F355 driving lights (round ones) glass | FerrariChat

F355 driving lights (round ones) glass

Discussion in '348/355' started by sambomydog, Feb 10, 2011.

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  1. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    Has anyone had there chips polished out of the front of the glass? What were the results like? I am thinking of taking the glass in, but thought i would ask on here first.
    I have done my bi-yearly light strip to clean the fog inside the glass, but the front of the glass has loads of little chips. Can these successfully be polished out? Anyone actually done this on here?
     
  2. Vegas-Guy

    Vegas-Guy Formula 3

    Nov 25, 2007
    1,828
    Austin, TX
    Full Name:
    Reg
    I've wondered about this as well? Mine are pretty bad, not even sure it's worth trying but I really don't want to buy new ones.
     
  3. jm3

    jm3 F1 Rookie

    Oct 3, 2002
    4,364
    United States
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    JM3
    I have done it to a certain extent. I have restored, and am restoring a few cars where the glass is incredibly valuable, so I have the several different tools to do this.

    Here is what I can tell you about buffing the scratches out of the F355 foglight lenses:

    70% of the improvement is in the first 30% of the time. You still will need to spend at least 20-30 minutes to make a noticeable difference.

    I prefer the buffer wheel mounted kit from Eastwood for small things. Do not skimp on the buffer (I use an old Craftsman bench grinder).

    The Griots kit is slower, and more expensive, but works better on windows.
     
  4. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    Yea Vegas-guy the whole units are in perfect condition, the inside of the glass is clean and perfect. Its the outside chips that spoil the units.
    Thank god that even if 355 owners did buy new, they would be a fraction of the cost of thouse on the 348. Man they are megga expensive even by ferrari standards.
     
  5. sambomydog

    sambomydog Guest

    May 23, 2009
    1,380
    Thanks Jm3 for your input:)
     
  6. TonyF355

    TonyF355 Rookie

    Feb 12, 2011
    18
    Canada
    Full Name:
    Tony
    Hey guys,
    I just recently imported a 1997 Ferrari F355 GTS into canada and as some of you may know it is mandatory to have DRL (daytime running lights) activated. I talked to MANY people and they all told me that the DRL's when activated are my fog light's, which i htought is pretty sweet. I then brought it to Ferrari Dealership and thye activated my Park lights as the DRL's. Does anyone have ANY idea what the dealship could've done! O ahve been trying SOO hard to figure it out and I can not find it! So what i am asking for or looking for i a VERY detailed Electrical Schematic of the car to find out what wires they spliced or if they did!
    Vegas-Guy you sound like you know ALOT!!!
    PLEASE HELP!!
    this is driving me crazy!
     
  7. Laserman

    Laserman Karting

    Oct 26, 2018
    104
    Minneapolis, MN
    Hey TonyF355,
    I just imported a F355 form Canada into the USA and it has been driving me crazy that I can seem to shut off the fog lights.

    Looks like that is the way it came to Canada, so I won't worry about it.

    Thanks for the information.
     
  8. 97 Spider

    97 Spider Formula 3
    Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2012
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    Brian
    The post you quoted was from 8 years ago and the guy you’re talking to has been on fchat in 7 years and 40 weeks...
     
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  9. kenneyd

    kenneyd Formula 3
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    Sep 30, 2014
    1,944
    NE FL
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    Ken
    I mentioned this in another thread, I think literally 3/4 of the posts on the first page here are revived threads from almost a decade ago lol. Not sure if we just ran out of things to talk about, or people are tired of getting told that they should have searched every time they make a new thread here.


    Anyway, my fogs were quite weathered, and last year I recondition them with just extensive sanding, and then just normal buffing compound. No specialty glass products. I think they came out great.

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  10. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Jun 14, 2011
    8,562
    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee
    Cerium oxide to buff and grind glass. I was partner in a scientific glass company and that's what we used for optical polishing.. for rough finish we ground and fire polished
     
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  11. watkinsgt

    watkinsgt Karting

    Feb 4, 2008
    204
    Fogs covered in clear adhesive vinyl (thick clear bra) 20 yrs. ago. Still look new. Incidentally, there is 'optically correct' 3M clear vinyl for windshields. Almost completely invisible. No 'oasis shimmer'. Very effective. Price a new windshield before you pass.
     
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  12. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Jun 14, 2011
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    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee

    They use that windshield stuff down here, works great have it on 2 of my cars
     
  13. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    Feb 7, 2002
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    Barry Wolinsky
    Right. You have DRLs. They're good to have.

    I had my driving lights, which also serve as flashers, rewired so I could switch them on independent of the parking lights. Since my 1995 Challenge had the door locks removed, I used one of the door lock switches on the console to turn them on and off. I replaced the H1 bulbs with 2700K LEDs and switch them on when I'm on the track...


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    Just like the big boys...


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    :D
     
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  14. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Feb 20, 2015
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    Ian Riddell
    Do Canadian cars have a front fog light switch on the centre console? Just wondering if the switch was removed and the wiring shorted to put on the fog lights permanently.
     
