spotlights and foglights

by8auj6csd3ioq

Could someone explain difference between spotlights and foglights on front of car.

Fogs are the ones under the bumper or built into it?

It is illegal to have the fogs on in day/night unless fog?

Are spotlights linked to the main beam or is there a seperate switch? Sometimes people on dipped headlamps flash me and other lights come on for the flash.Is that an extra headlight or a spotlight?

In some cars when you flash the flash is only from the same lamp and is not as easy to see as when it is a seperate lamp. Some have a seperate lamp for the flash - much easier to see in night town driving when everyone is on dipped but flash to let you go.

Thanks

Anan1

I think there's a legal minimum height above the road for headlights. Any lights under that height (ie bumper-mounted foglights) are therefore illegal to use as headlights.

L-M

Spotlights


Foglights


You wouldn't drive around with your rear foglight on, so no driving around with the front on either.

robtri

I actually got pulled for having my fog lights on in the north once( it was foggy in the south when i turned them on and forgot to turn them off when fog dispersed), and fined
anyway the police up there was telling me the differecne between spots and fogs is the intensity of the light, they can be mounted the same way, but you can tell which is which by looking at the lens there is a code on the lens which tells you if its a spot of a fog light.... but I can't remember what the codes are... hopefully someone else can help with that

You shouldnt drive with your fog lights on if its not foggy, its fecking irrating to other drivers and illegal.

by8auj6csd3ioq

Limerick man wrote: »

Spotlights


Foglights


You wouldn't drive around with your rear foglight on, so no driving around with the front on either.

Are spots linked to the high beam or a seperate switch

Drummerboy08

Seperate switch i would imagine, but i have seen some 4x4's with their high beams and spots linked together so i presume it can be done.

by8auj6csd3ioq

the differecne between spots and fogs is the intensity of the light, they can be mounted the same way, but you can tell which is which by looking at the lens there is a code on the lens which tells you if its a spot of a fog light.... but I can't remember what the codes are... hopefully someone else can help with that

I read on another forum that any light less than 24 inches from ground is a fog, higher spot. UK site not sure if applies here. Disclaimer That may be wrong

You shouldnt drive with your fog lights on if its not foggy, its fecking irrating to other drivers and illegal.

+1:D

L-M

Sophia Long Marathon wrote: »

Are spots linked to the high beam or a seperate switch

Spots? I'd imagine they are linked to the full beam, as you wouldn't use them for any other reason than why you would use your full beam.

Drummerboy08

Limerick man wrote: »

Spots? I'd imagine they are linked to the full beam, as you wouldn't use them for any other reason than why you would use your full beam.

You reckon? Ive never really seen a need for them, and i've only either seen them on

A 4x4

or

A rally car.

Which led me to presume they were handy off road, but would be connected to a switch to turn them on and off?

L-M

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

You reckon? Ive never really seen a need for them, and i've only either seen them on

A 4x4

or

A rally car.

Which led me to presume they were handy off road, but would be connected to a switch to turn them on and off?

But sure when do you use your full beam?

Drummerboy08

On the road, when there are no oncoming cars in a dark area. Why do you ask?!

L-M

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

On the road, when there are no oncoming cars in a dark area. Why do you ask?!

It was essentially a rhetorical, but why wouldn't having the spots, linked to your full beam, make a difference? The ould lad has spots on his vintage car so i must ask him.

milltown

Limerick man wrote: »

Spotlights


Foglights


You wouldn't drive around with your rear foglight on, so no driving around with the front on either.

Did you have to discard many other pics before you found the BMW with the front fogs on?

Twin-go

robtri wrote: »

You shouldnt drive with your fog lights on if its not foggy, its fecking irrating to other drivers and illegal.

I can honistly say people who drive with their front fogs on do NOT irratate me at all.

More irratating are van/4x4 with higher headlights at eye level for car drivers.

Also badly focused headlights, One headlight working, and cars fitted with incorrectly adjusted HID lights (mostly in older cars, new car with xenons are in general ok).

