Its officially winter - the fog light brigade are out
- Thread starter Graham_07
- Start date
All from googling "front fog lamps"
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Havent found a yellow one yet, but will keep trying. ( course could be yellow bulbs but hey, it isn't as if we're nitpicking )
There is no mark on the switch but I do have a seperate switch for them as I only use them when I require them. They are genuine and came from factory fitted to the car. They also turn with the steering, so when I turn my steering wheel to the r/l they go with it and light up the road before I've made my turn.
I think that some people have been attributing dazzling lights incorrectly to front fog/spot lights. From my own experience I have never been dazzled by front spot lights, just strong dips and people not dipping at all and of course the rear (red) fog lights. TBH I leave mine on cause I like them and I don't get flashed to turn them off.
But yet there are and have been calls for just such a change in the law to make people use dipped lights all the time as the increased visibility of other road users increases safety...
Sweden has it, why not us?
Fog lights do it too but as has been said, not all cars have them.
This thread has really degenerated into a quagmire; the opening post related to fog lights, Mr 2 decided to muddy the water with his "spot" lights which seem to be a different proposal altogether. I think it's quite clear that fog lights should not used when there is no fog and I stand by my original assertion that fog lights cannot be focused as they are fixed lens light.
There seems to be a lot of 'focus' in this thread on fog lamps...
The NCT don't seem to 'focus' on lamps. Their 'aim' seems to make more cars fail.
Here is the NCT Car Testing - Inspection list for Lamps
4.Light
Year 2005:
the main failure items were Headlight Aim,Rear Lamps and Reg Plate Lamps and Front Suspension
Year 2004:
the main failure items were Headlight Aim, Rear lamps and Reg Plate Lamps and Registration Plates
Year 2003:
the main failure items were Bodywork, Headlight Aim and Registration Plates
So focus on the problem, your aim.
Fog lamps: Unless the conditions require them (fog or snowing) switch them off. (front and rear)
Spot lights should only be lit with full beams and should go off with dipped lights.
And finally:
The logic in this is that you are travelling at an inappropriate speed! Try dipped lights and a slower pace and see how many more pot holes you can 'miss'.
The NCT don't seem to 'focus' on lamps. Their 'aim' seems to make more cars fail.
Here is the NCT Car Testing - Inspection list for Lamps
4.Light
- Stop Lamps
- Rear Lamps and Registration Plate Lamps
- Indicators / Tell Tales Side Lamps
- Headlamp Condition
- Headlamp Aim
- Aux Lamp Condition
- Aux Lamp Aim
- Reflectors
Year 2005:
the main failure items were Headlight Aim,Rear Lamps and Reg Plate Lamps and Front Suspension
Year 2004:
the main failure items were Headlight Aim, Rear lamps and Reg Plate Lamps and Registration Plates
Year 2003:
the main failure items were Bodywork, Headlight Aim and Registration Plates
So focus on the problem, your aim.
Fog lamps: Unless the conditions require them (fog or snowing) switch them off. (front and rear)
Spot lights should only be lit with full beams and should go off with dipped lights.
And finally:
The logic in this is that you are travelling at an inappropriate speed! Try dipped lights and a slower pace and see how many more pot holes you can 'miss'.
How in God's name do you see your fog lights when you are sitting in your car?????????????
I've read some stupid things on AAM over the years but the attitude of 'I break the law because the lights on the front of my car that I can't actually see but in my mind's eye are aesthetically pleasing to me so sod off all other drivers' is one of the best...
Saw a sign like this in the gents at a hotel once
For what it's worth, have looked up the manufacturer manuals as provided with the cars from both of the G_07 household's cars, both of which have OEM bumper fitted white glassed, white bulb'd lamps on them below the main headlamp clusters. The controls for each of these are on the lighting stalk and the icon is an ellipse with horizontal lines sloping from top right to bottom left intersected by a vertical line . In the manual, this icon , described as "Front Fog Lights" it says :-
" Switch on the exterior lights and turn the rotary fog light switch up one position. The indicator light in the instrument cluster will illuminate when the front fog lights are in use. The front fog lights should be used only when visibility is considerably restricted by fog, snow or rain."
The instruction for the rear fog lights continues after that with the addendum :-
" The rear fog lights may only be used when visibility is restricted to less than 50 metres and must not be used when it is raining or snowing"
Incidentally both cars are original Irish market cars. So either I have a major manufacturer supplying spot lights on their cars here and describing them as fog lights or the definition of fog lights and spot lights is not as clear as has been postulated in some earlier posts.
Front driving lights can be used in fog, snow, rain or where conditions require them (when it's dark), provided they focused they will only light up the road directly in front of the car. The rules of the road say you can use them once they dont hamper others, ie. keep them focused.
Your rear fog lamp should only be used when it's foggy.
If you look at your switch for additional lights, you can turn on the front driving lights with out activating the rear fog lamp but you cannot activate the rear fog light with out activating the front driving lights (if you car is fitted with them).
I looked up my wifes manual when I got home, it was in the book as "Front driving/fog light", it said that the front driving lights can be used as I stated at the start of this post but also when it is foggy and the rear fog lamp is activated the front driving lights will act as front fog lamps.
Your rear fog lamp should only be used when it's foggy.
If you look at your switch for additional lights, you can turn on the front driving lights with out activating the rear fog lamp but you cannot activate the rear fog light with out activating the front driving lights (if you car is fitted with them).
I looked up my wifes manual when I got home, it was in the book as "Front driving/fog light", it said that the front driving lights can be used as I stated at the start of this post but also when it is foggy and the rear fog lamp is activated the front driving lights will act as front fog lamps.
There is no reason to have your front fog lights on if there is no fog or falling snow. They are not spotlights, they are not yellow and if you use them when you are driving in normal conditions you are doing so because you think it looks good. The argument that they help to see potholes is laughable; utter rubbish.
Low front lights that come on automatically with the headlights are not the issue. Low fitted lights that you turn on from the dashboard when your other lights are on are the issue. Once again; these are not spotlights, they are fog lights.
The facts and the law has been covered and covered well. Those who argue that it's ok to use them, or that they in some way help them to drive, in normal conditions are choosing to ignore reality.
They do cause glare for other road users and it is a pig ignorant thing to do.
If you are content being pig ignorant and breaking the law then continue to use them, if not and you want to behave like a grownup then stop.
Low front lights that come on automatically with the headlights are not the issue. Low fitted lights that you turn on from the dashboard when your other lights are on are the issue. Once again; these are not spotlights, they are fog lights.
The facts and the law has been covered and covered well. Those who argue that it's ok to use them, or that they in some way help them to drive, in normal conditions are choosing to ignore reality.
They do cause glare for other road users and it is a pig ignorant thing to do.
If you are content being pig ignorant and breaking the law then continue to use them, if not and you want to behave like a grownup then stop.
I may seem stupid to you, but I am comfortable in the knowledge that I can make a truthful statement and not have to explain myself to those who choose a moral high ground when their argument is floundering. I do feel that it is unnecessary to make such remarks as it is for purple to claim
Both of you feel that you are right in this debate, that does not however make you right or intellectually superior.
You really aren't getting this are you? It's not about lights in general; it's about fog lights. If you have spot lights on your car (I presume these are on the roof and you use them for bird spotting or something
) that's your own business. If you think that your fog lights are spot lights you are mistaken (and a few other things that I won't mention ).