  15. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Sep 9, 2010
    21,610
    WI
    Ever do any polishing with diatomaceous earth???
     
  16. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 9, 2010
    21,610
    WI
    I want to switch my Fogs Lights to run on a separate switch.

    A project for this winter.... You, being the God of all things electrical may get a few questions. :)

    What diagram has the wiring for the fogs on it?
     
  17. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
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    Jun 14, 2011
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    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee
    No I have not, I assume it's for commercial grade glass
    We used the cerium with a cast iron polishing stone so to speak to optically polish boro 33 for extreme duty use. Would take 8-20 hours to do an 100mm lens after it looked good to the human eye
     
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  18. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Feb 20, 2015
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    A confused God) I thought US cars already had a button for front fogs (i.e. one which illuminates the daytime flashers) i.e. as long as the sidelights/markers are already turned on? Or do you have a Canadian car? Or do you want the fog lights to come on without turning the sidelights?

    The USA diagram (from around 1997) looks something like this:

    Fig8_Lighting_Diagram_5.2(1997~)_USA

    When the front fog is turned on using the centre console switch, an earth is sent to the solenoid of relay "G" (E12) in the forward luggage compartment. Power for the solenoid is provided by the closed contacts of relay "F" (E9) which is energised when the sidelights are turned on. Relay G provides battery power to splices 30058 and 30059 and then to the fog/daytime flashers.

    The daytime flashers are operated by pulling back on the column light switch. This sends ignition key power through the relaxed contacts of relay "A" (E5) to the previously mentioned splices 30058 and 30059.

    On the USA '95 model, the wiring is shown for the front fog indicator on the instrument binnacle. I'm not sure why it isn't included in the post-'96 model cars.

    If you let me know what your car has and what your intentions are, perhaps we can figure out how to rewire your car.

    Cheers
    Ian.
     
  19. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    Feb 7, 2002
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    Ian,

    What Watson wants to do is something I've already done with my F355 Challenge. In my previous post, I erred in saying that I utilized an existing door lock switch (second from the right on the console) to turn on my fog lights for use as driving lights independent of the sidelights/markers. The door lock switch is a momentary switch so I replaced it with an ON-OFF fog light switch. The red shielded switch is my master ignition switch. The standard fog light switch (second from the left) functions as originally designed. So does the light stalk switch to flash the driving lights. The switch that I had installed is wired, somehow, to the master ignition switch. When I leave the track and pull into the garage, I turn off the fan switches, master ignition switch, and starter switch. In this way, should I forget to turn off the independent driving light switch, the driving lights will not stay illuminated.


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    I'll ask for details on the wiring but I just know you have this all figured out.

    By the way, the original air horn was taken off years ago. The quick-release steering wheel does not allow for a functional horn button. The one that's there is just for show. Instead, I installed a reproduction 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner horn activated by the momentary door lock switch at the extreme right on the console.


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    :)


    Barry
     
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  20. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    That's the problem. It would be relatively easy to wire up the flasher relay "G" to a permenent power (battery), but I'm struggling to find an ignition key power source in the forward luggage compartment.
     
  21. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    #21 Qavion, Nov 1, 2019
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2019
    I meant to say "fog relay" G.


    If you weren't worried about flattening your battery (by leaving your fog light turned on with the car turned off), I would simply buy a new relay (one with a plastic cover which can easily be removed) and wire it up internally and cut off one of the legs. This way your car's wiring would remain standard and if you wanted to sell the car, simply refit the old relay.

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    You would have to confirm the way the car was wired up (by doing wiring checks) before modifying the relay.

    i.e. first figure out which relay pin has permanent battery volts, and which relay pin is connected to fuse 12.
     
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  22. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
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    Feb 7, 2002
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    This is why I'm fortunate to have that master ignition switch in my car. That's the only way I have of shutting down the engine. Most of the electrical circuits are shut down with that switch too. It's the equivalent of the keyed ignition switch. In my car, the only thing the keyed switch does is start the engine.
     
  23. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    Feb 20, 2015
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    After checking the wiring on my car for the fog relay, I need to make an amendment to my diagram above. Assuming yours is the same, you would have to short out (internally) relay pins 86 & 87 and cut the leg off 86.

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    As stated previously, I would check the wiring of your relay panel before modifying a relay.
     
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  24. ThatFlyGuy

    ThatFlyGuy Karting

    Jul 10, 2020
    78
    Toronto, Canada
    Full Name:
    Cy Sawyer
    *for other people as I'm sure you either no longer have the car nor care about the fog light switch lol

    No, Canadian F355's do not have a fog light switch. Where the switch would be (is on US cars) is a switch just to turn on the heated mirror and is beside the switch to activate the rear window defog.
     
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  25. Lionworks Auto

    Lionworks Auto Formula 3

    Oct 16, 2013
    1,016
    Worthington OH
    Full Name:
    Ed
    Anyone know if the glass on a RH fog light will
    Fit in the assembly of the LH fog light? I kicked up gravel which shattered the glass on my LH and they are unobtanium.
     

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