[vsrivatsa]

In recent times I have been trying various LED Headlight upgrade options on my Honda City. The Low Beam and High Beam upgrades have been already covered as part of my ownership report.


Honda City - After the Fog Lamp Upgrade

• Low Beam Upgrade :
  
• High Beam Upgrade :

One of the main reasons for planning this upgrade was to include the capability of Projectors in the Car. The High Beams of the 2014 City do not come with Projectors. Retrofitting Projectors onto existing Headlight assembly was a more complex task and requires extremely skilled labor. Changing the Fog Lights seemed like a low risk good to have option.

Having upgraded the Headlights to LED already, now its time for the Fog lamps…

The Honda City V variant comes with factory fitted Fog Lamps. These are based on the H11 Socket type. I had changed the stock Halogen bulbs to dual color LED bulbs from Lasfit Lighting. While the Lasfit Bulbs had the advantage of the dual color modes it did not have a good cut off and used to scatter the light a lot. Since it was only Fog Lamps, I decided to continue with it for sometime.

In the meantime, my Uncle upgraded his Jeep Compass to the Morimoto HIDs based on my recommendation > (Jeep Compass: Morimoto HID Headlights + FE Retrofit Projector Foglamps Upgrade) At this point of time I was introduced to the FE Retrofit Projector Fog Lamps. These converted the stock OEM Non-Projector Fogs to Projector based Fog Lamps and the light output was mind-boggling. While I was impressed with the quality of the light output, the cost was a deterrent and I did not find it a value for money offering.

Fog Lamp Research:
The reference point for me was the FE Retrofit Fog Lamps as those were the ones I had seen. Some searching on Team-BHP showed me options such as XP Micro. I also browsed thru AliExpress where I came across the iPHCAR Fog Projectors. These looked very similar to the XP Micro and the FE Retrofit Fog lamps.

Meanwhile I also came across several local sellers selling similar Fog Lamps. The key ones that I looked at were:

1. AliExpress - $69.99, URL (Price Quoted does not include Ballast/Bulb)
2. Blaze India: Quoted 6,900/- for the kit - URL
3. Carchic India: Quoted 7,000/- for the kit - URL
4. UGlare: Quoted 10,000/- for the kit , URL
5. ERCuzstomz: Quoted 9,500/- for the kit, URL

Based on the price listing, I decided to go with Blaze India itself. Blaze India contact/admin Amit Sawhney was very response on WhatsApp and answered all my queries promptly. He said he does not have any recommendations for any specific installer in Bangalore but would provide telephonic guidance. He clarified clearly to me that he was only sourcing these items from elsewhere like the others and that most of these would provide the same level of performance. Warranty of 1 Year is provided on both the Ballast and the Bulb.

Based on my recent Foxfire Head Unit experience >, I felt confident in ordering the Projector Fog Lamps from Blaze India.

Also, the iPHCAR Fogs come in two sizes, one is the 2.5 inch model (M611) and the other is the 3.0 inch model (M612). For the Honda City, the recommended model is the 3.0 inch model. After having validated and finalized the model, payment was made using Google Pay on Saturday night and the item was packed and shipped on Monday. The Package reached me safely on Wednesday.


Final Selection: - Blaze India

Contact Details: Amit Sawhney / 98714 90280
Website:


Unboxing the iPHCAR Fog Lamp Projector Kit:
The kit includes the following components:
• Projector Fog Lamps with Mounting Brackets
• HID Bulbs 55 Watts
• TCX Ballast 55 Watts
• Wiring to Connect the Fog Lamps to the High Beam to control the High Beam and Low Beam

The Fog Lamp Unit and the Bulbs are made by iPH while the TCX Ballast is made by GPNE



Box Packaged Fog Lamps Arrive from Delhi



Fog Lamp Front Cover



Fog Lamp Side Cover



Fog Lamp Back Cover



Specifications Note: The Bulb provided was 55w



Lamp Parameters



The Projector Fog Lamp



The 55w HID Bulb



TCX Ballast



Cables



Ballast and HID Connected and placed in the Fog Lamp

Note: The two thin wires seen on the Fog Lamp housing are the ones that need to be connected to the High Beam Wiring so that the Hi-Low Beams are synchronized with the High and Low Beams of the Vehicle.

