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Car Forum / BMW Cars / October 2006

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Looking for foglight lenses...

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Psycho - 05 Oct 2006 01:41 GMT
A while back, I could have swore someone gave reference to a place I
could purchase new lenses for the ellipsoid foglights in my 89 325i.
Does anyone know where this place might be? I've been doing the google
thing but I'm tired and want to call it a night. Besides, I figure the
information is probably in one of your heads and I'm killing myself
for nothing. Oh well, thanks in advance for whatever information you
can provide.
Bob Smitter - 05 Oct 2006 03:09 GMT
>A while back, I could have swore someone gave reference to a place I
> could purchase new lenses for the ellipsoid foglights in my 89 325i.
> Does anyone know where this place might be?

Either Bav Auto or BMP Design is closing them out.  Looks like they
didn't catch on very well.
Psycho - 05 Oct 2006 18:29 GMT
I actually found a source of the lenses. They are acrylic but at
least they'll look good. At $35 each, it's worth looking into...

>>A while back, I could have swore someone gave reference to a place I
>> could purchase new lenses for the ellipsoid foglights in my 89 325i.
>> Does anyone know where this place might be?
>
>Either Bav Auto or BMP Design is closing them out.  Looks like they
>didn't catch on very well.
Fred W - 05 Oct 2006 23:23 GMT
>   I actually found a source of the lenses. They are acrylic but at
> least they'll look good. At $35 each, it's worth looking into...

For the low mounted fogs, the acrylic is actually better.  No more
broken lenses every time you splash in a puddle and the water hits the
hot glass lens.  Not that it's at all likely that there would be
precipitation when you're running your foglights...  ;-)

Signature

-Fred W

Psycho - 06 Oct 2006 12:27 GMT
I hear that. I run my fog lights more than my headlights. I have
modified them so they're usable with just the parking lights on. I've
added a set of the angel eye headlights to the car so unless I
actually need the headlights on, I just run the fogs with the halos
on.

>>   I actually found a source of the lenses. They are acrylic but at
>> least they'll look good. At $35 each, it's worth looking into...
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>hot glass lens.  Not that it's at all likely that there would be
>precipitation when you're running your foglights...  ;-)
James - 07 Oct 2006 03:37 GMT
>I hear that. I run my fog lights more than my headlights. I have
> modified them so they're usable with just the parking lights on. I've
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>>hot glass lens.  Not that it's at all likely that there would be
>>precipitation when you're running your foglights...  ;-)

Who is your source for the acrylic lenses, if ya don't mind me asking. The
fog lenses on my '95 318is are cracked and in need
of replacing.
Psycho - 07 Oct 2006 03:53 GMT
Don't mond you asking at all... I found them at www.bmwlight.com and
they list them for numerous different models. Hope they have yours.
I'm going to change the lenses on mine and then put the sylvania
silver star bulbs in them. Very bright and white rather than the
yellowish light output.

>>I hear that. I run my fog lights more than my headlights. I have
>> modified them so they're usable with just the parking lights on. I've
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>fog lenses on my '95 318is are cracked and in need
>of replacing.
James - 07 Oct 2006 15:42 GMT
> Don't mond you asking at all... I found them at www.bmwlight.com and
> they list them for numerous different models. Hope they have yours.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>>fog lenses on my '95 318is are cracked and in need
>>of replacing.

Thank you very much. Did a Google search for acrylic lens and that site
didn't pop up.
They are exactly what I needed and at a price I can afford.

Thanks again.

James
Daniel J. Stern - 07 Oct 2006 19:24 GMT
> I'm going to change the lenses on mine and then put the sylvania
> silver star bulbs in them. Very bright and white rather than the
> yellowish light output.

You're screwing yourself if you put in Sylvania Silverstars or other
bulbs like them. They produce *less* light, not more, and the light is
*bluer*, not "whiter".

Here's manufacturer data, from internal engineering databases, for
output
and lifespan at 13.2v for H1 bulbs. The numbers here are a composite of
values applicable to the products of the big three makers
(Osram-Sylvania,
Philips-Narva, Tungsram-GE). Each manufacturer's product in each
category
is slightly different but not significantly so.  I picked H1-type bulbs
for this comparison, and while the absolute numbers differ with
different
bulb types (9006, H7, H3, etc.), the relative comparison patterns hold
good for whatever bulb
type you consider.  Lifespan is given as Tc, the hour figure at which
63.2
percent of the bulbs have failed.

