Fogs Turn On With High Beam

[Anthony 1,002]

Yup, but why do you (and the others) call the lower lights for driving lights, if they are only on with the high beam?

It's not so much their position, but the beam pattern from the lights.

 

Fog lamps typically have a short-throw, wide angle beam that's ideal for illuminating the area immediately in front of the car. They're on a seperate switch as you should only use them when foggy.

 

Driving lights have a long-throw, comparitively narrow angle beam that's ideal for illuminating the road a considerable distance in front of the car to complement the high beams, hence they come on with the high beams.

 

Some cars - for example a 309 GTI - actually have both fog and driving lamps fitted.

 

I think what you're thinking of that would be illuminated during the day is "daytime running lamps" or DRL's for short. They normally come on whenever the engine is running, but are usually incorporated into the actual headlight these days.

[Bovien 6]

It's not so much their position, but the beam pattern from the lights.

 

Fog lamps typically have a short-throw, wide angle beam that's ideal for illuminating the area immediately in front of the car. They're on a seperate switch as you should only use them when foggy.

 

Driving lights have a long-throw, comparitively narrow angle beam that's ideal for illuminating the road a considerable distance in front of the car to complement the high beams, hence they come on with the high beams.

 

Some cars - for example a 309 GTI - actually have both fog and driving lamps fitted.

 

I think what you're thinking of that would be illuminated during the day is "daytime running lamps" or DRL's for short. They normally come on whenever the engine is running, but are usually incorporated into the actual headlight these days.

 

Exactly. I know the differences of the variants of lights as I actually have a different configuration on each of my 4 cars. I was just thrown off by the "driving lights" term and confused it with DRLs.

[nomis 12]

 

 

no fuse purely for them, just a relay on the scuttle panel.

 

typical fault is corroded terminals in the yellow two pin plugs near the headlamps.

 

Cheers Welshpug, does the relay run anything else? Is there something else not working that may indicate it is that?

And just to check is that near the headlamps or the driving lights?

[Gaz205 50]

exactly (I'm in Denmark). Which is why, the lower lamps are high beam lights and not dipped (driving). Correct?

I didn't realise you were not in the uk, I don't know about over the pond specs!

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

And just to check is that near the headlamps or the driving lights?

 

The plugs for the driving lamps are usually just below the headlamps, a two pin yellow plug & these have been at fault for non-working driving lamps in my experience too.

 

g

[DamirGTI 342]

I use them also as a fog lamps (EU spec/market car) , and they're wired up via fog lamp switch .. all the wiring looks neat no cutting re-routing or similar .. it's how they made it from the factory , and same is on my other two 205's both gti's too .

 

D

[nomis 12]

Thanks Pug Ham

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

I once had them wired so I could toggle them between being on with main beam (standard) or being on with sidelights only. It only takes an extra relay wired in. It was better than standard headlights when driving over the Peak District in fog from my experience as fog tends to sit a couple of feet above the ground and never touches the actual ground.

[Bovien 6]

I use them also as a fog lamps (EU spec/market car) , and they're wired up via fog lamp switch .. all the wiring looks neat no cutting re-routing or similar .. it's how they made it from the factory , and same is on my other two 205's both gti's too .

 

D

What the???... Thats what I'm going on about. It could also be the more preferable way of doing it. Do you have any insight into the wiring?

[DamirGTI 342]

Sorry , dunno precisely how it's wired .. never needed to analyze that thus i'm not sure .

 

 

D