The LED SAE J583 Fog Pod & Fog Light Review

I was sort of afraid that would be the killer. I’ve thought about trying to MacGyver something down in the front bumper fascia. But it seems like quite a project.

 

This is definitely a bad idea in this form. You would blind everyone forward of you whenever you turn on your signals and be a significant hazard on the road not to mention it would be illegal. Nothing on the street should be illuminated above the hood, many states require everything above the hood to be covered. Driving is a high beam pattern and should never be run with forward traffic. Combo includes flood, which is an off road only pattern and should not be used on the street, much less with any traffic.

The only way I’d suggest experimenting with a setup like this is to mount the lights low near the fog position like OEM cornering lights, and then use an SAE fog pattern so you have cut offs and are not blinding other drivers with your cornering lights whenever you have your signals on. Wouldn’t necessarily be legal, but it would be done in a way that isn’t hazardous.

 

The low mount was my original idea…. But I just haven’t been able to figure out an easy way to mount them. I’ve thought about bastardizing DD’s behind the grille light bar mount and putting two pods in there. But I just don’t know if I could get enough angle and illumination.

 

Might sound scary, but likely drilling and using a flush mount single SSC1 pod into the lower bumper. Trick would be proper aiming using a flush mount pod.

 

I sometimes just turn on my fogs for a second or two for some extra light to the sides if I’m headed into a blind corner.

 

So the idea would be cornering lights, and you would activate the left or right independently using the turn signal? It's an interesting idea but definitely don't think it would be legal, even if you used compliant lamps (for the reasons listed above, as well as not being allowed to have asymmetrical lights). Also would they flash along with the signal bulbs, or would you figure out how to convert an intermittent signal from the flasher to a solid signal to the relay?

Since they'd be illegal on road, I'd just consider a switched relay that includes the high-beam signal as a toggle. That way it's easily deactivated the same way your high-beams are. I planned on adding a second set of combo lamps in my grill with the same setup as my aux lamps for this purpose.

Using this dual-throw switch from anytimebackupcamera.com, I wired the relay trigger so that HIGH activates with the high beam toggle, and LOW turns on anytime the key is in. The high beam fuse tap (along with the trigger wire to relay) have to pass through the firewall. The accessory +12V is on a fuse tap on the interior fuse box.

 

Note that many automotive manufactures provide legal cornering lights on their vehicles activated by the turn signal, typically those marketed as a luxury vehicle. Cornering lights tied to signals are not illegal. DIY recreations of course are another story.

 

Note that for SAE compliant Christmas lights, they must be amber to fall under a running light classification. Multi-color Christmas lights are not compliant.

 

-removed-

@crashnburn80 If this is straying too far off topic I will refrain further comments on this.

 

The quoted statement is accurate. Nothing above the hood line (like ditch/a-pillar lights) is legal for street use. The pattern must be compliant, but the mounting location and aiming must also be compliant.

 

How many of you actually use ditch light covers vs just leaving them off until "legal" use permits?

 

I have SSC3 4K clear driving lens mounted behind my grill and wired up as aux high beams. They work extremely well in that scenario. Check out the aux high beam thread.

 

Some states will cite you for having them not covered if it is above the hood. And some states have inspections, which will also cite you for having them not covered. Other states it is just illegal to use them on the road. In some states these citations can count as points against your drivers license. So cover use is going to vary depending on where people live. If covers are not legally required and enforced, then most probably wouldn't run them. But if it is going to cost you significant fines, your vehicle has to be inspected, and will cost points against your license, people would be more likely to obey the laws and run the required covers.

 

Amazon has SS3 covers on sale for $8.50 a piece. Legality aside, I figure they'll be protected from damage when not in use.

 

Lived here my entire life except a decade ago I tried a year in San Diego, wasn't for me. I’ll likely never leave, I’ve seen quite a bit of the world and it’s still my favorite place.

I remember quite a few of the same kind of storms over the years. One particular in like 1999 it was a 1/4” sheet of ice on the everything, I tried to get on south I-5 in Lynnwood and got to the freeway and everything was literally stopped. I backed up the entire onramp like, nope, not getting stuck here for the next 3 hours.

Experience taught me just stay home unless you have to go out, we have so many hills and trees that come down and seen so many cars sliding out of control, just not worth it.

And same back at ya, Merry Christmas and happy holidays, stay safe everybody!

 

This is essentially what I’m trying to do, but of course only for a single lamp at a time. And yes, if the turn signal isn’t steady at some point in the circuit, I’d have to use a latch of some kind.

 

As discussed, anything above your headlamps wouldnt be legal to use on the road. However your basic idea is neither novel nor illegal (state regs may vary). A lot of vehicles used to have turning lamps or cornering lamps which were illuminated when the turn signal was activated. This would actually be a perfect use case for a small pod such as the SSC1 or SSC2, in the white lens (federally speaking fog lamps that provide a cornering light function, or lamps used as cornering lamps must be white, fog-only lamps may be either white or selective yellow). The fog lamps optic woyld be a better choice than the driving light optic, as it would provide a much wider pattern to illuminate the side of the vehicle/the roadway.

You could tie these to trigger off your left/right turn signals independently with a latching relay so that they dont flash on/off with the signal, but you don't have to turn them on or forget to turn them off. The additional load of the latching relay shouldnt be an issue on your existing fused turn signal circuit.

For example take a look at the cornering lamp on this buick regal (quick pic via google)

 

Diode Dynamics has a flush mount SSC2, but they are still ~2.5” deep. And of course you have to mount horizontally for the pattern to be effective. I guess I’ll crawl around the truck again and see if anything comes to mind this time.

 

buy an old Citroen.

 

Cool, but then I can’t see above all the 35’s here in Texas.