H1 (regular normal):
1550 lumens, 650 hours

Long Life (or "HalogenPlus+")
1460 lumens, 1200 hours

Plus-30 High Efficacy (Osram Super, Sylvania Xtravision, Narva
Rangepower,
Candlepower Bright Light, Tungsram High Output, Philips Premium):
1700 lumens, 350 hours

Plus-50 Ultra High Efficacy (Philips VisionPlus, Osram Silverstar,
Narva
Rangepower+50, Tungsram Megalicht, but not Sylvania Silverstar):
1750 lumens, 350 hours

Blue coated 'extra white' (Osram CoolBlue, Narva Rangepower Blue,
Philips
BlueVision, Tungsram Super Blue or EuroBlue, Sylvania Silverstar):
1380 lumens, 250 hours

Now, looking over these results, which one would you rather:

(a) Buy and drive with?
(b) Sell?

The answer to (a) depends on how well you want to see versus how often
to
change the bulb. If you want the best possible seeing, you pick the
Plus-50. If you don't care as long as it works and you don't want to
hassle with it, you pick the long life.

The answer to (b) is determined by how rich your company's shareholders
want you to be, and is obvious: You want to sell the bulb with the
shortest lifespan, highest promotability and highest price. That'd be
the
blue unit, e.g. Sylvania Silverstar.
Fred W - 08 Oct 2006 12:02 GMT
> Don't mond you asking at all... I found them at www.bmwlight.com and
> they list them for numerous different models. Hope they have yours.
> I'm going to change the lenses on mine and then put the sylvania
> silver star bulbs in them. Very bright and white rather than the
> yellowish light output.

I know we have been through this a million times, but...

You do not want white (or bluish) color lighting for foglights
especially.  There is more scatter of the shorter wavelengths which
results in poorer viability in bad weather.  That's when you use fog
lights, right?

If you want top make a fashion statement and also prove that you are
more intelligent that the ricers, get *yellow* bulbs for your fogs.  ;-)

Signature

-Fred W

Daniel J. Stern - 08 Oct 2006 18:36 GMT
> You do not want white (or bluish) color lighting for foglights
> especially.

Quite correct.

> There is more scatter of the shorter wavelengths which
> results in poorer viability in bad weather.

Almost! The scatter occurs not at the interaction of the light with the
fog, but at the interaction of the light with our eyes. See
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/light_color/light_color.html

> If you want top make a fashion statement and also prove that you are
> more intelligent that the ricers, get *yellow* bulbs for your fogs.  ;-)

Right again. Or French-market yellow lenses for them, scarce now that
France no longer requires selective-yellow light from all
forward-facing lights, as they did from 1936-1994.

DS
Daniel J. Stern - 08 Oct 2006 05:13 GMT
> A while back, I could have swore someone gave reference to a place I
> could purchase new lenses for the ellipsoid foglights in my 89 325i.
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> for nothing. Oh well, thanks in advance for whatever information you
> can provide.

Those lamps weren't designed with replaceable lenses. There's a company
in South Africa(!), Mr. Lens ( http://www.mrlens.net/index.htm ) that
makes the lenses you're thinking about. They're OK for a get-by
solution (or if you're selling the car and need it to look intact) but
they're definitely not a long-term fix. In the first place, acrylic is
a grossly inadequate material for this service. Even high-grade
polycarbonate headlamp lenses with the legally-mandatory
anti-UV/anti-scratch hardcoat applied deteriorate with discouraging
rapidity (ask any North American-market E36 owner...!). Acrylic with
anti-UV/anti-scratch hardcoating deteriorates *MUCH* faster, and
without coating (as I am fairly sure is the case with these lenses)
will degrade practically before your very eyes.

In addition, the company's installation instructions call for the use
of silicone sealant to install the lenses. Bzzzt! Silicone offgases
acetic acid and other chemicals that are highly injurious to the shiny
stuff that makes up the reflector inside the lamp. You *will* fog it up
and the damage will be cumulative and permanent.

So, yeah. Short-term OK, but it's a band-aid, not a fix.

DS
 
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