Fog lamps

[mizzou]

Do they really do anything? I've had them on my truck, and in extreme fog, I can't tell the difference (factory silverado 1500)

 

[NutBucket]

Depends on the vehicle but I found the fog lights on two of our cars quite useful the last few days with the rainy weather we've been having. It could also be they aren't aimed well.

 

[Nintendesert]

I like to drive around with them on just to piss other drivers off.

 

[7window]

Just sold a pair brand new kc hiltes for $70 . Was wondering if I should have kept it.

 

[foghorn67]

I like to drive around with them on just to piss other drivers off.

How does it possible people off? Did you have a team of monkeys re-align them?

 

[LTC8K6]

Do they really do anything? I've had them on my truck, and in extreme fog, I can't tell the difference (factory silverado 1500)

Are they working and properly aimed?

They should only work with your low-beam headlights.

They should turn off when you turn on your high-beam headlights.

The yellow ones work better to me than the white "driving" lights.

 

[WackyDan]

They work well... I think some are more ornamental...or poorly designed factory options. They do help give your car more visibility to other motorists.

On my 99 Dakota they were awesome... Lit up the side of the road more and with them on, I rarely felt the need to use my brights. On my new F-150 I'm not sure they work as well but I haven't paid that much attention to them to be honest.

 

[phucheneh]

They work well... I think some are more ornamental...or poorly designed factory options.

This.

They have to have a decent amount of intensity, and be both mounted and aimed low. The goal is for them to throw light on the ground by getting underneath the fog; not magically piercing it. Fog is moisture, and moisture reflects light.

The actual conditions also matter. I've seen fog that is very dense and and sits right on the ground. There's really just not much that the lights can do in that situation.

I also agree that yellow seems to work better. It may just be an illusion, but it seems like the yellow light reflects off of the fog less while still providing a decent amount of illumination.

 

[NutBucket]

It is a fact that yellow will not reflect off the fog/rain. This is why some European cars had yellow headlights years ago. Look bad, works great.

 

[CraigRT]

It is very obvious sometimes its for decoration and in some cases they are actually designed properly.

I would say in most cases they are decoration.

 

[JoeyP]

Some people drive with them all on the time, not sure why. Same for people with perpetually empty roof racks.

 

[LTC8K6]

Some people drive with them all on the time, not sure why. Same for people with perpetually empty roof racks.

The number of people that pull out directly in front of me has convinced me that my Jeep is invisible, and that I need every light I can get.

I would add a signal cannon, but the police don't like those...

 

[T2urtle]

i love my yellow fog lights. I try to get them on every car i have. The added light output is good, even if it not long distance. Me driving in the suburbs in completely darkness i want all the lighting i can get.

Nothing beats a proper HID projector tho.

 

[KentState]

They are mostly driving from what I seen. Helps with the light cut-off from HID lights.

 

[7window]

You guys should google oscar fog lights. Those light will cut through any fog.

 

[alevasseur14]

I appreciate my fog lights when I drive back home to northern MN. There are tons of deer and no street lights for 100s of miles at a time. For me, the fog lights help light up the ditches and highlight the deer.

Side question: when I bought my current car, the fog lights didn't work so I ordered replacements and installed them myself. I know they are adjustable, but don't know which way to turn the screws to move them either up or down. I know this is a strange question but does anyone have any experience on this matter?

 

[LTC8K6]

I appreciate my fog lights when I drive back home to northern MN. There are tons of deer and no street lights for 100s of miles at a time. For me, the fog lights help light up the ditches and highlight the deer.

Side question: when I bought my current car, the fog lights didn't work so I ordered replacements and installed them myself. I know they are adjustable, but don't know which way to turn the screws to move them either up or down. I know this is a strange question but does anyone have any experience on this matter?

You can just turn the screw and see which way the light goes, can't you?

Park facing a wall at night, 20 feet away or so, and try it?

 

[phucheneh]

Yeah, it's different for different lights.

The adjusting screw is extremely likely to be right-hand (normal) thread, though, so you can generally look at the bracket/screw/housing in relation to each other and judge which way is which. Turning clockwise will thread the screw further into the bracket- which direction does it look like this will push the light?

 

[alevasseur14]

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to suck it up and remove them to see if can figure it out. I had to do my own wiring and everything when I put them in. I guess I'm just tired of taking them out and putting them back in - I must've done 50 times already!

Thanks again!

 

[phucheneh]

You sure you have to remove them? You may just need to take a plastic shield off under the front bumper to get to a downward-facing adjuster.

You do know for sure that they're adjustable, right? A lot of makes just have them on a fixed bracket. Saves 'em a buck to drop an adjustment that most people would never make.

 

[alevasseur14]

You sure you have to remove them? You may just need to take a plastic shield off under the front bumper to get to a downward-facing adjuster.

You do know for sure that they're adjustable, right? A lot of makes just have them on a fixed bracket. Saves 'em a buck to drop an adjustment that most people would never make.

I know for certain they have to be taken out. To get to the adjustment screw on the top of the housing. Because I personally drilled out the completely rusted out screws that hold them in place. Haha. It's a VW - if there isn't an at least a 3 step process to do even the simplest things, you don't own the 'people's car'.

Love the car. Just continually surprised by all of the WTF moments!

 

[Phobic9]

Ever since I left Germany (Lived there a few years), it always bugs me to see people drive around with their fog lights on when there's no fog. If I remember right, German auto laws forbid the use of fog lights unless the visibility is 50m or less.

Nothing I can do about it but I guess I still have all those German auto laws ingrained into my head after all these years.

 

[nerp]

I like to drive around with them on just to piss other drivers off.

I have a auto-dimming mirror, so if you're behind me, the joke is on you. If you're in front of me, I just point a laser in your face.

 

[LTC8K6]

Ever since I left Germany (Lived there a few years), it always bugs me to see people drive around with their fog lights on when there's no fog. If I remember right, German auto laws forbid the use of fog lights unless the visibility is 50m or less.

Nothing I can do about it but I guess I still have all those German auto laws ingrained into my head after all these years.

What if the visibility is 51 meters?

And how does one know?

And 164 feet seems a bit short to me. If visibility is that low, driving must be seriously impaired.

In the UK it seems to be 100 meters.

 

[Chiropteran]

I think mine are broken. I've tried turning them on on a clear day but so far they have never created any fog.