I've got the facelift 2006 Zed and have the dreaded condensation in the foglights. running with the foglights on to dry them out has been suggested on this forum and I'm keen to use this method but isn't this illegal? Anyone been stopped for doing this - the worry is the possible 3 points if stopped. Are the police still bothering with this - better things to do? Any forum members had experience of this? Anyone know a straight fitment for running lights - i quite fancy the christmas tree effect - think a solid running light might lead to a pull and more explanation. :?
Running with fog lights?
- Thread starter paulgs1000
- Start date
It is illegal and you could be stopped. Would be surprised if you were though, plenty of other drivers do it. More likely to be stopped for speeding or something. Would probably avoid it when the spot-check time of year is on though. One less way of drawing attention.
And I'm not even going to step into the driving with foglights debates/opinions/insults. If you admit to doing it 'cos it looks cool' then put your shields up and expect abuse!
And I'm not even going to step into the driving with foglights debates/opinions/insults. If you admit to doing it 'cos it looks cool' then put your shields up and expect abuse!
cj_eds said:It is illegal and you could be stopped. Would be surprised if you were though, plenty of other drivers do it. More likely to be stopped for speeding or something. Would probably avoid it when the spot-check time of year is on though. One less way of drawing attention.
And I'm not even going to step into the driving with foglights debates/opinions/insults. If you admit to doing it 'cos it looks cool' then put your shields up and expect abuse!
+1
And, if they are rusty, they will fog up anyway.
IMO its a bit like an incorrectly spaced number plate - cant believe anyone would get pulled for that alone.
corsaire77 said:
The moisture merely evaporates but will return as the temperature changes. :x As I've posted before, c**p design, not fit for purpose. Just live with it.
Mowflow said:
It's a lot of work. Someone has done this but the corroded silvering needs removing and repainted with silver paint and there's no guarantee that the problem won't return.
My round Series 1 fogs, which I suspect are a similar design to pre-facelift Zeds, are fine with no ingress of moisture.
Putter Whore said:
In my youth I was pulled exactly for this reason alone! Got an on the spot fine and was advised to space them correctly as I was now 'on the system' as being told about it and would be pulled time and time again if the spacing wasn't correct!
Here in my part of Canada, they don't care if you run with the fogs on. In fact, we have to have full headlights on all the time as a daytime running light to increase the visibility of cars to others, and therby reduce traffic accidents.
As running with the fog lights on only makes the car more easily seen by others, what is the reasoning behind making this illegal? Was the law written by an eejit?
As running with the fog lights on only makes the car more easily seen by others, what is the reasoning behind making this illegal? Was the law written by an eejit?
In Poland fog lamps are allowed only outside urban areas, in poor visibility, and on winding roads.
Otherwise you get a penalty.
The pre-facelift ones were top-quality, and were manufactures by Hella.
The facelift fog lamps were - unfortunately - made by AL Automotive Lighting in Mexico. It seems to be a flawed design with flawed manufacturing.
Look at the rust - the silver peels and the seal deteriorates:
Currently the facelift fogs are made by Bosch, or at least it was the case with those I saw at the stealers.
You can try to refurbish them, but it's difficult, unless they are really rusty and easier to split open.
There's a whole thread on the subject:
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=36082
My solution was to buy OEM covers and quality OSRAM DRLs. The cost was comparable to a pair of new OEM fogs.
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42079
Otherwise you get a penalty.
The pre-facelift ones were top-quality, and were manufactures by Hella.
The facelift fog lamps were - unfortunately - made by AL Automotive Lighting in Mexico. It seems to be a flawed design with flawed manufacturing.
Look at the rust - the silver peels and the seal deteriorates:
Currently the facelift fogs are made by Bosch, or at least it was the case with those I saw at the stealers.
You can try to refurbish them, but it's difficult, unless they are really rusty and easier to split open.
There's a whole thread on the subject:
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=36082
My solution was to buy OEM covers and quality OSRAM DRLs. The cost was comparable to a pair of new OEM fogs.
http://z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=42079
No, it was written by somebody eminently sensible.Huz-z said:
Firstly, the evidence tends to show that DRLs (Daytime Running Lights) only reduce accidents when a relatively small proportion of vehicles use them, and only for those who are using them, because it makes them stand out. Once everybody is using DRLs, this effect is removed and the accident rate can actually go up (all those vehicles with their lights permanently on can mask other lights - such as indicators - that drivers need to see).
