Fogs lights with mainbeam

[Mean Green]

OK, so I am not one of those types to drive around with Fog lights on in broad daylight or dazzle folk on clear nights.

However, I do feel the fog lights are under used - living so close to the coast I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have driven in conditions bad enough to need fog lights. But I do drive dark country roads and feel that the more light I can get the better.

I would like to wire up the fogs to come on with the main beam OR work as standard fog lights. So how would I do it?

Am I right in thinking that if I use a 5 pin relay with one feed from the fog light switch to pin 87 and a feed from the main beam to pin 87A that would be enough - or am I missing something?

[western]

Front fogs & main beam won't be of any benefit, you'll get far to much back glare from main beam,which will effectivly make the fog lights useless, fogs are meant to cut under the fog & illuminate the road edges/centreline of your lane.

my front fogs a wired via a switch/relay [used the sidelight circuit to signal instead of main beam circuit] to come on with sidelights only [which is legal in UK] I can switch the front fogs on/off as I require.

diagram by landymanluke on here

[maxtherotti]

hi western

i think you have miss interpreted what he is after doing

i took it that he wants fogs to come on with main beam for extra lighting on mains(how i took the question anyway)

rob

[Aragorn]

If they were to come on with main beam, and werent disableable, i dont think that would be legal?

I would use a "on-off-on" switch feeding the relay coil. One side going to the main beam, and one side going to the sidelights.

That way you can run the fogs like normal (ie sidelights), as you describe with the main beam, and then off completely.

[western]

As I've pointed out ----- If you have main beam on in fog you'll get so much back glare from the light bouncing back, front fog lights won't make any difference to getting better visibility in foggy conditions.

trying to drive in fog on main beam is just not neccessary & can be dangerous to yourself & other drivers.

OR work as standard fog lights. So how would I do it?

hence the wiring info/diagram

[Retroanaconda]

I don't think he wants it for driving in fog, just for more lighting when driving at night.

Personally I'd fit a pair of driving lamps that come on with main beam and avoid the foglights completely.

[Bowie69]

Fogs are legal with dipped beam only, what you propose isn't legal I am afraid

[Mean Green]

To clear up the confusion ...

I want the fogs to come on as additional light with the mainbeam (basically in the same way as driving lamps) but work as normal fog lights ie with the sidelights, when the need arises.

I already have driving lamps too - it just occurred to me that the fog lights just sit there not doing much and wondered about utilising them.

I understand the diffent beam patterns of the different lamps and am of the feeling that you can never hav too much light (as long as it is switchable)

[tacr2man]

There is nothing illegal in having other lights on with main beam, as long as they go off when dip is selected.

You can have another pair of lights on with dip beam as long as its only in conditions of reduced visability due to fog or falling snow .

It used to be that fog lights were classed as such by their position and type of beam this is no longer the case.

The majority of modern "fog lights" are more of a cosmetic addition as their alignment and beam pattern are fixed and not optimal for fog driving .

[Night Train]

Fogs are legal with dipped beam only, what you propose isn't legal I am afraid

My 2001 Skoda Octavia allows fog lights on with the main beam as standard. I somtimes use them when on very dark country tracks at night when I want to see where the road goes and where the edges of the road has gone to. Really good for getting up narrow and winding tracks and driveways which is what I think the OP is interested in.

Mains and fogs in fog only causes a white out.

[mpb]

diagram by landymanluke on here

You need to put a diode in the wire feeding pin 85 from main beam. That way when you turn the fogs on by themselves they can't turn on main beam.

[Aragorn]

If you use an on-off-on switch, you wont need a diode, and that diagram above gives no facility for the fogs to work as normal, ie on the sidelights.

[Rich_P]

The majority of modern "fog lights" are more of a cosmetic addition as their alignment and beam pattern are fixed and not optimal for fog driving .

What is the ideal location and positioning for fog lights? I'm considering getting some fitted to my 88 - been through too many instances of heavy fog over the past few months to want to go without in future.

[Retroanaconda]

Low down, so they shine under the fog and illuminate the road rather than the fog itself.

[western]

If you use an on-off-on switch, you wont need a diode, and that diagram above gives no facility for the fogs to work as normal, ie on the sidelights.

thats because it's drawn for driving/spot lights

if the feed is taken from the sidelight circuit instead of main beam circuit it'll work for front fog lights

I did mention this in my earlier reply

[western]

Low down, so they shine under the fog and illuminate the road rather than the fog itself.

mine are on top of the bumper, so they don't get smacked when I'm off road & I can't be bothered to keep moving them from top to bottom of the bumper, they work just as good if set up right.

