HID FOGS AND HEADS AND INTERIOR SHOTS

I just don't border to flash those with HID in non-projector headlights and fog lights. They just don't care they are putting glare into on coming cars and illegal.

 

Oh, sheesh. I just noticed that the pics the OP posted shows his license plate quite clearly. And wouldn't you know, he lives in Hawaii, which means he might be one of those people blinding me with the glare from their lights.

OP, you might want to edit out your license plate from your pics you've posted on a public forum. Just some advice from one fool to another.

 

Yeah, sad but that is the case. Like the OP, they take the Ainokea (I No Care/ I Don't Care) attitude.

 

Aionokea, hahaha, first time I've heard/seen that one.

 

Yeah, funny but sad at the same time. There are bumper stickers and window decals that read:

"AINOKEA" and below it in smaller print "I do what I like".

 

It's refracted light... if I backed my car up another 10 feet it wouldn't be bouncing off the white driveway and shining higher... same thing would happen if you drive over a puddle... But I'm sure with all of your light knowledge, you already knew that.

 

That would be reflected, not refracted. Refraction is when light is bent going through something of different density than air. Think of the classic Pink Floyd album covershot for Dark Side of the Moon. The one with the prism, where the light is being bent as it passes through the prism.

And no, I don't think all of the light is due to reflected light off your driveway.

How can you not admit that lacking a physical cutoff shield, the reflector based foglight will always throw up stray light off the lower surface of the reflector at a high angle?

SCH-I535

 

If that were true, then in the OP's pictures, the glare would be coming from the ground in front of the car, not the foglights. However, you can clearly see that the glare and lens flare is coming off the foglights themselves.

SCH-I535

 

Stupid fat fingers and auto-correct. But you knew what I meant and I'll take another picture when I get a chance and show you what I'm talking about.

It does throw up light, but then so do the headlights... that have a cut-off... which by your theory shouldn't happen... It just doesn't throw up direct light which is when you are starting to piss off other drivers.

 

All I see in the OPs picture is an awful cell phone camera that shows a halo... that's the camera. I see the same "flare" coming from the headlights, but the cut-off prevents that, doesn't it?

 

Here's a diagram that shows the difference between a projector light and a reflector light:



The projector based light is depicted in the diagram on the right. It has two components that are not in the reflector based light shown on the left. A physical cutoff shield and a lens that focuses the light (by refracting it ) before it leaves the light assembly. These two additional components is why a properly designed projector light has a sharp, defined cutoff when projected against a wall.

The diagram for the reflector based light on the left has been simplified to show where the glare comes from. Namely the light that is coming off the lower reflector surface and exiting at a high angle. There is no physical cutoff shield in a reflector based light that prevents this stray light from being reflected out of the housing. Additionally, there is no proper lens to focus or bend the light back down to eliminate or attenuate this high angle light. There is no sharp, well defined cutoff when projecting a reflector based light against a wall.

You can argue all day that your reflector based lights don't give off high angle glare, but it is physically impossible for them not to. It is an inherent flaw built into the system. It is what it is and there is nothing you can do or say that that will change it as long as you leave it in it's present form.

Placing louvers or shutters over the foglights that physically prevent light from leaving the foglights at a high angle would be just about the only way to prevent glare from coming out of the reflector based foglights.

 

Just a little FYI, the NHTSA has received numerous complaints about glare from motorists who drive around with auxilliary lights on (foglights, driving lights, unattenuated DRLs, etc.) and are looking into the situation.

Don't believe me?

Here's a document from their website that says so. Section 2.4 specifically adresses foglights (HIDs in section 2.2). I know you're not the only one driving around with illegal HIDs fitted into lighting systems that weren't designed for them, but it seems there are enough of these people out there and there have been complaints. To be fair, there are complaints against those who drive around with halogen foglights on when conditions don't warrant their use as well.

So don't be surprised if the government (federal or local) passes a law someday that makes the use of these "auxilliary" lights illegal except for offroad use, or only under specific conditions (rain, fog, etc).

 

I believe that plenty of fog lights shine high enough that it can be an issue. My neighbors car shines straight up, so I get it. I'm just saying that ours aren't blinding... even with the HIDs.

Most peoples headlights shine more light directly into the eyes than these do even when reflected. I can stand in front of my car and not be blinded. I can't do that with my old Saturn.

 

Have enough hairs been split here?

Can the OP please list the parts used/process for install in the original post or a link. I read all of this arguing about refracted lights and I still don't have any idea what kit/setup the OP is using in the headlights.
Have you modified the high-beams at all?

 

Is there a link to the kit? How hard was the install?

 

Install of the headlights is simple. The fogs are more difficult, but still pretty easy. Just remove the inner fender and the fogs are right in the wheel well.

 

What colour fog lights are you using? In real fog 2500K is the best colour for visibility but I can only find pretty blues 5000k and up. Why do people put looks above practicality or are the blue / higher colour lamps cheaper to make>?