Led Bulbs for Fog Lights Options

[Brian Fuerbach]

Direct fit, work great.

GENSSI 2x White BA20D H6 Motorcycle ATV Headlight Light Bulbs 12V

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H2W13G...=UTF8&psc=1

[Spoke]

I scoured the market for single contact bulb, and they do not exist. I dreamed up an inexpensive mod since I have a pair of OEM bulbs looking for some modifications so I desoldered them (OEM BA20S). I ordered a set of BA20D bulbs from eBay and will disassemble those to fit the OEM fog bulb socket. More to follow whenever I get the eBay bulbs. (https://www.ebay.com/itm/1x-H6-BA20D-DC-9V-85V-12W-White-COB-LED-Motorcycle-Hi-Lo-Beam-Headlight-Bulb-Hot/114109146891?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649)

It would be desirable to use the LED bulb as is if possible. Electrically you may be able to power both low and high settings by bridging both buttons together with solder or solder and a wire the powering both at the same time. If you did that with the LEDs I make then they would just light up brightly with no issues.

The only issue you might have is if the tabs on the side are at different heights. They do that with dual button bulbs so they are not installed backwards.

That LED bulb looks like it might be bonded to the base as they probably use the base metal as part of the heatsink.

[dangrouche]

Thanks Spoke and Mikey, my intended purpose is illumination as a daytime running light. Projection as as a traditional fog light is not what I was looking for. Just something that is visible during daytime as I rarely drive this car at night.

[ThinAir]

I'd be interested in LED bulbs for the Pilot fog light replacements. I love them, but they draw a lot of power.

I would be interested in making LED foglights for the Pilots but I don't know anything about the fixtures. Can the fixtures be opened up? Are they about the same size as the 914 foglight fixtures?

I'll check them in the next couple of days and let you know. I'd be happy to send one to you so you can figure out how to make them.

[eric9144]

I have BA20S LED's in my 2L, while they are exceedingly hard to find, they're really only good for daytime running lights as the light "spread" from them is pretty bad--when you have the incandescents in, note that the reflector forces a focused horizontal beam (ideal for lighting in fog), the LED seems to bypass the lens focus (same problem as most LED swaps) and the light casts wildly out without focus. While this is great for that LED 'look' and is great for daytime visibility, its not so usable at night as the light is probably going to be a problem for oncoming drivers.

[Spoke]

I'd be interested in LED bulbs for the Pilot fog light replacements. I love them, but they draw a lot of power.

I would be interested in making LED foglights for the Pilots but I don't know anything about the fixtures. Can the fixtures be opened up? Are they about the same size as the 914 foglight fixtures?

I'll check them in the next couple of days and let you know. I'd be happy to send one to you so you can figure out how to make them.

@ThinAir

If they open up I'd be glad to take a look at them and see if I can fit everything in. If I am successful in making a drop-in LED board, I'll give you a set for free for helping out.

[ThinAir]

I'd be interested in LED bulbs for the Pilot fog light replacements. I love them, but they draw a lot of power.

I would be interested in making LED foglights for the Pilots but I don't know anything about the fixtures. Can the fixtures be opened up? Are they about the same size as the 914 foglight fixtures?

I'll check them in the next couple of days and let you know. I'd be happy to send one to you so you can figure out how to make them.

@ThinAir

If they open up I'd be glad to take a look at them and see if I can fit everything in. If I am successful in making a drop-in LED board, I'll give you a set for free for helping out.

They do indeed open up. PM sent.

[FlacaProductions]

Yup - they open right up with one screw holding a band around the lens. Here's another pic to show scale relative to the stock grilles. The lenses are marked TOP.

You can see the clamp in this shot at the bottom of the fixture.

[Spoke]

Interesting that the glass lens has no fluting. Probably better as the LEDs have enough light dispersal w/o the extra dispersal of the fluting.

[Spoke]

Yup - they open right up with one screw holding a band around the lens. Here's another pic to show scale relative to the stock grilles. The lenses are marked TOP.

You can see the clamp in this shot at the bottom of the fixture.

@FlacaProductions
@ThinAir

I have Ernie's pilot fog light with me now. I guess I should have been a bit clearer about opening up the fixture. I can't seem to get the metal reflector apart from the glass lens. Do these 2 items come apart? I don't want to put too much pressure on the glass lens or use a screwdriver to pry them apart.

I can't tell if they are bonded or the gasket is old, brittle, and stuck on.

[ThinAir]

Yup - they open right up with one screw holding a band around the lens. Here's another pic to show scale relative to the stock grilles. The lenses are marked TOP.

You can see the clamp in this shot at the bottom of the fixture.

@FlacaProductions
@ThinAir

I have Ernie's pilot fog light with me now. I guess I should have been a bit clearer about opening up the fixture. I can't seem to get the metal reflector apart from the glass lens. Do these 2 items come apart? I don't want to put too much pressure on the glass lens or use a screwdriver to pry them apart.

