Rear Foglights on cars -- how are they activated?

[Leland]

Now, I'm not talking about a bright white foglight bolted under the rear bumper...

A couple weekends ago, I was on the interstate in a rainstorm, and a Mercedes ahead of me had its rear foglight turned on. It was BRIGHT, at least as bright as a brake light, but was definitely not a brake light or turn signal. I was impressed by how easily I could see it, and now I want to do the same thing to my '02 Civic Si taillights.

I've found how-to articles in other forums for the socket that I'd need, so that's not really an issue. There are also unused portions of the taillights, and one would make a fine location for a foglight.

My main question is -- how are these usually activated in other cars? Is there a separate dash switch? Does it tie in somehow with the windshield wipers, or with the headlights? Is it part of the regular foglight circuit?

Anybody local want to make a Saturday afternoon project/get-together out of it?

[WoodSheddin]

I have one on my car. There is an unused socket in my tailight for this purpose. They have the blank socket there so they can use the same tailights in different markets. In many parts of Europe the rear tailight is mandatory.

For my car I bought a European headlight switch which includes a position for the rear foglight. The North American switch for my car only had off, on, and foglight. The European switch has on, off, parking light, front foglights, rear foglight. So now I can switch to parking lights when entering the gates at night as to not blind the MP's. Before I had either full headlights or driving lights to blind the MP's.

Once you have the European switch you buy a long wire and hook the output from the switch to the foglight bulb you purchased and installed in the driver's side taillight. Only one wire is needed because in most automobiles the chassis is the negative. The tailight assembly is already grounded.

I only use the rear foglight when there is bad weather such as heavy rain/snow or occasionally in thick fog, which is rare around here. It really helps out in heavy rain.

[WoodSheddin]

Is this for use when driving forward or just for backing up?

No. In Europe they are required to allow the automobile to be more easily seen in bad weather. It glows red, but is much brighter than all the other rear lights except for the backup lights which are typically very very bright.

The light is located on the driver's side. It is mostly for automobiles approaching from the rear. Ever notice how some people turn on their hazard lights in heavy heavy rain or snow? That is because hazard lights are brighter than running lights making the car easier to see. The rear foglight serves the same function without blinking. When the weather is good at night then a light as bright as the rear foglight would be fatigueing to other motorists eyes. So we have running lights for normal visibility.

Rear foglights are standard equipment on some Volvos, Mercedes, and other higher end European cars sold here. The Oldsmobile Aurora also came with rear foglights I believe.

[Leland]

While in the rain, it's genuinely difficult to tell whether another driver is stopped or moving when they've got their hazard lights flashing. They're either moving at half speed or they're stopped, and really, it just adds to the confusion brought on by the weather. I don't think it's safe to have hazards activated on a moving vehicle.

The single light also differentiates the foglight from the brake lights. We already know that a burned-out third brake light is too common, so two bright taillights would indicate -- true or not -- that a car is either slowing down or has stopped already. Again, that adds to confusion.

As Sean said, you'll see them most often in the US on higher-end European cars. The overseas version of my car, I've heard, has a different bulb layout within the same housing, and adds a foglight in one of the bottom sockets. Racing cars, even in Formula 1, have bright red single rear lights for visibility in the rain.

So, anyway, I'm still researching this thing. I'd ideally like to use OEM Honda parts, but I don't know if I could get them very easily in the US -- if they even exist. I'd rather not cobble together Radio Shack or Pep Boys parts, but that may have to happen.

[Chuck(G)]

My main question is -- how are these usually activated in other cars? Is there a separate dash switch? Does it tie in somehow with the windshield wipers, or with the headlights? Is it part of the regular foglight circuit?

On my Volvo, which admittedly is not state-of-the-art, there's a 3-position switch on the dash (with indicator lamps--don't forget those or you may inadvertently tick off the guy following you on some clear night)

1st positon - fog lamps off
2nd position - front fog lamps on
3rd position - front and rear fog lamps on

[cjk]

Well on my Volvo ... (huh? rear fog lamp? what the heck is that?).

Hell, I didn't know I even had a rear fog lamp until just now when I dug out the owner's manual. Soooooooooo, that's what that silly little button is for with the picture of who the hell knows what on it!!!



Christian, who thinks the pictures on the Volvo controls really suck

[ThomasDodd]

Ever notice how some people turn on their hazard lights in heavy heavy rain or snow? That is because hazard lights are brighter than running lights making the car easier to see. The rear foglight serves the same function without blinking. When the weather is good at night then a light as bright as the rear foglight would be fatigueing to other motorists eyes. So we have running lights for normal visibility.

Around here less than half the "drivers" even bother to turn their light on in poor weather.
They believe the lights are only there so they can see, probably why they don't use trun signal either. Many times I've nearly been hit by some idiot in the fog and rain because I couldn't see them, and they continue to drive 60 in a 45 zone.

I hate to think what they'd do with this extra light.

[ThomasDodd]

The single light also differentiates the foglight from the brake lights. We already know that a burned-out third brake light is too common, so two bright taillights would indicate -- true or not -- that a car is either slowing down or has stopped already. Again, that adds to confusion.

Around here you're lucky to see one brake light working.
There are still many vehicles on the road with two brake lights down here as well.
My car being one of them

[WoodSheddin]

I hate to think what they'd do with this extra light.

This idiot can handle the light just fine.