Foglights: update

[Steve]

BAS, I like the solution to Rear Fogs..Now I need an inverter capable of running the 2kW SON Floodlight I have in the garage as I will mount it on the front of my Van.

Useless plan - it'll never strike fast enough...

I was always very careful with my lights, as I was aware I could seriously impair peoples' vision with them. Sh** - I could seriously impair mine with the help of a large reflective roadsign...

some of those new roadsigns are VERY reflective at the right angle on full beam. Especially when they catch the sun and they act like a prism, splitting the light.

 

[AdamW]

Adam, this was my point in my first post. The lights DO NOT replace Main Beam, they supplememt normal Headlights and increase the length of the beam

Cos mainbeams don't do that Anyway, according to The Internet, driving lights are for use in conjunction with MAIN BEAM, not dipped. Makes sense, otherwise the legal limits on dipped headlights would be pointless.

Further, these lamps were put on the Car by the Manufacturer

If you don't mind me asking, what car do you drive at the mo? I'm not doubting you, but I've never actually seen a car with supplementary driving lights as standard.

Adam, thank you for emphasising my point, you clearly do know or understand the technical differences between Fog and driving lamps, you don't know or understand the difference between Main Beam Lamps and Driving Lamps either, s perhaps you might like to read up on the subject prior to critisising others with a few smug quips..Cheers.

Gladly. Which car is it you drive again? I wasn't being smug before, however: [smug]I obviously know more than you about it if you didn't realise they are NOT intended for use with dipped headlights[/smug]

 

[ban-all-sheds]

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm#tcon

**** 'em: http://www.kchilites.com/store/Blac...x?UserID=39283&SessionID=If8Sw{USwNX2Lt1eR{gz

 

[pipme]

WM Police

Fog Lights Crackdown on Hazardous Drivers

Daft motorists who use their fog lights in clear conditions in Coventry are facing a fine in a clampdown by traffic police.
Officers based at Fletchamstead Highway police station say that the blinding lights are being misused, and it is proving dangerous to other drivers.
A £30 fine will be imposed on drivers who break the law by going around with their fog lights on.
Acting Sergeant Nigel Fairburn said:
"We have been receiving complaints from members of the public who have been dazzled by motorists using their front fog lights when there is absolutely no need.
"The legislation states they are only to be used in conditions where visibility is serious impaired, generally when you cannot see for more than 100 metres (328 feet).

"We will be issuing fixed penalty fines of £30 to drivers who leave their front fog lights on despite the clear conditions.

"We believe that some motorists, especially young ones, are confused about their front fog lights and their use.

Basically, if the lights are on a separate switch with a warning light on the dashboard, these are fog lights, and should only be used in extreme conditions.
If they come on when you flick on the main beam switch then they are driving lights not fog lights and will disappear when the lights are dipped or switched off.

"Also drivers should ensure they remember to switch off rear fog lights after use as they can mask the brake lights of the car as well as dazzling motorists travelling behind."

Headlight vert. fitting limits of between 500mm to 1200mm, and 'fog lights' zero to 500mm.
So if the lights are within 500 to 1200mm in ht. they may be deemed headlights or driving lights (spots) Must extinguish or dip when the normal heads are dipped... So not necessarily wired through the 'main beam'.... But only usable with the heads on.
From Zero to 500mm height auxiliary lamps may be deemed fog lights, too low to be heads or driving lamps... Only to be used where the weather conditions result in impaired visibility of 100 metres or less, and of course powered through the headlight circuit before the dip switch, generally dipped heads used in fog.

'###k 'em' ..... naughty Mikey.. Tis usually in halfabet code..

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Officers based at Fletchamstead Highway police station say that the blinding lights are being misused, and it is proving dangerous to other drivers....

"We have been receiving complaints from members of the public who have been dazzled by motorists using their front fog lights when there is absolutely no need.

Properly designed, fitted and aligned fog lights will not dazzle oncoming drivers.

If they do, then they will be of no use to the driver in fog, and certainly not in falling snow, as the brightness and/or beam pattern will cause so much light to be reflected back into his eyes that he'll be worse off than not having the lights on in the first place.

Bright long-range, or bright "driving lights" that are used in conjunction with main-beam are a different kettle-o-fish, ('tis not for nothing that those KC units are called "Daylighters") but that's why they should be controlled by the dip switch.

 

[Moz]

They are a blasted nuisance when chugging along a motorway in the offside lane ,an at dusk

 

[Big_Spark]

Adam, I did not say Dipped Headlights, I said Normal Headlights, and as I had already mentioned Main Beam, you have assumed that I meant dipped, which I did not...My fault for that use of those words..badly phrased.

Regarding my Car, Mercedes CLS 500. The Lights used to only work with the Main Beam on, however I had Mercedes rewire it so that I can also switch them on without the main beam on..however they still come on with the main beam as designed to do so by Mercedes originally. It has been checked out as legal and perfectly OK by the Police here in Essex.

 

[AdamW]

I have had the Police and several drivers comment on my Front lights, only to have eat humble pie when they realise that I did not have fog lights turned on, I had a second set of driving lights on to avoid having to keep turning my main beam on and off on unlit roads.

