Is it worth getting fog lights fitted

Whiplashy

My car has no fog lights on it. I've been a bit concerned the last few mornings considering how thick the fog was. A few people have told me that I can get fog lights fitted to the car. Would it be worth the expense considering how rarely we get bad fog?

goz83

What make/model/year do you have?

Did it have optional fogs from factory?

How much would it cost?

Is your safety and the safety of others important enough to spend that money?

pa990

Whiplashy wrote: »

My car has no fog lights on it. I've been a bit concerned the last few mornings considering how thick the fog was. A few people have told me that I can get fog lights fitted to the car. Would it be worth the expense considering how rarely we get bad fog?

front fogs. No
rear fogs. Yes

Tails142

Surely its a legal requirement to have a rear fog light fitted from factory?

I have never known a car not to have one rear fog light fitted as standard, and I've driven some crap cars.

MadsL

Yes. Front fog lamps give a car that sporty rally look and make it look cool. For extra cool leave them on all the time. You should train them to point at the rearview mirror of the car in front for optimal safety and cool factor. They are also useful for not having to change headlight bulbs when they blow.

Rear ones, no don't bother. Sure what's the point of them? It never gets foggy in Ireland anyway, and don't you have brake lights. I just overtake everyone driving slowly in fog to avoid getting rear ended anyway.

pa990

Tails142 wrote: »

Surely its a legal requirement to have a rear fog light fitted from factory?

I have never known a car not to have one rear fog light fitted as standard, and I've driven some crap cars.

rear fogs are not a legal requirement in Ireland, but they are a requirement in the uk.

I've never seen a second hand jap import with rear fogs

Odelay

MadsL wrote: »

Yes. Front fog lamps give a car that sporty rally look and make it look cool. For extra cool leave them on all the time. You should train them to point at the rearview mirror of the car in front for optimal safety and cool factor. They are also useful for not having to change headlight bulbs when they blow.

Rear ones, no don't bother. Sure what's the point of them? It never gets foggy in Ireland anyway, and don't you have brake lights. I just overtake everyone driving slowly in fog to avoid getting rear ended anyway.

What use is that post?! The op is just asking a simple question about something he wants more information about. Not everyone is an expert here.

Chris_Heilong

Tails142 wrote: »

Surely its a legal requirement to have a rear fog light fitted from factory?

I have never known a car not to have one rear fog light fitted as standard, and I've driven some crap cars.

no it is not a legal requirement, there was a similar tread a few months back and I was putting my car that had no fogs at all trough the NCT, it passed with flying colours.

Del2005

Whiplashy wrote: »

My car has no fog lights on it. I've been a bit concerned the last few mornings considering how thick the fog was. A few people have told me that I can get fog lights fitted to the car. Would it be worth the expense considering how rarely we get bad fog?

I'd a JDM car with no rear fog lights. What I did was just touch the brakes when a car was coming up behind, never felt the need to retrofit them but I had 4 tail lights and 3 brake. If someone didn't see that an extra couple of lights wouldn't help.

Whiplashy

I get that fog lights can be a touchy subject around here, I swear I wasn't trying to annoy anyone! It's a genuine question!

I just got a Toyota Vitz (Jap import) and was surprised when I went to look for the fog lights the other morning that they weren't there. To be honest I haven't done much checking on what actual cost would be involved in getting them fitted. A few people suggested it at work but when I mentioned it to my father he said it'd be a waste of money since most of the time the fog in Ireland isn't actually dense enough to justify turning the lights on. The past few mornings it certainly has been though.

colm_mcm

I'd get a rear foglight fitted alright.

vibe666

pa990 wrote: »

rear fogs are not a legal requirement in Ireland, but they are a requirement in the uk.

I've never seen a second hand jap import with rear fogs

i've a 96 jap import pajero with an aftermarket rear fog light fitted, but i got it in the UK, so that'll probably be why.

would i be right in thinking though (and i honestly don't know), that although it's not a legal requirement to have one, if you DO have one it needs to be functioning to pass the NCT?

pa990

vibe666 wrote: »

i've a 96 jap import pajero with an aftermarket rear fog light fitted, but i got it in the UK, so that'll probably be why.

would i be right in thinking though (and i honestly don't know), that although it's not a legal requirement to have one, if you DO have one it needs to be functioning to pass the NCT?

you're spot on.

much like a rear wiper.. no legal requirementto have one, but if it's there it needs to work for the nct

Nissan doctor

Whiplashy wrote: »

I get that fog lights can be a touchy subject around here, I swear I wasn't trying to annoy anyone! It's a genuine question!