I can't tell if they are bonded or the gasket is old, brittle, and stuck on.

That light has been on my car for about 10 years. I've never opened it up so I don't know about the internal construction. Is there glass between the outer "lens" and the bulb? If so then I would think it is just stuck in place from age since it would need to be removed to change the bulb. I'm thinking that a razor to cut through the seal would be what I would try. I would think it could be resealed.

[Spoke]

That light has been on my car for about 10 years. I've never opened it up so I don't know about the internal construction. Is there glass between the outer "lens" and the bulb? If so then I would think it is just stuck in place from age since it would need to be removed to change the bulb. I'm thinking that a razor to cut through the seal would be what I would try. I would think it could be resealed.

There are 4 parts to the Pilot fog light:
1) The rear support enclosure.
2) The ring holding the glass lens and metal reflector to the support enclosure.
3) The glass lens
4) the metal reflector and bulb holder/socket.

The glass lens and metal reflector are sealed with something that i can't get apart. The metal reflector has a lip that keeps the glass lens in place thus a razor knife cannot be inserted to cut whatever is holding the lens and reflector together.

I don't feel comfortable using a screwdriver or other utensil to try to pry the 2 apart. I'd rather you try to take apart the one you have they tell me how to separate the 2. I don't want to break your fog light.

I've encountered a foglight from a 911 where the glass lens and reflector seemed to be bonded together. I had to bail on trying to separate them.

[FlacaProductions]

That's interesting @Spoke - I'm pretty darned sure that the glass and the metal reflector should separate because this is the only way I accessed lamps when I changed them. They were still mounted in the car and I did it all from the front by just removing the metal band...releasing the glass.

YMMV but I appreciate your care of other people's stuff but I'm betting it's just fused in there after years of exposure to the elements.....

[ThinAir]

I won't be able to check my other light until later this week. I'll let you know what I learn.

[Spoke]

That's interesting @Spoke - I'm pretty darned sure that the glass and the metal reflector should separate because this is the only way I accessed lamps when I changed them. They were still mounted in the car and I did it all from the front by just removing the metal band...releasing the glass.

YMMV but I appreciate your care of other people's stuff but I'm betting it's just fused in there after years of exposure to the elements.....

@FlacaProductions

Thanks, good to know you were able to get inside one of these Pilot foglights.

Seems like a trend of not being able to open foglights.

Here's one from @Lg914 that appears to have some sort of glue or something holding the lens and reflector together. That little bit of glue/paste/RTV showing is hard as a rock. I've tried scraping it and cutting it to no avail. Not sure what to do with this stuff. I wonder if acetone would attack this stuff and not damage the reflector.

[FlacaProductions]

wonder if this is a result of people trying to seal them up in the past after maybe getting moisture in there or something? strange...

[eric9144]

@Spoke those are interesting--those look like the guts to the "5 bolt" (euro) driving lights vs the US Fogs--that rear bulb housing takes an H3 straight from the back vs the Fog that takes an incandescent up from the bottom. The lenses on those weren't fluted like the US fogs but were seemingly glued like a sealed beam. There's an oven method to separate them though I've never personally tried.

[Spoke]

@Spoke those are interesting--those look like the guts to the "5 bolt" (euro) driving lights vs the US Fogs--that rear bulb housing takes an H3 straight from the back vs the Fog that takes an incandescent up from the bottom. The lenses on those weren't fluted like the US fogs but were seemingly glued like a sealed beam. There's an oven method to separate them though I've never personally tried.

@eric9144

Thanks. The lens does appear to be bonded to the reflector. The white glue/epoxy seems professionally applied as it is very neatly done. The glue is hard as a rock. I can't chip it or slice it off.

The lens is larger than the standard 914 foglight lens and the bezel inside diameter is larger as well. The outer diameter is identical and the lens/bezel/reflector fits in the rear fixture. Notice how much thinner the H3 bezel on the right is compared to a standard 914 foglight bezel. The glass lens shown is a later 914 lens and just falls right into the H3 bezel.

Even the clips shown in an earlier post are different from the standard 914 clips (and 914rubber clips).

[ThinAir]

Hey Spoke - You are right about the lens being bonded to the reflector. I worked on my other light for quite awhile this morning and could never separate the two. It is some kind of silicone. I dug at it with a "dental probe", but could never get enough of it out to remove the lens.

It appears that if you need to change the bulb, you remove the screw on the back of the reflector and pull out the bulb assembly. Any LED solution that you come up with would have to go in the back in the same way.

[FlacaProductions]

You know what....i humbly apologize. This is what happens when you rely on memory and can't walk out to the garage to confirm what turns out to be an incorrect memory.

@ThinAir is correct - you undo the band to separate the fixture and replace the bulb from the rear. You do NOT separate the lens from the front of body....

Again - so sorry to chime in with bad info. Not cool.