Your fog lights are a great addition to your vehicle and can help you out in conditions where visibility is low. But what if you don’t like the look of your fog lights? The good news is that you can quickly improve the fog lights on your car with some basic know-how and a little bit of prep time. How?
Tinting your fog lights will help you see better at night and in inclement weather, so tinting your fog lights means driving safer. Tinting your fog lights is a simple and cheap upgrade to your ride, and it’s an easy DIY project. If you want the benefits of tinted fog lights without the hassle of getting them professionally done, try one of these three methods:
The tinted film reduces the amount of glare while still allowing light to pass, so you can see and be seen with ease. As such, if you can’t always control the fog, you can control how much it affects your visibility. How easy is that? Keep reading.
Option No.1: Using (Pre)cut Fog Lights Tint
The best way to tint your fog lights is with a pre-cut sheet of tint. If you go this route, be sure that your local auto shop has the correct measurements to fit your vehicle because they can vary significantly between makes and models. One of the most popular types of tint film is vinyl or window tints, but the latter tends to peel away easily over time due to temperature changes or damage from road debris.
Tools you will need for your fog light tint job
- Microfiber Cloth/ Paper Towels
- Surface Cleaner
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- Masking tape – You will need a roll of masking tape to cover the surrounding areas with.
- Application Fluid/ Masking Fluid
- Squeegee
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- Razor Blade/ Scissors –Â You’ll need these for cutting the edges of your tint film and removing excess pieces after applying it to your fog lights.
- Heat Gun or Hair Dryer
Masking fluid (available at automotive paint stores) – this is a spray adhesive used to stick the tinted film to your fog lights. Masking fluid is much thinner, so it allows more light through while still blocking most UV rays from hitting your eyes while driving at night.Â
We would recommend buying a quart bottle of each brand just in case one doesn’t work out for some reason or another; however, we’ve found that both perform equally well when applied properly!
Installation:
Step No.1: Clean Your Fog Lights
Before you begin, clean your fog lights with a clean microfiber cloth and some soap and water, but we would recommend an automotive-designed surface cleaner. A microfiber cloth is ideal for this task, but you can use any old rag or towel that’s handy.
If you have access to a glass cleaner, use it! Otherwise, dampen the cloth with water—just enough so it’s not dry—and wipe away any dirt from your fog lights until they’re free of dust and grease residue. You’ll get better results that way.
When all the grime has been removed from your fog lights, lay down a drop cloth on the ground where you are working (if you don’t have one, I recommend using a newspaper).
Step No.2: Cut the tint film to size
Cut the film to size, in case the sizing doesn’t match your car’s and your fog lights’ model.
You’ll want to cut it so that it fits precisely over the fog lights—which means exactly. You don’t want any extra film hanging around because this can make a mess when you apply them.
To do this, use a sharp razor blade or scissors and ruler to measure, and then mark your final measurements on the back side of the light tint film (the side without adhesive). Then cut with scissors or a razor blade applicator at an angle similar to how you would cut a pie.
If you’re having trouble getting an even edge around your fog lights, use a straight edge for guidance—but be careful not to slice through!
Step No.3: Heat up the light tint film.
If you’ve never tinted a car before, here’s the deal: You need to heat up the light tint film before you apply it to your fog lights. This will make it more pliable, allowing you to work with the material and get it exactly where you want it. To do this, use a heat gun on low or medium heat (depending on how much time you have) and run the tip over all parts of the film that are going onto your fog lights.
When applying any type of black light film, remember that if there’s any moisture in your hands at all—even from washing them just seconds earlier—you’ll end up ruining everything and wasting money in return! So be sure not only to wash up thoroughly but also dry off completely before handling anything related to automotive painting products like these ones here today!
Step No. 4: Lay down the adhesive side of the light tint film onto your fog lights
Lay down the adhesive side of the light tint film onto your fog lights. Use a squeegee to work out any air bubbles and creases from the fog lights tint film.
In order to get an even application, you will want to cut out some small pieces of cardboard and tape them over each corner of your fog lights so that they don’t come into contact with anything during installation.
Step No. 5: Use a rubber squeegee to work out the air bubbles and creases from the fog lights tint film.
After you place the precut fog lights tint film on your fog lights and use a rubber squeegee to work out the air bubbles, creases, and wrinkles from the precut fog lights tint film, it’s time to re-heat the adhesive that comes with your pre-cut fog lights tint.
