Word of warning on ebay OEM style parts
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Hi all.
Just a word of warning on OEM style parts from ebay and such. I bought an OEM style fog lights kit for my 2001 civic ex on ebay for around 30 bucks. At the time I was quite giddy since the retail on genuine OEM fog light is close to $300 at the dealer I believe. Well today it finally rained in California and I noticed my fog lights weren't at their usual brightness. Well turns out the insides of them are totally drenched due to the inadequate sealant work. No doubt this stuff was cranked out in China somewhere for $1 with no quality control what so ever.
Well lesson learned for me. Just ordered a new set of genuine OEM fog lights. Saving money is great but on things that's gonna be exposed to the elements or could kill you if they fail, don't get the Chinese knockoffs lol.
Just a word of warning on OEM style parts from ebay and such. I bought an OEM style fog lights kit for my 2001 civic ex on ebay for around 30 bucks. At the time I was quite giddy since the retail on genuine OEM fog light is close to $300 at the dealer I believe. Well today it finally rained in California and I noticed my fog lights weren't at their usual brightness. Well turns out the insides of them are totally drenched due to the inadequate sealant work. No doubt this stuff was cranked out in China somewhere for $1 with no quality control what so ever.
Well lesson learned for me. Just ordered a new set of genuine OEM fog lights. Saving money is great but on things that's gonna be exposed to the elements or could kill you if they fail, don't get the Chinese knockoffs lol.
Last edited by magrider; 01-21-2012 at 02:12 AM.
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Actually I did. Bought some clear Silicone sealant and tried to seal them up. Well the result is they are waterproof now but I did such a messy job they look like complete crap now. ;-(
So I just gave up and ebayed some genuine ones for around 2x the cost of the knockoffs.
So I just gave up and ebayed some genuine ones for around 2x the cost of the knockoffs.
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Sealing a light takes a bit of practice and patience, definitely.
The wiring harnesses are much better on OEM fogs as well.
The wiring harnesses are much better on OEM fogs as well.
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$30 compared to $300 , def go with cheap and just fix em up a bit with new sealant and maybe even better bulbs. but if your not familiar with doing things like that probably easier to buy good ones I guess if you got the cash.
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That is very true on some things. For example Engine Parts where a cheap part could cost you a engine. But for something like like fog lights, paying $270 extra dollars just to save you ten minutes of re-sealing or solder a few wires seems like a waste of hard earned money. Just my opinion though. All depends on what a person is capable of doing on their vehicles I suppose.
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That is very true on some things. For example Engine Parts where a cheap part could cost you a engine. But for something like like fog lights, paying $270 extra dollars just to save you ten minutes of re-sealing or solder a few wires seems like a waste of hard earned money. Just my opinion though. All depends on what a person is capable of doing on their vehicles I suppose.
I don't generally trust cheap products either. If I had a MOMO shift **** and steering wheel, Tokico shocks, Recaro seats, OEM lip/skirts, then WalMart fog lights, the fogs would feel out of place IMO. I don't care if nobody else knows they're WalMart lights - I know they are, and on a car with great quality everywhere else, it only makes sense to treat everything with that level of care. (I don't have these items; it's just an example).
Even the little things matter, like floor mats. I bought some stupid Costco winter mats and they don't fit properly (the gas/trunk door lever is in the way) so the mat is crooked. It slips and slides, and because of their stupid design, every time I release the clutch, my shoe catches on the mat and either the clutch doesn't release or the mat slides backwards. Completely ruins the driving experience in Winter.
Anyway.
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Anyone willing to share a thread or advice on how to seal, build a harness for fog lights. I want to go through the cheap route for my fog lights too; but not willing to spend $300 for fog lights! !~!~
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I believe even the cheap ebay fogs come with the wiring and switch. As far as sealing I would buy some clear marine silicone.
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Hi all.
