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Fog light question

4K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  Fediej 
#1 ·
I think my headlights have to be on for the fog lights to work. Is that normal? I would think you should be able to use the fogs by themselves.
 
#4 ·
It's a strange set up but one that many (most) manufacturers have adopted. What most people and manufacturers call fog lights are really closer to driving lights. True fog lights are designed with a wide, low beam pattern(to cut under fog), work separate from headlights(because headlights reflect off the fog and obscure vision), and are yellow(because yellow light cuts through the mist better than white. Driving lights have a long narrow pattern, meant to work in tandem with headlights and are typically white.
 
#6 ·
Driving lights are usually wired in so that they work only with high beams on vehicles with them from factory.:nerd: The yellow versus white thing I believe is an urban legend. Out of the US the laws for what lighting works when are more strict. In some places a single rear fog light is required.:|
 
#5 ·
I'm with you, deadbeat. In the Olden Days I would always wire my lights up so I could run the fog on it own- I'd have a right-mounted fog, and a driver's side pencil beam, all Carello.

Here in the Central Valley, we get pretty monstrous fog, and it surprised me no end how well the stock low-beams on the Z cut under it. When I started driving, sealed beam lamps were still "modern", and halogen bulbs were suspected of having voodoo influences behind them, whippersnapper.

The headlights on the Z are very delicate about being adjusted- I swear it's less than ¼-turn on the adjuster screw between perfect and horrible.

And like so many car laws, it started in California that the fog lights could only be used "in conjunction with but not in lieu of" the standard low beams. That's now Federal, so far as I know. And we can thank GM's whining to Congress for the importation of DRLs from Canada, so they'd not have to build a separate wiring harness for cars sold in the US.

I have no idea if wiring the Z's fogs up "properly" would be a big wrestling match with the computer that turns the lights on and off. But I can't find my throttle cable, either.
 
#7 ·
Yeah, the yellow fog light thing. The best answer I ever saw was the question, "How much of your time do you spend looking at things under yellow light?"

Rear foglights are great, except Americans can't be bright enough to turn them off when there's no fog. And following a Jaguar with its rear fogs incinerating your retinas will get you around it in short order. Gits.
 
#8 ·
In the US eventually we will have mandated federal fog sensors to go with the rain sensors etc for the lighting and no manual over ride!:lol:

In many places headlights are required with wipers many do not turn them on! And you expect them to use fog lights properly? So many vehicles I see the fogs on with no fog during the day or driving lights/ high beams on with fog and then there are those that have added those LED light bars on everything and have them on all the time. They are for off road or shows only at least if you have them and you know they are glaring through rear windows you should turn them off!:surprise:

There are also people who have changed bulbs to be illegal colors on the exterior.:frown2:

Summary people are not smart about what lighting they turn on when!>:)
 
#9 ·
Whether or not the driver runs them at the appropriate time, or what color the lights are, the underlying issue is the same, true fog lights are designed to be used and function best on their own in foggy situations. Not with the headlights on.
But to get back to the original posting, they are working as intended by Honda.
 
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