Fog Lamps: Do you drive with them on all the time?

[buickgnx88]

Well and transversly... I never understood the concept of "driving lights" since you have Headlights already.

Of course, on my Jeep my driving lights are as bright as my highbeams, but are aimed lower and shine further which really helps here where it rains or snows heavily.

Also, I love how every other GM truck/SUV has one of the DRL's burned out.

 

[Casio]

Do you not have white reversing lights in Oz?

Yeah but they're not particularly bright. Much dimmer than rear fogs.

I could have the fogs and parking lamps on with the Blazer. They were stock as well.

Yep I can too. My lights are on a dial which has off/parking/headlights when you turn it anti-clockwise in that order. The fog lights are on the same dial but you have to pull the dial towards you, half way for front fogs, all the way for front/rear. However, you can only pull the dial out when it's in parking or headlight position.

 

[Joey D]

I uhhh....sit quite low in my car... I was ranting about the wrong thing then I think its those bright hid lights that piss me off then.

If HID's are properly aligned you shouldn't be blinded by them, the Cooper auto levels it's lights.

 

[Jim Prower]

I uhhh....sit quite low in my car... I was ranting about the wrong thing then I think its those bright hid lights that piss me off then.

Perhaps you should pull your seatback up, then? No need to be ridin' like a gangsta. [/jesting]

They are irritating on Sport-utes, though, since they're abot a foot higher, the perfect height to burn straight into your retinas. Especially if the jackass has his high beams on. The worst are Lexus RX models.

I find, though, that a clean windshield makes it better.

 

[somebody]

Foglights are angled sharply down to the ground. Foglights should never blind other drivers.

The manual I had for my old Corolla specified the fog lights should be pointed below horizontal between 5 and 25 degrees.

 

[///M-Spec]

On the other hand, it's probably rude in urban or resedential areas. I'm sure no-one needs hi-beams glaring into their house at night. Besides, there's cars there, anyway.

Why? You worried someone might become blinded by the highbeams and wreck their house?

Anyway I don't know why highbeams would ever be needed in an urban area. They are usually well lit enough you barely need headlights to see your way.

As for the 'burbs, I wouldn't, say drive into someone's driveway with my brights on (because it would be pointless), but how many houses are actually in the path of traffic? Houses on corners, bends in the road and cul-de-sacs.

Personally, I say they knew what they were getting into when they bought the house. If you think headlights at night are a nuisance, get heavier drapes or curtains. Years ago, I used to live in a house next to the Long Island Expressway (495) on the service road. The brightness difference between low and high beams were fairly negligible. It was the noise that was a bit of a bother.


M

 

[buickgnx88]

Near where I live, I usually put my highbeams on in the neighborhoods simply because of the deer that like to hop out in front of you.

 

[forza2.0]

I cant stand people who drive with their fog lights on. They are called fog lights for a reason.

 

[Joey D]

Since my question probably got over looked in the ensuing discussion can someone please help me with this?

Since I do not use my fogs in everyday driving anymore I'm thinking of switching them over to yellow/amber. What makes yellow lamps better over white-ish ones? Also I don't want crappy painted yellow bulbs off of eBay, any suggestions? The guys on North American Motoring say the Höen makes a good set of yellow bulbs.

http://www.hoen-usa.com/endurance.htm

Any other suggestions?

 

[Duke]

Yellow is supposed to provide higher contrast in foggy or cloudy situations. You know how shotgunners use those yellow sunglasses that burn your eyes out when you try them on in the store? That's because they give better contrast under poor conditions.

 

[kikie]

Yep, it's the same with ski glasses.

Yellow ==> fog.

 

[Joey D]

Cool, thanks. I guess it would be beneficial to order a pair then and see how they work out, we've had quite a bit of poor weather in the past couple of weeks. Plus HID's don't work to well in the snow or fog.

 

[Pupik]

I'm sure someone's going to tell me it's a bad idea to drive with foglights in conjunction with headlights, but I do. I like having extra lighting to see puddles and debris at night.

 

[Joey D]

There is no way fog lights help you see better at night, it illuminates a whole 10ft (if that) in front of your car...if you have your headlights on you should have already seen the obstruction on the road and either slow down or move over to avoid it. I'm not sure if you read the article in the first post or not but he does a pretty job of explaining why you do not need fog lights at night in clear conditions.

 

[Jim Prower]

Well, There's using them as "Ditch lights" to see the side of the road, (deer deterrent) but, other than that, I guess they're not really for much more.

 

[Keef]

I've found my mom's G6's fogs to be useful in parking lots at night. Helps you to see all the trash you're about to run over.

 

[Joey D]

Well, There's using them as "Ditch lights" to see the side of the road, (deer deterrent) but, other than that, I guess they're not really for much more.

Then use them on back roads only, you do not need fog lights on main roads with street lights and other vehicles.

 

[kikie]

Dunno what you're driving mate, because pretty much every car I've ever driven has been able to run in the "sidelights+front fogs" configuration. Unless you omitted to specify rear fogs in your post?

