LED fog lights for cars is a must-have lighting solution that is still not mainstream. Fog lights help us maintain our visibility during adverse weather conditions. Such as rain, hail, snow, and fog, among others. These conditions themselves aren’t as harmful as the visibility issues that they cause. Which is a result of light refracting due to the presence of millions of tiny particles in its way.
You can solve this by using LED fog lights for cars. LED lights are often considered better than halogen lamps. Because they can deliver a lot more lighting output, while also being more efficient at it. This not only puts less load on your car’s electrical system. But also translates to much more usable light. Which is vital in bad driving conditions.
How do fog lights work?
Before we get into which LED fog light would suit you best, let us learn a bit more about fog lights and how they work. Fog lights are present beneath the traditional headlights and have a tapered edge on the top. This is to ensure that the light doesn’t pass into the line of sight of oncoming cars.
When fog occurs, it is essentially a cloud of cold air that is hanging near the ground. There is a space between the ground and the fog, but it isn’t as visible. Because any light that passes through the fog is either refracted or reflected. Causing the visibility to drop down drastically.
In these conditions, you don’t need a big bright light that has a wide spread, but gets diffused. But a smaller more directed beam that shines the space between the fog and the ground. This space is generally 12-24 inches above the ground. Which is the level of most fog lamps as well. This is what makes them so effective. As the light in this region goes straight forward, without getting deflected.
Difference between Halogen Fog Lamps and LED Fog Lamps?
We all know by now that LED lights are great for car lighting solutions. Yet there is a reason why we don’t always talk about LED fog lights for cars. The reason behind this is the general skepticism about the value of blue light in fog lamps. It is not that it is any worse at illuminating the area. In fact, the wide beam is often considered more valuable for peripheral vision.
But it is also said that the color causes more glare in bad weather conditions. This happens due to the way different kinds of lights react to the presence of fog and our eyes. Colors like blue, indigo and violet have short wavelengths. They focus on the front of your eyes. So, when this kind of light reflects from all sides due to fog. It becomes irritating to the eyes.
Yellow light on the other hand is easier for our eyes to process. It also doesn’t get reflected as much. While this helps in terms of glare, it also can be a negative in terms of general lighting. As the same colors that glare more, also produce more visible light. That can go farther, and be seen by other people more easily. Which in turn increases the safety factor of everyone on the road.
Another aspect where LED lights make more sense is longevity and reliability. LEDs produce less heat and have better cooling systems. They also waste a lot less energy than halogen bulbs. And generally last a lot longer. This makes them a safe investment, even if it seems expensive at first.
Which LEDs to use for Fog Lamps?
Now that you know why LED fog lights for cars are a good idea. We can start looking at the different options available. You can start with basic stock replacement LEDs. OSRAM’s LEDriving series bulbs are a good example. They can easily replace H8/H10/H11/H16 bulbs. As well as the PSX24W ones. While they may be a bit more expensive than regular halogens. They make up for it by being almost 10 times as efficient.
If you need more usable light, you can go for second gen OSRAM’s. They are offered under the same product name. Even though these LEDriving fog lamps have 25% better luminous flux tolerance. Which is a fancy way of saying the light is more usable across the spectrum.
These second gen LEDs also have better thermal performance. Thanks to an in-built high-efficiency fan. In addition, OSRAM focuses on creating an even light distribution. So, this range of LED bulbs don’t cause a lot of glare. One of the issues that people worry about when upgrading their fog lamps.
This extra bit of performance and efficacy comes at a cost. But only a bit more. As the first gen uses around 9W of power. While the second gen needs around 12W. Both of these are still a lot lower than halogens. Which can demand upto 100W depending on the brand.
Both ranges offer a crisp 6000K cool white light. Which matches most modern LED and HID headlights. Matching the color tone of your lighting setup is important. As it helps create a bigger lightstage. With smaller components covering the gap left by the main lights. Without looking out of place.
You can find these LED bulbs at your nearest service shop. And they can easily replace existing bulbs without much tinkering. The bulbs themselves come with a 3 year guarantee for the first gen LEDs. And a 4 year guarantee for the second gen LEDs. This is much higher than traditional halogens. Which need to be replaced every 2 years or so.
All these factors make LED fog lights a value for money upgrade. Even though using them will probably still void your car’s warranty. So, make sure you learn about your local laws. Before starting your lighting upgrades.