Motoring Discussion > Fog or DRL's ? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Old Navy Replies: 31

 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
Anyone know if the law will differentiate between Fog lights and DRL's ?

What if you replaced your fog light bulbs with LED's ?
 Fog or DRL's ? - Skoda
>> What if you replaced your fog light bulbs with LED's ?

Then you'd be wicked cool :-P

Doesn't seem to differentiate, but maybe there's a technicality of some sort -- a lot of the new Audi's, VWs etc are using a different bulb but it's in the foglight housing right next to the foglight.

 Fog or DRL's ? - rtj70
So CraigP that sounds impossible to police.
 Fog or DRL's ? - -
Wouldn't LED's with the correct fitting/connector have an equivalent light output to the foglight bulbs they replace?

Incidentally i'd like to put some slightly brighter bayonet fitting sidelight bulbs in the pick up, they are hidden in the inside front corners of the headlights and are not particularly bright in fact they are rather poor, the only brighter ones i can find are silly blue things for layby loungers.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 14 Jul 10 at 19:46
 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
>> the only brighter ones i can find
>> are silly blue things for layby loungers.
>>
If you get the blue coated xenon bulbs they burn with a bright white light. (Powerbulbs have them)

Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 14 Jul 10 at 19:57
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
>> If you get the blue coated xenon bulbs they burn with a bright white light.
>>
I have had them on my Mondeo for years.
( also a much better back up if a dip bulb goes.)
 Fog or DRL's ? - -
OK lads which type do i want for me 501 sidelights, there seems to be Philips Premium which are clear and legal and then various blue ones which don't state they turn white and then super nuke em blues which turn white at 5 million watts or summat but are for off road use only.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
>> OK lads which type do i want for me 501 sidelights,>>

Philips Blue Vision W5W, or Osram Cool Blue W5W.
 Fog or DRL's ? - -

>> Philips Blue Vision W5W, or Osram Cool Blue W5W.
>>

I've looked on other sites for these Navy (and thanks to Henry for suggesting the other place too) and on some sites they say there is a blue tint to the light, don't want chaps doffing their titfers as i go by assuming it's the queen.

Many of these are also technically illegal, i don't want mini 55w bulb output but an equivalent of 10W would probably make up for the shortcomings of the bulb placements.

No one states the light output equivalents, or if they do i haven't yet spotted it.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
They do burn white, but it is nearer LED white than anywhere near blue. They are only slightly brighter than standard bulbs

As I am so good looking I would not have them on my car if they were going to attract unwanted attention !
Last edited by: Old Navy on Thu 15 Jul 10 at 08:46
 Fog or DRL's ? - -

>> As I am so good looking I would not have them on my car if
>> they were going to attract unwanted attention !
>>

Maybe i should grow a beard too, good camo........;)

Ah so they do appear white, i'll look again, thanks.
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
>> Philips Blue Vision W5W, or Osram Cool Blue W5W.
>>
I obtained free Philips Blue Vison W5W bulbs when I bought uprated main and dip bulbs in Nov 04 and they are still in situ.

>>... on some sites they say there is a blue tint to the light,
>>
With my sidelights on if I stare at the headlight units from a few inches away I can detect a very slight blue hue to the light else they are white.

>>No one states the light output equivalents, or if they do I haven't yet spotted it.
>>
>>They do burn white, but it is nearer LED white than anywhere near blue. They are only slightly brighter than standard bulbs

IMO they are much brighter than the standard bulbs hence my comment about a better back up for a failed dip beam.

 Fog or DRL's ? - -
Thanks Henry, see even you and Navy can't agree on whether they are much brighter or slightly brighter, or even pure white or with a blue hue....mind you Navy's vision is filtered through that bushy facial hair..;)
Don't remember that should i meet you Navy.

We need output in lumens to judge.
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
Maybe this illuminates the Blue vision?

twww.fuers-auto.de/lampenguide/standlicht/sw_pbvu.jpg
www.ford-forum.de/galerie/images/65/medium/2_standlicht.JPG
 Fog or DRL's ? - -
>> twww.fuers-auto.de/lampenguide/standlicht/sw_pbvu.jpg

A definate hand on hip shade, the other appears a very bright white, but which bulbs are in which light.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Thu 15 Jul 10 at 09:37
 Fog or DRL's ? - Bellboy
>> So CraigP that sounds impossible to police.
>>
>most things seem impossible to the police lately
still waiting for my promised visit,its only 11 weeks now and still rolling
 Fog or DRL's ? - Zero
I dont think the DRL rules specify that it has to be LEDS. AFAIK it could be any form of light, and indeed sme cars do not have LEDs as DRL's
 Fog or DRL's ? - -
Always thought dimdip was a good in between, reliable in the cars i had that were so fitted too.