Secondly, you are mixing up front fog lights (which are designed to throw an intense beam a short distance in front of the car, and be directed at the edge of the curb on the nearside and at the centre line of the road on the offside) with DRLs (which are designed to provide a weak beam for other drivers to see you with, but not to illuminate the road in front of you). Front fog lights are really only designed to be used at speeds below about 15mph - if you can see well enough to drive above that speed, you have no need of fog lights.
Thirdly, the use of fog lights in non-fog conditions can (1) reduce a driver's ability to view the road ahead (because they light up the ground directly in front of the car, rather than the area much further ahead where the driver's attention should be focussed), (2) dazzle oncoming drivers (especially if they are not correctly adjusted) because of their relatively high intensity, and (3) make the driver look like a total knobhead.
ZedFourM said:
True. And the blinding effect is even more amplified when the road surface is wet.
No doubt true in low/no light conditions. But what about during daylight? The knobs I've seen driving in the daylight with fogs on, while bright, did not seem any worse than dipped halogen headlights to me. Is it really a problem dazzling drivers in daylight, and I'm just partly blind? Or just that there's no point to it and you still look like a knob?ZedFourM said:
While DRLs may not affect overall accident rates, they certainly help on rural single carriageways in helping drivers determine if it's safe to overtake or not. I always put on my headlights in such conditions. I'm not keen to have a giant 4x4 pickup pull out right in front of me from behind an oncoming caravan just because he thought I was going the other direction. I suspect many countries with DRL laws such as Canada and Iceland have a preponderance of these types of roadways, combined with long twilight periods.
In my experience over the years, DRLs make cars more visible, especially at distance on the highway. Even if all the cars on the road are using them.
Also, most fog light set ups I have seen are no brighter than a typical DRL set up. Moreover, as they typically are directed down and to the front to light up the road directly ahead of the car, they really don't posse any risk of dazzling oncoming drivers.
My Eejit remark was in jest, by the way. A harmless dig at elected officials in democracies everywhere.
Also, most fog light set ups I have seen are no brighter than a typical DRL set up. Moreover, as they typically are directed down and to the front to light up the road directly ahead of the car, they really don't posse any risk of dazzling oncoming drivers.
My Eejit remark was in jest, by the way. A harmless dig at elected officials in democracies everywhere.
I kinda think some DRL's look just as bright as cars with fog lights on during the day and they're often in the same sorta location.
I don't use mine unless it's foggy although I concede the zed looks pretty sexy with them on.
I assume the view of the police is as has always been, but I see a lot of people running them without fog and quite frankly on some newer cars at dusk/ night I'm not sure how easily you could tell what are fog lights and what are DRL's etc. (particularly the bright led ones)
I don't use mine unless it's foggy although I concede the zed looks pretty sexy with them on.
I assume the view of the police is as has always been, but I see a lot of people running them without fog and quite frankly on some newer cars at dusk/ night I'm not sure how easily you could tell what are fog lights and what are DRL's etc. (particularly the bright led ones)
Here in the colonies there seems to be a different thing going on. People are running their fog lights on in the day time in cars that do not have DRL's. I guess they are saying that I now have a car with fog lights so please notice me and my new car. I can't say I understand this but I find it amusing. What I find equally amusing are cars that have obviously had the head light bulbs changed out to a more blue aftermarket bulb and they want to let you know that they did by turning the head lights on at mid day. So, I guess it boils down to the question. Are any of us here guilty of trying to attract attention to the fact that we have a cool ride and want people to notice? I know I do.
ab7 said:
The cops just look at the lens and read the homologation code embossed there.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/lights/codes/codes.html
In many EU countries (Poland included), it is obligatory do drive with headlights on all year round. LED DRLs work better in daylight, because they are signal lights, easily discernible as two bright spots, and don't throw a beam of light. That is why they are clearly visible at all angles.
Xenon bulbs use more energy and can ultimately fail when repetitively ignited and turned off.Fogs have a reflector (in the case of Zed, a rusting one), and project a short low beam. In wet conditions it reflects from the tarmac and can create some confusion.
Some cars, e.g. Skodas, have low-power halogen DRLs next to the fog lamp, in the same cluster.
One more point. According to the EU norm, a car should have only one set of parking lights, DRLs must automatically switch off when they are on.