Tell me about fog lights

[meep]

I think a lot of the above over-aiming is caused by bulb upgrades, such as HID or LED. The housings are so small that minor bulb deviations cause major light escape.

I recently yellow-tinted some hella E-code 5” halogens and wired them in instead of the factory fogs. Compared to everything else out there, those big reflectors have warm, soft optics that even if mis-aimed glare nothing compared to an LED retrofit that pierces your eyeball.

 

[Vercingetorix]

The worst are Audi drivers and the rear fog lights.

 

[KrisZ]

The fog lights on my Grand Caravan can be aimed up or down and they do light up the sides, but aren’t blinding to the oncoming traffic.

I upgraded them to yellow LEDs and made them my DRLs and I used them with low beams, they are on pretty much all the time.

 

[RooflessVW]

Modern fog lights are just vanity lights

 

[Pablo]

2019 Tacoma fog lights are the first fogs that actually help in the pea soup. I was shocked actually.

 

[Cujet]

Unless the road is wet, then fog lights turn the road in front of your vehicle into a blinding mirror for oncoming drivers.

That's just not so with these. The beam spread is very wide and short. From any distance away, dry or wet, they appear no brighter than parking lights. Next time it rains, I'll try to get a pic.

Very few lux are 'thrown' downrange with them.

 

[Jetronic]

That's just not so with these. The beam spread is very wide and short. From any distance away, dry or wet, they appear no brighter than parking lights. Next time it rains, I'll try to get a pic.

Very few lux are 'thrown' downrange with them.

Get a pic from in front of the car, showing the ground. A lot of lights do what vavavroom says, reflects forward off the ground. Not just fog lights. The higher the colour temp, the more annoying it is

 

[97prizm]

I’ve found the stock fog lights on the GMT 900 Chevy trucks to pretty much useless. Has anyone come across a viable replacement that works well?

Cibie, hella, and if you can find them Catz (FET USA) but don't know if they're still in business.

 

[Pew]

The worst are Audi drivers and the rear fog lights.

Calling all AE86 and WRX owners!

 

[johnmyster]

The worst are Audi drivers and the rear fog lights.

Old mercedes 300d with one tail light?

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Fog light comparisons. All phone settings left as normal so picks up accordingly. IPhone 13. Fence slopes down to left from side road T
'19 Pilot EX-L Factory (all headlights/parking lights blocked)

Hella DE with 3000k H3 HID and 35W ballasts (older set from other car)

Fog comparison 2. Last picture is from Diode Dynamics website and I would say pretty realistic in person between the DD and Morimoto. Camera makes the MM look brighter than what they are IMO. Total width is also variable for me as they are mounted but could be "tweaked" more to outside edges if I wanted.
Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport.

Morimoto XB universal fog.

Car drove up behind me for this one and wouldn't go around or leave.

full moon out and Christmas lights on down the road. unlike the other 3 cars.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I haven't gotten to it yet but dislike the Pilot in inclement weather. I hit a decent amount of snow and fog. The white LED creates that mirror glare. No heat to melt snow/ice. Not being able to run just fog lights and having the DRL's glare if you need to turn lights off.

I had one year that I was basically driving down middle of road one night guiding by distance to snow banks in the Adirondacks.

I might update my Hella DE's one day but the cost/performance/low power needs of the Diode Dynamics is very nice and VERY yellow.

Some tests said that the "sport" does not get hot enough to melt, tested in CO. In NY on my sons Forte they were.

 

[mk378]

Most US vehicles have them wired to run with lows

In some states that is the law. Fog lights have to be wired so they can only work while the low beam headlights are on. I guess the manufacturers just make all the cars that way rather than have regional variations.

 

[vavavroom]

In some states that is the law. Fog lights have to be wired so they can only work while the low beam headlights are on. I guess the manufacturers just make all the cars that way rather than have regional variations.

On all my "off-brand" Euro cars the fog lights could be be operated without the low beams. The fog lights are turned off as soon as the high beams come on.

