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Fog & Cornering Lights
- Thread starter brewster
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- Australia New Zealand
These are options that were previously in the Tech Package.
Since I don't yet have my Tesla - the following is just THEORY - and will take 2nd place to anyone else who has a Tesla and says I am wrong...
FOG LIGHTS - like all car fog lights under the current state of the Art - are practically useless. Some people say that fog lights are not for the benefit of the driver but for the benefit of other cars on the road to allow them to see you. That of course doesn't make sense because there is no reason why they can't see the ordinary lights on the car. I believe the theory is that as fog exists around the headlights, then lights, especially high beam lights, merely illuminate the fog and are more blinding. No driver should drive through a fog with high beam lights on. So to overcome that, fog lights were invented, the idea being to throw light down towards ground level illuminating the road immediately in front of the car - theoretically increasing visibility - in a range (closer to the vehicle) which is more important in a fog. But does the theory work? Not much if at all. I wouldn't start thinking that the car is equipped with a fog demister!
CORNERING LIGHTS - This I would love to hear what others have to say. The salesman at Tesla told me that when the car is driven at a slow speed (I think below 40kph) and when the left or right indicator is turned on, then the left or right cornering light is illuminated - thus assisting the driver by illuminating the corner that the car is about to be pulling in to. So that is what was told to me. I have never seen it demonstrated or commented on by someone who has it. Can anyone illuminate us further? (Pun intended).
Dborn
Confirmed
At low speed as you turn the wheel the arc of illumination is somewhat increased to that side. I had this on my previous Merc where it seemed a bit more effective, but i certainly would not pay 1000's for it. The fog lights? Well on the Tesla, they are either side of the chrome strip with the word "TESLA" on it and on one side is the reversing light which works well, and on the other matching side is the fog light. The lens for it is pretty tiny - the hight of the chrome strip and about 10cm long. They are low on the front of car either side of the air dam. The fogs are turned on manually from the 17in screen. They do nothing for your visibility but they might help others see you. More brightness in fog can't hurt, provided it doesn't blind you. I believe the original theory also included that yellow light penetrated fog better, but who knows? I certainly don't!
They probably won't help spotting kangaroos on the side of the road as early warning then; if they only operate at slow speed.
lennier
Member
Front fog lights won't do a lot to help you see the road, but rear fog lights make a significant difference to following vehicles being able to see you in fog at a greater distance. You'll appreciate this if you ever drive up a mountain road in a whiteout!
Every second Friday I drive into the country and the cornering lights are a great help on the very dark unlit roads. They come on when you turn the wheel past about 60 degrees from straight ahead and generally light up if you are making a 90 degree turn from one street into another. I think it would be an improvement if they came on with the trafficators.
I have only used the fog lights once but they are not hard to get to as they are always on the bottom when you hit the Settings button on the 17" screen.
I have had some interesting problems with fog lights in the past.
First and most importantly - it is ILLEGAL to drive with fog lamps on if there is no fog. Trust me- I have been fined for doing so.
This was in an effort to increase my chances of avoiding kangaroos- the copper was unsympathetic.
Secondly- the fog lamps on the Model S are even more useless than most others I have had fitted- really only to increase your visibility to other drivers.
First and most importantly - it is ILLEGAL to drive with fog lamps on if there is no fog. Trust me- I have been fined for doing so.
This was in an effort to increase my chances of avoiding kangaroos- the copper was unsympathetic.
Secondly- the fog lamps on the Model S are even more useless than most others I have had fitted- really only to increase your visibility to other drivers.
doctorwho
Active Member
I think that fog lights were more effective when the lenses on ordinary headlights were less effective at shaping light. These days they don't really add much effectiveness to good headlights with compound lenses.
Cornering lights are also great when driving down a residential street and you are looking for a house number, just turn the wheel
Cornering lights are also great when driving down a residential street and you are looking for a house number, just turn the wheel
I'm told that when the Tesla drives with the fog lights on, it looks seriously mean - real grunt!
MangroveMike
Member
The fog lights are so pitiful that from the drivers seat you wouldn't know they are on. I originally agonised about them as they were a $500 option but were later included in the tech pack.