[Aragorn]

We had fog lights on the A4 which were integral to the main headlamp, but the reflector was shaped to aim the beam down. I found it tended to "fill in" the lower right and left corners, ie on the verges just ahead of the bonnet line, so were sometimes useful for driving lanes at night. They made no difference to the "streight ahead" illumination.

I've since changed the headlamp units to a later version that doesnt contain the integral fogs, but havent got round to fitting anything else, cant say i've really missed them though.

[Bull Bar Cowboy]

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989 covers the construction and fitting, the use is governed by other laws.

They must be no more than 400mm in from the side of the vehicle and no more than 1200mm in height. You must have not more then 2 fog lamps.

Here are the main words

Requirements about the use of headlamps and front fog lamps

25.—(1) Save as provided in paragraph (2), no person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle which is fitted with obligatory dipped-beam headlamps unless every such lamp is kept lit-

(a) during the hours of darkness, except on a road which is a restricted road for the purposes of section 81 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 by virtue of a system of street lighting when it is lit; and

(b) in seriously reduced visibility.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) do not apply-

(a) in the case of a motor vehicle fitted with one obligatory dipped-beam headlamp or a solo motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination fitted with a pair of obligatory dipped-beam headlamps, if a main-beam headlamp or a front fog lamp is kept lit;

(b) in the case of a motor vehicle, other than a solo motor bicycle or motor bicycle combination, fitted with a pair of obligatory dipped-beam headlamps, if-

(i) a pair of main-beam headlamps is kept lit; or

(ii) in seriously reduced visibility, a pair of front fog lamps which is so fitted that the outermost part of the illuminated area of each lamp in the pair is not more than 400 mm from the outer edge of the vehicle is kept lit;

© to a vehicle being drawn by another vehicle;

(d) to a vehicle while being used to propel a snow plough; or

(e) to a vehicle which is parked.

(3) For the purposes of this regulation a headlamp shall not be regarded as lit if its intensity is reduced by a dim-dip device.

[ian_s]

is that even written in english? i recognise the words, but i can make no sense of it at all

[errol209]

Paragraph 1 says that you can't take a vehicle on a road if it has dipped headlights without turning them on in the dark or bad visibility.

Paragraph two is the exceptions:

Main beam or fog lamps are OK instead of dipped beam, and towed vehicles, snow ploughs^* and parked cars don't have to have the headlamps switched on.

Last bit - dim / dip doesn't count as on for a headlamp.

* I never knew that!

[PaulMc]

Fogs are legal with dipped beam only, what you propose isn't legal I am afraid

That is correct, if they're being used as fog lamps.

If they're used as auxiliary lamps (beam pattern is irrelevant here) they must only be used with main beam and must extinguish when main beam is dipped.

My 2001 Skoda Octavia allows fog lights on with the main beam as standard. I somtimes use them when on very dark country tracks at night when I want to see where the road goes and where the edges of the road has gone to. Really good for getting up narrow and winding tracks and driveways which is what I think the OP is interested in.

Mains and fogs in fog only causes a white out.

My Discovery II's fog lights can also be switched on with main beam (this can be enabled/disabled in the BCU, so it may not be the case for everyone) - I find them a very useful supplement to the main beams.

Down unlit country lanes, the fog lamps fill-in the dark area immediately in front and to the sides of the vehicle, lighting up the verges/hedges/ditches, they also make pot holes much easier to see.

Although, there is an easy (and FREE ) way of improving the spread of light from a Discovery II's headlamps, I'll post that on the Discovery Forum.

.

[PaulMc]

OK, so I am not one of those types to drive around with Fog lights on in broad daylight or dazzle folk on clear nights.

However, I do feel the fog lights are under used - living so close to the coast I can probably count on one hand the number of times I have driven in conditions bad enough to need fog lights. But I do drive dark country roads and feel that the more light I can get the better.

I would like to wire up the fogs to come on with the main beam OR work as standard fog lights. So how would I do it?

Am I right in thinking that if I use a 5 pin relay with one feed from the fog light switch to pin 87 and a feed from the main beam to pin 87A that would be enough - or am I missing something?

To answer your original question -

I've pinched LandymanLuke's Diagram and modified it to show how I would do this, using an on/off/on switch -

.