| evoge |
Maybe this could be a new project for everyone to consider since I haven't seen any info about it in previous threads.
Has anyone installed a rear fog light (Hella or otherwise) and know a good wiring/switch configuration? Built-in rear fog lights come standard now on many Euro cars and are switched on with the front fogs. I would consider them an important safety feature in snow and fog areas. |
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| azfansinnc |
| Do you have a picture? Are you talking about fogs that point backwards? |
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| evoge |
| These are the Hella add-ons. The new Euro cars have an extra-bright bulb built into the rear light assembly. |
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| jswift2000 |
| Our volvo had a rear fog light and I think its one of the most valuable safety features in the marker - Range Rover, Jaguar, Audi and Volvo and some MB's are the only cars Ive seen with them. Once again, european, not US. |
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| manus1980 |
| I've installed lots of light kits on the back of trucks. I think the Tahoe has or use to have the option of rear bumper lights and it looked good. |
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| greatscot |
| This is great idea, and would sell like hotcakes here in the central valley with all the low lying Tule fog we get in the winter months. |
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| evoge |
quote:
Originally posted by greatscot
This is great idea, and would sell like hotcakes here in the central valley with all the low lying Tule fog we get in the winter months.
I used to drive from Tracy to Vernalis on 33 every morning and often wondered where the road went. At least it wasn't bumper-to-bumper traffic like the 5 and 205. The '73 2002tii I had back then actually had the Hella rear fog light installed by a previous owner as an aftermarket item.
For rear fogs, a Google search shows a lot of UK sites and a few US ones but nothing clearly applicable to the X. One rugged-looking rear fog installation I read about on a GMC pickup was a John Deere tractor lamp with a 35w red firetruck bulb--now that would work! But how to mount (elegantly) and add a switch without frying the harness somewhere? |
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| evoge |
| BTW, here's the other Hella model of the two they offer. Looks a little more stylish, it might fit under the left rear bumper somehow with a bracket. |
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| zafer |
quote:
Originally posted by evoge
The new Euro cars have an extra-bright bulb built into the rear light assembly.
I love that feature!! When some jacka$$ is tailgating me, I turn on the rear fogs, and they think I hit brakes :D Really wish I had a camera back there too to record their expression going from coolio to OH NO! I'm gonna bang up my Benz. ...by the way, it isn't new in Europe, they have had them for quite a while now. |
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| kishino |
quote:
Originally posted by zafer
I love that feature!! When some jacka$$ is tailgating me, I turn on the rear fogs, and they think I hit brakes :D Really wish I had a camera back there too to record their expression going from coolio to OH NO! I'm gonna bang up my Benz. ...by the way, it isn't new in Europe, they have had them for quite a while now.
I had the rear fog lights on my Volvo. Remember I got pulled over once by the Buffalo cops. The cop told me that my brake light didn't work and it was on the whole time. I had to explain to him that those were rear fog lights and they came standard with the car. He gave me a warning about using the fog lights and said that I should not use them as they would confuse other drivers. I was thinking, it sure did confuse you!! |
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| zafer |
| The center one in the window goes on when you actually brake, and the rears become even brighter too. |
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| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by evoge
BTW, here's the other Hella model of the two they offer. Looks a little more stylish, it might fit under the left rear bumper somehow with a bracket.
How about attaching it on to that hook thing under the rear bumper, left side? |
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| kingt |
Hello All,
I'm currently living in the UK, and I have a rear fog light installed on my X. It was mandatory to have it put on the right side. I'll snap a picture one day. It's hard wired into main fog switch. |
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| wmquan |
| Maybe this photo can help visualize how a rear fog light looks when it's integrated with the vehicle as standard equipment. Usually it's only on the driver's side. Gets the attention of the person behind you. |
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| cp_ssrebba |
quote:
Originally posted by wmquan
Maybe this photo can help visualize how a rear fog light looks when it's integrated with the vehicle as standard equipment. Usually it's only on the driver's side. Gets the attention of the person behind you.
where? the top left real windshield? |
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| evoge |
| Thanks for posting the photo. The one extra-bright red light is on the driver's side (right side in UK/Aus/Japan). What you see in the Saab's top rear windshield is the temporary registration tag.;) |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by cp_ssrebba
where? the top left real windshield?
