MX owners: PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR REAR FOGS!

[E90alex]

I see at least 1-2 Model X a week driving around with rear fogs on in perfectly clear conditions, thereby unnecessarily blinding everyone behind them and it looks like you’re riding the brake pedal.

It’s always a refreshed 2021+ car. Doesn’t seem to be a problem with older ones. They should default to off every time you start the car so people must be intentionally turning them on every time??

Rear fogs are meant to enhance visibility of your car to other road users in DENSE fog/snow/rain. Eg when you can’t see more than like 3-4 car lengths in front of you. When visibility is good, they should be OFF.

 

[bjhinkle]

My S defaulted to on and I had no idea until my wife said I was blinding her when she would be driving behind me on occasions. I took it in to service thinking it was a defect. I felt dumb when they told me it was rear fog. I came from a model 3 and that’s not a thing.

My guess is they have no idea!

 

[brainhouston]

Pass em n do the same
Didn't know we had this feature, now i know how to payback the cars with bright headlights or high beams

 

[E90alex]

Pass em n do the same
Didn't know we had this feature, now i know how to payback the cars with bright headlights or high beams

Unfortunately I have a lowly Model 3 which does not have rear fogs in North America (same for Model Y).

I believe only Model X and 2021+ Model S have rear fogs enabled in North America for whatever reason.

 

[terranx]

Unfortunately I have a lowly Model 3 which does not have rear fogs in North America (same for Model Y).

I believe only Model X and 2021+ Model S have rear fogs enabled in North America for whatever reason.

For some reason the rear fogs on the 2021 S/X actually seems to be a memory setting. My S had them on when delivered, I had to turn them off myself.

I did retrofit rear fogs on my model 3, I haven’t actually investigated whether they’ll stay on if I forget to turn them off.

 

[E90alex]

For some reason the rear fogs on the 2021 S/X actually seems to be a memory setting. My S had them on when delivered, I had to turn them off myself.

I did retrofit rear fogs on my model 3, I haven’t actually investigated whether they’ll stay on if I forget to turn them off.

That’s terrible programming and possibly illegal? Technically front fogs shouldn’t be a memory setting either.

 

[terranx]

That’s terrible programming and possibly illegal? Technically front fogs shouldn’t be a memory setting either.

Yeah I agree it's terrible programming, not sure if illegal or not (but I'm not intimately familiar with the FMVSS). Also just confirmed model 3 with retrofitted rear fogs behaves the same way (at least when getting back in within a couple minutes).

The more I think about it, it's probably not illegal since there are cars that use physical switches for rear fogs that would stay on until manually disabled (many audis for example)

 

[E90alex]

Yeah I agree it's terrible programming, not sure if illegal or not (but I'm not intimately familiar with the FMVSS). Also just confirmed model 3 with retrofitted rear fogs behaves the same way (at least when getting back in within a couple minutes).

The more I think about it, it's probably not illegal since there are cars that use physical switches for rear fogs that would stay on until manually disabled (many audis for example)

And unsurprisingly Audis are also guilty of sometimes leaving rear fogs on.

 

[Chris TX]

Thank you for bringing this up. Those damn rear fogs are like drill bits to the eyeballs. Please FFS fix this, and YES it needs to reset back to OFF each time the car is restarted.

 

[TXDZD]

Completely agree on all points. 1) New Model X Drivers, please check and confirm your rear fog lights are turned off, and 2) Tesla, please update software so that rear fog lights are reset to Off when headlights are vehicles shut off.

Question - for those that have them, is there an indicator on the screen that your rear fogs are enabled? If not, Tesla, please add this.

Somewhat related - anyone know if the new Model 3 (Highland) offers rear fogs in the US? I think rear fogs are good to have but should only be used when needed.

 

[bjhinkle]

FWIW, once I turned mine off, they never came back on themselves. I think they were just on at delivery and I had no idea it was a thing.

It’s S and X. I believe they are on there because all S/X globally come from Fremont.

I believe the there is an indicator on the top left of the driver screen. But since it was designed for a yoke and I have a wheel, the wheel blocks my view of those light indicators.

 

[mxnym]

I used mine on purpose last week during some heavy fog. They turned off automatically before my next drive in my legacy X. If they are actually saving in the latest models, then Tesla will probably change one or the other eventually.