The cornering lights, however, are good.
The cornering lights, however, are good.
I am finding this machine great for country driving. OK I don't know if they are the fog lights or driving lights, but every night when I drive home through a state forest and past grassy and bush patches I have my automatic headlights on and I press a "front" button that I think is under the rear fog light switch. And it lights up the sides of the road beautifully perfect for spotting Roos. (I have noticed the Tesla dose not startle the wildlife thus the do not tend to run hop to in front of the car!)
Any chance of a photo of the "front" button and the rear fog light switch? Rather hungry for anything Tesla
I believe this is about the 7th "How useful are the fog lights?" discussion I've seen here in the last couple years... So I might as well pitch in again.:wink:
I've tested them in the fog, and they don't make much significant difference for distance vision (i.e.- 100+ feet down the road where you need to be looking primarily). But then again, no car I've ever owned with fog lights has... including the European editions.
That having been said, I find them useful as driving lights on dark country roads. They provide a low-cut horizontal beam that provides an illumination band that helps visibility in the brush and culverts along side the roads where animals like to dart from.
I've tested driving the same roads with them on, and off, and it definitely makes a difference. To me, more visibility is always a good thing as long as it doesn't come at the expense of blinding other drivers, and these don't do that.
Besides, as others have mentioned... they look cool.
(Oh and incidentally, for the OP, you can see the cornering lights in action on the Tesla Supercharging Event Video towards the very beginning where the cars are driving in the the venue)
I've tested them in the fog, and they don't make much significant difference for distance vision (i.e.- 100+ feet down the road where you need to be looking primarily). But then again, no car I've ever owned with fog lights has... including the European editions.
That having been said, I find them useful as driving lights on dark country roads. They provide a low-cut horizontal beam that provides an illumination band that helps visibility in the brush and culverts along side the roads where animals like to dart from.
I've tested driving the same roads with them on, and off, and it definitely makes a difference. To me, more visibility is always a good thing as long as it doesn't come at the expense of blinding other drivers, and these don't do that.
Besides, as others have mentioned... they look cool.
(Oh and incidentally, for the OP, you can see the cornering lights in action on the Tesla Supercharging Event Video towards the very beginning where the cars are driving in the the venue)
I believe this is about the 7th "How useful are the fog lights?" discussion I've seen here in the last couple years... So I might as well pitch in again.:wink:
I've tested them in the fog, and they don't make much significant difference for distance vision (i.e.- 100+ feet down the road where you need to be looking primarily). But then again, no car I've ever owned with fog lights has... including the European editions.
That having been said, I find them useful as driving lights on dark country roads. They provide a low-cut horizontal beam that provides an illumination band that helps visibility in the brush and culverts along side the roads where animals like to dart from.
I've tested driving the same roads with them on, and off, and it definitely makes a difference. To me, more visibility is always a good thing as long as it doesn't come at the expense of blinding other drivers, and these don't do that.
Besides, as others have mentioned... they look cool.
(Oh and incidentally, for the OP, you can see the cornering lights in action on the Tesla Supercharging Event Video towards the very beginning where the cars are driving in the the venue)
Thanx scaesare.
Mark E
Member
I've had other cars with both fog and extra driving lights. The Fog lights on the Tesla are actually pretty good - I had a better test of them last night when driving home. They light up the edges of the road quite noticeably if you turn them on where its dark and you get the effect. The cornering lights have to be one of my favourite things on the Model S - they are extremely useful when turning into driveways etc.
I find the headlights in general to be pretty good - although the auto high beam can be a little frustrating when driving in suburban streets (it dips when there are street lights which can be annoying), its marvellous when on the open road, and particularly windy roads with oncoming traffic.
mknox
Well-Known Member
There are (at least) 2 generations of fog lights. There was a period where the fog lights were discontinued while they were being re-designed. Owners who had ordered fog lights and received none were given retrofits once the new design was out. My car is old enough that I have the original design. I find they work as well as any other modern car's fog lights that I am familiar with.
Mark E
Member
If you go to the controls on the 17" display (RHS icon at the bottom), then the light controls are there including the fog lights if you have them on the RHS bottom of the popup.
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