Many motorists have made insulting comments without knowing the facts, and this is part of the problem. Most people do not understand how to distinguish between driving lamps and fog lights!

Jim, why can't you just admit when you are wrong?!

If you are driving at people or behind people with the lights on, then that is in fact wrong. If you are using your "driving lights" PROPERLY then they would never see them.

As to Mercedes rewiring it, bo**ocks. Mercedes dealer is NOT Mercedes.

 

[pipme]

Q: What is the difference between a 69 and driving in the fog?
A: When driving in the fog, you can't see the ars eh ole in front of you.

Q: What did the egg say to the boiling water?
A: "It might take me a while to get hard I just got laid last night"

Q: What have women and condoms got in common?
A: If they're not on your d##k they're in your wallet.

LINK

 

[Big_Spark]

Jim, why can't you just admit when you are wrong?!

If you are driving at people or behind people with the lights on, then that is in fact wrong. If you are using your "driving lights" PROPERLY then they would never see them.

As to Mercedes rewiring it, bo**ocks. Mercedes dealer is NOT Mercedes.

What was I wrong about Adam??? NOTHING is the answer.

And as for Mercedes..OK so it was the Mercedes Dealer that rewired the Lights, but as they are Mercedes trained Mechanics and would not do anything to the car that would compromise the car, it's warranty or was illegal, then that is defacto Mercedes..if you see my point..your simply being a pedantic goit.

And as for my lights..stop assuming you know better. If people are driving toward me, then they better see my lights, on or off, or they shouldn't be on the blessed road.

Adam, why don't you just accept your talking out of your rear passage and give the holier than thou routine a rest, it only belittles you.

 

[AdamW]

What was I wrong about Adam??? NOTHING is the answer.

And as for Mercedes..OK so it was the Mercedes Dealer that rewired the Lights, but as they are Mercedes trained Mechanics and would not do anything to the car that would compromise the car, it's warranty or was illegal, then that is defacto Mercedes..if you see my point..your simply being a pedantic goit.

And as for my lights..stop assuming you know better. If people are driving toward me, then they better see my lights, on or off, or they shouldn't be on the blessed road.

Adam, why don't you just accept your talking out of your rear passage and give the holier than thou routine a rest, it only belittles you.

You weren't wrong, eh Jim?

YOU are the one who called me smug for "not knowing the difference between fog and driving lights"... then several people posted links that prove that YOU are unaware of the distinction. You say "Well, people complain because of me using my driving lights"... when it is well known by absolutely everyone (minus one) that they are for use with MAIN BEAM headlights... therefore if they ARE complaining about them IT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE DAZZLING THEM!!!

Oh wait, I'm wrong actually... I just checked the Mercedes Special Vehicles website and it says "our key customers include the German Autobahn Police, the British FCO and Jim Franklin"... yeh, seriously, that's what it says. Because you are so special, Mercedes modify their cars just for you.

Please, please, please, turn down the b-s level somewhat... you don't need to impress us. We're just honest DIY-loving people who also post about what gripes them. If it makes you feel better to try and make us think you are someone who used to shoot people in the head, played some part in sorting out the London Bombings and had your foglights... sorry, driving lights... specially modified for you by Mercedes, then had the police say "Wow, Jim, yes, your lights are great!" then so be it. But it's only a forum Seriously, this was just a thread on morons who dazzle people by driving with inappropriate lights, dunno why you felt the need to insult me in every freakin' post you made... I feel really "belittled" now.

Anyway, I drove through Staines this evening, and got dazzled by no less than 2 sets of fog/driving/Jim-Franklin-Benz lights.

 

[Big_Spark]

Adam, you are a fool. Simple as that fella.

Are you so stupid that you cannot read English, is your Mother tongue something else?

I said quite clearly that I have TWO sets of lights on the Front, one is operated by the FOG LIGHT switch and surprise surprise a little orange Fog light symbol illuminates on the dash when it's on..

The other set of lights operate with either the MAIN BEAM on or via a seperate switch. These lights are biased toward the near side and focused about 50m ahead of the car (never actually measured it as I am not that sad). These lights are DRIVING lights. I use them on country lanes and other unlit roads..

Adam, if they dazzle people, why do people on unlit roads never flash me to turn them off as they do Main beam lights..why is it only smug people like yourself that say it when I pull up to traffic lights in town on lit roads? Please tell me why the Police have not pulled me over, despite driving passed literaly hundreds of Police Patrols on unlit roads, please tell me why you know more than the Plod on this matter.

Adam, this thread was started by you on a topic that is an annoyance to most drivers, including myself, I agrred with you and simply explained that many drivers do not know the difference between Fog and driving lights. You then started to attack me.

Accept that you have misunderstood and you are incorrect, and stop with the stupid comments about Mercedes Website, get off your high horse fella, your simply making yourself look foolish.

 

[AdamW]

I would have to say your comments about my smugness were the attacking-start, but anyhoo.

Let's just call yours "Franklin lights" to avoid confusion