Question - for those that have them, is there an indicator on the screen that your rear fogs are enabled? If not, Tesla, please add this.

As mentioned above, this is for legacy X, but I would expect it to be the same, possibly due to regulation. In my case, there is an indicator in the IC, just like there is for the fog lights and for high beams (top left corner row of "idiot lights"). High beams are blue while others aren't, high beam and front fog indicators point left while rear fog indicator points right.

 

[CCopperpot]

I haven't seen this on a Tesla yet, but I got blinded by a Mazda (I think) in traffic a month or so back and was wondering why TF their tail light were so bright. Had no idea this was a thing

 

[Kurzweil]

Technically front fogs shouldn’t be a memory setting either.

I have my MX front fogs on always (with low-beams, that is) but was unaware that it is objectionable. They are intentionally aimed low to avoid self-blinding from reflection by the fog - the purpose of fog lights. Obviously their purpose is totally defeated when used in conjunction with low beam headlights. We're probably the only country that routinely uses them simultaneously. I think it may be a bit of a "cool" factor.

Beyond the "look" of four lights on the front, there is admittedly little benefit in this practice but what problem might it present to oncoming traffic? I like that their presence provides an indication that I am not on high beams. I often still get flashed. High beam usage cancels foglights. Headlights of any sort should cancel foglights if their only purpose is fog. And they should probably be YELLOW in color; not white.

I admit that I would entirely cease their use if I had to manually activate them each time. I will try and check if my 2016 MX leaves the rears on, once actuated. I agree that they should NOT.

 

[E90alex]

I have my MX front fogs on always (with low-beams, that is) but was unaware that it is objectionable. They are intentionally aimed low to avoid self-blinding from reflection by the fog - the purpose of fog lights. Obviously their purpose is totally defeated when used in conjunction with low beam headlights. We're probably the only country that routinely uses them simultaneously. I think it may be a bit of a "cool" factor.

Beyond the "look" of four lights on the front, there is admittedly little benefit in this practice but what problem might it present to oncoming traffic? I like that their presence provides an indication that I am not on high beams. I often still get flashed. High beam usage cancels foglights. Headlights of any sort should cancel foglights if their only purpose is fog. And they should probably be YELLOW in color; not white.

I admit that I would entirely cease their use if I had to manually activate them each time. I will try and check if my 2016 MX leaves the rears on, once actuated. I agree that they should NOT.

In theory they shouldn’t glare oncoming traffic, but in practice many fog lights tend to 1) have very poor beam patterns with ill-defined cutoffs that create excess glare 2) are improperly aimed and 3) are more subject to lens pitting and damage due to being close to the ground, which in turn creates more glare. That’s not even getting into aftermarket fog lights people often add, which are often even worse.

Oncoming traffic aside, they can actually be detrimental to your own ability to see farther at night. Fog lights increase foreground lighting which seems brighter to our brains because more light is being reflected back to our eyes. But that increased foreground lighting makes your eyes adjust to the increased light and constricts your pupils more, thereby reducing your ability to see as farther away at night. Foreground lightning is unnecessary in clear conditions at speed.

In most states it’s actually illegal to drive with fog lights when the conditions won’t warrant it. Of course this is never enforced. People just like them on because they think it looks better.

 

[MikeHawk]

Unfortunately I have a lowly Model 3 which does not have rear fogs in North America (same for Model Y).

I believe only Model X and 2021+ Model S have rear fogs enabled in North America for whatever reason.

2022 and above Model 3 and Model Y do have rear fog lights - but you need to buy the S3XY buttons to use them. Highly recommended.

 

[SabrToothSqrl]

The root issue is that they no longer default to off when you exit the car.
They used to... then some update changed it on my 2019X.
Haven't played with it on my 2023X yet.
Maybe NHTSA can help?

 

[E90alex]

2022 and above Model 3 and Model Y do have rear fog lights - but you need to buy the S3XY buttons to use them. Highly recommended.

Model 3 does not physically have them unless 2023+ with factory amber rear turn signals.

 

[terranx]

2022 and above Model 3 and Model Y do have rear fog lights - but you need to buy the S3XY buttons to use them. Highly recommended.

You can also have the gateway configuration changed to show them in the menu. Though having a real button is probably better anyway.

 

[MikeHawk]

You can also have the gateway configuration changed to show them in the menu. Though having a real button is probably better anyway.

How do you go about doing that?