I got my M3 LR at the end of March this year and am still getting used to doing everything on a touchscreen. In terms of foglights, I have two options for Front and Rear underneath the exterior lights 'buttons' but both fog buttons are greyed out. I have tried turning on the headlights (not the Auto function) but still no fogs. I'm beginning to wonder whether I even have any! But then, if I didn't would the buttons even appear at all?
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MiC LR Fog Lights
- Thread starter crowdedcat
- Start date
Thats something you really need voice control for..if you run into a bank of fog..are you really going to take your eyes off the road to turn on your fog lights?
AndrewGR
Member
In a word “NO”.
And it something I have been concerned about ever since I ran into the first bank of fog and discovered “Command not yet available “.
Never in my entire driving career in UK have I ever needed fog lights. The visibility in the heaviest of fogs I have personally been is has been over 10 meters and regular lights are easily visible.
Maybe in the 70s when lights were poor, special fog lights were required, but now they are just for bling and annoying other drivers behind you.
Maybe in the 70s when lights were poor, special fog lights were required, but now they are just for bling and annoying other drivers behind you.
Generally speaking fog lights aren't for your benefit, but for others to see you.
"See and be seen"..my motto throughout life. Whether it was sailing, motorcycling, flying hiking, canoeing etc.
Make yourself visible and they won't hit you (motorbike, car, aeroplane) or they'll find you ( hiking, sailing,canoeing).
Meanwhile In Scotland...
I'd never buy a car without front fog lights, mostly for the value of being seen by other drivers, but they're also great for the driver inpicking up things that are off-axis to your headlights in poor visibility. Adaptive headlights can help with that, but foggies are still useful.
A rear fog light is particularly useful in distinguishing the right edge of the car, and carriageway, to drivers behind you, as well as to signify that you're taking extra care and may be driving slower than usual. Not sure if the Model 3 has one, but I'll find out for sure in a couple of weeks
I've been in fog that has reduced 50mph single-carriageway roads to a crawl on several occasions.
AndrewGR
Member
Rear fog lights are brighter than the standard rear lights. I think that means that you must be able to see them from further away in any atmospheric conditions assuming they are the same size. If I have to slow down or stop in thick fog or dense spray, I’d like any following vehicle to see me as far away as possible. Front fog lights were useful when we got fog so thick you couldn’t use headlights at night because of the reflection. Such fog (smog?) is rare these days and I think the main benefit is being seen better in thicker fog. Mostly an affectation though and much less necessary than rear ones in my opinion.
Front fogs are for the driver, main lights get dispersed and fog lights point down - supposedly providing at least some road illumination.
Rear fog lights are for UN Regulation 48 - specifically to make the vehicle more visible from the rear
The Highway Code gives explicit instruction on when you shouldn't use fog lights, in Rule 236: "You MUST NOT use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced.
And the only place I see them used is in mild rain or spray on the motorway with 100+ meter visibility (or better conditions).
You can speculate how many milliseconds in any given condition a rear fog light would save you from a crash vs no fog light.... But I'd wager it wont be many.
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AndrewGR
Member
Yev000 I’m well aware of what the Highway Code says and that front fogs are designed to illuminate the road in front of the car. I can’t see that anyone can doubt that a car with rear fogs on is visible further away than one without in any sort of poor visibility conditions. And I fully accept that many people use rear fogs when they shouldn’t. Unfortunately the opposite is also true - maybe the same people who won’t turn on headlights in poor visibility or only turn on ‘sidelights’. Surely they can see the difference in visibility of oncoming vehicles with and without headlights?
Alex987854
Member
A thing to watch out for is that the fog lights will turn off with the headlights. Caught me out in low cloud with bright sunshine over it. Got high enough up and all the lights went off, still in thick cloud but now invisible from more than a few metres.
It would be better if the fog lights kept the headlights on.
It would be better if the fog lights kept the headlights on.
AndrewGR
Member
Shocked to learn that in auto mode the lights will all go off when fog lights are on if it gets brjght. I haven’t experienced this but would consider it a serious bug. Do other cars do the same?
I'm not talking about headlights.
Not seen this behaviour. this is from the manual:
"When on, fog lights operate whenever low beam headlights are on. When headlights are turned off, fog lights also turn off."
If you can only turn them on while low beam is on it would be a bit odd if they turn the low beam off... Do you mean high beam?
Alex987854
Member
Nothing to do with high beam.
I had the fog lights on with headlights set to auto, and on. When the brightness level increased (still in thick cloud) the headlights and fog lights turned off. The driving conditions were essentially the same.
I needed to stop to turn on the lights and then the fog lights. OK on a country road where I was reasonably safe to stop. Wouldn't have been happy about it if it had been somewhere more dangerous.
Fog lights turned on need to override the auto headlights and keep them on.
MrBadger
Badger out
Its not an excuse, but auto headlight operation notorious for correct operation in fog irrespective of manufacturer. Our previous cars all had warnings about using manual lights in fog. If driving in fog, you probably would be better off using manually controlled lights.
There is certainly a safety and convenience argument that if headlights are on auto and fog lights are turned on, then headlights revert to manual on setting. This will of course revert back to auto next drive though - a different discussion.
There is certainly a safety and convenience argument that if headlights are on auto and fog lights are turned on, then headlights revert to manual on setting. This will of course revert back to auto next drive though - a different discussion.
Alex987854
Member
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