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Has anyone noticed that a lot (or nearly all that I come across) MB's have only one front fog light that works? The second one occasionally turns itself on but there really does seem a disproportionate number with dodgy fogs.
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It's probably the steering lights thingy they have on a lot of their models now.
The left or right fog light comes on depending on which way the car is steered.
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No I hadn't noticed this, but there aren't that many in my area - must go & check mine! Surprising thing is though, if it is true, the 'bulb failure' indicator light must be lit up on the fascia - unless that's blown too!
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It probably is the turning lights. The GFs new Fiat Bravo has this feature. If speed is less than 30mph and steering angle is more than a certain amount, one of the front fogs comes on. Also come on at less than 30mph with whichever side indicator is on. Ive wondered about the legality of this but assume its ok?
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I have seen more and more recently and assumed it was to do with the cornering lights. Saw a Vectra doing the same yesterday. I wondered what the legality was of the fog lights doing that...
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What height are these cornering lights? Lights below 500mm from the ground can only be used legally in fog or falling snow?
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Bottom of the bumper- normal fog light height. Don't know the exact figures- would be different from one car to the next.
Would the legality issue be the same as only one is alight at any one time?
Edited by hillman1 on 20/12/2007 at 16:31
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They are indeed 'turning lights'. If you are doing less than 25mph and indicate or turn the wheel enough, the corresponding fog light comes on.
I have these on my C320CDI, and they are pretty pointless. The light provided is minimal and at 25 mph you do not need to look so far ahead that extra illumination is required.
The time when extra cornering lighting is beneficial is down country lanes, at speed. My dad's old DS23EFI Pallas did the job perfectly 30 years ago. Progress? What progress?
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Saw a Vectra doing the same yesterday.
You sure it was a Vectra? No mention of such a feature in my 2007 handbook.
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Definitely was a Vectra, but thinking back I am not sure I actually saw the other foglight anyway- It did a U-turn right in front of me and I may have only seen the o/s one that was about 3 foot from the front of my car.
Oops. My mistake.
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well there you are then. Learnt something new today.
Thanks to all.
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If they're fitted to German-built cars they must be ok - UK Construction & Use Regulations are subservient to large commercial interests.
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I think UK lighting regulations disappeared into the Euro pot at about the time it became clear that they just couldn't decide whether or not high intensity (flashing or steady) lights were legal on push-bikes.
They seemed perfectly happy to prevaricate whilst cyclists were being killed due to inadequate lighting when good technical solutions were available. The 6V 0.1A incandescent tail lamp was as far as they ever got.
Luckily, most cyclists ignored the regs and bought decent lights.
659.
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I've never heard of this, and it is the most ridiculous 'feature' ever conceived as far as I can tell.
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Must be for if you're pulling out of a tight parking space to make you more visible to oncoming traffic???
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Saw a Merc about an hour ago with just this. I was waiting to turn right and an MB had just turned right at a set of lights up ahead and was coming towards me. The offside foglight was on, then went off after 100m or so.
It looked silly and must go down as a serious contender for a 'solution to a problem which doesn't exist' - a test I use when watching Dragons Den as to whether a product is worth backing.
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Maybe they're classed as something as obscure as driving lights which just happen to work in fog?
Or perhaps the variable pitch turns them from driving to fog lights depending on function.
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Mike Farrow
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eeeh.....Skodas have been doing that for years (well ok months...!)
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The only time Ive seen a benfit is when turning onto the drive, where it gives a helpful "pool" of light. Out on the road they are a bit gimmiky.
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Cars in general are pretty good now - all the rubbish makers have gone bust or are being sold off. In function, there's not a lot of (real) difference between, say a GBP15k car and a 30k car if you're savvy with the badging.
External lighting is an obvious tool for the marketing men - a gift really, because it shows everyone that you have made an upmarket purchase and are desperately seeking the recognition for it. The Audi LED sidelights are another obvious example.
A stainless steel exhaust system would not, for instance do anything like the same job.
I'm delighted that some manufacturers offer down-badged versions for less money - although I wouldn't want one from MB.
659.
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I have AFS headlights on my S-Max and they are fantastic. The dipped lights 'bend' in the direction of your cornering and in addition to this a further cornering light (built into the headlight unit) comes on if the bend is very sharp. They are not speed dependent, they work at all speeds.
In addition to this, when you are reversing, the cornering light of the other side comes on, ie if you are reversing left, the right cornering light comes on because this is which way the front of the car is going.
I thought that they were a marketing gimmick at first, I'm now (after 30000 miles with them) fully convinced that they are a safety feature and that they will be fitted to all cars as standard within a short space of time.
Edited by a900ss on 21/12/2007 at 11:40
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These sound far better than the MB 'turning lights' and closer to what the DS did all those years ago, although presumably the bulb on the S-Max is fixed and just 're-focuses'?
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The cornering lights are fixed and only come on for very sharp corners but the dipped beam is in a projector unit and the whole unit bends with the steering input. It is very surreal in fog and rain when you can actually see the beam of light moving.
PS - These are the AFS lights and are an option on S-Max's not standard but if i recall the option is only about £350 and well worth it in my opinion. It also comes as part of the X pack (which is how I got them)
Edited by a900ss (S-Max) on 21/12/2007 at 12:56
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I saw what can only be described as "eyebrow" lights on a Saab (think it was a 9-5) this morning, which must qualify as the most pointless ever.
From the brief glimpse I got as the car passed me on the other side of the road I would guess at a string of blue-white LEDs running parallel with the leading edge of the bonnet, above the headlights themselves (which weren't on even though it was still almost dark).
In terms of the light they gave, which was not really sufficient even to make the car visible to other road users, let alone to navigate by, they were about as much use as the proverbial chocolate teapot. They didn't even look good, which at least was something to be said for the "angel eyes" on the last 5-series.
Are these really a standard feature or a ricer mod? Can't say that I'd seen them on a Saab before.
Edited by paulb {P} on 21/12/2007 at 13:10
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This is the 'new' 9-3. LED bulbs aka Audi, a pure fashion statement rather than illumination I beleive.
Edited by a900ss (S-Max) on 21/12/2007 at 13:16
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not sure that they are a pure fashion statement though. can you honestly say that your sidelights are for illumination? My father's old MB were very bright but my BMW ones wouldn't light the road up enough to drive in a straight line.
no one I think would argue that they werent a fashion statement but as sidelights they work perfectly well if not better than others and anyway, didn't Audi copy this off the DB9 or was it the other way around?
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RT - I NEVER drive on side lights. As you say, lights or either to see or to be seen. Sidelights achieve neither of those objectives in my opinion and I therefore have dipped lights on (or main) or no lights at all.
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In your example Paulb it sounds like the driver should have had his headlights on.
I have got extra white Philips sidelight bulbs in mine, which are much better than the yellow glow type IMO but they do not throw any usable light down onto the road. IMO sidelights are to make the car visible but not give illumination.
I saw an Audi A5 the other day with just the LEDs on under the headlights, and they were too bright IMO, almost bright enough to dazzle at close range it seemed, although it was a fleeting encounter.
No doubt these 'bling lights' are going to become widespread as they spread across the Audi range and more manufacturers copy them.
Just looked on the Saab website for a pic of those 'eyebrow' lights and noticed that "Bi-Xenon cornering lights" are an option on the new 9-3 as part of a performance package.
Edited by Rich 9-3 on 21/12/2007 at 14:13
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