I just got a Toyota Vitz (Jap import) and was surprised when I went to look for the fog lights the other morning that they weren't there. To be honest I haven't done much checking on what actual cost would be involved in getting them fitted. A few people suggested it at work but when I mentioned it to my father he said it'd be a waste of money since most of the time the fog in Ireland isn't actually dense enough to justify turning the lights on. The past few mornings it certainly has been though.

You could go to a breakers and get a right side tail light unit from a Euro spec Yaris(which will have a fog fitted) and have someone wire up a fairly simple switch on the dash to turn the fog on, or even get the switch from the Euro yaris too and make it look factory.

vibe666

Fishtits wrote: »

Fog lamps are a scourge in this country, front but more so the rear.

i've been here about 12 years now (originally from the UK) and i've never actually seen real fog in ireland yet. plenty of times in the UK, but nothing more than over enthusiastic mist on this side of the pond.

as a rule of thumb, if you're able to drive at a safe enough distance from the car in front of you that you can still see it's rear lights clearly enough that you can stop safely if they jam on their brakes without ploughing into the back of them, then it's misty, not foggy.

i've been stuck out in proper fog in the countryside on the way home in the UK many years ago that was so thick that i had to get out and walk in front to get us the last couple of miles home as you literally could only just see the road a couple of feet in front of you from inside the cab.

it was a pretty surreal experience overall as we were coming home having just bought an old 1960's fire engine off a guy at a giant boot sale (don't ask, stepdad was a big kid!).

_Kaiser_

vibe666 wrote: »

iit was a pretty surreal experience overall as we were coming home having just bought an old 1960's fire engine off a guy at a giant boot sale (don't ask, stepdad was a big kid!).

Ah but with the added benefit of flashing lights and a siren to help warn others you're there though?

vibe666

Kaiser2000 wrote: »

Ah but with the added benefit of flashing lights and a siren to help warn others you're there though?

we actually tried the lights, but it only made things worse with the reflections off the fog and the siren was either full blast or nothing at all and it would lift you out of your shoes standing in front of it!

colm_mcm

lets not make this another dreaðed 'fog light' thread

MadsL

Odelay wrote: »

What use is that post?! The op is just asking a simple question about something he wants more information about. Not everyone is an expert here.

Check the fuse on your sarcasm detector, I think it has blown.

colm_mcm wrote: »

lets not make this another dreaðed 'fog light' thread

Was kinda my point.

Wishbone Ash

Tails142 wrote: »

Surely its a legal requirement to have a rear fog light fitted from factory?

I have never known a car not to have one rear fog light fitted as standard, and I've driven some crap cars.

Not required here but most cars sold here come with UK spec where a rear fog is required.

You may also have noticed some more unusual imported cars (e.g. from the USA) with an aftermarket fog fitted at the bottom of the rear to comply with UK standards.

Wishbone Ash

vibe666 wrote: »

would i be right in thinking though (and i honestly don't know), that although it's not a legal requirement to have one, if you DO have one it needs to be functioning to pass the NCT?

They just check the light emitted to see if it/they are aligned properly. If you took the bulbs out, they wouldn't check it/them.

Del2005

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They just check the light emitted to see if it/they are aligned properly. If you took the bulbs out, they wouldn't check it/them.

IIRC if it's fitted it has to work, pulling the bulbs means it doesn't work, so you need to remove the whole light. Not sure how they'd treat the hole in the bumper.

joujoujou

They don't care about a hole in the bumper. They don't care about front fogs alignment either. IF one have front fogs fitted, they have to work. That's it.





Although below part of NCT manual clearly states about front fogs alignment, every time one of my cars (with front fogs fitted, of course) has been tested, all the information I saw on NCT result was like: "front fog lights alignment - N/A".