I was also provided a pair of LED Parking Lights (missed to capture that in a picture).

I also clarified with Blaze India if any additional Relay would be required. Since the car already had Fog Lamps that came with it, he clarified that there would not be the need for any additional relay.

[vsrivatsa]

Installation
Installing the Fog Lamps in the Honda City require the front bumper to be removed. After checking the complexity level of removing the bumper I decided to go to an accessory store. While it is straight forward to remove the bumper clips at the top. There are almost six clips at the bottom for which one would need to lie down. While I would not rate it too complex, I felt it would be a smooth operation at an accessory store. I decided to get the installation done at A1 Car Care near Ashoka Pillar.

A1 Car Care Center
No.1/1, Nr Mallige Mahabodhi Hospital,
Ashoka Pillar Rd, 1st Block Jayanagar,
Bengaluru - 560011
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/YLB9yUKHy8hDfvZq7
Mobile: Niaz Khan > 90080 90235


Bumper Removed for Fog Fitment



View of the OEM Stock Fog Lamp



iPHCAR Fog Mounted on Bumper

Upon hearing about the Fog Lamps, the initial impression from the fitment guy was that some additional work may be needed for fitting the Fogs. But once the bumper was removed and the Fog was positioned, we realized that the 3.0 inch model is a perfect fit for the Honda City.

There are two types of clamps that are provided with the lamps. One set worked perfectly fine and the holes on the clamp matched the holes on the Car bumper where the Fog Lamp had to be fit. Perfect Match!



iPHCAR Fog - Closer View



iPHCAR Fog - Closer View with HID Bulb



Niaz Khan at Work



The Hi-Low Control Wires Needed Additional Length



And Let There Be Light...


At this point we knew that the wiring has been done right and that all the supplied parts were working fine. It was also becoming dark at the same time and was ideal to test the Fog Lamp performance as well. We had a wait a bit at this point of time as it started raining. And also there were couple of cars that had come for Wheel Alignment.

Niaz and one more person from his shop Mohammad Ali did the fitment. They wanted to use the same bay used for Wheel Alignment so that they can get easy access to the bottom part of the car to fit the bumper back.



Heavy Ballast stuck to a metal part Behind Bumper



Wiring From Fog Connected to High Beam



Bumper was easily fitted back by using the Wheel Alignment Bay



HID Bulb Beam with perfect Cut Off

Now the installation and mounting of the Fog Lamps was complete. We thanked the A1 Car Care guys for the Job Well done. Fitting the bumper back with the least amount of panel gaps was a big task and was not easy. Overall I must say a job well done. They charged Rs.1,400/- for the entire fitment work. Even the A1 Car Care Center guys commented that the quality of the beam is very good. They were curious to understand how and why I went with sourcing this from outside Bangalore

Some additional pictures with a close-up view of the Fog Lamps within the OEM Housing:


Fog Lamp Zoomed In - Close Up



Fog Lamp Close Up

[vsrivatsa]

Now that we have looked at the Installation, let us move on to see the results of the fitment:

My initial eye judgement was incorrect as I was not able to distinguish between the High Beam and Fog Lamps as both seemed to target the same area ahead. Felt a little disappointed and posted on Team-BHP. Got the advice that it would be good to have a wall at the end of the road to get a good feel of the performance. With these inputs, I started the evaluation again.

At this point, I went through several posts made on the XP Micro and realized that even the XP Micro is also a similar one which is re-branded/re-packaged and sold at a higher price: Link to Post (XP Micro: Bi-Xenon Projector Foglamps. EDIT: Terrible experiences). Felt re-assured that I had made the correct decision of going with Blaze India. Here is the direct link to the XenonPlanet Site: Link. They call it the XP-Micro v2.

The FE Retrofit Projectors also look similar but there are some differences in terms of the wiring from the Fogs which seems to have a proper clip and the glass back of the Fogs: Link


Upgraded Fog Lamp Evaluation
I will be posting various set of pictures which hopefully provide a good view of the lighting from the Fogs. I used thick cloth to place on the main Headlights to get a feel of just the Fog Lamps.