Just to let people know I use my foglights not because I think they look cool but because they light up more of the road esp. during rain and on badly lit roads. I switch Fogs of in daylight but keep my headlights on esp. during the winter.

peasant

read the charter, folks

No foglight discussion. Stick with the topic (i.e the technical differences)

by8auj6csd3ioq

peasant wrote: »

read the charter, folks

No foglight discussion. Stick with the topic (i.e the technical differences)

Sorry if i contributed to that, I didn't know. My interest is in how they work and the difference and how they are wired

peasant

Sophia Long Marathon wrote: »

Sorry if i contributed to that, I didn't know. My interest is in how they work and the difference and how they are wired

Spotlights are basically a doubling up of the main beam in your headlights. They would be wired so that they come on when the main beam comes on (no separate switch). There are regulations as to where they can and can't be mounted (min/max distance from the road, min/max distance from the outside edges of the car, etc) but they can be mounted over or under the bumper.

The same applies for foglights, but they are wired so that they come on seperately and not when the main beams are on. Most cars have a two stage foglight switch. The first stage turns on the front lights (if fitted), the second stage the rear.

All auxiliary lights are subject to EU regulations for road use. They have to meet certain min/max parameters to be road legal and only then carry a EU approval number.

The light pattern on spots and fogs is vastly different. Spots are designed to light up as much of the road as far ahead as is possible within the parameters, whereas foglights throw a wide and short beam directly in front of the car. This beam is meant to creep in under the fog and light up the edges of the road and a few meters in front.

Foglights do very little for normal driving, as the beam is too short. They are meant to be used in heavy fog, where you would be driving slowly in the first place.

Spots on the other hand do not work in fog at all, as all they do is illuminate the tiny water droplets that make up the fog, which then reflect that light right back, giving the appearance of an opaque white wall.

It is illegal to use foglights in normal driving conditions.

by8auj6csd3ioq

peasant wrote: »

Spotlights are basically a doubling up of the main beam in your headlights. They would be wired so that they come on when the main beam comes on (no separate switch). There are regulations as to where they can and can't be mounted (min/max distance from the road, min/max distance from the outside edges of the car, etc) but they can be mounted over or under the bumper.

The same applies for foglights, but they are wired so that they come on seperately and not when the main beams are on. Most cars have a two stage foglight switch. The first stage turns on the front lights (if fitted), the second stage the rear.

All auxiliary lights are subject to EU regulations for road use. They have to meet certain min/max parameters to be road legal and only then carry a EU approval number.

The light pattern on spots and fogs is vastly different. Spots are designed to light up as much of the road as far ahead as is possible within the parameters, whereas foglights throw a wide and short beam directly in front of the car. This beam is meant to creep in under the fog and light up the edges of the road and a few meters in front.

Foglights do very little for normal driving, as the beam is too short. They are meant to be used in heavy fog, where you would be driving slowly in the first place.

Spots on the other hand do not work in fog at all, as all they do is illuminate the tiny water droplets that make up the fog, which then reflect that light right back, giving the appearance of an opaque white wall.

It is illegal to use foglights in normal driving conditions.

Thanks. And newer cars have two seperate bulbs for dipped and head?

Anan1

Sophia Long Marathon wrote: »

Thanks. And newer cars have two seperate bulbs for dipped and head?

Cars with halogen bulbs do, cars with bi-xenons often use the same bulb but with a movable flap to provide cutoff for low beams.

CJhaughey

Some cars have seperate lenses and bulbs for high and low beam.
I know my wifes 00 Corolla the headlight has two seperate lenses, outside larger one is low beam, inside smaller one has high beam.
I wired spots before so that they came on on high beam but there was also another small switch so I could turn them off as well.I ran a relay and thick wiring so they carried plenty of current.

peasant

Anan1 wrote: »

Cars with halogen bulbs do,

Some do, some don't. Usually depends on the lamp design. Some designers prefer the double lamp look and have distinct housings and bulbs for dipped and full beam. Older lamps use one bulb with two different filaments for dipped and high beam (I think this is H4 only)

Anan1

peasant wrote: »

Some do, some don't. Usually depends on the lamp design. Some designers prefer the double lamp look and have distinct housings and bulbs for dipped and full beam. Older lamps use one bulb with two different filaments for dipped and high beam (I think this is H4 only)

Quite true. Gonna have to start calling you pedant from now on.;)

by8auj6csd3ioq

great answers guys;)

Thanks

deadwood

peasant wrote: »

Spotlights are basically a doubling up of the main beam in your headlights. They would be wired so that they come on when the main beam comes on (no separate switch). There are regulations as to where they can and can't be mounted (min/max distance from the road, min/max distance from the outside edges of the car, etc) but they can be mounted over or under the bumper.

