Hi all,

My wish list grows ever longer........

'57 plate Elegance.

Can the fog-lights be set to come on with the main beam? (Mainly for driving down those lovely little country lanes we have here in Kent/Surrey, oh and Scotland too)

Cheers

Fog lights are designed to work in the fog and not glare other road users

Fog lights are designed to work in the fog and not glare other road users

So is the main beam, hence the question. The idea is the fogs would come on and off with the main beam. (More light on the road when no on-comming traffic) :| :|

Failing that, it would have to be a pair of driving lights relayed off the main-beam and cut into the lower grill.

Please see rule 236 of highway code.

Rule 236

You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.

Rule 226

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236).

Edited 9 December, 201114 yr by freelanderman

Please see rule 236 of highway code.

Rule 236

You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves.

Rule 226

You MUST use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet). You may also use front or rear fog lights but you MUST switch them off when visibility improves (see Rule 236).

Thank-you - it seems driving standards are falling rapidly. I notice very few people put their lights on when it's raining etc etc.

Right, so, as you quote the Highway Code, I'll take it that you always stop and let buses out too. :wonder:

(Let's ignore the Highway Code isn't The Law either, unless where quoted as such, in which case The Code is redundant.)

(Let's also ignore the rear fog-light as its purpose is to be seen, not to see, and (more imortantly) wasn't part of the of the question.)

We'll examine that then......

Seriously reduced visability: Lights off means you can't see very far at all in the dark, considerably less than 50m (the threshold for rear fogs). There's nothing to define what seriously reduced visability pertains to. Under these conditions you could run with the foglights on all the time, especially if you're on an unlit road at 3a.m when there's litte traffic around, you'd actually have nothing to guage visability by.

Also the Highway Code appears yet to understand the use of fog-lights as cornering lights (a discussion from elsehere in Briskoda)

That all aside........

The idea isn't to use the fog-lights on their own (as many people seem to enjoy doing). It's to use them in concert with the main-beam. So main-beam on:fog-lights come on. Main-beam off (probably because there's something comming the other way and we wouldn't want to dazzle them, would we):fog-lights off ergo not dazzling anyone any more/less than the use of the main-beam.

So in the same way that the front 'fog-lights' can be used as cornering lights, can they be activated, from a technical point of view as auxillary driving lights? If yes, then the legality of such will be investigated (oh and way beyond the Highway "Code" too). If not, then the idea of a bolt-on pair of driving lights, activated by a relay, will be considered instead.

I supose it helps to understand the reasons of "why" the question before arbitrarily dispensing information in such a high-handed manner. I apologise profusely for not giving you all of my thoughts and reasoning in the initial posting, thus forcing you to such a conclusion and your actions there-after.

Mind you, if you didn't understand the question, you could always ask "why?" I supose. :doh:

Next time I'll use an easier to read font and single syllable words to clarify a question and its reasons for you.

Edited 9 December, 201114 yr by RainbowFore

Although the Highway Code in itself is not "the law" everything in it is based on the law-there is nothing in the code that contradicts the law.

Fog lights be they front or rear are for fog - simple really, clue is in the name, no need to dumb anything down.

But there, plenty of ****s around who use fog lights when its not foggy and/or put bright white bulbs in them.

Your words belie your ignorance

Right, so, as you quote the Highway Code, I'll take it that you always stop and let buses out too. :wonder:

(Let's ignore the Highway Code isn't The Law either, unless where quoted as such, in which case The Code is redundant.)

(Let's also ignore the rear fog-light as its purpose is to be seen, not to see, and (more imortantly) wasn't part of the of the question.)

We'll examine that then......

Seriously reduced visability: Lights off means you can't see very far at all in the dark, considerably less than 50m (the threshold for rear fogs). There's nothing to define what seriously reduced visability pertains to. Under these conditions you could run with the foglights on all the time, especially if you're on an unlit road at 3a.m when there's litte traffic around, you'd actually have nothing to guage visability by.

Also the Highway Code appears yet to understand the use of fog-lights as cornering lights (a discussion from elsehere in Briskoda)

That all aside........

The idea isn't to use the fog-lights on their own (as many people seem to enjoy doing). It's to use them in concert with the main-beam. So main-beam on:fog-lights come on. Main-beam off (probably because there's something comming the other way and we wouldn't want to dazzle them, would we):fog-lights off ergo not dazzling anyone any more/less than the use of the main-beam.

