THE FOG AND NIGHT TIME NUMB NUTS.

well its a long time since i posted this thread....but the numnuts are still about .....driving out of buxton over the moors on sunday was crazy how the car in front had no lights on in thick fog......it disapeared at times...........theres always going to be a numnut that wants to pull out from a junction and wont see them coming..........not many motorists botherd with there fog lights......and again as i finished work tonight there was a high proportion of cars with just one light........... :bang:

One of my pet hates at the moment are the idiots who drive in poor visibility on DRLs, not knowing or caring that they only show at the front. Almost as bad as driving with no lights, certainly from behind.

cairnsys wrote: One of my pet hates at the moment are the idiots who drive in poor visibility on DRLs, not knowing or caring that they only show at the front. Almost as bad as driving with no lights, certainly from behind.

I agree. Just as bad are DRLs only in 'normal' darkness. Apart from the general lack of rear lights, the DRLs dazzle.

My Suzuki S-Cross SZ5 has a great arrangement. The DRLs are the front sidelights and go off with the head lights but if you select side lights only, they stay on and the rear lights come on too - this gives you all the options so in Daylight (the D in DRL) and normal visibility I can use front DRLs with rear lights. As this is obviously legal, I've rewired the DRLs on the MGF to give me the same option. I live in an area with a lot of trees and it can be pretty dark under them. I think DRLs are a really good thing used sensibly and combined with rear lights in normal daylight is a good option. Not in fog though!

Richard

Sounds interesting! Cough...How to?....Cough

Just adding my 5p worth, I adopted an approach that was law in Scandinavian and Baltic countries before the advent of DRL. I turn on side lights when driving the MGF anywhere in any light condition. I see the upside as been seen in a low riding sports car as a plus and the cost of extra wear and rear on the lighting system as minimal. Even in summer time, its difficult to pick up a fast moving object driving on a road through forest or woodland. Benefit is that i can always be seen ( from front and rear), no downside.

David Aiketgate wrote: Sounds interesting! Cough...How to?....Cough

David, I did a 'how-to' when I fitted the lights. Originally, I connected the DRL sensor to the side light circuit so that when the sidelights were switched on the DRLs went out. To change to my current system I reconnected the sensor to the dipped head lamp supply which works on the F as the main beam lights are separate and the dipped lights stay on even with main selected which means the DRLs switch off - does that make sense? I can take a photo if that helps.

Richard

AH yes. I thought you meant that you could just have the rear side lights with the DRLs :dry: , but this way the front and rear sidelights will be on. :broon:

David Aiketgate wrote: AH yes. I thought you meant that you could just have the rear side lights with the DRLs :dry: , but this way the front and rear sidelights will be on. :broon:

That's correct. I have LEDs in the front sidelights to reduce the temperature which as we know can play havoc with the reflectors. The DRLs are way more visible though than the LED sides.

Richard

The wifes Audi TT has ddl and the front and rear are on and if it gets dark the head lights come on automatic

No lights on the outside of the vehicle, but their dash is lit up, so that's OK..

I have leds too in my side lights (to color match my xenon projectors) and i always drive with the sidelights on.

Another thing. In my Honda crv the instrumentpanel has one sign for both the sidelides as the main beam. So it does not warn you when you accidentally run with sidelights on....strange isnt it?

i had a x army landrover once......it was a f.f.r.....fitted for radio...............it had extra switches in the centre of the dash......i drove it home ........it was getting darker and i could not get the lights working........i pulled up in a lay by and looked around outside........the only light on the vehicle was coming from underneath........it lit up the back axle and on the axle itself was a painted white circle with a number....we went back inside the motor hoping to sort out this problem.......we realised the landrover had a convoy switch that turned off all lighting in combat and the rear axle was lit up to be seen while in convoy from those behind..........orriginally i think one of the headlights had been painted and the light switch had a infra position........dont know what that was about.....these cars didnt come with a millitary handbook......maybe some of the numnuts on the road need to read there handbook...or at least pull off the road untill they workout which lights they need on.....cars have more and more settings these days and most havent a clue what there about........even auto lights can have various settings in a menu to adjust what lighting level they come on......