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My fog lamp projectors are cracked...

4K views 27 replies 8 participants last post by  TapDatMac 
#1 ·
I've just installed some lower sports bumper fogs, bought from the heronew GB, that I'm not having any luck with as far as the integrity of the lenses are concerned.

First, before the fogs were even installed, I pulled a major bonehead move and dropped the box they were shipped in, causing one of the fogs to develop a star-shaped crack in the outer lens (projector was intact however).

This incident prompted me to seek a replacement, and recently, with the help of a fellow board member, I managed to get my hands on some replacement projectors (entire unit with lenses and housing).

When I was installing these units, I decided to replace the stock bulbs with 5000K H3's (55W but give the output of 100W according to the package). After the bulb-change, I drove around for a day or so with the fogs on. On the second day, after parking the car, I kinda walked around to the front of the car to admire the fogs and was a bit intrigued to see that one of the fogs seemed to have some sort of a pattern printed on it. When I looked closer (my nose about an inch away from the fogs), intrigue turned to horror as I realised that this was no pattern I was looking at, but rather there were tiny cracks in the projector lenses (not the exterior lens this time).

The cracks run vertically and do not emanate from a central point. Also, there's no evidence that anything stuck the lenses from outside, since the exterior lenses are intact. The projector lens damage is present in both fogs. On one of the fogs the cracks, as mentioned earlier, run vertically and each crack seems distinct from the rest. On the other fog, it seems like its all one big crack that's kinda snaking its way up and down the projector.

The only think I can figure at this point is that the heat from the bulbs caused this. I am 100% certain that when I took out the projectors and opened them to replace the bulbs that the projectors were intact. I am equally certain that when I finished the install, that the everything was intact.

Anyone have any idea what could have happened here? Anyone experience anything similar?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice.
 
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#2 ·
Sorry for u man!
ok , the thing is , i got some fogs , the same thing , from the same supplier in hong kong! and they did the same thing! they cracked in less than a week!
i also replaced the stock bulb with some phillips blue vision , that burn at some 4000 something! well , the heat was the reason for it to crack! the lens iss tooo thin! i got another set , from some other supplier! much much better quality , the base and everything is plastic! really nice , not fiberglass! well , put it on! put the same phillips bulb! and became yellowish from the inside in less than a week!
the problem was that the paint of the inside began melting , and started like bubbling and peeling! took off! got another set yet , and used the supplied bulbs that came with it! but , the same shit happened!!! i disconnected it , cleaned the glass from the inside! and have them just for show! don;t turn them on!
i talked about this on the groupbuy thread for the lower fogs! but well , i thought that if using the same supplied lenses would be ok! but not at all!
again , i am interested of talking bad about anyone! just my experience! so u guys know!!
the thing is , i think the only solution is keeping the frame/base , and looking for a quality fogs that would fit , some piia or hella , don;t know! but i am soo sick of changing those suckers , i am not gonna do it anymore! when i get my aero bumper , i can get the oem lower fogs for them, and that;'s it!!
 
#3 ·
Bulybuoy, looks like I'm going through the exact same thing you went through... Yeah, I thought about doing the same, keeping the outer part (the fibreglass) and and replacing the actual lenses with something decent. But where to find 2.5" projectors that will fit?

If I do get the same projectors again, from the same supplier, and this time keep the stock bulbs, I won't win the situation either since those bulbs burn out within a few weeks. Change the bulbs to something more decent, and the projector lenses crack on ya. A lose-lose situation.

I wonder, some of you who've put in HIDs into these fogs, are you running into the same issue?
 
#4 ·
did it rain or did you wash your car with the fogs on ? i was concerned about those fogs from the get go on water leaking in them . i was looking for replacements for them but couldnt find anything , then again i was looking for 3" fogs intsead of 2.5" i really didnt measure the fog themselves i was going on what was said on the post . are these 2.5 " ?
 
#5 ·
Nope. It was dry when we put the fogs on, and for the next day or so, up till the point that I noticed the cracks, it remained dry. Yes, initially thought that the damage might have been caused by water, but considering that it never rained, and that I hadn't washed the car, I quickly ruled it out.

Here's a pic showing the diameter of the lens (this was taken before the cracks developed, so no crack to see)

[attachmentid=4648]

When I say 2.5" inch, its obviously a rough approximation. Hella, sells a 2 5/8" diameter round lens. I'm wondering whether it'll fit.
 

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#6 ·
Originally posted by zoomzoomfan@Jul 6 2005, 09:30 AM
Nope.  It was dry when we put the fogs on, and for the next day or so, up till the point that I noticed the cracks, it remained dry.  Yes, initially thought that the damage might have been caused by water, but considering that it never rained, and that I hadn't washed the car, I quickly ruled it out.