So in the same way that the front 'fog-lights' can be used as cornering lights, can they be activated, from a technical point of view as auxillary driving lights? If yes, then the legality of such will be investigated (oh and way beyond the Highway "Code" too). If not, then the idea of a bolt-on pair of driving lights, activated by a relay, will be considered instead.

I supose it helps to understand the reasons of "why" the question before arbitrarily dispensing information in such a high-handed manner. I apologise profusely for not giving you all of my thoughts and reasoning in the initial posting, thus forcing you to such a conclusion and your actions there-after.

Mind you, if you didn't understand the question, you could always ask "why?" I supose. :doh:

Next time I'll use an easier to read font and single syllable words to clarify a question and its reasons for you.

RF,

You have asked the same question in another thread, and there I have pointed you to Sect 5 and 6 of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, as here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/5/made

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/6/made

Also note that at times of fog it is best not to use main beam, as this causes too much reflected glare. In really thick fog it is actually better to use the fogs with sidelights only.

Basically forget the idea. It is probably illegal and potentially ill-advised.

Your words belie your ignorance

Yours show your inability to read and understand english. The question was "is it possible" not "is it legal" there is only a huge difference between them :doh:

I take it you also have no idea of the difference between "main beam" and "dipped beam" hence a lack of understanding of the question.

Forget comments about driving standards, general education standards are pretty much on the floor!

Edited 10 December, 201114 yr by RainbowFore

Although the Highway Code in itself is not "the law" everything in it is based on the law-there is nothing in the code that contradicts the law.

Fog lights be they front or rear are for fog - simple really, clue is in the name, no need to dumb anything down.

But there, plenty of ****s around who use fog lights when its not foggy and/or put bright white bulbs in them.

Didn't say anything in there contradicted The Law. And, no, not everything in it is based on The Law - to date I believe no-one has been even charged with, let alone prosecuted for not "letting the bus go first". :| :|

Again, nope, the lights on the lower front corners of the car are also used as cornering lights. Maybe I should have asked if the cornering lights use can be extended to auxillary driving lights. Maybe "the clue in the name" thing would work differently for you. (Also, according to a copper in Plymouth, "they're only supposed to be used when it's raining". I was thinking "the clue's in the name" but it was 2a.m.)

RF,

You have asked the same question in another thread, and there I have pointed you to Sect 5 and 6 of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations, as here:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/5/made

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/schedule/6/made

Also note that at times of fog it is best not to use main beam, as this causes too much reflected glare. In really thick fog it is actually better to use the fogs with sidelights only.

Basically forget the idea. It is probably illegal and potentially ill-advised.

The idea isn't to use main-beam in the fog, that's not been mentioned by me at any point, neither has light usage/driving in the fog.

Out of interest, and pertaining to the other thread really, do you have the document refering to the use of cornering lights? Thanks.

Edited 10 December, 201114 yr by RainbowFore

The idea isn't to use main-beam in the fog, that's not been mentioned by me at any point, neither has light usage/driving in the fog.

Apologies, I misunderstood your original posting slightly.

The only way you could do it would be to rewire the fog lights so that they worked both off the main beam and off the fog light switch, but since the lighting is fed through the ECU/CanBus system I suspect it would cause headaches, as well as being potentially illegal.

Also the idea of driving lights is to give you long range visibility, which is why they are normally a sort of L shape, or sometimes a spot. Using the fogs would only put a pool of light directly in front of you.

Out of interest, and pertaining to the other thread really, do you have the document refering to the use of cornering lights? Thanks.

It was a EU Document that amended Regulation 20 (I think).

Found it!!

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r119e.pdf

The only way you could do it would be to rewire the fog lights so that they worked both off the main beam and off the fog light switch, but since the lighting is fed through the ECU/CanBus system I suspect it would cause headaches, as well as being potentially illegal.

Also the idea of driving lights is to give you long range visibility, which is why they are normally a sort of L shape, or sometimes a spot. Using the fogs would only put a pool of light directly in front of you.

.....hence the question in the VCDS forum of "is it possible". ;)

The Octavia "full-on" lighting is great, except it highlights the dark space between the bumper and the back edge of the main+dip beam. So the idea of using the fogs when the main-beam is on is to eliminate that dark space so that you have total visability from the bumper to "the far distance." Not to have the fog-lights adjusted to they project into the distance.

It was a EU Document that amended Regulation 20 (I think).

Found it!!

http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs/r119e.pdf

Cool. Thanks. I'll have a read of that. You are a wealth of information Graham

Edited 10 December, 201114 yr by RainbowFore