I recently installed OEM fog lights and am disappointed in the light projection/intensity.

My question is, can a higher intensity bulb be installed (or do I have to go to other fog light)? If I can, does it create a heat problem for the housing? What bulbs have other owners used that increase light projection with out damaging the housing?

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

The question is: what are you expecting?

These are foglights and as such they project a short (about 10 to 20 feet), but very wide light pattern.

This is designed to highlight the markings on the road during very foggy conditions. Because they are so close to the road they can usually work in a small 'fog free' layer just above the surface.

These are *not* 'driving lights' or other long-reach lights and will never work that way.

One thing to check though.. I am not familiar with the 2003 foglight setup, but there may be a height-adjustment for the beam on the back of the units.

Park the car opposite a smooth white wall and see if you can adjust them. Just make sure the beam always has a downward angle, or you will start blinding other drivers (and probably attract the attention of certain officers who may want to talk to you..)

You can't change anything about the fact that these are meant to be short-rang e floodligts though.

Bye, Arno.

Thanks for the feedback Arno. Your right though, I don't want to turn them into driving lights. I used them over the weekend in the fog and wasn't favorably impressed....that's what put me on the question, "do I want to increase brightness"? I take it from your thoughts that its either not advisable or not possible? I would like to get just a tad more penetration in the fog....but also realize I have no experience with this kind of application. So I am interested in suggestions from other owners!

Thanks again!!!

I don't have experience of the 2003 types, but the pre-2000 ones worked fine if used in real fog (visibility less than 200 feet as we get during autumn and spring overhere in europe).

But.. These lights did have a height/angle adjustment screw at the back and sometimes (often?) they are installed with a too sharp downward angle and seriously reduce the effectiveness.

To see if this is the case put the car close to a wall at night, turn on the foglight and turn off the dipped beam. Now slowly move the car backwards and check how the 'stripe' of light on the wall from the foglights moves downwards.

It should really only touch the ground when the car is at about 20 feet or so. Any sooner and it's aimed too low and most of the light ends up too close to the car to be useful.

I would not go to higher wattage bulbs in these lights though. The units are not big or deep and already feel warm on the outside with the regular bulbs installed.

Checking that they are set up properly should be the first thing before considering higher wattage bulbs.


Bye, Arno.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.....I plan on doing some playing under the car and see what can be done with the OEM first. Arno's concerns is like mine, will the housing handle the added heat of higher wattage bulbs? I'll see if there is anything I can do with the adjustments first.

Your experience is the same as mine with the '00 S40 fog lights- they do not project light anywhere that is useful on US roads. In fog, I want to be able to see the reflective stripes on the side of the road and the center reflectors. There is zero discernable help from the fog lights in that regard, in my experience. They also have zero value as driving lights- they simply don't project enough light anywhere I need to see under any driving conditions. Maybe the foglights or roads are different in Europe, but you'd think Volvo would figure that out in the three+ years that the S40 has been available in the US.

Hey guys,

I have never used the oem foglamps in the 40 series but my shop, TAP, has 100Watt hyperwhite headlamp bulbs (which are excellent) and we'll soon have 70Watt hyperwhite foglamp bulbs for the 40 series. Currently I have a shipment on backorder ( I sold my first shipment out in a week! I had 10+ sets) I think this would def. aid you in lighting up the road. Please check www.texasautomotiveperformance.com



Regards,


Carlos