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Fog lights thoughts?

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Just a note that the term "fog lamp", as it pertains to automobiles, differs depending where you are in the world.

In North America, fog lamps are placed low down on the front of the vehicle in an attempt to reduce the glare reflected back at the driver. They often have a yellowish tint. I haven't found this type of fog lamps particularly useful on the vehicles that I have owned, and I wouldn't pay extra for them.

In Europe, a fog lamp is a (very) bright red light on the rear of the vehicle (it is often incorporated in one of the tail lights). In the few times that I have driven in the fog in Scotland, I was quite impressed at how well this light worked. Doesn't help you see where you are going, but it does help reduce the risk of being rear ended.

If I made the rules, all vehicles would have the rear fog lamp.
 
I have found the fog lights to be a little helpful on dark unlit roads and in light fog. The bad tule fog we used to have in Sacramento has completely disappeared. The euro fog lights do nothing to help you see the road better, only other cars that have it. You can always hit the hazards in such bad fog but again, I never see it around here anymore. Used to be really bad with visibility as low as 30 feet, even less.

Does anyone know how to allow for having the fog lights on when the high beams are on? On my previous car it was as simple as cutting a prong off a relay. Don't think it is that easy on the Tesla. Would be great for those really dark roads.
 
In Europe, a fog lamp is a (very) bright red light on the rear of the vehicle (it is often incorporated in one of the tail lights). In the few times that I have driven in the fog in Scotland, I was quite impressed at how well this light worked. Doesn't help you see where you are going, but it does help reduce the risk of being rear ended.

We know those as a 'rear fog lamp'.

All european Model S have the rear fog lamp as standard; front fog lamps are an option, as for the N. America versions. Unfortunately, that means we lose one of the reversing lights to make space for the RFL.

If I made the rules, all vehicles would have the rear fog lamp.

They've been mandatory here for all cars built since 1980. More recently, it's become mandatory to have them interlocked with your headlamps (and/or front foglamps, if fitted) so you don't forget to switch them off: if you switch off the headlamps, the RFLs must go off and not come on again without deliberately pressing a button even if you turn the headlamps on again.
 
I was going to save the $500 on my build, but at the last second I threw them in. Primary reason? To light the area right in front of the wheels so that I have perhaps an extra second to avoid a pot hole, or other road debris, to save the 21" wheels! My thought was that it was $500 well spent if I could avoid wheel/tire damage even once.
 
Just a note that the term "fog lamp", as it pertains to automobiles, differs depending where you are in the world.

In North America, fog lamps are placed low down on the front of the vehicle in an attempt to reduce the glare reflected back at the driver. They often have a yellowish tint. I haven't found this type of fog lamps particularly useful on the vehicles that I have owned, and I wouldn't pay extra for them.

In Europe, a fog lamp is a (very) bright red light on the rear of the vehicle (it is often incorporated in one of the tail lights). In the few times that I have driven in the fog in Scotland, I was quite impressed at how well this light worked. Doesn't help you see where you are going, but it does help reduce the risk of being rear ended.

If I made the rules, all vehicles would have the rear fog lamp.

In North America we don't get the 'rear fog lamp'. Also people here don't quite seem to know what it is, or how to (not) use it properly. Lots of people drive with fog lamps on all the time because it looks cool. And MB and Audi incorporate rear fog lamps on many of their cars here. And in crystal clear night you will see these blinding red lights pointed right at you all the time. It is annoying.

Now used properly these things work wonders in heavy rain, and fog to make one's car much more visible. I added a rear fog (replaced one of my backup lights) to my GTI when I owned it.

I have found the fog lights to be a little helpful on dark unlit roads and in light fog. The bad tule fog we used to have in Sacramento has completely disappeared. The euro fog lights do nothing to help you see the road better, only other cars that have it. You can always hit the hazards in such bad fog but again, I never see it around here anymore. Used to be really bad with visibility as low as 30 feet, even less.

Does anyone know how to allow for having the fog lights on when the high beams are on? On my previous car it was as simple as cutting a prong off a relay. Don't think it is that easy on the Tesla. Would be great for those really dark roads.