Here's a pic showing the diameter of the lens (this was taken before the cracks developed, so no crack to see)

[attachmentid=4648]

When I say 2.5" inch, its obviously a rough approximation.  Hella, sells a 2 5/8" diameter round lens.  I'm wondering whether it'll fit.
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either way modifying the bezel is probably needed as it was molded to the fogs it came with . what fogs are you looking at now got a link ? i really put these on the backburner for now as ive been busy and just purchased wheels .
 
#7 ·
Originally posted by leftyrev@Jul 6 2005, 09:48 AM
either way modifying the bezel is probably needed as it was molded to the fogs it came with . what fogs are you looking at now got a link ? i really put these on the backburner for now as ive been busy and just purchased wheels .
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Well, here's an idea of what I was considering. All these have diameters that are similar to the projectors we have in our fogs at the moment:

PIAA 004XT XTREME WHITE
Hella Micro DE
Hella Optilux Series
 
#8 ·
Originally posted by zoomzoomfan@Jul 6 2005, 05:29 PM
Well, here's an idea of what I was considering.  All these have diameters that are similar to the projectors we have in our fogs at the moment:

PIAA 004XT XTREME WHITE
Hella  Micro DE
Hella Optilux Series
[snapback]449136[/snapback]​

well the piaa seem to be the best bet but still over $100 , the Hella system is about $400-$500 ebay price , and the optilux is bigger and a oval design so i dont think that one will fit without some modification to the Bezel
 
#9 ·
Anyone know how to change the lights in these pieces of monkey crap? Seriously, I gave a semi-positive review when I first got them, but now I can no longer recommend them. The light burnt out within 3 weeks, multimeter confirmed.

I was going to simply replace it and forget about it, but I have the housing of the car, but have no idea how to get the projector loose from the housing. I thought, hey, look at these two screws, that has to be it, right? WRONG. With the screws out the projector won't budge. I'm guessing because the housing is tightly formed to the projector. But I don't DARE force it out with a screwdriver, it'll definitely break the weak molding no doubt. Damn these things. 140 dollars my ass. I know its not Jinsu/Heronew who makes these, but I wouldn't want my name associated with them.

I'm pretty much at a loss as to what to do now. I think I'm going to put the stock insert back in and just drive around until I start to give a shit about it again.

Oh and by the way, there is road debris on the INSIDE projector lense after only 3 weeks on the car. Thats only going to get worse as they age....


EDIT:
ALRIGHT, I got them out by prying it. But they are still el cheapo.

EDIT2: Holy crap, the whole inside of the projector is melted to shit. The mirror finish near the light is cracked, brittle, and burned. And the H3 bulb BROKE off as I pulled it out of the socket. Ouch. I don't know what to do know, but they are obviously not going back in tonight!
 
#10 ·
Originally posted by GreenNuggs@Jul 12 2005, 07:37 PM
Anyone know how to change the lights in these pieces of monkey crap?  Seriously, I gave a semi-positive review when I first got them, but now I can no longer recommend them. The light burnt out within 3 weeks, multimeter confirmed.

I was going to simply replace it and forget about it, but I have the housing of the car, but have no idea how to get the projector loose from the housing.  I thought, hey, look at these two screws, that has to be it, right? WRONG. With the screws out the projector won't budge. I'm guessing because the housing is tightly formed to the projector. But I don't DARE force it out with a screwdriver, it'll definitely break the weak molding no doubt. Damn these things. 140 dollars my ass. I know its not Jinsu/Heronew who makes these, but I wouldn't want my name associated with them.

I'm pretty much at a loss as to what to do now. I think I'm going to put the stock insert back in and just drive around until I start to give a shit about it again.

Oh and by the way, there is road debris on the INSIDE projector lense after only 3 weeks on the car. Thats only going to get worse as they age....


EDIT:
ALRIGHT, I got them out by prying it. But they are still el cheapo.

EDIT2: Holy crap, the whole inside of the projector is melted to shit. The mirror finish near the light is cracked, brittle, and burned.  And the H3 bulb BROKE off as I pulled it out of the socket. Ouch. I don't know what to do know, but they are obviously not going back in tonight!
[snapback]454219[/snapback]​
GreenNuggs, I've experienced pretty much the same. When I opened up the projector to check out the bulb, it was amazed at the state of the internals. Seems like they used some sort of silver spray on the internal reflective parts that just couldn't stand up to the heat of the bulb.

Yes, its the two screws on either side of the projectors that hold them in place in the housing. Your projectors might have had a tighter fit inside the housing. The projectors, once removed from the housing, are themselves openable via screws behind the lens part.

So far my fogs have the following rap sheet:

First I went and dropped one of the fogs, which caused the outer lens to crack. Not an indication of durability right from the start.

Then, within a few days of installation, the H3 in one of the fogs burned out.

Then, I managed to get my hands on an identical pair of projectors (minus surrounding fiberglass housing) from a forum buddy and installed them into my own housings. This time I replaced the H3's inside the new projectors with super bright H3's.