Having called out how I performed the tests, let us now focus on the pictures that I have captured from these tests at various locations.

Note: I strongly recommend opening these images fully by clicking on them and viewing to get a better feel of the lighting.

Location 01 - Set 01

Note: Set 01 @Location 01 Pictures were taken with the Headlight Leveller at Position 3 which made the High Beam throw fall closer. In all the other pictures, I changed the Headlight Leveller Switch to 0 which made the Beam throw fall further.


@Location 01 - Fog Light Low Beam Only



@Location 01 - Fog Light Low Beam + Headlight Low Beam



@Location 01 - Fog Light High Beam Only



@Location 01 - Fog Light High Beam + Headlight High Beam

Was a fun experience in finding roads that have low lighting and then switching on Headlights and taking shots. In this road, I did grab the attention of the watchman of one of the houses. So, I decided to find roads without watchmen to distract me or maybe the other way around...


Location 02 - Set 02
Last time round, I had missed to click a shot of the location with all lights off. This time, I start with everything in OFF position.


@Location 02: ALL OFF



@Location 02: Fog Light Low Beam Only



@Location 02: Fog Light + Headlight Low Beam Only



@Location 02: Fog Light High Beam Only



@Location 02: Fog Light High Beam + Headlight High Beam

Next, I also took some shots in another location where there was no clear wall but some barricade ahead.

Location 03 - Set 03



@Location 03: ALL OFF



@Location 03: Fog Light Low Beam Only



@Location 03: Fog Light + Headlight Low Beam Only



@Location 03: Fog Light High Beam Only



@Location 03: Fog Light High Beam + Headlight High Beam


Now for the last set of pictures.
Location 04 - Set 04

The City comes with H11 for Low Beams and HB3-9005 for High Beams. So there are actually two separate set of bulbs for the Low Beam and High Beam. Now, the Low Beam and High Beam configuration I have are Dual Color LEDs that can emit 3000K Yellow color and also switch to pure White as needed. I have tried to use this capability to show where the beams are falling.


@Location 04 - ALL OFF



@Location 04 - Fog Light Low Only



@Location 04 - Fog Low + Headlight Low Beam (White)



@Location 04 - Fog Low + Headlight Low Beam (Yellow)



@Location 04 - Fog Light High Beam Only



@Location 04 - Fog High + Headlight High Beam (White)



@Location 04 - Fog High + Headlight High Beam (Yellow)


Conclusion
Overall very happy with the results from the Fog lamp upgrade. The iPHCAR Fog Projectors are a worthy buy at the specified price point. It is important to be aware that the same or very similar models are being sold by various different vendors at 2x and 2.5x the price quoted by Blaze India by adding different re-branding.

If you are looking for Projector Fog Lamps for your car, then I would give the iPHCAR Fog Lamps a big thumbs up and a big thumbs up to the seller Blaze India for superb pricing and support.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Dr.Naren]

Thanks for posting all the details!

Blaze India has got the best price when it comes to IPHCAR fog projectors. Most of the sellers , for example Xenon Planet is selling the same projector at double the price and I was the first victim .

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

If you are looking for Projector Fog Lamps for your car, then I would give the iPHCAR Fog Lamps a big thumbs up and a big thumbs up to the seller Blaze India for superb pricing and support.

Congratulations, these indeed look dazzling. Thanks a lot for the detailed information and pictures. I've pretty much zeroed in on this kit from Blaze India and infact spoke with Mr. Sawhny earlier today. Quite a coincidence that I saw this thread just a while later! A few queries from me if you coukd elaborate a bit -

1. Are they hooked up directly to stock wiring harness and socket with a canbus adapter? Does the stock fog switch switch them on? In the photos of contents, I see a ballast+ignitor module but no canbus adapter. So a bit confused. Or thats encased within the ballast housing?
2. Or you used a separate relay harness and switch yourself?
3. I'm wondering how you are able to do a scenario of only fog lamps high beam? If you hooked it up with headlamp high beam, won't both come on together? Or I misunderstood the photos? Could you please share a wiring diagram of your setup if you have it?

