Honest Review for Diode Dynamics Elite Series Fog lights, with installation tips

[Wvmtneer]

Hey everyone, I recently installed the yellow/amber elite series fog lights on my 2022 f-150 and wanted to tell you about my experience. Before I get started, I did not receive any commission from any vendor, these are strictly my opinions and thoughts. I'll provide my brief review first, then installation tips to help others where I struggled.

My truck specs: 2022 f-150 powerboost 4x4, 501a lariat with reflector led headlights and led fog lights, 360 camera, without adaptive cruise control.

The good:

• Excellent light cutoff, with nice wide pattern.
• Selective yellow tones down the bluish head lights while driving. I only drove a couple miles at night, but my eyes appreciated the yellow.
• @Diode Dynamics team for designing/manufacturing a fog light housing to replicate the factory fog light appearance while greatly improving the light output, instead of only throwing pods into the fog opening.

The indifferent

• The fog lights take 1-3 seconds to completely turn off( fade to off), instead of instant on/off like factory fog lights and the ss3pods I had on my previous f150. I did not pay attention if turning on has the same delay from 0% light to 100% light. Not sure if this is normal for the lights or not.
• Driver fog light could adjust much higher than passenger. However, driver ended up being too high, so I adjusted down to match passenger anyway.

The Bad

• Radio interference when fog lights are turned on. there was significant static while listening to the radio(at least with FM, did not try AM). Static would instantly appear when lights were turned on, and immediately went away once the fog lights were turned off.
• White DRLs are not even close to matching the factory led reflector headlight DRLs. The OCD in me does not like it, but most will not notice or care. I'm sure it would match their elite series headlights.

Installation Tips
Thanks to:
@Stage3Motorsports for this video which covered about 75% of what I experienced.
@Diode Dynamics for manufacturing and designing these lights and for directions. https://www.diodedynamics.com/blog/how-to-install-2021-ford-f-150-elite-fog-lamps
@Hotshot Offroad for sending me a DM to answer some general questions for these lights that I had in threads, even though I did not buy the lights from them.


My comments will be for the numbers listed in the @Diode Dynamics directions.
I did most of the removal and installation myself, but my wife helped me with reinstalling the bumper. Before starting, i disconnected the negative terminal from the under hood battery( not much slack so I had to place rubber between the battery stud and the terminal cable. I did not want to remove the other two negative bolts that may be only on the powerboost), and also from the battery under the rear passenger seat.

1. Easy
2. Straightforward. Start with both outer edges, and work towards middle. This was very tight on the inside of both headlights. They touched and make noise, but i did not notice any scratches.
3. Easy. I used plastic trim removal tools, but took some effort. I think using a metal tool that Noah from @Stage3Motorsports used, would have been easier. I also had two styles of christmas tree pins. the typical ones, plus a two piece where the inner piece needs to be removed first to remove the other one. Not sure why there was a difference, but they both fit in the same holes.
4. Easy. Directions only showed two connections. I had 3. Shutters, camera, and hose for washer fluid for spray. For the washer fluid i held the 90 and pulled up out of the female end that went towards the emblem camera.
5. Easy.
6. Easy
7. Straightforward after watching the @Stage3Motorsports video.
8. N/A since i only did fog lights
9. N/A since i only did fog lights
10. N/A since i only did fog lights
11. Straightforward. Make sure to open the gray tab all the way. It helps separate both sides of the connector. It will make more sense when you look at it after it is disconnected.
12. Straightforward. You will need to watch your strokes to not hit harnesses or the fog lights. The bottom nut on driver side took forever. I could only rotate 1 click at a time with my ratchet. It would hit the fog light and a frame harness. The other bolts were no issue.
13. I did this solo, but a second pair of hands would have been nice. I had the harness flipped over the top of the bumper. I pulled the top out first, then bottom. Not sure on other models, but powerboost has a large air duct in the middle that i did not want to damage.
14. Struggled, but managed. I removed the 3 bolts on the driver side without issue. However, i could not figure out how to unclip the harness, so i left i connected. I had enough room to reach the 4 bolts of the fog lights, so it was not a big issues. The passenger side was still bolted when i worked on the drivers side. I followed the same method on the passenger side.
15. Easy
16. Easy. I only plugged in the factory harness. I did not use the @Diode Dynamics harness at all. I still had white DRLs and fog lights. I did not care about any other functions, and did not want any issues with a faulty harness.
17. Straightforward, just don't pinch any harnesses.
18. moderate difficulty. I tried to reinstall myself a few times and failed. I had my wife help, and it still took a few tries. We had a couple bolts lined up, but the bottom would not push in. Two issues we found, The rubber air duct that goes in the center of the bumper was folding below, and the fog lights were hitting the crash bar. We then removed the bumper and angled the bottom in first going very low. This got us below the rubber air duct and then we lifted up and pushed the top of the bumper in. This method worked. The rubber gromets for the tow hooks were kind of a pain. I ended up pushing them in from the front after the bumper was reinstalled.
19. Lower bolt was a pain again with 1 click at a time. You may be able to use extensions and swivels from under the truck, but i did not try.
20. Easy
21. N/A since i only did fog lights
22. N/A since i only did fog lights
23. N/A since i only did fog lights
24. N/A since i only did fog lights
25. N/A since i only did fog lights
26. Easy
27. Easy
28. Easy
29. Easy
30. Straightforward. I started in the middle and worked my way to one side. I bolted the first side, then when back to the middle and finished at the other end. Again, it is tight against the inside of the headlights.
31. easy
32. Straightforward. Your hand/arm will get rubbed or cut squeezing between the wheel liner, crash bar. The tool works, but takes more effort to rotate than adjusting the factory fogs.

