LED array foglight - September 2004

For SVA, I fitted a standard surface mount type fog light, which had the required E-marks to pass the test.  I fitted the light on a bracket which hung just below the rear bodywork, above the silencer.  I knew this was going to look a bit 'clunky', but planned to change the light after SVA... 

I had seen some posts on blatchat where people had used an LED array, some as a high-level brake light, some as a fog light.  The unit is sold by both Demon Tweeks and Merlin Motorsport (at a cost of £40-£50) as a 'high visibility rain light as used in single seater racing', so my theory is this should be more than adequate for a fog light on a road car (even thought it won't have any E-marks).  The good news is that you can get the same LED array unit from Maplin at a cost of £9.99!  The array is rated at a lower voltage than that supplied by a car battery, so a small resistor is required in series with the array.  The Maplin part codes I used are:

52mm LED Cluster: PD01B (£9.99)

3 Watt resistor: W22R (£0.19)

As the unit is only 52mm across, it fitted much more neatly than the original fog light, sitting more under the rear edge of the bodywork, rather than standing proud.  I simply had to make a new bracket which located into the original mounting hole in the bodywork, and then wire the unit in, remembering to add the resistor into either the live feed or the earth connection (either is OK).

This is the end result- much neater, and looks quite distinctive too.  I think it is also brighter than the original unit- this could be dimmed a little by upping the rating of the resistor if required, but I'll leave it alone for now.