Fog Light Mod?

[GoCougs]

Greetings! I just picked up my first Expedition today, 2008 XLT, and I had a quick question about the fog lights. Previously I have owned a 2005 F350 Diesel and there was a mod where you grounded a circuit out in the fuse box if I remember correctly, it's been almost 10 years since I did this mod and the truck has been gone for some years, which allowed the fog lights to stay on when the high beams were selected. I loved this mod cause it was free, only took me a few minutes to do, and enhanced visibility at night. Is there a similar mod for the 3rd gen Expeditions?

 

[Adieu]

You could just run a separate harness and power them like a lightbar

Btw, stock fogs are puny and boring, consider an upgrade.

These are far more powerful units for cheap, there's also far more expensive variations on the same design from Morimoto and JW Speaker (all 3 usually listed as F150 units only):




Really, for any sort of decent light output, just about everything needs to be upgraded:

1. LED Fogs
2. Projector retrofit or new projector headlight assemblies
3. HID headlights (requires projectors)
4. Switchback projector LEDs in DRL/turn signal position
5. LED rear license plate lights (surprisingly lights everything behind the vehicle up pretty noticeably)
6. LED reverse bulbs
7. Frame mount LED backup pods OR mudflap LEDs





(All of the above, low beams + fogs + reverse lights on)

 

[gixer2000]

You could just run a separate harness and power them like a lightbar

Btw, stock fogs are puny and boring, consider an upgrade.

These are far more powerful units for cheap, there's also far more expensive variations on the same design from Morimoto and JW Speaker (all 3 usually listed as F150 units only):

View attachment 22749


Really, for any sort of decent light output, just about everything needs to be upgraded:

1. LED Fogs
2. Projector retrofit or new projector headlight assemblies
3. HID headlights (requires projectors)
4. Switchback projector LEDs in DRL/turn signal position
5. LED rear license plate lights (surprisingly lights everything behind the vehicle up pretty noticeably)
6. LED reverse bulbs
7. Frame mount LED backup pods OR mudflap LEDs

View attachment 22752
View attachment 22753
View attachment 22754

(All of the above, low beams + fogs + reverse lights on)

Like Adieu said Upgrading your current lighting is a far better option vs running your fogs with your high beams. Unfortunately the stock lighting is lacking in every way possible. Also another note is that fog lights add foreground and it's close enough to the car that it will make your pupils constrict causing poor vision. Look into some upgrades for sure.

Also when it comes to buying aftermarket lighting just because a cheaper product looks the same doesnt mean it performs the same.

Details for the image below. MH1 retro, morimoto fogs, acme switchback, acme red rocket(rear) and Phillips plate lights below. Wish I had the reverse bukbs lit also but I dont

 

[limitedex]

On our 2013 I changed out the fogs and put in the Rigid Industries DOT SAE street legal driving fog lights. I used the F-150 mounting kit.

Want me to tell you how bright they are?

 

[Adieu]

Rigid pods? They SUCK for primary fog duty... They would make good functional backups or low-speed offroad forward auxiliaries though, just overpriced

The floods scatter far too much in all directions for highway fog use (vertical cutoff being the issue here), and the spots and hyperspots are small and ROUND beam patterns that dont give you the width coverage


Meanwhile, what you need for a foglight is a CRESCENT beam with near-180° horizontal yet only around 15° vertical


It's like with HIDs, each type of light has its place where it works... but no amount of loving em will ever make em a good fit for turn signals or dome lights

 

[limitedex]

Rigid pods? They SUCK for primary fog duty... They would make good functional backups or low-speed offroad forward auxiliaries though, just overpriced

The floods scatter far too much in all directions for highway fog use (vertical cutoff being the issue here), and the spots and hyperspots are small and ROUND beam patterns that dont give you the width coverage


Meanwhile, what you need for a foglight is a CRESCENT beam with near-180° horizontal yet only around 15° vertical


It's like with HIDs, each type of light has its place where it works... but no amount of loving em will ever make em a good fit for turn signals or dome lights

Here's what I have. They are excellent.

https://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/504813

 

[gixer2000]

Here's what I have. They are excellent.

https://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/504813

A lot of people like the rigid pods on other vehicles but way too steep of a price tag when cheaper options perform better imo. I'm also not a fan of the square pod in the round hole. I do like the idea of using them as a aux reverse light but still way too expensive.

 

[limitedex]

A lot of people like the rigid pods on other vehicles but way too steep of a price tag when cheaper options perform better imo. I'm also not a fan of the square pod in the round hole. I do like the idea of using them as a aux reverse light but still way too expensive.

What do you recommend specifically?

 

[gixer2000]

What do you recommend specifically?

I personally prefer the Morimoto fogs. This is the only output shot I have in my phone at the moment. FYI this is fogs and marker lights only

 

[Adieu]

Here's what I have. They are excellent.

https://www.rigidindustries.com/led-lighting/504813

Not as narrow as a I thought, but still not very wide beam...