Yep, YOU ARE RIGHT! Mondeo ==> "sidelight + foglights" configuration is possible. You I tested it. Even rear fog lights + sidelights configuration is possible. Unless Famine meant something else, he's wrong.

 

[daan]

Unless Famine meant something else, he's wrong.

End of world.

 

[Pupik]

I'm not sure if you read the article in the first post or not but he does a pretty job of explaining why you do not need fog lights at night in clear conditions.

I don't care. I prefer to have the entire road illuminated at night. I'm getting old.

 

[Joey D]

But it doesn't do anything, I've played with my fog lamps last night and you can barely tell the difference with them on or off on dry pavement on a clear night. All you are doing is causing un-need strain on the eyes of passing motorist, and as someone with poor vision like myself can attest to it makes it very hard to see.

If you or anyone can prove to me that you are safer driving with the few feet in front of your car light up to be beneficial then I will lay off, but until then I think it's just a poor use of equipment on your vehicle. Plus shouldn't your headlight (if properly aligned) have picked up on whatever intrusion is in front of you anyways? If there is something directly in front of your car that you catch with your fog lamps you are not going to be able to avoid it anyways.

 

[JosX]

I don't have a car, but everyone I know drives with them on only in foggy or low visibility weather.

 

[Pupik]

All you are doing is causing un-need strain on the eyes of passing motorist, and as someone with poor vision like myself can attest to it makes it very hard to see.

Trust me on this one, South Florida motorists are the first to flash their high-beams at you if you're headlights are unnecessarily bright. And yet, nobody has ever flashed me while I'm going the other direction in my GS. Therefore, I'm either Emperor of the Road, or I'm not blinding anyone else.

Can we move on now?

 

[Leonidae]

only in poor conditions and backroads if necessary. it's against the law here to use them otherwise, and you can get a ticket for that one. Still, chavs and other douchebags use them even during daytime.

 

[Famine]

Yep, YOU ARE RIGHT! Mondeo ==> "sidelight + foglights" configuration is possible. You I tested it. Even rear fog lights + sidelights configuration is possible. Unless Famine meant something else, he's wrong.

I also tested it this week, on a Mk2 Focus - albeit a LHD one in Iceland. No foglights until the dipped headlights came on. I've never driven a car where either the front or rear foglights came on with just sidelights - though I don't preclude the possibility of there being such a car.

 

[Philly]

I found the fog lights to be very useful in the snow. It was a little had to pick up where the middle line and the tire tracks are in the slush with just the headlights on but the fogs helped me see where I was in relation to the middle and other tire tracks. I wasn't going over 30 at the time either.

 

[Onikaze]

Bad news, having a bunch of lights glaring off your rear view mirror, or blinding you as you come down a two lane road past them... it REALLY doesn't make you think "Man, that guy is ****ing COOL!"

It makes you think "Man, that guy is a ****ing PRICK!"

I despise SUV's for the light placement when I'm farting around in the Saturn, I deliberately switch lanes to get out from in front of them, cause not a one of the douchebags is going to think about the poor folks they're blinding.

Don't recall fogs on the Saturn, it has high beams, but I only use them at night down certain poorly lit roads which deer frequent.

Nothing makes your anus pucker quite the same way as seeing a Deer suddenly dash across the street and missing it by a foot or two.

 

[Robin]

I only ever use front and rear in bad weather... Mostly back first because I don't want someone ramming into me....

People who have front fogs on all the time although annoying don't bother me that much, its the guys who leave the rear ones on thats the problem because you can't see when they brake (thank god for the central brake light!)....

My Corsa thankfully has them right down on the rear mudflaps and the normal lights way up the back window so its easy for others to see what im doing!

What really winds me up is people who don't dip their beams when coming the other way or follow you on the motorway with them on! arg!

Oh and also the people who have the headlight leveling set wrong (like to caravan mode) and they haven't got a clue why everyone it so angry at them.

Robin

 

[Philly]

People who have front fogs on all the time although annoying don't bother me that much, its the guys who leave the rear ones on thats the problem because you can't see when they brake (thank god for the central brake light!)....

I never really have that problem. But I guess they are good for fooling tailgaters. I probably cause the same kind of disturbance when I use the transmission to slow down fro traffic jams. I drove nearly 10 miles in near- stop and go traffic without touching the brakes.

What really winds me up is people who don't dip their beams when coming the other way or follow you on the motorway with them on! arg!

That is probably the biggest problem on today's roads. Really annoying when you are driving down a dark mountain road and have to put up with everybody's high beams pointing in your car. People generally do a good job flipping them off thankfully.

 

[Joey D]

I found the fog lights to be very useful in the snow. It was a little had to pick up where the middle line and the tire tracks are in the slush with just the headlights on but the fogs helped me see where I was in relation to the middle and other tire tracks. I wasn't going over 30 at the time either.

I use mine in the snow, especially when the road is covered because it lets me see the ruts in which to keep my tires in better. I'm really thinking about ordering the yellow ones here soon since the stock ones on the Cooper suck during a heavy snow.