these days many of us would like to use aftermarket bulbs to increase safety and overall looks. for those that have them, we all know that our foglights house H3C bulbs. it is very difficult to find a replacement H3C bulbs let alone aftermarket H3C bulbs. there is however a wider range of H3 bulbs. this DIY will convert using the hard-to-obtain H3C bulb to using a typical H3 bulb (think 9006 to 9005 conversion).
this DIY was inspired here . when i took a look at my foglights, i found out that the bulb housing is slightly different from the link however the principle remained the same. follow me as i convert my bulbs on my 92-93 foglights.
tools of the trade:
- 10mm wrench
- philips screw driver
- drill w/ assorted bits
- wire (i used 16 gauge)
- ring connectors
- crimper
- small self-tapping screws
first step is to remove the bumper lights. if you can't do this, you should NOT continue. in the bumper light hole you will see two 10mm bolts. unscrew them to remove the foglights from the bumper (remember: righty tighty, lefty loosy).
once the foglights are removed, undo the connectors and take off the rubber boots. inside each you will see the H3C bulb (please excuse the corrosion in my housings). note that H3C bulb has 2 prongs...
...while the H3 has a pigtail (PIAA xtra ion crystal bulbs used here).
now on the DIY linked above, they have a screw that holds the spring clip in. well our foglights don't have this so we need to approach this differently.
remove the H3C bulb by unfastening the spring clip. you will see a little tab on the bottom of the bulb housing. bent it a bit (masking tape was used for protection) to get more room...
...and drill a pilot hole for the small self-tapping screw that will go in there. it is good to do this so that the metal won't be as stressed when the screw enters. after drilling, bend the tab completely to the opposite side.
what are the screws used for? well you need to make small pigtails consisting of a ring connectors. they should look like this.
after constructing them, attach one side to the tab with the newly enlarged hole using the self-tapping screw. NOTE: you do not need to attach another ring connector on the opposite side like i did. i only did this because that's all i had. a male connector would be a better choice here.
next, add the H3 bulb and fasten down using the spring clip. IMPORTANT: make sure that the spring clip is actually holding the new bulb securely. sometimes the clip can be over stretched due to the larger base size of the H3C bulb. simply rebend the clip.
replace the rubber boot and fish out both pigtails from the prong holes.
take the newly converted foglight back to the car and connect the pigtails to the slots of the connector. NOTE: the pic shows the pigtails in half way.
test bulbs to ensure proper function. you may need to switch the pigtails around if they don't turn on. replace the foglights back in their respective places and return the bumper lenses.
the results:
here are some pics i took tonight. sorry for the poor quality. i was driving on a bumpy freeway AND it was raining. visibility is also decreased due to the wet pavement. i'll take better shots when the weather permits.
setup:
-lexus GS400 ballasts and philips D2R bulbs
-autolamps shields
-H3 PIAA xtra ion crystal bulbs (foglights)
this DIY was inspired here . when i took a look at my foglights, i found out that the bulb housing is slightly different from the link however the principle remained the same. follow me as i convert my bulbs on my 92-93 foglights.
tools of the trade:
- 10mm wrench
- philips screw driver
- drill w/ assorted bits
- wire (i used 16 gauge)
- ring connectors
- crimper
- small self-tapping screws
first step is to remove the bumper lights. if you can't do this, you should NOT continue. in the bumper light hole you will see two 10mm bolts. unscrew them to remove the foglights from the bumper (remember: righty tighty, lefty loosy).
once the foglights are removed, undo the connectors and take off the rubber boots. inside each you will see the H3C bulb (please excuse the corrosion in my housings). note that H3C bulb has 2 prongs...
...while the H3 has a pigtail (PIAA xtra ion crystal bulbs used here).
now on the DIY linked above, they have a screw that holds the spring clip in. well our foglights don't have this so we need to approach this differently.
remove the H3C bulb by unfastening the spring clip. you will see a little tab on the bottom of the bulb housing. bent it a bit (masking tape was used for protection) to get more room...
...and drill a pilot hole for the small self-tapping screw that will go in there. it is good to do this so that the metal won't be as stressed when the screw enters. after drilling, bend the tab completely to the opposite side.
what are the screws used for? well you need to make small pigtails consisting of a ring connectors. they should look like this.
after constructing them, attach one side to the tab with the newly enlarged hole using the self-tapping screw. NOTE: you do not need to attach another ring connector on the opposite side like i did. i only did this because that's all i had. a male connector would be a better choice here.
next, add the H3 bulb and fasten down using the spring clip. IMPORTANT: make sure that the spring clip is actually holding the new bulb securely. sometimes the clip can be over stretched due to the larger base size of the H3C bulb. simply rebend the clip.
replace the rubber boot and fish out both pigtails from the prong holes.
take the newly converted foglight back to the car and connect the pigtails to the slots of the connector. NOTE: the pic shows the pigtails in half way.
test bulbs to ensure proper function. you may need to switch the pigtails around if they don't turn on. replace the foglights back in their respective places and return the bumper lenses.
the results:
here are some pics i took tonight. sorry for the poor quality. i was driving on a bumpy freeway AND it was raining. visibility is also decreased due to the wet pavement. i'll take better shots when the weather permits.
setup:
-lexus GS400 ballasts and philips D2R bulbs
-autolamps shields
-H3 PIAA xtra ion crystal bulbs (foglights)
keep up the good work!
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