General Rear fog light clarification.

[petel]

Can anyone please confirm if, when the rear fog lamp is in use, should it be on regardless of if the headlights are on dip or main beam? I have been asked by another Panda owner and have checked on two of mine. When I switch from dip to main beam, the rear fog light goes out, switch from main back to dip, fog light comes back on.
Clarification would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[urchin]

hi the rear fog should only work on dip beam.

 

[petel]

Thank you for the confirmation Urchin.

Can anyone explain the rational behind this. Am I to take it that my switching to main beam magically clears any fog behind my vehicle?
Thanks.

 

[T14086]

It should stay on if you switch to main beam like when you flash another car,it would also confuse drivers behind you thinking you were braking!

 

[dave]

you wont normally use full beam in thick fog either as it just reflects off the fog and makes visibility worse

 

[FuzzyPanda]

I noticed this in the recent fog too. The only way to have the fog light and main beam on simultaneously is to have the stalk in the dipped position but held forward as though you would to flash someone (ooh er!).

It is rather odd. Several times in the first few months of ownership I was checking fuses and bulbs to see why the lamp wasn't working, when all I had to do was turn main beam off.

 

[petel]

Hum, strange! Never had any reason to question this before. Always assumed that fog light was on when switched on and remained so until switched off, the feature only being available when headlights on is fair enough.
Any more thoughts welcome.

 

[custard]

Always assumed that fog light was on when switched on and remained so until switched off

nah thats just 50% of the cars on the road 3 months after we have had fog

 

[petel]

Hello Fuzzy and thanks for that Custard.
However, my sister just turned up in her flash 55 plate Suzuki so I checked on that. Fog light stays on regardless of dip or main beam. Perhaps the legislation was different in 93 when my Panda was built. So back to the drawing board.
Rgds.

 

[FuzzyPanda]

Perhaps owners of similar age Unos/Tipos etc could tell us if their cars did the same.

 

[Pandarus]

I had some fun with this at the last MOT. I was convinced it was not working and then realised it would only work with main beam. However, that said it is very temperamental and as it is not used very often I need to look at mine again as it has decided not to work at the moment (most probably a contact, so need to take to bits).

Russ

 

[petel]

When you say " would only work with main beam " presume you mean dip beam?

 

[dave]

ive got a 55 plate punto here and that only works on dip beam as well, i dont think they have fog in japan, because a lot of imports have to have a fog light put on after, so if they are making cars for the uk they may not know how they are supposed to work

 

[petel]

Hello Dave.
Thanks for the confirmation that your 55 plate Punto's fog light only works with the dip beam, as per the Panda's already mentioned. Re your comment about Japan not having fog, the fog lights are standard on my sisters Suzuki and the Vauxhaul with which it shares the bodyshell and both are manufactured in Hungary.
RRgds.

 

[Pandarus]

When you say " would only work with main beam " presume you mean dip beam?

Yeah, sorry - I mean't main headlights dipped.

Russ

 

[petel]

I have now been informed of the following.

EU regs state that all cars must have ( at least ) one rear fog lamp and that this must be on the offside ( drivers side ) either L/H/D or R/H/D depending on country. The lamp must be fitted or adjusted to a point where it would be clearly apparent to other road users but not to cause dazzle.

UK vehicle lighting regs of 1986 and 1989, states that the rear fog light if fitted must be functional, must be used only in poor visibility ( ie, visibility less that 100 yards ) and in conjunction with dipped headlights only. This last item would answer the original question.

Rgds and thanks to all who responded to the original post.

 

[dave]

you going to get the Suzuki back to the dealers and show them the regs?

 

[petel]

Yes, this should be interesting !

 

[Alan.D]

I agree with Dave for once and that if it's foggy enough to use the rear fog light (less than 100yds visibility, not just a bit misty) the main beam would dazzle & be useless. So maybe the italians used a bit of thought when designing them that other maufacturers don't.

 

[Chas Uno]

Bit late in adding to this thread (sorry!)

Tried out the rear fogs on my mk1 Uno yesterday. Like has already been mentioned for the Pandas, they only come on with dipped beam. If I switch to side lights or main beam they go off (even if the fogs switch is on), which as Dave says makes total sense as using main beam/ side lights in fog is stupid because you just end up seeing less!

So it sounds as if nothing is wrong with the Panda's fog lights and it is behaving just as it should