Front and Rear Foglights - switch modification

[bertJ]

I've always been annoyed that the rear fog lights on my L&K can't be on without the front ones. First pull on the light switch turns the front fogs on and the second pull turns the rear fogs on.

A fairly simple modification I've carried out reverses this; here's how if anyone's interested:-

a) Remove the light switch (push in and turn)

Disconnect the multi plug

c) Very carefully cut back the fabric insulation around the wires for about 6cm- I slit it first with a Stanley knife.

d) Separate all the wires and locate the rear fog light controlling wire (blue with white stripe) and cut it about 2cm from the plug

e) Do the same for the front fog light controlling wire (grey with white stripe)

f) Remove the insulation on the four cut ends for about 5mm and then carefully solder the B/W wire at the plug end to the G/W wire on the harness and the G/W wire at the plug end to the B/W wire on the harness. I found it easier to extend the wires by about 4cm. If you are not happy soldering in a confined space then you could use screw block connectors.

g) Carefully insulate the wires and re-connect the switch.

h) Test before before pushing the switch back in - first pull should switch the rear fogs on and the second pull switches the front fogs on. A bonus is that the indicator light for the front fog lights now comes on when the rears are switched on. Ignition has to be on for the lights to work and the rear fog lights will only come on with the headlights.

Don't forget you do this at your own risk!

[sebulbus]

Great, now when you'll really have to use the fog lights you'll blind the guy happening to be behind you with a great big shiny red light.

Out of curiosity, what do you need it for?

[charles]

I was wondering aswell why you would want to have the rear fogs on without the fronts?

tbh I rarely use the rears but do use the fronts quite often. It would annoy me if I couldnt have the fronts on with outthe rear haveing to be at the same time!

[surfdude]

Separate foglight switches really bug me.

The switch should really turn them both on together.

If its foggy enough for you to consider the need for front foglights, then its foggy enough for the rears too.

Lets face it, front foglights are next to useless unless visibility is down to just a few feet. Rear foglights protect your rear from bozos behind you going quicker than the conditions allow.

[bertJ]

:eek: Please don't start the great fog light debate again!

[sms]

it had been better if they had a switch for fronts and a switch for back.

[Taxi 219]

Agree:thumbup:

[sebulbus]

Same deal, you can press the rear and it will only light after the front will be turned on.

[nickcoll]

Separate foglight switches really bug me.

The switch should really turn them both on together.

If its foggy enough for you to consider the need for front foglights, then its foggy enough for the rears too.

Lets face it, front foglights are next to useless unless visibility is down to just a few feet. Rear foglights protect your rear from bozos behind you going quicker than the conditions allow.

Nearly 100% correct, but most people don't know how to use fog lights. They just think "it's (a bit) foggy so therefore I need to switch my fog lights on!". They don't actually use any common sense or intelligence to think how the fog lights might actually benefit them in the circumstances.

The rear ones are to increase the distance that someone can see your car when they're barrelling up towards you in the same lane at a crazy speed for the conditions. Rear lights are much dimmer than front ones so this can be very useful, and there are often circumstances when these will be of use without the front fog lights.

The front ones, however, are meant to be used only when the fog is so heavy that headlights reflect back and blind you. The fog lights are meant to be aimed straight at the road just in front of the car so that you can see the road without being blinded. In these conditions you need to be able to turn your headlights off for the fog lights to work properly. If they can't be used in this way then they have little use.

[sebulbus]

I was taught not to turn on fog lights of any kind unless the visibility is 100m or less. I was also taught to turn off the rear fog light as soon as a car is closing in on my rear.

Also helps to lower the dipped beam to the lowest setting when foggy, before thinking of turning it off completely.

In practice, I only turn on the fog lights when they HELP. I turn them on for a sec, and if they don't help they go off again until things get worse.

The rear light can mask the brake lights etc, when viewed up close, more so when the car has two rear fog lights, like the Golf Mk4, for example.

[mr_awol]

.

If its foggy enough for you to consider the need for front foglights, then its foggy enough for the rears too.

Perhaps, but when i'm driving in fog i tend to put the back ones on until someone comes up behind me. Then when they've slowed down and i think they are close enough that my fog light is no longer needed, i turn it off so as not to blind them.