I'm sorry, I should have added an arrow to the photo.
The rear fog light is turned on in the photo. It is below the 9-3 emblem on the left side of the trunk lid.
The photo may be somewhat underexposed. To get an idea of the relative brightness of the rear fog light, please note that the rear lights of the vehicle are on, and the fog light is a brighter, more yellow-red color.
Hope that helps. I rarely switch it on, but it hasn't been very foggy since I got the vehicle in February (I took a bunch of photos back then, hence the temporary registration tag). |
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| XStatic |
quote:
Originally posted by kishino
I had the rear fog lights on my Volvo. Remember I got pulled over once by the Buffalo cops. The cop told me that my brake light didn't work and it was on the whole time. I had to explain to him that those were rear fog lights and they came standard with the car. He gave me a warning about using the fog lights and said that I should not use them as they would confuse other drivers. I was thinking, it sure did confuse you!!
Our V70 had one too, but it was more like a driver side turn signal, even more pale yellow though, not red at all like a brake light.
I didn't think it was very useful since you have another switch to throw to turn it on since it isn't linked to the front fog plus not many people know what it is.
I also don't understand the one side theory either.
Personally I think the best rear fog illumination would be for all cars to illuminate both of the rear turn signals (which should be yellow on all cars) when the front fogs are on. No confusion with brakes and turn signals would work by blinking these lights off instead of on. |
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| evoge |
quote:
Originally posted by XStatic
Personally I think the best rear fog illumination would be for all cars to illuminate both of the rear turn signals (which should be yellow on all cars) when the front fogs are on. No confusion with brakes and turn signals would work by blinking these lights off instead of on.
"THERE WILL BE NO THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!! FOR YOUR SAFETY, EVERYONE MUST REMAIN IN THE BOX AT ALL TIMES!":creeplook |
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| jswift2000 |
quote:
Originally posted by evoge
"THERE WILL BE NO THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX!! FOR YOUR SAFETY, EVERYONE MUST REMAIN IN THE BOX AT ALL TIMES!":creeplook
LOL!!!! Jaguar does a great think - they put the fog lights into the bumper, not with the tail lights. I think they should be std on all cars. |
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| greatscot |
quote:
Originally posted by jswift2000
. . . I think they should be std on all cars.
I like that idea :29: |
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| wmquan |
quote:
Originally posted by greatscot
I like that idea :29:
I agree that fog lights/driving lights should be standard on most vehicles past a certain price point (keeping in mind that some folks want as much of an economical vehicle as possible). What's bummed me out in the past is how Honda and Acura nickels and dimes certain items (like fog lights) as dealer-installed accessories.
Fog lights aren't a simple installation (especially on some Honda/Acuras where you have to cut into the bumper), so this tends to be an expensive option. Especially if the dealer is gouging on the price of accessories. This was the case when I bought an Integra in '94. It took some negotiating to get the price to be half-reasonable.
The new TSX has this issue as well ... fog lights/driving lights are a DIO. At least the MDX has them standard (possibly because being an SUV, it's rather strange to not include them). The MDX also at least includes carpetted mats (my other pet peeve -- $20k+ cars that don't come with carpetted mats!). Of course, then Acura doesn't provide a cargo cover standard with the MDX, kind of a chintzy omission on a ~$40k SUV with a huge cargo area and glass that isn't tinted particularly dark.
Other vehicles vary. The ML didn't come with integrated foglights until the 2002 revision, but it always came with a cargo cover. I like how most (all?) Subarus have foglights. My 9-3 also comes standard with foglights (including the rear one). |
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