Duc Hunter

I just had my headlights all polished up. The yellowing and deep cracks are gone, and they look factory fresh (started with 600 grit to remove the cracks, and worked my way up).

Every german car I have had (BMW, Audi) has pretty good fog lights. They tend to throw a lot of light low and close to the car. The ones in the Turbo are just miserable! I put new H3 bulbs in (yellow) and they barely throw any light. They throw as much light as my blinker. It looks like there is zero room inside the housing to replace the bulbs with HID bulbs (light I did in an Audi), or LED;s (like I did in my '75 911 Rat Rod). Adding high wattage H3's may work, but at $3,500/side for new assemblies (if the brighter bulbs wreck the insides) I am not chancing that.

Does anyone know a good way to get more light out of then fogs? Do the lenses (refracting part inside the assembly) ever need to be cleaned? Or do they just SUCK?

Dock

Are you finding that you don't have adequate forward lighting at night, or at night in the fog?

jumper5836

fog lights, who needs em

Turbodan

haven't turned them on yet...ever I don't think.
be sure to put a clear coat over the newly polished lenses or they will go back to foggy.

Duc Hunter

We put Opti-Coat on them. Its good stuff, puts back down a UV protection layer. I have seen lights done the same way with 1 coat of Opti-Coat that wee done a year ago, live outside in Florida and are fine. I also have some Xpel headlight protection covers to go on them. So I should be good.

Dock, good to hear from you again. More is always better in my opinion. My issue is that the fog lights do not seem to throw the light they should, as compared to many other cars I have and/or have driven. I do not have 25 996 Turbos though to compare, so I thought I would ask other owners here.

Freddie Two Bs

You must be one of those people who keep the high beams on all the time, too.

Macster

The fog lights in my 2002 Boxster are pretty good with the factory bulbs in them.

When on they light the road just ahead and to either side of the car. Great for driving in low visibility conditions.

The fog lights in my Turbo I can hardly tell they are on.

But the bi-xenon headlights are superb and really in my experience render the fog lights superfluous and I never use them unless I feel the need to have the rear fog light on.

Are you sure your Turbo headlights are properly adjusted?

Dock

More is not always better for the cars/trucks in front of you that have to deal with the light.

I personally find that using just the high beams provide more than enough illumination when used in good visiility conditions, and of course when other cars/trucks won't be negatively affected by the light. In foggy conditions, using high beams is counter productive, so either augumenting the low beams with the fog lights, or using just the fog lights in very foggy conditions, is the way to go (with greatly reduced speed of course).

My '02 996 Turbo is still using the OEM fog bulbs, and I find them to be appropriately suited for use in foggy conditions. I don't turn them on when they are not needed (read - "when it's not sufficiently foggy to use them"). The objective of fog lights is to produce low angle light to adequately illuminate the driving surface, while reducing the reflected glare from the fog itself. I think Porsche got them right.

Duc Hunter

Ok.....to reply to a few of you are once....

Dock

Yes, even if aimed properly. This is why driving around at night approaching other cars/trucks/motorcycles with highbeams illuminated can be dangerous, a bad idea, just flat rude, and may be against the law depending on the state. In Florida, drivers are not supposed to use their highbeams at night when within 500 feet of oncoming vehicles....even when the headlights are properly aimed.

Dock

They work well for me because I use them the way they were designed to be used; I don't have them on unless they are needed based on the weather conditions.

autobonrun

On highway trips through unlit areas I use my fog lights as a way to drastically improve the lighting to the front side area of my cars. The headlights do a good job of straight ahead lighting. My fogs probably add another 3-5 feet of good lighting off to the side.

Ever pass a deer standing on the side of the road while driving about 80 mph? Then you understand why any additional lighting that gives you advance notice is appreciated. I never have people flash me to cut off the fogs because they are adjusted low and wide to the road.

I need to try the turbo's fog lights, I haven't taken it out in a remote area at night; mostly city driving where there is plenty of lighting.

"02996ttx50

i drive in nearly continual pacific ocean fog and use mine more for others to see me ( better than those little run lights ) than for any significant amount of light they may throw which is negligible. i agree with the OP they dont seem to throw much light but make terrific drl's in fog lol

Freddie Two Bs

In CT too, yet most people drive with them on all the time with the utmost disregard. Drives me crazy.

Freddie Two Bs

If you're doing 80mph the fog lights will be of zero help by the time you see the deer (assuming they help you see the deer better, which is debatable).