The main purpose of fog lights is to illuminate the road surface and the roadside in conditions of poor visibility: during rain, fog, and snow. Also, they allow other drivers to notice your car on the road.

Types

By the method of light beam formation:

• Reflector. This is a traditional design with a reflector and a clear or faceted lens. They are inexpensive.
• Projector. They ensure better light beam focusing. Such lights are more efficient and look modern.

By light source type:

• With halogen bulbs. Such bulbs serve for 400–1.500 hours.
• With LEDs. They are the most efficient. Such bulbs ensure excellent illumination of the road and roadside and are consume little electricity. They can last for over 5.000 hours. They may also be used as cornering lights.

By housing design:

• Sealed-beam. If the bulb blows, you’ll have to replace the whole assembly.
• Dismountable. They are convenient and cheap to use, as defective bulbs and, sometimes, even the lens, can be replaced.

By lens colour:

• With a white lens. They are more comfortable to the eye but provide poorer road illumination in foggy weather.
• With a selective yellow lens. They ensure maximum possible visibility in thick fog, rain or snow. That is why such lights are suitable for cars used in areas, where such natural phenomena are quite common.

Also, there are rear fog lights. Usually, they are red and help other drivers to notice your vehicle.

Operating tips

Always use bulbs compatible with your car’s lights. Using unsuitable components leads to reflector peeling and melting of plastic components. Do not try to clean these parts with a dry cloth. This way you may scratch the lens. Apply a special protective film on the lenses if you often drive off-road. This will help to avoid cracking of the parts after an impact.

If you will be installing fog lights for the first time, seek the assistance of an experienced car electrician to connect wires properly.

Symptoms of malfunctions

Such mechanical damage as shears, cracks and scratches can be detected during visual inspection. If the lights are sweating, this means the housing is no longer air-tight. It is possible that the gasket near the cover, or the sealant layer which holds the lens in place, is damaged. The other reason for condensed water accumulation inside the lamp is clogged vent holes. When the fuse is blown or the relay is burnt, both fog lights will not turn on at all. If only one light doesn’t work, the bulb in it might be blown. Flickering lights usually indicate wiring malfunctions.

Causes of malfunctions

Mechanical damages typically result from hitting with rocks and other objects hurled by the vehicle wheels, as well as careless parking and collisions. As a rule, loss of air-tightness is caused by unauthorized fog light modifications, when the joints weren’t properly treated after disassembly. The fuse may blow in case of general wiring malfunctions, or due to installation of equipment which doesn’t match the vehicle’s specifications.

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In our online shop, you can buy fog lights of perfect quality. With our wide product range, you will be able to choose products that will both ensure perfect illumination and decorate your car.