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Fog Lights when Indicating

TheCableGuyTheCableGuy Posts: 5,602
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in General Discussion #1
Have I been living in a hole for the last few years or something? In the last few months I have noticed peoples fog lights coming on when they use their indicators. e.g. they will signal left and their left fog light will come on. When the indicator is cancelled the light fades off.

It seems to be on cars made in the last three years. Mine is four years old and doesn't seem to have this.

Is this a feature on cars?

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    Pete GrainPete Grain Posts: 1,056
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    #2
    Got me dude.

    I stopped buying cars a very long time ago.


    Then we used wishful thinkig, mobile trigonometry and fingers crossed to determine *if* anyone was aware of our desire to turn.

    How times change.
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    BerBer Posts: 24,562
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    #3
    Apparently so!
    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/who-decided-to-use-fog-lights-as-indicators
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    PictoPicto Posts: 24,270
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    #4
    I've noticed this too and it is a modern feature. Supposedly to illuminate the road ahead of your direction of turn.

    I often think someones just got their foglights on and the bulbs gone in one side.
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    mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #5
    wtf?... ive not witnessed this yet, but it sounds bloody stupid.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    #6
    that will be why my indicators light up the earth when indicating on the motorway - beats them being hard to see
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    SnrDevSnrDev Posts: 6,094
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    #7
    It's in part a reaction to the trend to include indicators in a single main light unit along with the sides & h/lights, and which had the unintended effect of making indicators near-on invisible to oncoming traffic if the headlights were in use. This has become a belt & braces approach to supporting the weaker indicator lights. I don't like it, but it does make it easier to see a turn signal although obviously it's negated by the halfwits who imagine that fog lights should always be used but don't bother to check & replace blown bulbs on a regular basis.
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    tealadytealady Posts: 26,267
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    #8
    Ber wrote: »
    Apparently so!
    http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/who-decided-to-use-fog-lights-as-indicators
    Liked this bit in that link
    "What next?? Will the Boot open automatically when a car comes within 50 yards of a Tesco at less than 30mph?"
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    SoundboxSoundbox Posts: 6,247
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    #9
    Just as bad are the site indicators that remain on when not turning. First I knew of it was when I thought someone was turning left but it was just the constant on indicator being interrupted by a fence. Just leave the lighting laws alone please.
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    mushymanrobmushymanrob Posts: 17,992
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    #10
    SkyPaulusPlus wrote: »
    that will be why my indicators light up the earth when indicating on the motorway

    god that must be annoying, imagine foglight indicators on the motoway...
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    John_PatrickJohn_Patrick Posts: 924
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    #11
    From what I've seen and stand to be corrected, its actually a separate bulb in the fog light housing that illuminates when you turn. I think that some cars they are active when indicating but on others, they are activated upon turning. They were designed I believe to illuminate the curb rather than to help people see the indicator.

    I do agree with other comments about the design of the indicators now so that they are integrated into the main headlight housing and are much harder to see. Especially so with the Xenon headlights.

    BMW's, Audi's and Mercs been the worst.... Oh, hold on a second, they have an exemption from using indicators anyway don't they? lol
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    Tess-gTess-g Posts: 29,050
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    #12
    On this theme - I saw a car start to indicate and the really bright headlight dimmed on that side making it easier to see the indicator light. Anyone know if it was just faulty or is it another way of trying to make the indicator more visible? No idea on the make of car as it was night and it was facing me.
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    Richard46Richard46 Posts: 59,834
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    #13
    Tess-g wrote: »
    On this theme - I saw a car start to indicate and the really bright headlight dimmed on that side making it easier to see the indicator light. Anyone know if it was just faulty or is it another way of trying to make the indicator more visible? No idea on the make of car as it was night and it was facing me.

    That is definitely a feature on some recent cars.
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    Tess-gTess-g Posts: 29,050
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    #14
    Richard46 wrote: »
    That is definitely a feature on some recent cars.
    Thank you. Seems a better option than adding another light into the mix.
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    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 361
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    #15
    Tess-g wrote: »
    On this theme - I saw a car start to indicate and the really bright headlight dimmed on that side making it easier to see the indicator light. Anyone know if it was just faulty or is it another way of trying to make the indicator more visible? No idea on the make of car as it was night and it was facing me.

    Definitely a way of making the indicator more visible. I've seen modern Audi cars do this. At first I thought it was some fault with all Audis until it dawned on me.
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    FizixFizix Posts: 16,932
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    #16
    We had this on our Peugeot however it was a fault in the switch, not a "feature".
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    exlordlucanexlordlucan Posts: 35,375
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    #17
    Some early Rolls Royce models had flashing fog light indicators so nothing new there.
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    macsmurraymacsmurray Posts: 2,134
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    #18
    Fizix wrote: »
    We had this on our Peugeot however it was a fault in the switch, not a "feature".

    French car in electrical fault shocker!

    I do often see Audis, Volkswagens etc going round roundabouts and the fog lights are going bonkers switching from one side to the other as they manoeuvre. Pointless IMO.
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    John146John146 Posts: 12,926
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    #19
    On the latest Renault Captur it is called 'Foglights with Cornering Function'

    http://www.renault.co.uk/cars/model/captur/captur/configurator/#/recap
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    SupratadSupratad Posts: 10,450
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    #20
    John_Patrick wrote: »
    From what I've seen and stand to be corrected, its actually a separate bulb in the fog light housing that illuminates when you turn. I think that some cars they are active when indicating but on others, they are activated upon turning. They were designed I believe to illuminate the curb rather than to help people see the indicator.

    I do agree with other comments about the design of the indicators now so that they are integrated into the main headlight housing and are much harder to see. Especially so with the Xenon headlights.

    BMW's, Audi's and Mercs been the worst.... Oh, hold on a second, they have an exemption from using indicators anyway don't they? lol

    I have a 2007 car that does this. There is a bulb in the side of the main headlamp, facing sideways out and if I turn at low speed, or put the indicators on. it comes on to illuminate the curb/kerb. At higher speeds the main headlamps sweep about in corners like a nervous Nazi prison guard.
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