HID kit for SEL Premium Fog Lights.

[thaddyusmaximus]

I was wondering if any of you installed an HID kit for the fog lights on the SEL Premium? I was thinking about purchasing some for mine but was a little sketchy because it might melt some plastic since it seems to be just a bare bulb with no reflectors.

I also could not decide if I should get the super yellow (3000k) or should I match my headlights (6000K maybe?).

Any help is greatly appreciated.

TIA

[58kafer]

Go the coolest you can go temp wise, if not you might melt the housings. Not to mention they are not projector housings. I'd say to get a Silverstar set of fog bulbs instead, zero risk that way.

[pefer]

I installed an el-cheapo $40 ebay set of 35W 4300K (not blueish, not yellow either) HIDs in my projector fogs in the caravan.

Findings:

- Do not drive with these on against traffic, or cars in front of you, for it is blinding!
- A bit of the plastic chrome did flake off on top portion. That was initially, not any worse since then.
- Only on when driving at fast speed, helps cool housing, that's my thinking anyway.
- Excellent for interstate/country roads travel (again being respectful of other drivers), when it's on, you can see well peripherally into the bushes, notice way more deers lurking around.

6000k will look somewhat blueish, not good in my opinion.
Halogen headlights are closer to 4000K, OEM HIDs ~4500K.

[artnmshn]

Agreed! purchased a 35w kit from hidxenonheadlights.com and they warped chrome around the bulb, also eventually cracked the lens. I replaced the lenses and just put in yellow fog bulbs, looks nicer and doesnt produce the annoying glare back at me in inclement weather. Recommend NOT doing the HIDs

[nater]

Go the coolest you can go temp wise, if not you might melt the housings. Not to mention they are not projector housings. I'd say to get a Silverstar set of fog bulbs instead, zero risk that way.

"coolest temp" refers to color, not actual temperature.
Temperature of bulb does not change no matter what "temp" of light you get.

Actual heat temp is lower than a halogen bulb as all OEM hids are 35 watts. Halogens are 55. Watts (simplifying things here) are what generates the "temperature heat".

[58kafer]

"coolest temp" refers to color, not actual temperature.
Temperature of bulb does not change no matter what "temp" of light you get.

Actual heat temp is lower than a halogen bulb as all OEM hids are 35 watts. Halogens are 55. Watts (simplifying things here) are what generates the "temperature heat".

Fully aware of that, but I meant actual tempwise, not color, guys are melting housings on Chrysler vans when upgrading to HIDS or perhaps it's HID look-a-likes in them. I'm also assuming that some of these guys are putting in so called HID bulbs into their fogs that are not actually HID bulbs. If your not wiring up a ballast they're not HID's. Just take a look on eBay for a HID foglight and you see bulbs with a blue coating being packaged as HID's, some of which I have seen over 55watts, the stocker fogs on the vans are 45 watts and from 2010-2012 they are government mandated 25 watt bulbs (supposedly) . Here's a great link Ebay HID Bulb. Wow, there are so many inconsistencies in the packaging and description it's unreal?? And come on, $13 and free shipping for HID bulb's, that should be the first red flag. Most people don't read the packaging or description. I would assume that most guys are putting these into their fogs and are what's causing the problems.

The newer 2011/2012 Chrysler vans(not the Routan) actually have projector housings for the fogs so upgrading them would be a snap since they SHOULD have the correct "cutoff" for the light and hopefully a better manufactured housing, but they still put halogens in them from the factory not HID's.

Perhaps a lower quality HID doesn't run as cool, not all HID's are created equally, they gotta cheap out somewhere. Halogens use a filament that generates heat to create light where HID's use electricity to charge Xenon gas which gives off photons to generate the light. Sorry, with an engineering background I tend to over analyze things, I was only trying to help the guy from having to buy new housings or keep from melting the fascia off his van. Thanks for bringing that to light(no pun intended) I should have been clearer upfront.

What ever you decide, just be careful, these housings are cheap.

Here's another good one, 80 watt fog bulbs sure to melt your bumper
Gratuitous Face Melter

[Chedman13]

I had HID in my fogs of another car.

I'm not sure how the Routan fairs in projection of a HID bulb in a halogen housing, but I'm guessing on-coming traffic won't be happy.

I really don't know though.

If I did it, I'd take the fog lamp out, retro-fit a projector lens into it.

If I get some time, I probably will. Halogen fogs don't do much, especially when you have HID headlights.