Driving with xenons in the fog

[rich83]

Following from my first post.

Whenever I have tried using the front fog lights in heavy fog, all it achieves is illuminating the fog and making visability worse. IMO the fog lights (front and rear) are there so that others can see you.

[Lone_Par]

If i remember correctly, on the Mk4, the fog lights were intergrated in the main headlight unit if you had normal (halogen) bulbs. If you had xenons, you didnt get (front) fog lights at all. Obviously, at the time, VW obviously thought xenons made fog lighs redundant in fog but on the Mk5 (with even better xenons), they included fog lights...?

on a slight tangent, further to my previous thread of idiots driving with fog lights in normal conditions, i saw a few pilocks with fogs and sidelights only and 2 cars with no lights on at all..... i give up 

Rich

I've also noticed an abundance of folk with one headlight out - scary the amount I've seen lately (some have had fogs on too!).

[richtung]

^^^^
The Mk5 R32 doesn't have fogs but IIRC comes with Xenons as standard OEM.

Also the Golf R doesn't have fogs but has LED DRL's.

Lots of cars are not fitted with foglights as OEM.

This is what confuses me slightly.. if xenons are ticked as optional extra, why did VW include front fogs as well? (i can only speak on the mk5 GTI - not sure about the rest of the Golf range). It just seems like mixed messages from VW -fog with xenons on some cars (like mine) and xenons only on others (like the R32 as RR pointed out) 

[stealthwolf]

I think people are mistaking the function of fog lights.

Rear ones are designed to ensure others can see you. Fog can make you misjudge distances.
Front fogs are designed to penetrate fog better. In "proper" fog, using brighter lights will only reflect back the fog more strongly. Front fogs increase visibility to the sides so you can see the kerbs better. IMO they have very little forward throw, unlike dipped headlights.

[Squeeguk]

Agreed Stealthwolf.

I have had the misfortune to drive in fog so heavy you cannot see the car 5 metres ahead of you and even driving at 10mph was dangerous a number of times. In these situations the only way to drive is to switch off your driving lights and drive with the sidelights on and fogs. The fog lights, being low down, light up the road ahead whereas the driving lights just reflect off the fog making visibility worse. This was the only way I could actually see anything at all. This is the reason why fog lights are mounted low down or aimed low. They supposedly light up the road under the fog. If you can drive at anything approaching normal speeds with your normal driving lights on, then the fog is not nearly heavy enough.

[RedRobin]

^^^^
If the fog is so thick that your best chance of looking ahead under the fog, then it's definitely time to slow right down or get off the highway until it clears enough.

[Squeeguk]

Hahahahaha, wasn't an option Robin. You don't want to be stopping arbitrarily on African roads like that, not with a 2 year old in the car. The only choice was to push on. But yes, literally slowed to a crawl just to follow the cats eyes on the road when there were some.

[Moz]

You want to change the bulbs to Nokyo Yellows with LaminX, cuts through the fog wonderfully.

[GrayMK5GTI]

Agreed Stealthwolf.

I have had the misfortune to drive in fog so heavy you cannot see the car 5 metres ahead of you and even driving at 10mph was dangerous a number of times. In these situations the only way to drive is to switch off your driving lights and drive with the sidelights on and fogs. The fog lights, being low down, light up the road ahead whereas the driving lights just reflect off the fog making visibility worse. This was the only way I could actually see anything at all. This is the reason why fog lights are mounted low down or aimed low. They supposedly light up the road under the fog. If you can drive at anything approaching normal speeds with your normal driving lights on, then the fog is not nearly heavy enough.

Have to agree, front fog lights shine under the fog to light the way in front of you, which is why they are generally positioned low down, the rear is a bright red to cut a beam through the fog to show your position.

Fogs & sidelights would be a more sensible option in thick fog than Xenons  

[scottm72]

yes as the guy said red I was meaning I cannot dip oem xenons, there is no manual dip, I think there should be but there isn't.
xenons are pretty much useless in fog, as said before they just reflect the fog badly.
still I am so impressed with the oem xenons that I will never buy a car again without them, and a big no no te after market ones, superb piece of kit they are,
had a guy a few days ago flash me as he thought I was driving on full beam ,he was flashing like crazy,  you get that sometimes with xenons as they are so bright, anyway he was in a small car and had 1 headlight on and his FOG lights on !!
there was no fog also ffs
anyway I got pissed of with him and threw my full beam on to tell him to shut up,,, and it did