The same applies for foglights, but they are wired so that they come on seperately and not when the main beams are on. Most cars have a two stage foglight switch. The first stage turns on the front lights (if fitted), the second stage the rear.

All auxiliary lights are subject to EU regulations for road use. They have to meet certain min/max parameters to be road legal and only then carry a EU approval number.

The light pattern on spots and fogs is vastly different. Spots are designed to light up as much of the road as far ahead as is possible within the parameters, whereas foglights throw a wide and short beam directly in front of the car. This beam is meant to creep in under the fog and light up the edges of the road and a few meters in front.

Foglights do very little for normal driving, as the beam is too short. They are meant to be used in heavy fog, where you would be driving slowly in the first place.

Spots on the other hand do not work in fog at all, as all they do is illuminate the tiny water droplets that make up the fog, which then reflect that light right back, giving the appearance of an opaque white wall.

It is illegal to use foglights in normal driving conditions.

Could this be posted as a sticky to settle the fog/spot light cool/illegal/annoying threads that spring up regularly?

Gumbo

robtri wrote: »

I actually got pulled for having my fog lights on in the north once( it was foggy in the south when i turned them on and forgot to turn them off when fog dispersed), and fined
anyway the police up there was telling me the differecne between spots and fogs is the intensity of the light, they can be mounted the same way, but you can tell which is which by looking at the lens there is a code on the lens which tells you if its a spot of a fog light.... but I can't remember what the codes are... hopefully someone else can help with that

You shouldnt drive with your fog lights on if its not foggy, its fecking irrating to other drivers and illegal.

agree with this, the front spot lights on an Evo 5 are totally road legal, they are actually classed as driving lights. heres a pic of my 5.

NewApproach

Twin-go wrote: »

Just to let people know I use my foglights not because I think they look cool but because they light up more of the road esp. during rain and on badly lit roads. I switch Fogs of in daylight but keep my headlights on esp. during the winter.

Thing is the extra light they give is only up to like 5 feet in front of the car or something like that, so again you see what bits they light up, its too late.

Anyway sorry I think I just broke the rules by saying that so I better be quiet!

NewApproach

kceire wrote: »

agree with this, the front spot lights on an Evo 5 are totally road legal, they are actually classed as driving lights. heres a pic of my 5.

Thats like getting an auld granny to sign a waiver saying you can slap her in the face, and then going out into the street and slapping her.

To everyone else in the street, you just slapped an auld granny.

Gumbo

NewApproach wrote: »

Thats like getting an auld granny to sign a waiver saying you can slap her in the face, and then going out into the street and slapping her.

To everyone else in the street, you just slapped an auld granny.

sorry i dont get it

edit - ohh wait, i do now! its late LOL

crosstownk

peasant wrote: »

Spotlights are basically a doubling up of the main beam in your headlights. They would be wired so that they come on when the main beam comes on (no separate switch). There are regulations as to where they can and can't be mounted (min/max distance from the road, min/max distance from the outside edges of the car, etc) but they can be mounted over or under the bumper.

The same applies for foglights, but they are wired so that they come on seperately and not when the main beams are on. Most cars have a two stage foglight switch. The first stage turns on the front lights (if fitted), the second stage the rear.

All auxiliary lights are subject to EU regulations for road use. They have to meet certain min/max parameters to be road legal and only then carry a EU approval number.

The light pattern on spots and fogs is vastly different. Spots are designed to light up as much of the road as far ahead as is possible within the parameters, whereas foglights throw a wide and short beam directly in front of the car. This beam is meant to creep in under the fog and light up the edges of the road and a few meters in front.

Foglights do very little for normal driving, as the beam is too short. They are meant to be used in heavy fog, where you would be driving slowly in the first place.

Spots on the other hand do not work in fog at all, as all they do is illuminate the tiny water droplets that make up the fog, which then reflect that light right back, giving the appearance of an opaque white wall.

It is illegal to use foglights in normal driving conditions.

Excellent, well presented post. Thanks peasant.

CJhaughey

He is saying that although the Evo light are legal, people have been known to need retinal surgery after driving against them.

F-Stop

deadwood wrote: »

Could this be posted as a sticky to settle the fog/spot light cool/illegal/annoying threads that spring up regularly?

Seconding the sticky.

EDIT: Perhaps with one slight edit - I think the very last sentence should be the very first.