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Lighting/vision problem

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Accessories & Modifications' started by DJL, Jan 18, 2012.

  1. DJL

    DJL Junior Member

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    I have a 2006 model with the plain black grille (no factory aux. lights). I drive around an area of San Francisco where people suddenly appear in crosswalks or cyclists come flying through with no lights, and I end up slamming on the brakes. The standard quartz headlights just don't help me see to the sides, or in the immediate vicinity. One local shop suggested installing an aftermarket HID kit, for about $290. Another shop suggested replacing the quartz bulbs with better (Sylvania?) ones. Another one is offering to install a fog light kit if I buy the fogs myself.

    I've read here that the factory aux. lights aren't any good. I noticed on Amazon that there are some narrow, rectangular fog lights from various companies that are very good. I was wondering if they could be installed behind the plastic slats of the lower grille, or whether the side pieces of the grille could simply be taken off and replaced with rectangular lights.

    What is the best course of action here? Better headlights or aftermarket aux/fog lights? Can anybody recommend particular brands/kits?

    Thank you,
    Don
     
    #1 DJL, Jan 18, 2012
  2. cnschult

    cnschult Active Member

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    yes its true fog lamps won't help you see down the road, they do light up the sidewalk a little better in my opinion. I once saw on the PIAA website that they use a 60 degree spread in their fogs, a 30 degree spread for low beams and a 15 degree spread for hi beams, that may or may not be industry standard, but HIDs will see approx 40% down the road farther, but this is an expensive upgrade, and it seems you need a good set of fog lamps. LEDs may look cool and people can see you, but I seriously doubt they'll cast any real light onto the sidewalks, I'd stick to halogens.

    I personally prefer PIAA over Hella, just remember to always wear gloves so your finger oils don't get onto any bulbs to diminish their life. They do make rectangular lamps, I even had one with a dual function for fog (yellow) and driving (blueish white) on my Rodeo, you can even get small round ones to put on your bumper, but then you need stripes on your hood and you would have to paint your wheels, mirrors and roof white ;-)
     
    #2 cnschult, Jan 18, 2012
  3. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    How much would they charge for a cowcatcher? :mod:

    Also, after the Feds mandate noisemakers for all Pri, get a recording of a semi truck using its Jake brake to slow down, people will move when they hear you coming. :D

    The stock fogs are completely useless for helping you see anything, but you can use the same space to put in real lights.
     
    #3 kenmce, Jan 18, 2012
  4. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    If you really want to see better at the sides of the roadway then you cannot go wrong with a true projector retrofit from TheRetroFitSource.com. It is an expensive option if you have to pay for the retrofit but nothing else compares to the brightness, width of beam and throw distance all without blinding oncoming traffic like you would with a cheap HID kit in halogen housings. Expect to spend approx. $250 for parts including a cheap HID kit. If you have to pay for the retro then it could cost an additional $400 in labor. Even the GenIiI LED headlamps are not as bright as a good set of projectors with high quality HID bulbs.

    Whatever you do please avoid dropping HIDs into your halogen housing. It's not safe for anyone and will actually reduce your long distance night vision.

    Click on the link in my sig for more info on projectors.
     
    #4 F8L, Jan 18, 2012
  5. DJL

    DJL Junior Member

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    RE: How much would they charge for a cowcatcher?

    ...has anybody done a modification to the front air dam? Maybe decorated with LEDs? :) The idea has some merit, although the police down at the GG park station may not be as appreciative.

    Every day it's some new hazard on my drive to swim practice...I'm getting neurotic about it :(

    I think I am going to try some narrow rectangular fogs. In addition, I will upgrade the headlights with the Phillips halogen bulbs that I read about in another thread. The RetroFitSource projector beams sound great, but it's too much for my budget.

    Thanks for the tips, everybody.
     
    #5 DJL, Jan 19, 2012
  6. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    DDM Tuning sent me an email listing some new LED offroad lights that may work for your situation. I'm not sure how they would affect oncoming traffic.
     
    #6 F8L, Jan 19, 2012
  7. Daves09prius

    Daves09prius Active Member

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    This is a link to another post on upgrading the headlights.

    http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ent-halogen-headlight-bulbs-our-vehicles.html

    I have the Philips x-treme bulbs, http://www.philips.co.uk/c/car-lamps/14238/cat/ They are the brightest bulb I've seen without spending a lot of money to convert to HID. Here is the link to amazon.com. I've found that this is the cheapest place to get them from. http://www.amazon.com/dp/product/B00480FIMI?tag=priuschatcom-20 you do add additional led lights keep us updated. I'm interested in doing the same thing since I don't have the fog lamps either.
     
    #7 Daves09prius, Jan 19, 2012
  8. DJL

    DJL Junior Member

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    Yes, that is the Phillips bulb that I ordered, based on the thread that you mentioned.

    I also ordered two sets of fog lights, figuring I would return whichever the shop said that they didn't want to install. One of them was very reasonably priced and got great reviews for illumination, but it had a tendency to fill up with water during rainstorms (Optilux 1450). The other one looks more like the Prius OEMs but may not fit in the same slot (Pilot PL-330C).
     
    #8 DJL, Jan 20, 2012
  9. DJL

    DJL Junior Member

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    Yes, that is the Phillips bulb that I ordered, based on the thread that you mentioned.

    I also ordered two sets of fog lights, figuring I would return whichever the shop said that they didn't want to install. One of them was very reasonably priced and got great reviews for illumination, but it had a tendency to fill up with water during rainstorms (Optilux 1450). The other one looks more like the Prius OEMs but may not fit in the same slot (Pilot PL-330C).

    What is the rationale for LEDs? The DDM site indicates that "These Fog Light bulbs are for color matching purposes only. Will not provide adequate light on ground due to differences in focal points of LEDs and original halogen bulbs."
     
    #9 DJL, Jan 20, 2012
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