[Suess]

Originally Posted by jeeva

I had a pair of fog lights with 100w halogens on the Bolero. I typically used them on two occasions:

1. Night drives through forests. The wild elephants have this habit of playing hide and seek behind trees. Nobody knows why, but they love to stand on the inner radii of curves (roads). The headlights kind of scatters away the light, especially in the forests with tress adding to the shadows. The fogs have a real long throw, which makes it easier to identify objects at night.

2. I must admit, I am guilty as per the thread starter.
There are quite some morons on our highways who come on with blinding lights, especially those TTs and the yellow board Indicabs and Sumos. A nice dose of pencil beams at them would do the trick. And yeah, the park lights are on by default.

these are just extra lights you have on bolero grill...they doesn't qualify for fog lamp. i guess they are like highbeam only worse. sorry to say. please, don't use them on highway or road...in jungle you do whatever you like you are the lion king.

[the-rare-one]

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Yes i think that is correct. The reference is to non OE fog lamps. Because the OE fog lamps are hardly of any use. They do not even improve my visibility forget about blinding the person coming from the front. I am referring to Indica Vista here.

@ Amit: My accessories shop owner advised me against the standard / OE fitment fogs on my Indica too. He said that they are at best only show-off. But I feel these OE fogs with parking lights are a better option in city traffic. I usually turn off my 90/100 hella headlamps in the traffic (daily in hinjewadi, pune) and use only the parking lights and have felt that people don't realise (even the bikers) the size of the vehicle. So adding these fogs might help a bit more. Guess with Indica its located right under the headlamps so it might help.

[jeeva]

Originally Posted by Suess

please, don't use them on highway or road...in jungle you do whatever you like you are the lion king.

Just to clarify things, yes, mine weren't fog lights. I think, its apt to call them driving lights. It could be just extra lights or something worse than high-beams as per you. Never mind.
What would you do on the highway, when the guy coming from the other side with all those blinding lights doesn't heed to your request to dim his lights? You will be absolutely blinded for those seconds and driving becomes all a guess work. Unless you are very familiar with that road and concentrate on the left side of the road searching for the extreme left, things can go wrong horribly. Given this situation, instead of being at the receiving end, I choose to switch on those extra lights.
And for that jungle part, thanks for the compliments.

[Suess]

Originally Posted by the-rare-one

@ Amit: My accessories shop owner advised me against the standard / OE fitment fogs on my Indica too. He said that they are at best only show-off. But I feel these OE fogs with parking lights are a better option in city traffic. I usually turn off my 90/100 hella headlamps in the traffic (daily in hinjewadi, pune) and use only the parking lights and have felt that people don't realise (even the bikers) the size of the vehicle. So adding these fogs might help a bit more. Guess with Indica its located right under the headlamps so it might help.

I am sorry but could you please tell if you are refering to low beam with 'parking light'? becasue, i would guess you would be using lowbeam always in city!

Originally Posted by jeeva

Just to clarify things, yes, mine weren't fog lights. I think, its apt to call them driving lights. It could be just extra lights or something worse than high-beams as per you. Never mind.
What would you do on the highway, when the guy coming from the other side with all those blinding lights doesn't heed to your request to dim his lights? You will be absolutely blinded for those seconds and driving becomes all a guess work. Unless you are very familiar with that road and concentrate on the left side of the road searching for the extreme left, things can go wrong horribly. Given this situation, instead of being at the receiving end, I choose to switch on those extra lights.
And for that jungle part, thanks for the compliments.

yes, the situations are not simple in daily life. i just hope that when you do that you are not blinding him or other and also not send him thinking to put more powerful lights on his car.

[dhanushs]

Properly designed OE foglamps, scatter the light evenly but very near to the road, so that whist fog, you have visibility till the light throw. If the throw is long, you only see an illuminated wall, nothing else.

Using ONLY OE fog lamps can be dangerous, as they do not provide adequate lighting for normal driving. Or else, you will have to be driving at very low speeds.

[Samurai]

Most aftermarket automotive light sellers have no idea what they are selling. I have seen them selling spot lights as fog light.

This is a good article on lights: Fog light and driving light applications

[risga]

The so called fog lamps, are actually Daylight Driving Lights. These are supposed to be used in day time driving at higher speeds or when visibility is lower. To make your car visible to oncoming traffic.

In Singapore, on some roads, there are signboards to switch on your driving lights in the day.

What irritates one are the fog lamps on the rear of the vehicle, which many people switch on. As these are higher powered bulbs, they provide a huge glare if you are following, under normal (no fog) conditions.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by dhanushs

I guess the OP is referring to lights such as Hella Rallye's. Is it Nishad?.

Yep, referring to after-market ones installed wherever the driver pleases.

Originally Posted by amitwlele

Because the OE fog lamps are hardly of any use. They do not even improve my visibility forget about blinding the person coming from the front.

Precisely. I don't think they serve any purpose apart from cosmetic enhancement.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

It is not fair enough to blind anyone with your high beams on the sole reason that he is on his normal fogs alone.

As other have mentioned, it becomes imperative to switch on the high beam to correctly guage the vehicle size.