Very rarely i also turn the fronts off if i am behind someone but TBH i dont beleive that these dazzle (at least not unless poorly adjusted/fitted) so i leave those ones on generally.

Each to their own i guess.

[AR-CoolC]

I was also taught to turn off the rear fog light as soon as a car is closing in on my rear.

Absolutely

If you can see the car in fronts tail lights whilst driving in a que of traffic, what makes you think the person behind can't see yours? TURN THEM OFF WHEN A CAR IS CLOSE BEHIND

[Auric Goldfinger]

it had been better if they had a switch for fronts and a switch for back.

Renault Sceinic's don't have a switch..........There on all the time, even in daylight

[Genoa1893]

I don't recall so, mine had a rotary switch coaxial to the blinker "stalk" (sorry for poor english) to turn each one, separately, on/off.

[rurwin]

I neither had, nor missed, front fog lights on my previous car.

I tend to use rear fog lights for about half an hour or less per year, when I find myself either glad another car has his fog lights on, or wishing that he had, then I turn mine on. And yes, only when there is nothing immediately behind me.

The front fog lights will be used solely on the basis of whether they allow me to see better. So far I have used them once, and they did (rather contrary to my expectations.) I don't really trust that any time I will want the rears on, I will also want the fronts, but so far my experience is positive. Maybe having them on the same switch in the factory arrangement will work. I'll tell you in 2010 when I may have used them a couple more times.

[scouter2]

Lets face it, front foglights are next to useless unless visibility is down to just a few feet. Rear foglights protect your rear from bozos behind you going quicker than the conditions allow.

I find front fog lights most useful in non-foggy conditions: the fact that they shine lower onto the road means that they show up black-ice very clearly on cold nights, and when driving in snow they are also very good for showing more clearly where the edge of the road might be... Finally, I often drive down a longish (2 miles) track and the angle of the front fog lights also makes it easier for me to spot suicidal rabbits in the grass on the side of the track...

Still, I would not buy a car without them, because on the rare occasion when the fog is very dense (every other time I drive through Normandy!), they are invaluable.

[Auric Goldfinger]

I find front fog lights most useful in non-foggy conditions:

...................to blind every other motorist coming in the opposite direction

[sebulbus]

Do this experiment with the car parked in an empty lot:

Put the ignition on the second setting, turn low beams on. Go 10-15 meters behind the car and watch how it spreads rather narrow at the sides.

Now go back, turn it off and turn on the front fogs. Watch how wide the beam is. Please don't turn them on in traffic again.

I've never found a situation where I couldn't cope with adequately aimed and adjusted low beams, and the proper speed.

PS: bunnies and headlights don't mix. They freeze in the lights, so the only way of sparing them is to turn them off so they can run. I've just been through this 2 days ago when I ran one over after a hill top.

[scouter2]

...................to blind every other motorist coming in the opposite direction

Sorry, I was talking about small roads with no oncoming traffic. Just as I would dip my headlights, so I would switch my front fogs off as soon as I can see an approaching car. I also would drive on the correct side of the road, wear a seatbelt, not be handling a mobile phone whilst smoking a cigar etc etc etc, :P

[scouter2]

PS: bunnies and headlights don't mix. They freeze in the lights, so the only way of sparing them is to turn them off so they can run. I've just been through this 2 days ago when I ran one over after a hill top.

The point is seeing them before they get onto the track... And to state the bleeding obvious I do not advocate having fog lights on in traffic

[sebulbus]

I've yet to find an effective strategy against bunnies, maybe an ultrasonic whistle like the one used for deer. Good to know that the standard Octi can survive hitting one, though.

[Auric Goldfinger]

Sorry, I was talking about small roads with no oncoming traffic. Just as I would dip my headlights, so I would switch my front fogs off as soon as I can see an approaching car. I also would drive on the correct side of the road, wear a seatbelt, not be handling a mobile phone whilst smoking a cigar etc etc etc, :P

I'll let you off this time then............

[gregozedobe]

I rarely drive in fog, but I have found the rear fog light useful to remind the t*sser behind me to put his headlights from hi beam to lo beam and stop dazzling me ( in my side mirrors)