I am almost certain that running fog lamps and high beams at the same time is illegal. I know of no vehicles that allow this to happen.
 
Are you planning on getting the Tech Package also? The front Fog Lights may also work as an advance light for turning system. Like when you turn the wheel to manoeuvre the car the light comes on that side to show you the curb.

"Cornering" come with the Tech pkg and are seperate lamps.

As for the OP's question, I've found the 2nd gen fog lights to be reasonably usage in the relatively mild fog we get around here. I actually find them more useful as near-field illumination low to the sides of the road where we often have drainage culverts that animals like to leap in to the road from...
 
We call my neighborhood Fog Hill—it may not be foggy nearby but it is at my house. Sometimes it is so thick that amber (fog) lights alone help and anything white is blinding. Not legal, but definitely useful for that last mile up the hill. I made a mod my last car to allow me to have just the fog lights on. Can someone report if fog lights can be on independent of the headlights in an MS?
 
I have no experience of using fog lamps, and am not sure I understand the concept correctly. So when there is dense fog, you use these low lights instead of the headlights or in addition to the headlights? Is it dangerous to drive without fog lights in fog? I did not add fog lights to my car. Can they be added now?
 
Several of my cars through the years have had front fog lamps, including my Model S. I have turned them on sometimes but have barely been able to see the difference from the driver's seat. I can't tell if they're on or off, this goes for all of them including the Model S ones. They look cool from the outside. The word 'fog lamps' always sounded cool on the spec sheet, like you are a rally driver or something. Just like the P in P85. You rarely use it but you know its there.
 
I am almost certain that running fog lamps and high beams at the same time is illegal. I know of no vehicles that allow this to happen.

Yes, you are correct. "Fog" lights are considered high beams and there is a limit to how much light you can throw on high beams and remain street legal.

My Model S has the LED fog light option. And tech option. Something illuminates to one side or another when making tight turns, I don't think its the fog light because its out to the side not forward.

The biggest fault I have with the Model S fog lights is that the switch is not readily at hand, its buried in the Driving control window. If I am to have effective use of it then they need to be where I can turn them off quickly so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Or where I can turn them on to blind oncoming who fail to turn their's off. The auxiliary lights on Ford SuperDuty and Dodge Ram HD's are notoriously blinding and usually get my high beams.

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Several of my cars through the years have had front fog lamps, including my Model S. I have turned them on sometimes but have barely been able to see the difference from the driver's seat. I can't tell if they're on or off, this goes for all of them including the Model S ones. They look cool from the outside. The word 'fog lamps' always sounded cool on the spec sheet, like you are a rally driver or something. Just like the P in P85. You rarely use it but you know its there.

I agree. They help in the fog but when driver's licenses are issued in boxes of Cracker Jacks the result is a pool of idiots. Under most conditions "fog" lights (and auxiliary driving lights) mostly serve to increase the wall of light oncoming traffic has to deal with.
 
My Model S has the LED fog light option. And tech option. Something illuminates to one side or another when making tight turns, I don't think its the fog light because its out to the side not forward.

Yes, as I mentioned above, the cornering lights in the tech pkg are separate from the fog lights.

You can see them illuminated and then turning off at the beginning, and then again when making a slight course correction at the beginning of the Supercharger Video
 
By statute, fog lights should not illuminate above 2 feet off the ground at a distance of 30 feet in front of the vehicle. They should not be capable of blinding oncoming cars. Driving in dense fog, like driving in heavy snow, is always dangerous. Fog lights are valuable because they don't reflect back as much light off the fog as regular headlights because of the low incidence angle. If the lamp is amber then even less light is reflected back. I have found them very helpful in snow as well as fog. I have driven in fog so dense that I could barely see past the front end of the vehicle with the regular headlights because of all the reflected white light; using just amber fog lights and no white lights made it possible to see some of the road.
 
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By statute, fog lights should not illuminate above 2 feet off the at a distance of ground 30 feet in front of the vehicle. They should not be capable of blinding oncoming cars.

The auxiliary lights add to the wall of light blinding oncoming drivers whether or not the lights are pointed in anyone's eyes. Successful night vision requires your eyes stay dilated. A wall of light leaves you blind for moments after it passes, the brighter the longer.