Problems with HID

[rogerthechorister]

The simple answer is "offroad" bulbs, You can have them in blue-ish or yellow-ish up in 100/300/300 watts. I have never had anyone flash me. Just don't get caught.

[monkeh]

Mind you roger...
I get flashed with the 'full beams on mate' when I have the frog lights on...
Im wondering if i should yellow-ify them to stop the dazzle back procedure. I have 100w full beam bulbs and the HIDs to answer back.

[gpl1968]

Originally Posted by monkeh

Mind you roger...
I get flashed with the 'full beams on mate' when I have the frog lights on...
Im wondering if i should yellow-ify them to stop the dazzle back procedure. I have 100w full beam bulbs and the HIDs to answer back.

No, they are flashing you because you have your fog lights on when they shouldn't be (i.e. when there is no fog).

From the highway code:
"236
You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves."

There is a reason they are called fog lights
This website says it all!

[monkeh]

Originally Posted by gpl1968

No, they are flashing you because you have your fog lights on when they shouldn't be (i.e. when there is no fog).

From the highway code:
"236
You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced (see Rule 226) as they dazzle other road users and can obscure your brake lights. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves."

There is a reason they are called fog lights
This website says it all!

It WAS during fog...
I assume its to do with the fact us 700/900 owners have all our lights set nicely in one unit...
As a lot would assume that if an increased amount of light appears from one headlamp unit
'Tw*t has his full beams on- Flash flash'
I am anti fog light, So I think yellow bulbs will clear the air.
Look at the old merc C class 1980-1996- They have our problem as well.
I DO and will continue using them in driving rain, I have spotted planes of water with them, otherwise not visible from the headlamp, have probably saved aquaplaning.
I do adjust my foglamps to aim down and to the left, as they should, not like these mal-adjusted yobs that put them on for the sheer hell of it during daylight hours.
My headlamp upgrade was not for the attention side, I chose my upgrade to assist in a lot of night driving, I DO use them responsibly.

[gpl1968]

I'm sorry. I would never have thought that people would be so stupid as to flash you for using fog lights during foggy conditions.

You should not however be using fog lights when it's raining.
If you are worried about aquaplaning, you are going too fast.
Fog lights are purely designed to make you more visible during fog by having a short wide beam across the road, including the opposite carrageway.
You can't angle them to the left as the beam is designed to be as wide as possible.
They do not increase your forward vision and during rain they increase the dazzling of oncomming drivers as the light is refracted by the rain drops, increasing the spread.

Yellow lights would reduce glare but as they usually have yellow tinted bulbs/lenses (that work by filtering out the other parts of the spectrum) then the light output will be reduced unless you increase the bulb's wattage.

As opposed to increasing your car's light output, the simplest thing to do in extreme conditions is to slow down, or get your eyes tested

[ian2000t]

Originally Posted by gpl1968

...and can obscure your brake lights.....

This is something that realllllly annoys me with modern cars! WHY do they have to put the brake lights and fog lights so close together???

In the old days you always fitted fog lights below the bumper for 2 reasons - 1, they are are away from brake lights so don't obscure brake lights; 2, so they are not glaring at whoever is sat behind you if you stop at a junction.


I have to say I don't agree with what has been said about cheaper non-legal high wattage bulbs. I had a set and yes they seemed really good to start with... until the road was wet... then they were dangerous. I think the problem is that they don't project the light correctly, - they tend to "scatter" it more. I also find other drivers with these blind me more than ones driving with fog lights on!

Also - fog lights shouldn't dazzle other users if they are adjusted correctly - the idea is they point down and disperse "low" light so you can see curbs etc.

[Dr. Rog]

Very pertinent thread. We have had three days of foggy evenings here. Pretty much as bad as it gets bussing eldest home tonight.

Modern cars have fogs integral to the light cluster because it saves them money. There can be no other sane reason.

My fogs are great. They significantly improve my visibility of the edge of the road, which round my way is more likely to be a deep rut as a nice viable curb.

If I am "pressing-on" on country roads I use them as well as main beams to help see such hazards. It just depends if the glare back restricts my distance vision.

Having retro-fitted fogs to other cars, one with the old-fashioned lower bumper height, I do realise that low is better for glare, however the accurate alignment of the integral 900 lamp unit makes up for that.

One thing I have noticed is that my "new" car has poorer headlights than my "old" one. Enough for me to want to investigate. Usually that is just poor alignment. I shall just have to see tomorrow.