Fog lights: Amber or Clear? Please share thoughts.

Thoughts on fog lights to go with HID headlights?

  • White HIDs

    Votes: 12 18.8%
  • Amber HIDs

    Votes: 42 65.6%
  • Stick with the stock halogens

    Votes: 10 15.6%

  • Total voters
    64

momo.75

Registered User
Since i upgraded my headlights to HIDs i couldn't be more happy.....as usual i can't leave things alone so i was thinking about switching my fogs to HIDs . I am 50/50 on the clear vs amber lights. I completely understand that the amber is better for bad weather. I just wanted to see what you guys thought and have experience with. Thanks in advance
 
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. I completely understand that the amber is better for bad weather.

I didn't vote because I don't actually know which is best. But if they're FOG lights, and fog is bad weather, didn't you answer your own question?

Over on HidP, the consensus for effective fog lights (used in fog - not for posing) is amber halogens.

But since vision in fog is totally subjective, you'll not get your question answered here. Opinions? yes.

Quoting from Daniel Stern:

"Good (and legal) fog lamps may produce white or Selective Yellow light—it is the beam pattern, not the light colour, that defines a fog lamp—and most of them use tungsten-halogen bulbs though there are some legitimate (and a lot of illegitimate) LED fog lamps beginning to appear. Xenon or HID bulbs are inherently unsuitable for use in fog lamps, and blue or other-colored lights are also the wrong choice".
 
I like my white LED replacement fogs lights.

They offer excellent visibility in fog as well as (IMO) look better than yellow fogs when lit viewing from the front of the T4R.
Just personal preference!
 
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Hey Morris, I had the same question back when I decided on some HID's. I feel like knowing your "style" you will probably be happier with the white. Because you are looking for the classier look. And i'm going to make the assumption, you haven't had many fog issues in the past with your stock halogens, the HID's will be better than the halogens.

PM me, I have some 35w DDM's i could hook you up with to try if you wanted.
 
Yep, in the end i know i would be happier with a classic look. I like the yellow lights on some cars/trucks but on some vehicles they look out of place. I have kind of looked into the LEDs as an option but keep reading mixed reviews of them.
 
I prefer amber/yellow light over white in fog/dusty silty conditions. The amber/yellow cuts through more effectively IMO
 
I prefer amber/yellow light over white in fog/dusty silty conditions. The amber/yellow cuts through more effectively IMO

X2 From what I have noticed ambers cut through thick fog better with less glare too. I am in the process of changing my acro fogs out to an amber led/hid bulb but the only reservation I have is the fact that I don't really want to look like these little rat racers... I guess this is one of those function over form things so I have to just put up with the look to get the benefits....
 
I have amber d2s in my fogs and I love them. If you can have the housing and everything clear and when you turn them on they're amber, I'd go that route. I'm not a big fan of yellow/orange covers or housings. Not to get off topic but since it seems ambers work better for bad weather situations, why don't manufacturers make their fogs amber? I always wonder this when I think my ambers are better or if I just like them and there's no difference.
 
Here's a different answer: It depends on what you use them for.

If poser lights - match the Kelvin of your headlights. Ppl running around with fogs on all the time look ricey, but if you must, they should match. JMHO.

If fog lights for use in poor conditions - Amber.
 
3000k all the way, but with true hid retrofitted lights, it's barely used now. Maybe do a dark yellow to Amber film and put 3000k bulb behind it to make it darker.
 
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Amber HID Optilux bulbs in my fogs, Amber PIAA foul weather beam lamps as well. Cuts through snow and fog extremely well.
 
Just a personal request for those of you who run fog lights full time. (They were not designed for this)
PLEASE, keep the damned things aimed properly!
In the past few years I find myself flashing my highs at oncoming cars more often due to their extremely aggressive fog lights, than their driving lights!
Yes, they flash back to show me they didn't have their high beams on, but how else can I let them know that there is something wrong with their light setup?
It seems it is becoming a major problem (where I live, anyway)
If people don't fix this, by properly aiming fog lights, not installing 20,000 lumen bulbs in the damned things, or just turning them off most of the time, then maybe it will get fixed through the enforcement of yet more laws. We shouldn't need this - just run without fogs, they don't improve long distance night vision over good (legal) headlights anyway.
Rant over!
 
Amber/yellow/3000k. I run 3000k HIDs on my 3rd-gen's OEM projector fogs and they do help in bad weather.

There is a scientific reason yellow works better,quoting the Daniel Stern lighting FAQ
Selective yellow light can improve a driver's ability to see in fog or rain or snow, but not because it 'penetrates fog better' or 'reflects less off droplets'. In fact it's because of the way the human eye processes different colours of light. Blue, indigo, and violet are difficult for the human optical system to process correctly. They are the shortest visible wavelengths and tend to focus in front of our retina rather than upon it. To demonstrate this to yourself, after dark find a deep blue storefront sign or blue lights on an airport runway or something else that's a deep blue light emitter against a dark background in the absence of white light—from any appreciable distance, it's almost impossible for your eyes to see the blue lighted object as a sharply defined form;the edges blur. The blur effect is not present with nearby signs or lights of colours other than blue

And I prefer the look of yellow fogs,maybe it's from the time I worked at Lexus,back then the GS300/400/430 models with OEM HID headlights came equipped with yellow foglights instead of clears.
 
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THatfield, those lights look great! I don't think I would be flashing my highs at you at all! Do you find those amber lights help cut through the fog?
 
Hey, I'm like 2 hours north of you! I would personally go with the yellow/amber ones. That's what I put on my 3rd gen and I like the way it looks and the added visibility in bad weather is just a plus.
 
I have been meaning to post what i ended up going with but was wanting to get some decent pics. I ended up going with TRS bulbs in the headlights and fogs. The fogs got the 3000 ambers. I have really been enjoying them especially with all the bad weather we have had. Wish my real camera would have been in the truck this morning.
 

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