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Why dont the fog lights stay on with high beams?

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Old Nov 19, 2004 | 06:23 PM
  #1  
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Why dont the fog lights stay on with high beams?

Sohuld i just rewire the fog lights to stay on without the low beam by themselves so that i can have them working when i turn on the high beam?
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 06:27 PM
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If you want to you can. I don't know of any cars that come from the factory set up to do that.
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 06:54 PM
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Fog lights are meant to aid your low beams in certain times of poor (fog) visibility; they're meant to illuminate the road directly in front of the car. They are supposed to be low. Anything too high will reflect or cause to much glare to the driver, since fog and mist kinda "floats" a little off the ground, and that's why they're not used with the high beams. Beams pointed to high in fog will cause light dispersion off the fog "particles" and cause blurry images and glare. If you try driving in the fog with high beams on, you'll see what I'm talking about.

That's my semi-educated explanation of why fog lights are only supposed to work with low beams and are pointed low to the ground.

Ideally, if you're 25 feet from a wall, the fog light beam focal point should be around 4 inches below the bulb height on the car. So if the distance from the ground to your fog bulbs is 10", then the focal point of the beams on the wall, 25 ft away, should be 6" off the ground.

Hope that helps...
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 07:06 PM
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Didn't answer the first part of your question, but if you want, you could rewire the fogs to come on w/o having to turn your low beams on, that is fine too, they'd still be useful that way even w/o the lows. But having them on with the high beams is a waste and serves no practical purpose, in my opinion...

There's a write-up by Ice2k1 in the How-Tos... so you could go look for that to help ya...
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 07:30 PM
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actually, by law the fog lights must turn off when the hi-beams come on. for the reason puppetmaster gave.
that why all cars are made that way
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 07:40 PM
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Originally Posted by soonerfan
actually, by law the fog lights must turn off when the hi-beams come on.
Didn't know that was law... makes sense though....
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 07:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Puppetmaster
Didn't know that was law... makes sense though....
but we all know that non of us do anything illegal on here

i would do it though and be smart enough to only use it in the middle of no where.
i have some things done to my car that is technically illegal BUT i feel there are diffirent levels. my y-pipe is only an emission violation for a minute till my main cat heats up. my clear side markers iluminate the proper color. yes that dont reflect but that is for if your car is broken down and someone is driving towards the side of your car. if they cant see my big boat...a reflection isnt going to help.
i wont do something that is blatant and is very unsafe (all clear tails, white blinker bulbs, etc)
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 07:54 PM
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Very nicely put... for the Sooner

I'm almost-legal right now except for the 5" GReddy muffler tip, the clear corners (although I do have amber and red bulbs) and maybe the drop.... got a y-pipe sitting in my house awaiting install though....
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Puppetmaster
Very nicely put... for the Sooner

I'm almost-legal right now except for the 5" GReddy muffler tip, the clear corners (although I do have amber and red bulbs) and maybe the drop.... got a y-pipe sitting in my house awaiting install though....
i just wanted to explain myself. i tell people that the all clear tails are illegal and their response is.. "well so are your side markers..so there"
(now im a donating member and can search and use it again in the future)
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 08:12 PM
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Originally Posted by soonerfan
i just wanted to explain myself. i tell people that the all clear tails are illegal and their response is.. "well so are your side markers..so there"
(now im a donating member and can search and use it again in the future)
Cool... making the most of your donating member status huh?
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 08:16 PM
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i read about people in gen. max forum being pulled over for having their fogs on with low beams. something about the environment wasn't appropriate (not raining or foggy) for the fog lights to be on.
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 08:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Gsilk
i read about people in gen. max forum being pulled over for having their fogs on with low beams. something about the environment wasn't appropriate (not raining or foggy) for the fog lights to be on.
well that cr@p since they arent really fog lights. they are no diffirent from the low beams.
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 08:22 PM
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Originally Posted by Gsilk
i read about people in gen. max forum being pulled over for having their fogs on with low beams. something about the environment wasn't appropriate (not raining or foggy) for the fog lights to be on.
That's just cuz of cops having nothing else to do... no real crimes to fight... like here in Fairfax... haha...

But seriously, I've heard of that too, although most times I believe its caused by excessive glare (overly bright, white, fog beams) and beams that are pointed too high for vanity reasons....
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 10:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Puppetmaster

But seriously, I've heard of that too, although most times I believe its caused by excessive glare (overly bright, white, fog beams) and beams that are pointed too high for vanity reasons....
i can understand that ^^ i've seen alot of cars (honduhs and pickup trucks) that have the huge often more than two foglights around their grill. that is just asking for trouble.
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by Puppetmaster
That's just cuz of cops having nothing else to do... no real crimes to fight... like here in Fairfax... haha...

But seriously, I've heard of that too, although most times I believe its caused by excessive glare (overly bright, white, fog beams) and beams that are pointed too high for vanity reasons....
i have stock fogs.. i have gotten puleld over twice.. but then again it was at my college where the cops love to harass
Old Nov 19, 2004 | 10:27 PM
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I wonder who made the write up to make them turn on with highbeams? Why...would that be me?
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