Does anybody know if there's a way to set the fog lamps to always turn on whenever the headlights are turned on?

(I checked the manual and couldn't find any way to do this...)

 

Not without an aftermarket module or NCS expert.

 

Just to show how different things can work on another continent, this would be illegal in most of Europe, at least as standard. Several things like front and rear fog lights are required to be switched so that when the ignition is turned off, the light is turned off and stays off when the car is restarted. The idea is to stop folk from, for example, driving home in fog with their rear fog light on and then not realising they have it on driving to work on a clear day the following morning.

 

It's illegal in most (all?) states here in the U.S. as well. Doesn't stop people from doing it though, based on the yahoos I see on the road driving with their fogs on all the time.

We have a problem with people driving with just their parking lights on as well when they should have their headlights on. I'm sure someone will come in and try to justify both.

 

Are we talking "fog" lights, or are we talking "driving lights". Two completely different things IMHO. From the factory, in the lower corners of the front bumper, I consider those fog lights. They are far from distracting/blinding day or night, fog or no fog. Driving lights, like what you would install on an aftermarket bracket between the headlights should not be run on your everyday driving.

 

In many states, those things between the headlights (which I also call driving lights) are only supposed to be on when your brights are on, which is rare unless you are in a rural unlit/poorly lit area. In California that is the law. Those are only on with my brights when on some of the canyon roads around here where there are no lights.

 

I got mine on and proud of it

 

I don't really have an issue with fogs and headlights being on together as the front fogs are usually low and wide casting. The rear fog (still rare in the US) seems to only be used here by people who don't know what they are doing and press every button/switch in their European car and ride through the night.

 

Fog lights glare like crazy on wet pavement. Also, by brightening the foreground your eyes adapt and you lose some distance vision. http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...fog_lamps.html

 

Well, I get what that article is saying, but in rural areas, fog lamps in clear weather still give me more width of visibility, so I'll continue to use them in those cases. Just a few extra feet can be the difference between seeing and not seeing a deer/animal in time.

 

The color range has a big say in how effective or NOT the fogs or driving lights are.

 

Fog lamps are for fog simple...

 

This is a complete misconception and people who often say this are just looking for justification for their boorish behavior - fogs lights in clear weather are annoying as hell to other drivers. If you want to see that deer you need your brights on, not your fogs.


You're supposed to be looking out at the end of the light pattern, if you're looking right in front of the car where the fog light's pattern is you've already hit whatever you're looking for by the time you see it.


Fog lamps are for poor visibility conditions - period.

 

I see cars with fogs on all the time and it isn't annoying. BRIGHTS are annoying. Fogs extend the light pattern to the sides (not sure where you got I was looking right in front of the car - maybe you feel it is more important to make a point than to read what others are saying) so you can see animals (usually just their eyes as the lights hit them) quicker.

 

You can code them always on with the headlights with NCS expert.

 

by adjusting my rear view mirror i'm able to reflect the hi beams of the assh*ole that is behind me back at him. they turn their brights off real quick.

 

That isn't because you are blinding them. They likely just forgot they were on, which is a whole 'nuther discussion.

 

wowie buffalo bob, thanks for shedding some light on that .
and i'm very impressed with your ability to know what several people 3000 miles
away from you were thinking.

 

Not as inconsiderate as the "yahoo" that wanted to know how to wire his driving lights to be on all the time but close.

I suppose MINI fog lights aren't as blinding as they are on say a lifted pickup truck, but still.... turn them off unless it's foggy.

What's wrong with Americans these days ? Selfishness abounds.

 

My CMS has the halogen head lights, which are pretty darn weak. I find it a lot easier to see pot holes with the fog lamps on, at least in the winter until the pot holes are repaired. As far as I know, this is not illegal in PA (driving with fogs on with no foggy conditions).

 

+1 - I live in Virginia - never heard its illegal to have fogs on except in certain conditions. I also find the stock lights on the countryman quite dim compared to my other cars - and I do find myself clicking on the fogs nearly all the time.

Here's the virginia law - so 2 headlights, plus 2 fog lights is legal:
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp...+cod+46.2-1030

Note for future mods - I can't add 2 grill-mounted lights in combination with lights and fogs - that would make 6 lights

Regarding hard-wiring fog-lights to always be on -- my Honda has a physical switch on the light-stalk so my fogs can be always on when the headlights are on. My Audi is crisp and bright all the time - never feel the need for fogs.

 

I suspect far more people complain about xenons than fogs.

 

FWIW, it is legal too in Calfornia. http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/di...le=24400-24411

Specifically section 24402. California calls them "auxilary driving lamps" (with high beams) and "auxilary passing lamps" (with low or high beams) and "fog lamps" (low beams only - section 24403).

In any event, max you can have on at any time is 4, which is I believe how most (all?) Mini's in the US come configured for low beams, and 2 for high unless the bumper mounted optional lights are purchased.

 

Ehans - thanks for the link. It should help enlighten everyone :-)

That law was obviously written years ago. You can read it, understand it, and it makes sense. If they updated it now, you would have 20 pages of gobledegook and you wouldn't be able to tell if your car was legal a or not when you completed reading it.

 

I see what you did there....

that is the truth!