Question for projector guru's

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

Got me a set of projector fogs. So far they are great, but the one thing I was suprised was the fact that the cut-off wasn't very sharp. Anyone know of a way to tweak it? I am just wondering if its a case of the cut-off being too close or too far away from the bulb ...

Different projectors produce different cutoffs. Some are sharp, some fuzzy, some are Z cutoffs, some are straight, etc.

Originally posted by weasel:
Got me a set of projector fogs. So far they are great, but the one thing I was suprised was the fact that the cut-off wasn't very sharp. Anyone know of a way to tweak it? I am just wondering if its a case of the cut-off being too close or too far away from the bulb ...

since its a fog, its gonna be small. Your gonn hafta level out the cutoff shield inside the projector..Right now it probably looks like (most projectors look like this, not sure about fogs)

you will need to level that line out by using a dremel to get an even cutoff..i say leave it, its soo small of space to work on..what kinda projectors are they?

Some projectors are designed to not have an ultra sharp cut off. Just the way that the lens and sheild work together. Some Bmw projectors have a softer cut off then say, the hellas, or Valeo ones.

But seeing as how its a fog light, i dont see why having a solid cut off would be a good thing....

Originally posted by Pudmunkie:

But seeing as how its a fog light, i dont see why having a solid cut off would be a good thing....

fog projectore I believe are designed differently pattern wise

They are Pilot's ( PL-704 ). Don't have a pic handy, but they look eerily similar to PIAA 959's. The cut-off ( as seen against a wall ) is a little fuzzy, but horizontal. I guess I was hoping they would work as well and be as sharp as the OEM fogs I had in my old Jetta ( these are on my new Jetta ). I found the razor sharp cut-off really easy to aim which I am sure other drivers appreciated !

that the one right? looks really tiny

Nope, much bigger ...

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
Right now it probably looks like (most projectors look like this, not sure about fogs)

you will need to level that line out by using a dremel to get an even cutoff..i say leave it, its soo small of space to work on.

The cutoff on the projectors is most likely flat. If it had the flare that Goonz is showing you would have very poor illumination on the left and it would be too high on the right....for a fog light at least.

The sharpness of the cutoff could possibly be impossible to change. Some projectors, including the DOT Hella 90mm lamps, have fluting on the projectos lens to dull the cutoff. If this is the case, the cutoff cannot be changed easily.

Remember, fog lamps should be aimed with a drop of 4" every 25', unlike the headlamp's 2" for every 25'......should. When my Contour was running 90mms for its foggies they had a flat cutoff shield and were aimed level.

Originally posted by ExDelayed:
When my Contour was running 90mms for its foggies they had a flat cutoff shield and were aimed level.

Which is exactly what I had done with the Jetta's old fogs and with the projectors currently on the 'tique. In the spring I am going to open up the fogs. They have have that coating on the lens that gives off amber light and I want that off of there. Then if I want white or amber fogs, I'll have the choice. Guess I'll have to wait and see what the plate looks like inside, but if there's nothing I can do, then there's nothing I can do.

I just checked my projectors from the inside, it seems like they have a straight flat cutoff line..but we'll find out once I put them in..

Jesus goonz, is it you or your shop! did they bow out now or what?!

Originally posted by Pudmunkie:
Jesus goonz, is it you or your shop! did they bow out now or what?!

my PIAA 959 projector fogs lol..remember?

my other projectors are almost done from the shop

OHhhhhh, I didnt know you bought new fogs. That makes more sense. Those new ones are pretty sweet.

Looking forward to seeing how your projector headlights turn out.

Hurry up and install them. I want to see how it looks!

Originally posted by GTO Pete:
Hurry up and install them. I want to see how it looks!

I hafta wait for the nww SVT brackets to come!

should be here wednesday

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:

Originally posted by ExDelayed:
When my Contour was running 90mms for its foggies they had a flat cutoff shield and were aimed level.

It was very

Originally posted by ExDelayed:

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:

Originally posted by ExDelayed:
When my Contour was running 90mms for its foggies they had a flat cutoff shield and were aimed level.

It was very

was?!?

Originally posted by Goonz SVT:
was?!?

The glass lenses didnt like being that close to the road and within a year were so munched from all the particles that are flipped up from other cars they had to be removed. The lenses were so pitted that the cutoff wasnt anywhere near crisp anymore and the glare was increased.

I was building new setups using those parts that would take up the massive fog lamp holes in the Grand Prix bumper cover but that project was never finished. I will probably do something along those lines, using the parts from the dead project for the Cougar...or the Volvo.