Wvmtneer
Well-known member
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- #1
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:
The indifferent
The Bad
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.
Hopefully, this will help some of you and it answered all the questions that I had after purchase, and before installation.
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.
- Easy
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Easy.
- Easy
- Straightforward after watching the @Stage3Motorsports video.
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Easy
- 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.
- Straightforward, just don't pinch any harnesses.
- 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.
- 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.
- Easy
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- N/A since i only did fog lights
- Easy
- Easy
- Easy
- Easy
- 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.
- easy
- 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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