Drive on any of the roads connecting to IT parks; you'll find dozens of Sumos and Indicas which have 2 round lamps (not even fog lamps at times) in the centre of the bull-bar and the headlamp is conveniently turned off.

On some un-lit streets, you'll be surprised how dangerous that can be.

[r_devakumar]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Precisely. I don't think they serve any purpose apart from cosmetic enhancement.

My experience is entirely different with my earlier Wagon R and now Figo. Fog lamp helps in increasing visibility to notice the pot holes, bad road patches when there are oncoming vehicles with high beam. I always run with my Fog lamp along with head lamps in the nights.

One another advantage, it could be a life saver, if there is an issue with any of the headlamp and if you fail to notice that immediately.

[rajeev k]

Originally Posted by Suess

these are just extra lights you have on bolero grill...they doesn't qualify for fog lamp. i guess they are like high beam only worse. sorry to say. please, don't use them on highway or road...in jungle you do whatever you like you are the lion king.

That is a valid suggestion indeed.
You can come across guys with head lamps in Hi beam and so called fog lamps all blazing to glory intimidating on coming vehicles. This is to be banned and made punishable by law which will help police men to stop and fleece those with many lights. Many innocents will also be punished but the guilty will not escape.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

As other have mentioned, it becomes imperative to switch on the high beam to correctly guage the vehicle size.

Drive on any of the roads connecting to IT parks; you'll find dozens of Sumos and Indicas which have 2 round lamps (not even fog lamps at times) in the centre of the bull-bar and the headlamp is conveniently turned off.

On some un-lit streets, you'll be surprised how dangerous that can be.

I said quote on the sole reason that he is on his normal fogs alone.unquote.
Any other additionally mounted lamps need not necessarily be Fog lamps.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Precisely. I don't think they serve any purpose apart from cosmetic enhancement.

Originally Posted by r_devakumar

. Fog lamp helps in increasing visibility to notice the pot holes, bad road patches when there are oncoming vehicles with high beam.

Umm.. I dont think one can generalise about OE Fog lamps purpose. In some cars they are only for cosmetic purposes, like the old gen verna. But in some, they really serve the purpose. I use them all the time in my car, gives much better visibility.

[shibujp]

OE Swift Foglamps

I love driving around short distances in places like the IT park where I work, residential areas etc with only my fog lamps on and headlamps off. Basically low speed areas.

I rarely use them while driving as I find that when motorists coming in opposite direction use them along with their headlamps I get blinded - so others would get blinded if I use it as well. I have not felt these lights to be useful on highways except to blind people. As already discussed their throw is very short.

Certian situations where it helps along with headlights are:
- Narrow B roads when it illuminates the periphery of the roads
- Rutted roads where it helps you judge the depth of the ruts and holes better

There are a certain category of drivers who believe that night driving means lighting up every available light on their vehicles. Fog lamps should not be given to these dangerous individuals!!

Drive on,
Shibu.

[rajeev k]

The fog lamps are useful (I am referring to the ones in Swift) in identifying pedestrians especially in black dress, walking through the sides of narrow roads like the Kottayam Ernakulam stretch where cyclists are also much common, in the back drop of blinding hi beams of oncoming vehicles. As I have mentioned in some other thread, drivers in Kottayam and Alleppy districts are the ones who are more averse to dip their main beams.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by the-rare-one

@ Amit: My accessories shop owner advised me against the standard / OE fitment fogs on my Indica too. He said that they are at best only show-off. But I feel these OE fogs with parking lights are a better option in city traffic. I usually turn off my 90/100 hella headlamps in the traffic (daily in hinjewadi, pune) and use only the parking lights and have felt that people don't realise (even the bikers) the size of the vehicle. So adding these fogs might help a bit more. Guess with Indica its located right under the headlamps so it might help.

most non OE fogs are a joke. I've seen toys sold by the roadside which have better build quality. Their reflector design, lens design, bulb positioning, are all a sad joke. If you want bling and a foglight where there is an empty slot, by all means go ahead, but if you want a functioning foglight, get OE. The OE fogs on my indica are vastly better in city traffic at night than my headlights.

[Poitive]

Am no expert here, but in my years of driving what I have understood about using fog lamps:

The idea of fog lamps seems to be to:
1. Point towards the sides of the road, for you to be able to identify where the road ends (consider driving in the hills in dense fog).
2. For your vehicle to be identified by others, without blinding them.

Headlamps are pointed much higher up and often create a 'wall of light' in dense fog. This can hamper vision. Hence there is logic in not turning on the headlamps and turning on the fog lamps and parking lights. Not turning on the parking lights is silly!

How I would usually do it:

-Mild fog (which allows descent speeds): Headlamps + fog lights + parking lights

-Moderate fog (where one is just a bit faster than crawling) : Fog lights + parking lights/emergency blinkers

-Very dense fog (where one is barely even crawling): Emergency blinkers + Fog lamps + Headlights, which may have to be turned off (due to the 'wall of light' effect) every now and then, as per situation.

When I say fog lamps, am referring to OE type fog lights, which do point on the road sideways and are of moderately high intensity. Not the Hella sorts on bull bars fitted away from the corners of the car. If one has those, it is imperative to have parking lights on, as the OP says.