What do you recommend specifically?

Pods?

There's a gazillion makers of similar pods, ranging from affordable to dirt cheap... sure some might create doubts about longevity, but when they're priced like bulbs AND the market is getting new and improved versions flooding in all the time, maybe you dont really WANT them to last forever....

Projector units?

Morimotos are faaaar too cheap-HID-blueish (not just in pics shown here) for my tastes, and the JW Speaker units are ridiculously overpriced, even vs. the Morimotos... Chinese Liteway wins by being all-around reasonable imho

 

[gixer2000]

Not as narrow as a I thought, but still not very wide beam...



Pods?

There's a gazillion makers of similar pods, ranging from affordable to dirt cheap... sure some might create doubts about longevity, but when they're priced like bulbs AND the market is getting new and improved versions flooding in all the time, maybe you dont really WANT them to last forever....

Projector units?

Morimotos are faaaar too cheap-HID-blueish for my tastes, and the JW Speaker units are ridiculously overpriced, even vs. the Morimotos... Chinese Liteway wins by being all-around reasonable imho

If you see them in person they are a pure white. Also keep the warranty in mind because sure Chinese line way are cheap enough to just throw away and buy a new set but who really wants to do that? With the morimoto you send TRS (owners of morimoto) a picture of the busted unit and they send a new set no questions asked for 10 years. Trying to warranty anything from China is next to impossible and I personally am not into spending my hard earned cash on throw away items

 

[gixer2000]

Not as narrow as a I thought, but still not very wide beam...



Pods?

There's a gazillion makers of similar pods, ranging from affordable to dirt cheap... sure some might create doubts about longevity, but when they're priced like bulbs AND the market is getting new and improved versions flooding in all the time, maybe you dont really WANT them to last forever....

Projector units?

Morimotos are faaaar too cheap-HID-blueish (not just in pics shown here) for my tastes, and the JW Speaker units are ridiculously overpriced, even vs. the Morimotos... Chinese Liteway wins by being all-around reasonable imho

Yeah not wide at all... I'm definitely seeing alot more width with the morimoto than your are showing in you pic above. They look like laser beams firing down the road.. Got any better shots from further away? Also these dot on the bumper cover like the oem ones do so you actually lose a ton of width because of the side of the fog opening sticking out further than the fog housing

 

[Adieu]

Yeah the morimotos are like 6500k "aftermarket HID white"... the liteways are more like 4300k "factory xenon white"


Width comment was Re:Rigid Pods


Hard to get lighting pictures around here, way too much light pollution in my part of socal

 

[GoCougs]

I was planning on upgrading lighting anyways, to include a large led light bar for offroad use, however I really enjoyed being able to keep my fogs on with my high beams in my f350 so I was just hoping someone would know how to do that mod on the expeditions.

 

[gixer2000]

Yeah the morimotos are like 6500k "aftermarket HID white"... the liteways are more like 4300k "factory xenon white"


Width comment was Re:Rigid Pods


Hard to get lighting pictures around here, way too much light pollution in my part of socal

I'll try to see if I can get a better shot of the color later but they are a 100% pure white and also labeled as 5500K on the website

 

[Adieu]

Crappy HID alone (NOTE: i hate these allegedly-5000K bulbs theyre on my gotta-go list)


LED projector fogs (china f150 version) alone:




Together:

 

[ExpeditionAndy]

Greetings! I just picked up my first Expedition today, 2008 XLT, and I had a quick question about the fog lights. Previously I have owned a 2005 F350 Diesel and there was a mod where you grounded a circuit out in the fuse box if I remember correctly, it's been almost 10 years since I did this mod and the truck has been gone for some years, which allowed the fog lights to stay on when the high beams were selected. I loved this mod cause it was free, only took me a few minutes to do, and enhanced visibility at night. Is there a similar mod for the 3rd gen Expeditions?

I'm not sure if you can do it on a 2008 but with the newer models and FORScan you cane enable Bambi mode which allows you to run fog lights and high beams.

 

[limitedex]

Rigid pods? They SUCK for primary fog duty... They would make good functional backups or low-speed offroad forward auxiliaries though, just overpriced

The floods scatter far too much in all directions for highway fog use (vertical cutoff being the issue here), and the spots and hyperspots are small and ROUND beam patterns that dont give you the width coverage


Meanwhile, what you need for a foglight is a CRESCENT beam with near-180° horizontal yet only around 15° vertical


It's like with HIDs, each type of light has its place where it works... but no amount of loving em will ever make em a good fit for turn signals or dome lights

Here's some pics.

 

[Adieu]

Too narrow...

 

[limitedex]

Too narrow...

LOL, I can’t please you!

Man, they’re bright and extremely effective. I can’t believe they’re DOT SAE street legal. I love ‘em.