes in parallel and connected it to the leads that ordinarily contacted the OEM fog bulb, and I basically used push-on connectors to link up the OEM wiring to the SMD LED leads. Basically a coil spring slightly longer than the depth of the reflector housing.

I no longer have fog lites, and now the fog light switch serves as a daytime running light switch. I did the headlamp/fog light switch hack which permits the use of the fog lites regardless of whether the headlights are on or off. IMHO, I think it looks pretty cool, and I am not just tooting my own horn.

Also awaiting my Euro front lenses, and from the previous thread cited above, I have SMDs lighting up the lower portion of the housing. So whenever the ignition is on, the lower portion of the front signal bucket is lit up with 5050 SMDs.

[dangrouche]

okay, took it for a ride, but it does not illuminate as one might expect, it blazes!!
As I was driving tonight, I saw every tom dick and harry having their fogs on, and here in the bay area, its clear with visibility for a mile. you get the message. Once I turn on my fogs, it blazes the 6000K spectrum with as much brillance as everyone else needlessly using theirs. Let me say this, when I turn these on, they announce my presence.

I also got my front euro signal lenses from AutoAtlanta today, so my SMDs mod in the signal housings worked out really well. The modified fog lights should serve well as daytime running lights and will definitely make me seen at night when I am coming up behind other cars.

top pic shows headlights only, no camera flash
next down shows headlights plus SMDs, no camera flash
next down shows the SMDs only, no camera flash
fourth pic down shows the blaze, no camera flash
fifth pic down shows the blaze, with camera flash on

Since I did not take pics of the illumination with the OEM fogs, anyone out there can turn theirs on from about 20 feet back from their garage door and make their own comparison.