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Old 01-12-2009, 10:36 PM
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svxcess svxcess is offline
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Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Westminster, MD
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Re: HID's and snow/fog driving?

I have the 5000K HIDs in both my projector low beams AND my fog lights. I was wondering how they would be in bad weather, since they were not auto leveling and thought about being able to disable ONLY the headlight circuit at will

[COLOR="Red"]REASONING:[/COLOR]

I did not know how the new HID system would operate in snowy weather from a standpoint of reflected glare from the snow back into my eyes or those of oncoming traffic. Since I drive quite a bit slower during these times, my need to see very far down the road with the headlights is decreased.


Putting H-3 HIDs into the fog lights, I would be able to use them as auxiliary headlights to still shine on the road adequately and not bother other drivers. I would turn these on with only the parking lights, leaving the main headlights off. They should be bright enough to adequately see, while also being bright enough to be seen by oncoming traffic.



I did a test last winter when there was snow on the ground and light snow falling.

I parked my SVX on a straight, deserted road with only my low-beam headlights on and walked about 500 ft. from the car and looked back at my car. I also sat in my car and looked out at the road to see what kind of visibility I had.

I then repeated the same tests, by disconnecting my headlights and using ONLY my HID fog lights.


CONCLUSION: I had better visibility using only the fog lights than using the headlights.

Using only the fog lights, I had more useful illumination on the ground before me and a good distance and no glare from the falling snow. In fact, all I could see was the road ahead of me and hardly any falling snow. You tend to drive slower during snow, so I never out-drove the distance I was illuminating.

Looking back at the SVX from 500 feet away There was a lot more noticeable glare, (from both the scattering of the light pattern in the falling snow and from the reflection from the snow-covered road, when I used the headlights by themselves.

When I used ONLY the fog lights, I could still see them more clearly, but the glare was greatly reduced.


So when driving at night in bad winter weather, I use only my fogs. I can see more efficiently and be seen as well by oncoming drivers, without distracting glare to them, or me from reflected snowfall. They look like normal headlights from the front (only closer together) With the headlights disconnected, I also lose high-beam capabilities, which is something you do not need in this kind of weather anyway.

So I can see and be seen, without the threat of blinding glare. Once we get snow here this winter, I will take comparison photos to show you what I mean.

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1996 Polo Green LSi #216..138,100 miles...SOLD

JFICX8659TH100216.....Date of Manufacture: November 16, 1995.....
Fuji Heavy Industries..Ōta North Plant....Ōta City,. Gunma Prefecture, Japan

In-Service Date: January 2, 1997



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HID lighting (5000K) for headlight and H3 fog lights, PIAA SuperExtreme 120W high beams, rebuilt EG33 longblock, Cometic head gaskets, Phase II flexplate, AMR aluminum radiator with custom silicone hoses, 160A high-output alternator in aluminum-ceramic coated case, new design alternator wiring upgrade v.4, rare factory headlight protectors, refinished JDM BBS mesh aluminum wheels and custom, polished billet aluminum new hex center caps, LED grille mod, R1 Concepts high-carbon cryo slotted rotors, Akebono ceramic pads, Goodridge S/S braided brake lines, Smallcar Stage 1 shift kit, ThermalTech aluminum/ceramic-coated valve covers, Energy Suspension urethane front & rear swaybar bushings, Bontrager22 rear swaybar with QS Components Chromoly Teflon/Kevlar endlinks, "$15.00/5 minute" suspension mod. Hella Supertone horns, Custom stainless steel exhaust system with 2" headpipes, Magnaflow cats, AeroTurbine AR25 resonator /AWD "Bullet" muffler.


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2014 Hyundai Avante Limited ...178,000 miles. Actually quieter and smoother than the Outback

2007 Mazda Miata MX-5 PRHT...102,000 miles.
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Last edited by svxcess; 01-12-2009 at 10:55 PM.
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