 

[johnmyster]

On all my "off-brand" Euro cars the fog lights could be be operated without the low beams. The fog lights are turned off as soon as the high beams come on.

To be clear, some cars only allow fogs as accessory lows, while the lows are on...which is counterproductive in thick fog.

Other cars allow them to be run with lows, but independently. In my trucks, I can turn on parking lights and fogs which allows them to be used as actual fog lights.

Not allowing them with high beams pertains to a DOT reg that only allows our forward facing lighting elements to operate at once. So you can run fogs and lows, or lows and highs, but not all three. (Many modern cars retain lows with highs.)

 

[vavavroom]

To be clear, some cars only allow fogs as accessory lows, while the lows are on...which is counterproductive in thick fog.

Other cars allow them to be run with lows, but independently. In my trucks, I can turn on parking lights and fogs which allows them to be used as actual fog lights.

Not allowing them with high beams pertains to a DOT reg that only allows our forward facing lighting elements to operate at once. So you can run fogs and lows, or lows and highs, but not all three. (Many modern cars retain lows with highs.)

Different markets, different regulations and laws. Regulations and laws differ from state to state. What you can can do and what you may do are different things. You can do whatever you want. Many people go out of their way to do the dumbest possible thing.

 

[LavaRand]

I put the fog lights in. I wired them with the parking lights so there's a separate switch but they still turn off with the headlights. They aren't really aimed downward and although they aren't very bright, they are basically flood lights and can see the light even on tree canopies ahead. There's no way to aim them. Oh well maybe they will come in handy sone day.

 

[hrv]

I haven't gotten to it yet but dislike the Pilot in inclement weather. I hit a decent amount of snow and fog. The white LED creates that mirror glare. No heat to melt snow/ice. Not being able to run just fog lights and having the DRL's glare if you need to turn lights off.

I had one year that I was basically driving down middle of road one night guiding by distance to snow banks in the Adirondacks.

I might update my Hella DE's one day but the cost/performance/low power needs of the Diode Dynamics is very nice and VERY yellow.

Some tests said that the "sport" does not get hot enough to melt, tested in CO. In NY on my sons Forte they were.
View attachment 248819

Thats why I dont use LED for fog lights or headlights....

 

[4WD]

Americans don't really know how to use fog lights.

They're meant to be extremely short throw, for extremely slow driving, in extreme glare situations. They need a hard upper cutoff aimed below horizontal. Heavy fog, heavy snow. When used they are not used to compliment low beams. They are used as the only source of frontal driving lights under those conditions.

Most US vehicles have them wired to run with lows, which is problematic. Drivers like the extra light, then aim them high (into eyes of oncoming traffic) rather then as they are intended.

Not sure how many places that is legal …

 

[Sequoiasoon]

I put the fog lights in. I wired them with the parking lights so there's a separate switch but they still turn off with the headlights. They aren't really aimed downward and although they aren't very bright, they are basically flood lights and can see the light even on tree canopies ahead. There's no way to aim them. Oh well maybe they will come in handy sone day. View attachment 249227

Get some pictures of the back of the lights or the link to where you got them. They need to get aimed correctly.

Some have a screw on the bottom, some on the back. Old school ones had one center mounting bolt but the base was curved so would basically slide. My Hella DE and the Diode Dynamics you have to loosen the two side mount screws slightly then retighten. Should be doable from underneath though may require removing the plastic shields or pulling back inner fender liner.

If you got the linked ebay kit on first page then that geared wheel on lower right "should" turn to adjust, possibly a Philips screw on inside of it. The really cheap set I got from ebay like that for FIL's Renegade that geared screw didn't even touch the reflector to adjust it. They moved everywhere and had absolutely zero beam pattern, just a glare. Seller sent me a new set that was just as bad and then refunded my money, said throw them out. That's how cheap they were.

Here is a set from Diode Dynamics that mount the same with the 4 screws. You might need to get a bit creative with the blank plates to cut around them or use the ones from the kit you have.

https://www.diodedynamics.com/elite-series-fog-lamps-for-2010-2016-toyota-sienna-pair.html