Can I have 2 working foglights rather than 1?

[merc180k]

I know what everyone means that fog lights on when there is no need are a pain in the bum. Do I take it from this that the general feeling is 1 fog light is enough and I can't wire up the other side?

 

[Dieselman]

I know what everyone means that fog lights on when there is no need are a pain in the bum. Do I take it from this that the general feeling is 1 fog light is enough and I can't wire up the other side?

You can if you want.

BTW, nice recovery..

 

[merc180k]

You can if you want.

BTW, nice recovery..

lol, I thought so. Cheers for the input everyone.

 

[kikkthecat]

Of course you can wire it up if you want to. There are 2 on the car and Mercedes wire them according to whether the car is LHD or RHD.

But they are a safety feature not a fashion accessory and are only legal in fog or falling snow. Not that you'd realise this as some people have them set to british summer time, turn them on when the clocks go back and turn them off when they go forward.

 

[television]

£100 fine in Sweden if you have front or rear on and no fog

 

[Shude]

If you can see the headlamps of the vehicle behind then you should turn the rear fogs off: they can definitely see you. Red lights are more obviously vehicle lights whereas whiteish lamps could be anything and red light tends to cut through the fog where whiteish light bleeds into ambient.

If you wire up both fog lamps then people might mistake your fogs for brakes. I know this might sound safer but if they're a bit too close and you DO have to brake they might not as easily see your brake lamps and drive into the back of you.

Technically you are probably in the right and they are in the wrong, but being right and also potentially being dead is less satisfying than simply being alive I'm sure .

 

[ckember]

in my c270 the LH side bulb takes over if the brake light bulb has blown on that side and makes both sets of bulbs at the bottom of the cluster the brake and side light. It may confuse the bulb circuit of both rear fog lights are wired up, but I have not tested this. try removing the brake light bulb and see what happens.

 

[Satch]

Hm. I have driven (and quite recently too) in motorway conditions where the cars in front of me without foglights on were barely visible through the spray. Not fog per se but no matter: visibility is seriously reduced.

Equally I have been dazzled my eejits in clear conditions All of which is no doubt why the Highway code says:

94: You MUST NOT
use any lights in a way which would dazzle or cause discomfort to other road users

use front or rear fog lights unless visibility is seriously reduced. You MUST switch them off when visibility improves to avoid dazzling other road users.
Law RVLR reg 27

On the one or two foglights issue, must say that when driving back through Belgium/France late at night in a really thick fog really did feel uncomfortable because I could not turn my rear (single) foglight on. Being in a RHD car using only one foglight (that would of course have been showing on the nearside) would have caused dangerous confusion to the many lunatics also using the road that night and was I suspected going to be illegal for that reason.

Thus I would much prefer to have two lights wired up.

 

[merc180k]

in my c270 the LH side bulb takes over if the brake light bulb has blown on that side and makes both sets of bulbs at the bottom of the cluster the brake and side light. It may confuse the bulb circuit of both rear fog lights are wired up, but I have not tested this. try removing the brake light bulb and see what happens.

I'll try this at the weekend and see what happens. These cars are great!

 

[whitenemesis]

German spec Mercs will automatically switch off rear fog light at speeds above 64kph, cool!

 

[Wezzel]

I have to agree, I always found it strange that Mercs only had it on the one side. Like others have said, my Toyota has them both sides.
I did wire up the extra one on my old w123/200 years ago.

Crikey - You must be older than you look

 

[MangoMan]

Absolutely archaic mate........

 

[Shan]

I have tried wiring both rear fogs in my 2002 W203.
As soon as I switch on the fogs (just to test them), the dash display flashes red with the message "CHECK LIGHTS".
I am back to one rear fog as to original spec.
Shan.

 

[compress ignite]

Thread Hijack

Oveah Heah,

They will not turn on the headlamps and running lights in the ******rain.

Imagine, a rear fog lamp (or a set) turned on...And they are running off the road trying to escape what they think is an oncoming Aircraft landing in
their lane!

 

[oldcro]

I think it is against the law. RHD drives have one fog onthe drivers side.
LHD have on the other side .
[snipped/quote]

So that would be on the same side then.

 

[kth286]

The rear fog light will always have an indicator lamp on the dash or on the switch itself to keep you reminded that the fog light is on.

So no excuse for NOT switching it off when visibility improves.

 

[BTB 500]

The rear fog light will always have an indicator lamp on the dash or on the switch itself to keep you reminded that the fog light is on.

So no excuse for NOT switching it off when visibility improves.

Unfortunately some people never look at the dash, that's how they manage to drive around in the dark having forgotten to put any lights on at all!

 

[ckember]

I have tried wiring both rear fogs in my 2002 W203.
As soon as I switch on the fogs (just to test them), the dash display flashes red with the message "CHECK LIGHTS".
I am back to one rear fog as to original spec.
Shan.

This is because the checks performed by the car think there is a problem, and is trying to use the bulb for another purpose, or it thinks the bulb is faulty. If you try using the wrong bulb type it wil also give a check lights error. I found this when trying to change the side/break light for one purchased at a petrol station. in the end got a replacement from the dealers

 

[CMR]

I saw a merc the other day with its foglamps on? (only one at the front) and when it went round a corner only one was on, then as it went round the curve it went off and the opposite side came on! Is that a new feature?

 

[Goldfish11]

I saw a merc the other day with its foglamps on? (only one at the front) and when it went round a corner only one was on, then as it went round the curve it went off and the opposite side came on! Is that a new feature?

Its the dual Xenon system. It puts more light on the corner you are going around just incase someone is about to walk in the road. I must admit it does look strange as I keep seeing all these Mercs indicating left with only one fog light working.