A day or so after re-installing the fogs, I noticed fractures in both projector lenses (inner lenses this time, not external glass shell). Most probably caused by heat.

About two days ago (this past Saturday) I went to turn the fogs on and got nothing (on both sides). Most probably the relay since my switch lights up.

So, yeah... great quality. NOT!

That's why I'm thinking that the only thing that's of worth to me right now is the outer fiberglass housing... and that's a maybe... the projectors themselves will need to be changed with something decent from hella or piaa.

Sorry about the bad luck you're having, but you're not alone. I doubt there's anything we can do about this... and I don't think even heronew realized how crappy these were going to turn out.
 
#11 ·
Originally posted by zoomzoomfan@Jul 12 2005, 09:10 PM
Sorry about the bad luck you're having, but you're not alone.  I doubt there's anything we can do about this... and I don't think even heronew realized how crappy these were going to turn out.
[snapback]454298[/snapback]​

changing the cheap fog to another one isnt helping matters either . just because the lens is yellow doesnt mean it gonna be any better . its a cheaply made unit , to tell you the truth i wish i never wasted my money on this .
 
#12 ·
If you guys can take some pictures of the inside of the housing where it's melting or burnt and the cracked lense, send them to me at jinsupower@gmail.com
That way I can resolve this problem with the manufacture. I believe that ppl did realize those are not top of the line product from the beginning but it doesn't mean that we can't improve the situaction. I have sold 34+ sets of those fogs so far and 3-4 of you guys are having this type of problem so I would like to get this issued addressed. I want no less than help to satisfy my customers and I am planning on install those myself so I wouldn't want something that will melt and burn either.

Thanks for all your dedication to the community and your hard works.
 
#13 ·
I think what would have been the better thing to do would just be to sell the mold itself, without the light. Thats the attraction more than anything. I mean, I could have bought Hella or PIAA projectors and cut the original inserts like others did, but that would have been even more ghetto!

That way, the mold would probably be half the price and any issues with the light and wiring would be up to the customer.

I'll take a pic tonight and send it along. Right now, I put the original insert back in, so I'm driving around with just one fog! Looks kinda unique, dare I say!
 
#14 ·
Originally posted by GreenNuggs@Jul 13 2005, 09:51 AM
Right now, I put the original insert back in, so I'm driving around with just one fog! Looks kinda unique, dare I say!
[snapback]454687[/snapback]​
Its all about being unique. ;)

I too will try to get some pics up asap. I tried taking pics of the projectors while they were installed in the bumper (and with bumper installed on car), but its darn hard to get a decent shot of something that requires the eye to be so close to the fog light in order to see the damage. I might have to take everything off again and open up the projectors in order to take pics of the internals.

Thanks heronew for offering to help us with our dilemma.
 
#16 ·
Are YOU baked? We're talking about something else dude. The lower fascia foglights.

I still haven't taken a pic yet guys, will do tonight.
 
#17 ·
I emailed this to Heronew, but here is the damage for you guys to see. My other fog is still holding up fine however, so it could just be a bad one.



 
#19 ·
......... i think heronew needs a picture of the cracked lens.....
 
#20 ·
i forward on the burnt picture to the supplier, if you guys can get a cracked lens picture that would be great too. I am actually gonna do some modification to one of the fogs and see if i can get some improvements. We will see how the newer ones turn out.
 
#21 ·
As soon as I can get my bumper off, I'm going to take out the projectors, open them up and take similar photographs of the internals... I'll also take pics of the cracked projector lenses.

Don't know how soon that'll be though.
 
#23 ·
They might fit... take a look at these dimensions:

Max Outer Diameter = 2 3/4"
Lens Diameter = 1 1/2"
Max depth = 3 3/4"

The projectors I have measure approx. 2.5" in diameter. These Bosch projetors are much narrower than that. They'll fit in the opening, but there'll be a 1/2" gap around them and the black fiberglass housing. Also, you'll have to modify the fiberglass so that these projectors can be attached.

But, there's another issue also. These projectors seem to be open all around. I don't see a way of preventing water from reaching the bulb since our fiberglass housings are also pretty much open to the elements. It seems these are intended for use within a sealed headlight or something. I may be wrong. Maybe someone else can comment on this.
 
#24 ·
Those are the only ones I could find with a google search. Does anyone have another place to get them? Cheap, preferably.
 
#25 ·
maaan , i dunnno , but they are Bosch , and projectors , and 45 bucks , not that expensive at all! but i think u guys are right , they are opened from the back , so if i doo modify them to attach to the base , and all that , they still be naked from the back , so , no goood i think! these are for being inside some housing i guess , as the integrated fogs! well , keep searching i guess....
 
#26 ·
I keep on forgetting to measure the hole of the OEM housing. I have it off my car, including the original fog. I'll try to remember to do it tonight.
 
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