I have a 2017 RDX AWD Tech package with Jewelry eye headlights.
Do I need fog lights installed to my car or Jewelry eye headlights are good for driving in foggy night?

please help. 😊

 

The Jewel Eye headlights on the 2016+ RDX are extremely white and bright and should suffice in most driving conditions. With that said fog lights are a must have for me. They do add an extra layer of lower wider light off to the sides, hence enhanced vision in fog or inclement weather or just nighttime driving in general.

 

I treat my fog lights more like driving lights for improved near/side lighting. All three of my Acura have fog lights in the halogen kelvin range and that contrast really helps brighten up the near/side road at night and gives a distinctive look to on-coming traffic. I also like extra fog/driving lights in bad weather (snow, fog, rain, misty hwys, etc...) because it provides more light for others to see you. My old fashion fog/driving lights do run a little warmer compared to HIDs/LEDs headlights. Less worry about getting encased in snow/slush/muck on those days for added visibility.

You may not gain that much if you install LED fogs at the same temp as the LED headlights other than a cool look.

 

The fog lights on the RDX aren't really fog lights. Otherwise, you'd be able to turn them on by themselves. As installed, they only activate with the low beams. As mrgold35 said, they do provide a useful function in filling in the near field and adding some side lighting. Especially handy when making turns in town. I'm not so sure they're helpful on the highway. At least, they didn't scare off the possum I hit ;-)

 

Being able to turn them on or off individually whether the headlights are on or off has nothing to do with them being fogs or not. Yes, they are fogs. And, I hate to burst your bubble but the fogs weren’t designed to be a possum deterrent. Lol.

 

Well, they don't FUNCTION as fog lights, then. Not to mention they're incandescent unless you replace them. And maybe it has something to do with my speed vs. that of the possum ;-) He didn't pick a good place to be on a dark night. Cost me a new fender liner. Surprisingly inexpensive, considering it was an Acura part.

 

Most modern vehicles these days the fogs only work in conjunction with the low beams. Yes, it would be nice if they could be independently turned on but we’re stuck what it is unless you want to rewire it to be separately powered. Good luck with that. Also, yes the fogs are incandescent but are actually a halogen version which is slightly higher efficiency than standard incandescent bulbs. The higher temperature filament also produces the “whiter” light often associated with halogen bulbs. Granted, halogens still will never shine as white as an LED but in truth actually perform better as actual fogs. Cosmetically and atheistically looking, yeah, LED fogs look cool and color matched to the headlights but in realty if you’re counting on them for fog the halogen will be better performing. That’s why I decided to leave my OEM fogs as halogens than switching out to LED.

 

Get the fogs. They help complete the front end. Go go go...do itttttt....do itttt nowwwww.

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I definitely agree with you about the fog lights completing the front end. I recently purchased a 2017 AWD Tech and was surprised that it didn't come with fog lights from the factory. A buddy of mine upgraded the stock fog lights that came on his Advance with the OEM Accessory LED fog lights and let me have his old housings. I replaced the halogen bulbs with some LED ones and it looks a hell of a lot better now! Can't really comment on how well they work in actual fog because I haven't driven through any yet, but they do add more light below the operating range of the headlights.

 

Fords so far are one that are an exception. my dad's 2013 Explorer and brother's 2016 Fusion Sport can have the fogs activated independently of the low beams - BUT the parking lights have to be on.

 

It makes ZERO sense to me that a car maker would require you to have your headlights on in order to have your fog lights on, since the headlights illuminating all the fog (or snow) right in front of you basically renders you blind.

I can't be the only one who has experienced this while driving in heavy fog and snowy blizzards?

I am sure the only reason they do this is for liability reasons, or possibly, they just don't know any better.

 

I suspect it's become just an appearance thing rather than a functional thing, although people driving with all their lights on annoys me. Quite a few vehicles have them set too high and too bright. The fogs on the RDX do fill in the near field area that isn't covered, illuminating turns better at night. For fog, they're relatively useless.

 

Unfortunately it's all for looks my friend. Sadly they now serve pretty much zero function. The fogs on my Kia Sorento are H8 bulbs from the factory and provide some ridiculous (good) light forwards and sideways. By far some of the best fogs I have ever had, though the ones on my previous RDX and X5 were VERY good too. The fogs on my MDX were crap.