Hopefully, this will help some of you and it answered all the questions that I had after purchase, and before installation.

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[Diode Dynamics]

Thank you very much for the honest feedback! We will be reviewing the "cons" quickly to see what we can offer in terms of improvements. We will also incorporate your feedback on the instructions, that is really helpful.

One note - for the "fade on/off" on the fog light, this was an intentional decision to improve the cornering function. We thought that instant on/off while turning the wheel was distracting, so we made our lights fade on and off for a smoother experience.

Thanks again for the feedback, and please feel free to reach out with any questions or further concerns.

Paul
Diode Dynamics

 

[Diode Dynamics]

Hey, just looking into this some more. The color match to factory was something we considered, and while the difference in optic style makes it tough, we feel it's a pretty close match. Would our mind emailing us with a photo of the color match of your lights?

Here is a photo I just took of our truck with the factory LED reflector headlights installed.

 

[Wvmtneer]

Hey, just looking into this some more. The color match to factory was something we considered, and while the difference in optic style makes it tough, we feel it's a pretty close match. Would our mind emailing us with a photo of the color match of your lights?

Here is a photo I just took of our truck with the factory LED reflector headlights installed.

I tried to capture it with my phone. It is more apparent in person. It is hard to explain. Not sure if it is the color, brightness, or just the different style/design of the leds.

 

[Grafx36510]

I tried to capture it with my phone. It is more apparent in person. It is hard to explain. Not sure if it is the color, brightness, or just the different style/design of the leds.

Looks like a difference in color temperature. The diode dynamics look almost spot on, but yours definitely show a difference.

 

[superfordman]

Great review and opinions of them so far. The differences in DRLs are very noticeable as the factory is a warmer pure white, while the the DD looks like a more cool blueish white.

I've been in the same boat when it came to the radio interference. I had some of the first 18-20 Morimoto XB headlights and that is something I noticed with them right away. Luckily I never listen to FM so wasn't a big issue but still bothered me. Shortly later they came up with a fix with some Ferrite filters on a harness to plug inside the housing and that solved it right away. So I imagine these will need something similar.

 

[Wvmtneer]

I took a couple output shots tonight on a level gravel road.
Fogs only, then fogs with low beams. My camera was.at the windshield, not where my eyes are while.driving. the dark spot at the bottom left is blocked by the A pillar while driving.

I did not want to lower the driver side anymore.

 

[Codycat91]

Good pics, those look really nice! I'm so torn on what to do with my fogs, either the SS3 kit, or the DD bracket with Morimoto 4bangers, or the rigid kit. And then white or yellow. Ughhhhhh

 

[Wvmtneer]

Good pics, those look really nice! I'm so torn on what to do with my fogs, either the SS3 kit, or the DD bracket with Morimoto 4bangers, or the rigid kit. And then white or yellow. Ughhhhhh

If i was buying fog lights again, i would get the DD ss3 kit with max fog in amber, and pro fog in white.

 

[Codycat91]

If i was buying fog lights again, i would get the DD ss3 kit with max fog in amber, and pro fog in white.

Idk if you can mix them up if you buy the “kit” I think it’s either max or pro, and then you get two fog optics yellow or white and two combo optics white only

 

[SpaceWhiteF150]

If i was buying fog lights again, i would get the DD ss3 kit with max fog in amber, and pro fog in white.

I just bought the brackets, and ran what ever pod combination I wanted!

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