I got a Octavia II 2006 Elegance, and I got it new in Norway, and it is delivered with driving lights. The head lights come on when you starts the engine. Is it someone that knows if its possible to reprogram this, I want the fog light in front to get on and not the Xenon lights. The Xenon bulbs are expensive and it is probably better to use the fog light, and I'm allowed to do it.

Is it possible?

Is it someone that knows about reprogramming of lights?

DRL's can be turned off with VAG-COM, but I'm not sure if you would then have to manually turn the front fogs on every time you started the car.

Would that pass your MOT test, or do they have to come on automatically?

Edit:

The only way i can see it being done is to physically wire the front fogs to an ignition fed live (taken from the fog light switch), not ideal.

I cant remember if you can have the rear DRL lights on without the front - the other way round is possible.

Edited 1 August, 200817 yr by Gizmo68
Added a thought

It passes the MOT without automatic head lights, but I can get a ticket if I forget to turn it on when I’m driving. I want it to be automatic, but I want the fog lights on. That’s probably not possible then.

Fog lights on all the time = retarded. Tbqfh

Where I live you need to have the low beams on. Even if your car has separate DRL lamps it must be the low beams.

I suspect you can't use the fogs, they're mounted too low and pointing a bit sideways, so your law will probably not allow it.

edit: I kind of agree with Babs. I don't like the two extra filaments pointed at my eyes when used with low beam, and I don't like the way they draw your attention at the car they're on with just the markers on.

Well under British law it's an offensive to drive with your foglights on where they are not required due to the conditions (under 100m visibility, I seem to recall...)

I'm not a fan (slight understatement! ) of people running with fog lights on.

But the alternative of having Xenons on all day isn't great either.

Correct, 100m it is. £30 NE-FPN. I personally get a twisted enjoyment from sticking on the ***** who drive round my city with them on night and day. The best thing is the way in it gives you for a breath test, moving traffic offence. I've locked a couple of people up like this!

Well under British law it's an offensive to drive with your foglights on where they are not required due to the conditions (under 100m visibility, I seem to recall...)

Some cars have driving lights in the position of fogs.

This can lead so some drivers thinking fogs are considered legal to use in this manner.

You enjoy doing that, don't you?

Some cars have driving lights in the position of fogs.

This can lead so some drivers thinking fogs are considered legal to use in this manner.

Some driver's are idiots, as we all know

Well under British law it's an offensive to drive with your foglights on where they are not required due to the conditions (under 100m visibility, I seem to recall...)

And that is not relevant as the OP is in Norway and IS allowed to do it.

I can see where he is coming from, xenons can and do fail and when they do they can be expensive to replace but to the OP.........

Find out how easy it is to replace the fog light bulbs, some cars require an awful lot of work, indeed some are dealer only/bumper off job and so........

a. maybe more expensive to do than the cost of a xenon bulb and/or

b. not ideal changing at the side of the road if required.

Steve

Hella makes an assortment of DRL's that can be fitted and are road legal for the EU, as far as I remember.

Fitting a discrete pair to either side of the license plate on the front bumper could do the job without making the car that much uglier.

Thank for the feedback, but for information, the laws in Norway are stupid.

You need lights to be turned on at daytime. You can use the fog lights as driving lights on daytime, but you can’t use it together with front/driving lights, but parking light has to be turned when you are using fog lights in front. You can’t use fog lights in front together with driving lights at any time.

If I want to use the fog light rear, I’m breaking the Norwegian law. If I want to use fog light rear on my car, I have to turn on fog light in front together with front light. And i.a.w. Norwegian law isn’t that allowed.

And that is not relevant as the OP is in Norway and IS allowed to do it.

Calm down dear, it's only an opinion.

I got a Octavia II 2006 Elegance, and I got it new in Norway, and it is delivered with driving lights. The head lights come on when you starts the engine. Is it someone that knows if its possible to reprogram this, I want the fog light in front to get on and not the Xenon lights. The Xenon bulbs are expensive and it is probably better to use the fog light, and I'm allowed to do it.

Is it possible?

Is it someone that knows about reprogramming of lights?

I've seen many sites selling LED strips that allow you to have daylight running lights the same as on new Audi A4. You simply wire them to ignition live feed, stick them wherever you want and there you go. I've seen some and they are strong.

dlr can be unticked with vag com. there is an option in vag com for dlr to run from fogs lights but i beleive you need another bulb in there (so there is two bulbs in there)

Xenon bulbs last about 4000 hours. Driving 12 hours a day, they'll last at least a year. As most people only drive a few hours a day, realistically the bulbs will last the lifetime of the car.

In Norway and Denmark (where I live) daylight drivling lights are configured on all cars. On the Octavia you can recode the central eletronic (via VCDS/VAGCOM) to use the front fog lights as drivning lights, needing you to turn ON the near xenons at night.

Using the fog lights in daylight as drivning lights, are perfectly legal in Denmark..

dlr can be unticked with vag com. there is an option in vag com for dlr to run from fogs lights but i beleive you need another bulb in there (so there is two bulbs in there)

No, using the drivning lights with the foglights, will just use the 1 bulb there is in there - with lower woltage though.

In Norway and Denmark (where I live) daylight drivling lights are configured on all cars. On the Octavia you can recode the central eletronic (via VCDS/VAGCOM) to use the front fog lights as drivning lights, needing you to turn ON the near xenons at night.

Using the fog lights in daylight as drivning lights, are perfectly legal in Denmark..

.. the same in Latvia and also the same like was described before about Norway. Fog lights alone with parking lights perfectly legal in day time, but not together with low beam.

.. but answering to Bobletrond, try this:

in order to save xenons, before starting the engine, turn the front light swith in center position - parking lights and slightly pull the switch out to first position (fog lights), only then start the engine. you will allways need to remember this, but that operation will save your xenons

In Norway and Denmark (where I live) daylight drivling lights are configured on all cars. On the Octavia you can recode the central eletronic (via VCDS/VAGCOM) to use the front fog lights as drivning lights, needing you to turn ON the near xenons at night.

Using the fog lights in daylight as drivning lights, are perfectly legal in Denmark..

I'm getting my diagnostic tool next week, it was shipped today. Then I can try.

Thanks for the information.

Xenon bulbs last about 4000 hours. Driving 12 hours a day, they'll last at least a year. As most people only drive a few hours a day, realistically the bulbs will last the lifetime of the car..

I don't agree! If you drives 30000km a year, like me, and drives 50km/h as average, the bulbs will last for 6,5 year. That’s not lifetime, is it?

But as I understand it is not the long time use that damages the bulbs, but turning it on/off/on.... that kills the xenon bulbs.

I don't agree! If you drives 30000km a year, like me, and drives 50km/h as average, the bulbs will last for 6,5 year. That’s not lifetime, is it?.

Thats debatable, as I'm sure VAG would say after 6 years the car has indeed passed its working life

But as I understand it is not the long time use that damages the bulbs, but turning it on/off/on.... that kills the xenon bulbs.

Correct.

Thats debatable, as I'm sure VAG would say after 6 years the car has indeed passed its working life

But with Norwegian car prices, we need to run it at least 3x that.

But with Norwegian car prices, we need to run it at least 3x that.

True, average age of wreacked cars in Norway was 18.9 years in 2007. Average age of cars on roads was 10.2 years.