Just a word of warning on OEM style parts from ebay and such. I bought an OEM style fog lights kit for my 2001 civic ex on ebay for around 30 bucks. At the time I was quite giddy since the retail on genuine OEM fog light is close to $300 at the dealer I believe. Well today it finally rained in California and I noticed my fog lights weren't at their usual brightness. Well turns out the insides of them are totally drenched due to the inadequate sealant work. No doubt this stuff was cranked out in China somewhere for $1 with no quality control what so ever.
Well lesson learned for me. Just ordered a new set of genuine OEM fog lights. Saving money is great but on things that's gonna be exposed to the elements or could kill you if they fail, don't get the Chinese knockoffs lol.
Just a word of warning on OEM style parts from ebay and such. I bought an OEM style fog lights kit for my 2001 civic ex on ebay for around 30 bucks. At the time I was quite giddy since the retail on genuine OEM fog light is close to $300 at the dealer I believe. Well today it finally rained in California and I noticed my fog lights weren't at their usual brightness. Well turns out the insides of them are totally drenched due to the inadequate sealant work. No doubt this stuff was cranked out in China somewhere for $1 with no quality control what so ever.
Well lesson learned for me. Just ordered a new set of genuine OEM fog lights. Saving money is great but on things that's gonna be exposed to the elements or could kill you if they fail, don't get the Chinese knockoffs lol.
where in CA are u from?
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I understand your point, and I thought like that too before. I bought a cheap shift **** for $15 and it didn't tighten at the right spot so the gears were facing the wrong way on the ****. Then I bought another cheap **** that actually BROKE off and stripped some of the threads on my shifter rod (if that's what it's called) before I got home from the store. I went back, complained, and they basically told me to f off. Usually people (or stores) who sell the cheap stuff are cheap themselves, so when it breaks, they don't care. I'm currently stuck with the **** that's facing the right way until I can sum up the courage to spend money on a good one, because after all it's just a ****.
I don't generally trust cheap products either. If I had a MOMO shift **** and steering wheel, Tokico shocks, Recaro seats, OEM lip/skirts, then WalMart fog lights, the fogs would feel out of place IMO. I don't care if nobody else knows they're WalMart lights - I know they are, and on a car with great quality everywhere else, it only makes sense to treat everything with that level of care. (I don't have these items; it's just an example).
Even the little things matter, like floor mats. I bought some stupid Costco winter mats and they don't fit properly (the gas/trunk door lever is in the way) so the mat is crooked. It slips and slides, and because of their stupid design, every time I release the clutch, my shoe catches on the mat and either the clutch doesn't release or the mat slides backwards. Completely ruins the driving experience in Winter.
Anyway.
I don't generally trust cheap products either. If I had a MOMO shift **** and steering wheel, Tokico shocks, Recaro seats, OEM lip/skirts, then WalMart fog lights, the fogs would feel out of place IMO. I don't care if nobody else knows they're WalMart lights - I know they are, and on a car with great quality everywhere else, it only makes sense to treat everything with that level of care. (I don't have these items; it's just an example).
Even the little things matter, like floor mats. I bought some stupid Costco winter mats and they don't fit properly (the gas/trunk door lever is in the way) so the mat is crooked. It slips and slides, and because of their stupid design, every time I release the clutch, my shoe catches on the mat and either the clutch doesn't release or the mat slides backwards. Completely ruins the driving experience in Winter.
Anyway.
Check eBayfor OEM or Genuine Honda fog lights. I bought my kit for $20 shipped. Only thing I needed was the switch (which cost me more than the kit, after tax and shipping). They're listed every once in a while, you just have to be patient and know what keywords to type in. I've seen a handful under $40 or $50 bucks in the past 6 months.
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Btw I am not recommending people buy this stuff straight from the dealership, unless you got $ to burn since they always charge outrageous prices. Like I said before I got OEM ones off ebay for around twice the cost of the knockoffs. The extra cost is worth it because not only is the OEM light properly sealed, it also has a glare cap which helps in controlling the light output. My knockoff didn't have the glare cap and it threw light everywhere in comparison.
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The kit I got could be fake I guess, but its components match the OEM kit as described in the stock install instructions:
http://www.handa-accessories.com/civic/CIVIC01FOG.pdf
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