Your Powerbulbs link comes up as an error Navy, but i'll have a nose on their site for a look see, thanks.
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
>> Your Powerbulbs link comes up as an error Navy, but I'll have a nose on their site for a look see, thanks.
>>
I have always used
www.consumabulbs.com/ and had super service from them.
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
>> Anyone know if the law will differentiate between Fog lights and DRL's ?
>>
EU law says DRLs will be mandatory ( next year ?) soon so thats all right then.
No change in UK law re fog lights
>>
>> What if you replaced your fog light bulbs with LED's ?
>>
No difference - if the unit still projects beam it is still a fog light.

No Idea if you fit a bunch of LEDs in the hole where the fog light was.
Most of the LED DRLs I have seen are arranged roughly in a line.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Cpt. Flack
Seen many with these low down on front bumper especially Audis and Mercedes. Just as irritating as fog lights IMO. So if your car is not fitted with factory DRLs next year will we have to drive around with dipped lights or front fogs?
 Fog or DRL's ? - henry k
>>So if your car is not fitted with factory DRLs next year will we have to drive around with dipped lights or front fogs?
>>
A quick Google finds

"However, from early 2011, all new types of passenger cars and light vans will have to be fitted with dedicated daytime running lamps in accordance with the relevant European directive.

"By summer 2012 all new vehicle types will have to be so fitted.”
 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
>> So if your car is not fitted with factory DRLs
>> next year will we have to drive around with dipped lights or front fogs?
>>

No, same as seatbelts, you only have to use them if the car was originally fitted with them or has had them fitted.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Brentus
The daughters new Polo comes with DRL's. I would have thought that they would have been LED, they aren't.
 Fog or DRL's ? - VxFan
>> I would have thought that they would have been LED, they aren't.

With Vauxhall, it depends on the trim level as to whether you get bulbs or LEDs. I suspect the same applies to most manufacturers.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Brentus
The daughters Polo is the top of the range model the SEL.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Cliff Pope
Aren't they fundamentally different in purpose? DRLs are so that OTHERS can see you, fog lights are so that YOU can see in fog.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Bill Payer
>> fog lights are so that YOU can see in fog.
>>
I haven't driven a car for many years where the fog lamps would help you see - even the old trick of uing on unlit roads to light the sides doesn't work now.

This DRL thing makes me laugh - many people have got extremely vexed about people driving with their front fogs on and DRLs on many cars now are at least as bright.
 Fog or DRL's ? - Cliff Pope
I must be decades out of date then. I thought the point of foglights was that the beams were cut off flat on top to prevent back-glare, and were angled downwards and a bit left so as to ilumminate the side of the road.
Or was that only in the days of pea-soupers and policemen guiding traffic with hurricane lanterns?
 Fog or DRL's ? - Bill Payer
>> Or was that only in the days of pea-soupers and policemen guiding traffic with hurricane
>> lanterns?
>>

Yep - they don't make fog like they used to!

They're just bright lights now. It's noticeable when we wait to leave our village on foggy mornings that the fog lamps of approaching cars on the main road are visible marginally before their headlamps are - but it really is only a marginal difference, especially as the traffic isn't going much slower than usual due to the lower quality fog. :)
 Fog or DRL's ? - Old Navy
I am going to redesignate my foglights as DRL's.

What chance of convincing a traffic cop ? (Do we have them any more ?)
 Fog or DRL's ? - Dieselfitter
>>I am going to redesignate my foglights as DRL's.

Well, why not? The DRLs on my Audi (and also the MkVI Golf) are actually the main beam headlights, but partially dimmed. Some people object to this and I do still get flashed occasionally.

P.S. They're useless in fog anyway....
Last edited by: Dieselfitter on Tue 20 Jul 10 at 12:47
Latest Forum Posts