I expected the fog lights located in the lower front end to actually brighten things up a bit, but they appear to be french fry lights for the first three feet of pavement. Is there a way to angle them up a tad? Or change the bulbs to something that gives more coverage (and preferably in amber)? OR are they basically cosmetic and just fill those low, front holes, as well as giving me a toggle?

 

Hmm, are they supposed to do anything? I always thought they just make me more visible to others.

Richard

 

There is a beige plastic adjustment screw, visible when you look through the section behind the bumper that houses all the lights. It's close to the front of the car. It has an 8mm hex socket head as well as a recessed phillips-style double straight slot. Note that this adjustment screw is rather tough to turn, and the angle at which you need to have your screwdriver or hex driver can easily strip this plastic screw (it's actually not a screw, but a 'gear' that operates a horizontal screw which aims the lights up and down; this gear arrangement 'turns' it vertically so you can access it).

I installed the lights myself, after the fact. There isnt much range in the adjustment, but does not need much.

 

i have mine aimed pretty high....hi enough to illuminate the road more than
3ft. Fog's are not suppose to illuminate far, but I like mine to have more
functionality during dry days at night going through the forests.

This year I have the PIAA540's so that'll help me even more this fall. :smile:

 

The purpose of fog lights is to light the road directly in front of your vehicle with a high intensity beam and not much else. If you adjust them too high, they will only illuminate the fog, destroying visibility and rendering them useless.

By aiming them low, the light is going where it should. I would not "readjust" them outside the OEM setting.

 

What does OEM stand for?

 

"obscenely expensive mass"

 

ok ok, it means "original equipment manufacturer"

 

I understand that notion. I will experiment with them a bit higher and see for myself what works. I had bright amber fog lights on my old Golf that worked well pointing up more. I recall a guy last March on this site who replaced his brights with some PIAA Ion Crystal H7 ambers... said that worked well in fog/rain/snow... and especially during just plain old regular dry conditions. Thanks for the input either way.

 

Why would one want to use fog lamps in "plain old dry" conditons? Fog lamps are specifically intended for use in poor weather condtions in which there is limited visibility. And, driving lamps should never be used in any conditions other than darkness, and when there is absolutely no oncoming traffic. That's why we wire driving lamps into the high beam circuit, there's no logical reason to use them with low beams.

To use auxillary lamps in the daytime, or in situations other than the lamps were intended for is potentially dangerous to other drivers. This is especially true if oncoming traffic is situated below the line of sight of your car, such as below you on a hill.

Daytime use of auxillary lamps also may be in violation of state and local laws that prohibit their use in such conditions. There are good reasons for such legislation, I'm sure there are situations where folks have wrecked and been injured or killed due to some knucklehead who blinded them with their "cool" daytime fog or driving lamps.

It's not cool, it's dangerous and discourteous as well.

 

I have found the best use of clear fog is during clear weather driving at nite on a twisty. The fogs will light up the sides of the road quite well when going around the curves.

 

Or if a Xenon fails....

 

I use my fogs to light the road right in front of me,when the conditions call for it and I'm going slower than normal and want to see whats right in front of me.I don't see what the problem is that they only wash the road with light a few yards in front,thats all they are meant to do.Drive in a snow storm at night,with blowing snow,you will find they work great.

 

I'd say this is the second best use of fogs. Best use is in a full-on white-out snow storm. :smile:

 

Yup

 

Original Equipment Manufacturer....

Or the guys that actually make, what you thought someone else made

- MadHatter

 

_____________
I would think that the high beams do just as good if not a better job illuminating the sides of twisty roads. Using fog lights in dry weather are some people's idea of looking "cool." I think it's un-cool.

 

High beams are more like a driving light than a fog light pattern. A fairly narrow, far reaching beam. Fog lights by design are a very wide angle short reaching pattern. Turn your fog lights on a dark night w/o your headlights on and look at the pattern. They really light up the sides of the road, but are very short in range.Check out this link..... http://www.autoanything.com/shopping...e=hella_lights

 

I once saw someone in a brand new MINI here doing this. Night time driving conditions. Dry roads. No fog. Clear night. Plently of on coming traffic. Four lane secondary road. No street lights. Few houses around. I was in the next lane passing him. He had driving lights, fogs and rear fogs on. Not only did he look silly, but he was blinding all the cars around him as well as those on coming. It was not safe or cool, and I am sure he was the only one with clear visibility of the road.

I love my fog lights. Did them after the fact too. They really do help in rain and fog driving conditions, which is the only time I use them and why I decided I needed them after the fact. The driving lights are nice when I am up at my parent's in the boonies on dirt roads at night to really light up everything so I can see.

 

If you like to use auxillary lamps in good weather or daylight conditions (i.e., other than the intended use of the lamps), please ask yourself this question:

How do YOU like it when approaching a car that has its auxillary lamps shining at you in clear weather and/or broad daylight, especially if your car is downhill to the "cool" car? Nice, huh?

Such uses are potentially blinding to all oncoming drivers, even cars approaching from hundreds of yards away. Blinding another driver for just one second could have disastrous consequences.

So, please drive safely and exercise common courtesy to other drivers. Makes life a lot easier for everyone!

 

An insider at BMW/Mini told me that the fog lamps were put there solely for the purpose of keeping dirt and road grime out of what was designed to be the intake for the brake cooling ducts.

Judging by the quality and output of those lamps I believe every word of it.

 

I can't figure why folks drive with fogs on in good weather?
They don't help you see,and you are seen with your head lamps on.
And the worst are clear nights!?!?

 

Ok, let me try this again. Fog lights do not blind the oncoming drivers. The light pattern is too short to be a risk. They are designed to be a wide-shallow pattern. They do great help while driving at night to be able to see around the corners. See the above links to explain. Driving lights are different, the will be a more narrow-long pattern and will blind and annoy oncoming drivers.


Do a little experiment. Turn on your fog lights and shut off you headlights next time you are out on a clear road at night. See how different the patterns are.

With properly aimed fog lights visibility is greatly increased on twisty roads.

 

I can only turn my fogs on when my headlights are on.Is this a programable thing?

 

You should be able to turn them on with just the parking lights on.

Back to the whole Use of Driving Lights topic. I use mine quite often. When other cars approach, I switch them off, easy. I have mine wired for me to turn on whenever I please, as well. Both of my vehicles have 150w auxillary lights and I like them very much.