I completed installing Osram Xenarc HID conversion kit (4200K temp) in my Nexon today as a DIY and the results are excellent. Better than expected! Next step of my planned upgrade is the Blaze India sourced HID fogs, hence the specific questions. That will be a DIY too as Nexon thankfully has fully field replaceable fog lamp setup and doesn't require bumper removal.

Thanks!

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by Dr.Naren

Thanks for posting all the details!

Blaze India has got the best price when it comes to IPHCAR fog projectors. Most of the sellers , for example Xenon Planet is selling the same projector at double the price and I was the first victim .

Thanks! Yes, it is interesting to understand the model behind how some of these companies operate - provide their own box packing with new logo, stick their own stickers and boom the price skyrockets.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Congratulations

Thanks a lot...!

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Are they hooked up directly to stock wiring harness and socket with a canbus adapter? Does the stock fog switch switch them on? In the photos of contents, I see a ballast+ignitor module but no canbus adapter. So a bit confused. Or thats encased within the ballast housing?

Canbus is required only in Canbus enabled cars. We added the Canbus adapter when we added the FE Retrofit Fogs in my Uncle's Jeep Compass. The 2014 Honda City on the other hand is not Canbus enabled and hence it is not needed. Check in the User Manual if Nexon is Canbus enabled.

To explain this a little further, what happens in a Canbus enabled car is that if the power consumption from the bulb reduces or increases in both cases the car thinks there is a malfunction and switches off the bulbs. This intelligence is not present in a car that is not Canbus enabled and so long as the wattage is less than or equal to the rated wattage it works fine. The OEM Fog Lamps were rated at 60 Watts and these bulbs are rated at 55 Watts - so there is no issue here.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

[*]Or you used a separate relay harness and switch yourself?

There is no separate switch. By connecting the two wires from the Fog Lamp to the the High Beam Wiring it get synchronized with the High Beam On/Off stalk switch.
Blaze India contact clarified that I do not need a relay since an OEM Fog Lamp was already present in my car - so all that is taken care by default in the manufacturer provided OEM wiring.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

[*]I'm wondering how you are able to do a scenario of only fog lamps high beam? If you hooked it up with headlamp high beam, won't both come on together? Or I misunderstood the photos? Could you please share a wiring diagram of your setup if you have it?[/list]

No such Hi-Fi technology - - I think I mentioned this in my write up too, I used a thick towel/cloth to cover up the Normal Headlights. That way the light from only the Fog Lamp is projected on the road/wall when I switch on the High Beam. If you observe these pictures again closely - the cloth/towel can be seen as a curvy item over the bonnet. This was done to both headlights and covered both Low Beam and High Beam to allow only the Fog Light to shine through. Check the picture below:


How the Fog Lamp Only High Beam is Captured?

[naveenvenkatesh]

Hi Srivatsa,

Nice thread. I can vouch for Amit's recommendation. I got both fogs and main lights changed to HID projectors on my Abarth within the first week. Results are great. However, when on national highway on my recent drive to Kanyakumari, i felt the throw wasn't all that satisfactory. Can you let me know who did the installation? I just want to get my lights checked once for alignment just to be sure.


Edit: Didn't fully read you thread before posting. Will talk to the folks at A1 Car Care Center

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

No such Hi-Fi technology - - I think I mentioned this in my write up too, I used a thick towel/cloth to cover up the Normal Headlights. That way the light from only the Fog Lamp is projected on the road/wall when I switch on the High Beam. If you observe these pictures again closely - the cloth/towel can be seen as a curvy item over the bonnet.

Yep. Starting my day feeling more stupid than usual. Let me go flush myself down. Thanks for the clarification. I realized it now that you explained. Seems I had missed those lines earlier.

Its awesome that the City came with 60W fog lamps! Thats actually more than low beams that are generally 55W. My Nexon comes with canbus & with just 19W fog lamps. So it will be tricky. Blaze India people say that the kit with Canbus correction adapter will still work without a relay harness. I'm going for the harness anyway for more robust setup. Will be ordering it by this weekend. Your thread and details will be a huge reference point in the implementation. Thanks again.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

Hi Srivatsa,
Nice thread. I can vouch for Amit's recommendation. I got both fogs and main lights changed to HID projectors on my Abarth within the first week. Results are great. However, when on national highway on my recent drive to Kanyakumari, i felt the throw wasn't all that satisfactory. Can you let me know who did the installation? I just want to get my lights checked once for alignment just to be sure.
Edit: Didn't fully read you thread before posting. Will talk to the folks at A1 Car Care Center

