80W fog light in 06 Path

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06pathyman
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:55 am
Car: 2006 Pathfinder LE

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Hey, you guys think it would be safe to put a 80W fog light in as a replacement for the stock fog's.. I don't know that the stock wattage is but 80W seems to be a lot and I don't want them to get so hot they cause problems.

Thanks.


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K03sport
Posts: 418
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:05 pm
Car: 04 Pathfinder. My first Nissan was a '72 Datsun 510 Wagon.

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80W...are you serious.

They are fog lights, not driving lights. I seriously doubt the stock wiring can handle the extra current. You are talking about using a bulb that has 50% more wattage than what normally comes stock and you are wondering if the stock wires/socket can handle it.

You can do 1 of 2 things.

1. Use the right bulb rated with the correct wattage. or2. Use your 80W bulb and relaplace the fog log housing after it melts.

Your choice. These aren't PIAA bulbs your looking at, are they???

06pathyman
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Apr 05, 2009 8:55 am
Car: 2006 Pathfinder LE

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YEah !! Thats why I ask.....

80W seemed like alot, so i thought i would ask to be sure before i messed somthing up... THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP>>>>>>>

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K03sport
Posts: 418
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 2:05 pm
Car: 04 Pathfinder. My first Nissan was a '72 Datsun 510 Wagon.

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06pathyman wrote:YEah !! Thats why I ask.....

80W seemed like alot, so i thought i would ask to be sure before i messed somthing up... THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP>>>>>>>
I really believe PIAA over rates their bulbs, but it is really hard to tell. I don't know what magic advertisement formula they use, but why would a company continually market 80 and 100W bulbs that go in 55W applications?

It is possible, that they test their bulbs up to an 80W capacity for a limited time under special test conditions, but I seriously don't think their bulbs are actually putting out 80-100W or what ever the package says they are.

Read this link > Daniel Stern Lighting

edit: the link talks about PIAA stating wattage based on color output, but you have to read it for it to make sense.
Modified by K03sport at 7:57 PM 4/18/2009

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Chuck Tribolet
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Car: '01 Nissan Pathfinder
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Testing the wattage of a bulb is quite easy: Apply the correct voltage, measurethe current (amps), multiply volts times amps. The only hard part is figuringout what voltage to use (12V? (nominal) 12.8V? (fully charged battery, engine off), 13.something? (fully charged battery, engine running at reasonable revs)).I suspect there's a standard voltage for automotive applications.

So net, if you lie about the wattage, somebody will call you out on it.

Also, in order to keep the weight down, the automakers use wire that's JUSTbig enough for the current. I'd worry more about frying the wire than the lamp housing. Back in the days of my 240Z, the wire was seriously oversizedso there was no problem dropping in Cibie Z-beams (no relation to 240Z).


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