Step No. 6: Re-apply heat to adhere to the light tint film.
Here’s the trick: before you apply any heat, make sure to get all of your light tint film into place. Don’t leave any edges hanging out because they could catch fire and burn. (We don’t want that.)
If you’re using a hair dryer, turn it on the lowest setting and hold it about 1 inch away from the light tint film while moving it around in a circular motion. This will help to keep the light tint film from curling up or warping while it’s on its way down onto your fog lights.
When in doubt, err on the side of caution by adding more time than less time! You can always remove excess material with a razor blade once everything has cooled down enough for safety reasons—but this will take patience and diligence if there are lots of small bubbles left behind after application due to uneven application technique during the installation process.
What You Should Know When Using Tint Film On Your Fog Lamps:
- Tinted film for fog lights has a durable and glossy finish to match your weather conditions, but in order to achieve such a result, the ideal application temperature range is between 70º to 80º F (21º to 27º C).
- If you take the time to turn on your fog lights, that would increase the surface temperature of the fog lights, it makes it more likely that condensation will form on the inside of the clear lens.
- If you apply paint when it’s raining, the moisture will stick to the surface and make a mess. Trust us. It’s better to wait until it stops!
- Simply clean and dry your surface, peel back an edge of the film, align it on your surface, then slowly roll outwards from the center to allow the adhesive to activate. Once applied, do not bend back and forth as this causes wrinkles.
Tinting your fog lights using tint films is a great way to customize your car and make it stand out. Some people want their vehicle to look better, and others want it to be safer. Either way, doing this project yourself will save you money while still giving you the customization that you want.
The Spray On Method for Tinted Fog Lamps
Necessary Tools:
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- Masking tape – You’ll be applying the tint to your fog lights in strips. A good way to make sure you don’t go over the edge of your light is by taping off sections of it before removing the backing from your film.
- Masking paper – helps protect areas outside of where you are applying tint. It can also help keep things clean and ensure that none of those pesky little bits get into places they aren’t supposed to go.
- Scissors – For cutting your masking tape into smaller pieces when necessary (like when working around headlights), or for cutting out small pieces of plastic that might have gotten trapped under what you’re working on so far (like when working around headlights).
- Masking fluid – This stuff is basically like sticky glue; it holds everything together—but only temporarily! It’s important not only because it keeps things aligned during application but also because once everything has dried completely after installation, any residue left behind will cause problems down the road if left untreated.
- Microfiber Cloth/ Paper Towels
- Surface Cleaner
- Most importantly, a Good Quality Tint Spray.
If you’re going to be putting the work in to properly tint your fog lights, make sure you’re using a quality product. You’ll get the best results if you use a spray bottle that’s clean and dry. Also, don’t forget to ensure you have all of the right tools on hand, including sandpaper and masking tape!
Make sure that when it comes time for installation, everything is ready to go so that no time is wasted moving things around or getting frustrated trying to find what’s needed next. Remember: preparation is essential!
Installation
Step No. 1: Preparation
Prepare your lights by cleaning them with soap and water or using a specially designed cleaning solution and wiping them dry with a microfiber cloth. If you want to protect yourself from fumes, wear a mask, gloves, and safety glasses while working with toxic chemicals.
Step No. 2: Spray-On
Once they are completely dry, apply tint to both sides of each lens using an applicator sponge or microfiber cloth with your chosen tint solution; use the as little solution as possible so that it doesn’t run down onto anything else!
Once applied evenly over both lenses (the front one should still be dry), let sit for about five minutes before wiping away excess residue from around the edges using an applicator sponge or microfiber cloth dipped in water or rubbing alcohol.
It will take some effort on your part; remember not everyone can do this on their own car unless they have experience doing it already or are willing enough to learn from trial & error which could lead to disastrous consequences depending on how much carelessness goes into this process – don’t say I didn’t warn you ;)
So, there you have it! We’ve shown you how to tint your fog lights in two simple steps. It’s a great way to enhance your vehicle’s overall look and improve its performance in all kinds of weather. And don’t worry if the process looks complicated at first—it is definitely something that you can get the hang of pretty quickly. Best of all, once you have learned how to do it yourself, you can go on to apply this skill to other vehicles as well!