You could do that for the Headlights but do note that for the Fog Lamps there is no alignment possible with the iPHCAR Setup. The OEM Fog Lamps had adjustment screws but this has none. So, if you want to validate the alignment of Headlights then A1 Car Care Center can help but for Fog lights - there is no option. Also do note that in a Sedan or Hatch the throw would be less compared to an SUV by some percentage due to the lower stance and position of the Fog Lights.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Yep. Starting my day feeling more stupid than usual. Let me go flush myself down. Thanks for the clarification. I realized it now that you explained. Seems I had missed those lines earlier.

Its awesome that the City came with 60W fog lamps! Thats actually more than low beams that are generally 55W. My Nexon comes with canbus & with just 19W fog lamps. So it will be tricky. Blaze India people say that the kit with Canbus correction adapter will still work without a relay harness. I'm going for the harness anyway for more robust setup. Will be ordering it by this weekend. Your thread and details will be a huge reference point in the implementation. Thanks again.

Double-checked now in the Car Manual and here is the Headlight and Fog Configuration for the 4th Gen City, minor correction its 55 watts - so its a 1:1 match.

1. High Beam: HB3-9005, 60 Watts
2. Low Beam: H11, 55 Watts
3. Fog Lights: H11, 55 Watts

Since you are trying to fit a bulb that consumes more power, going in for a Relay Harness seems to be a good choice.
Here are some good articles on this topic: Link 01, Link 02

As per the above if you go for a relay harness you do not need a Canbus Adaptor as the Relay Harness will bypass the factory wiring and pull power straight from the car battery - so there is no role for the Canbus Adaptor.

Do post your updates here once you have done the upgrade

[naveenvenkatesh]

OT: How does one control low and high beam on a fogs? I am not sure about this setup on my Abarth. I thought fogs had only one type of throw? Does high/low setting for the main lamp affect fogs as well? Does this differ across cars?

[jeepster]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

OT: How does one control low and high beam on a fogs? I am not sure about this setup on my Abarth. I thought fogs had only one type of throw? Does high/low setting for the main lamp affect fogs as well? Does this differ across cars?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1nPaWTneQA

There is only one HID bulb which is always in ON.

But high low beam function is done with the help of shield inside the fog lamp just like camera shutter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNAV7r7WP-s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP4WXHmRpjs

[naveenvenkatesh]

Originally Posted by jeepster

There is only one HID bulb which is always in ON.

But high low beam function is done with the help of shield inside the fog lamp just like camera shutter.

Thanks. That was helpful. However, i was referring to the car internal switches that accomplishes high/low position of the fog lamps. Are they (high/low position of the fog) integrated to high/low switch of the car min lamp or independent switches are added for this?

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by naveenvenkatesh

Thanks. That was helpful. However, i was referring to the car internal switches that accomplishes high/low position of the fog lamps. Are they (high/low position of the fog) integrated to high/low switch of the car min lamp or independent switches are added for this?

There is no separate switch in my setup and the Fog Lights are in sync with the High Beam and Low Beam of the Primary Headlights. The wiring from the Fog Lights are connected to the High Beam wiring so when one switches on the High Beam, the Fog Light also switches to High Beam.

There are other BHPians such as a4anurag who have put in a separate switch - so that is doable as well if you prefer - Link

[fordday]

Originally Posted by vsrivatsa

In recent times I have been trying various LED Headlight upgrade options on my Honda City. The Low Beam and High Beam upgrades have been already covered as part of my ownership report.

That was amazing. The detail explanation, the pictures and of course the final result.

Your fog lights are enough to drive in the city and seem to be enough for highway driving also, with the high beam on.

You can be a lighting consultant to us Banglore BHPians.

My car has pathetic bi-xenons. The throw and the spread both are nowhere near usable. I sometimes take the help of the lights from the car tailgating me, to read the road surface ahead

I do not have much idea about lights. Reading your posts gave me some knowledge. If it is not a problem I would like to PM you to gain some more insight.

Fordday.