gainful

Just curious.

xedap1998

Yes in a way the higher the headlight/fog lights the more light they put on the street due to higher level of elevation. That is why SUV lights are usually brighter than car especially cars that have been lowered...u get the idea

Precision Crafted

I'd say yes. My first Tl was the '05 model and the fog were yellow. Coming from an Altima SE having the yellow fog and them being mounted up high made a big difference. My second TL was the '02 and the fogs were white and in the bumper. Now I'm back to them being mounted high up.

I would say that the fogs right now is all apart of a styling thing. The next gen will have them in the bumper.

AcuraVic

I have to say no. Fog lights are most effective the lower they are on the front bumper. The fog ceiling is 24 to 36 inches above the road (generally speaking). The 'fog lights' shine below the fog, illuminating the road so you can see it. Its the same principal with driving lights, the lower the better. Fog lights/Driving lights augment the headlights and are not ment to replace them. Having said all that, I am looking for a good set of driving lights for the 04 TL. I will mount them low in the bumper and its just for looks. No light can shine better than the HIDs on the TL. The fog lights on the 04 TL are useless.

PoochaKannInc

I agree with the first part of your statement. Fog lights are meant to be closer to the ground, and they are MOST effective that way. However, I wouldn't call the TL's fogs as being useless. I use it when it is raining, or really dark, not because it adds to the intensity of the HIDs, but because it gives me a wider light pattern. It adds volume to the light (if that makes sense). Still, they would be more effective as true fog lights in the traditional position.

Repecat

I, also, would say "No". Low mounted fogs are much more effective and give less reflected glare from water droplets than the fogs on the TL. However, the TL fogs are not bad; however, I wish they could be used without the headlights being turned on.

Precision Crafted

Aren't true fog light beams yellow?

xedap1998

True foglights are yellow and the TL foglights are not yellow..So technically speaking they are not meant to be fog lights but driving lights instead, so they dont have to be mount low but higher up is fine

Ron A

Fog lights can be yellow or white, as far as I am concerned. The main thing is they should be mounted as close to the road as possible so they light up the road and not the fog around them, which then makes the road harder to see.

In this context, ours are not true fog lights because they are not yellow (a secondary consideration) and are mounted too high to do any good in heavy fog (the main consideration).

If we had a way to turn them on without the headlights, that would help and also save out HID's. We should at least be able to flash the fog lights instead of the HID's, which would save wear and tear. This would be a good conversion for someone to do and tell us how it comes out.

Precision Crafted

I think the lights are mounted they way they are for styling reasons. Putting them in the bumper probably didn't look too good. Now if they did what BMW and Audi do then it could have worked and instead of the fogs were they are at we'd have high beams like our northern friends. Now, I wonder if in Canada they have bi-xenon like we do??

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I think they'd look better in the air damns like the previous gen TL.... very very few car makers integrate fogs into the main headlamp housings.

Precision Crafted

The current S-Class as well as the G35 sedan and coupe are the only ones I can think of.

Canadian Mike

Your fogs are our daytime running lights. So the bi-xenon is the same we just can't turn the fogs/daytime lights on/off they just come on when you start the car and go off if you turn the real head lights on.

6mtV6

Or have the fog lights flash instead of the HID's when the alarm goes off.


The 6th gen Maxima also has fog lights in the main headlight housing.

ElmerHiggins

The TL fogs are VERY Bright and light up a considerable area to the sides as well. They arent just slapped in there, they were engineered pretty well IMO.

AcuraVic

I agree with your statement regarding the fogs when its not foggy. They do light up more 'near road' left and right of the car, but not down road to help fog visibility. Recently we've had alot of fog in Atlanta and the TL fogs don't perform well. They are bright, but sub par to the HID sitting next to them. Id rather they be in the lower grill and independent of the headlights. I still love my car!!

Xpditor

The only fog I see is on old English B&W movies.

I am happy with my driving lights but I agree that I wish I could turn them on independent of the main HIDs. I also wish they would stay on with the high beams or at least give me the option of having them on.

If I ever go somewhere where they have fog, I would rather have them low and yellow where they would be effective. I remember reading that the color spectrum and the angle of refraction all have something to do with the glare bouncing back to the driver's eyes.

Do the Canadian cars have one of those super bright rear (red) fog lights like MB and Euro cars have?

trialsman

I've got a new 05 TL 5AT Navi and I have fog lights? I haven't seen a switch. Save me from having to read the manual. Tell me where the on/off is. Thanks

Ron A

If you have a US model, and they haven't moved it on the 05, it is on the turn signal stalk. The ribbed knob that rotates, near the outer end.

If you have a Canadian model, or they moved it on the 05, it ain't there.

Please excuse my avatar, which you might find offensive.

trialsman

I assume your avatar is the picture thingy to the left. How can I find it offensive, if I don't know what it means. Thanks for the reply though.

DiscoTL

R ead T he "Fancy" M anual





JZ

Repecat

I think the rear fog lights are confined to the euro cars only, and not on the Canadian TL. I did. however, have the rear fog light on my Saab and it was great for scaring the hell out of tailgating drivers. I really miss that feature on the TL.

Xpditor

Trialsman: Firstly, you are relatively n00b. (New-bee) So, I will fill you in on our illustrious moderator's history and reputation.

You see, Ron is an anal-retentive Owner's Manual digester and regurgitator (I mean that in a complimentary way). It takes one to know one. That's how I know.

So, his avatar (the little picture thingee) is often some iteration of the theme: "RTFM". That means, tongue in cheek, "read the f***ing manual"!

PS: If you would edit your profile to give us a general idea what your location is (a state or province is good enough), then we would know better how to answer some questions that are dependent on what country you are in.

Sherlock

It was touched on a bit regarding the color of the fogs helping them in their function. The more to the blue shift the light is, the shorter the wavelength, the less penetrating strength the light has. Yellow is down more towards red which is a longer wavelength, thus it can theoretically push thru more fog.

Applies to any competing wavelengths, like home wireless 802.11a is 5.0ghz, 802.11b/g is 2.4. The 5.0 is faster, but can't go thru walls as far as the lower 2.4ghz can. And radio. FM travels for miles, farther than AM.

I do like how our driving/fog lights fill out more light, but they do help more in fog than the highbeams do, it's very blinding to use the highs.

And I love when people flash me for having the fogs on thinking they're the highs, then I flash the highs and watch their retinas go up in smoke as they drive off the road. Piss on 'em.

Precision Crafted

Sherlock

I don't get flashed because of the fogs being on, I'll get flashed because of my low beams. Now, I will of course flash the high beams which in turn gives me a great view into the inside of the other car.

The look on their face is one of being stuned. I will say that xenon and bi-xenon are great. I just wonder why the TL is the only Acura with bi-xenon? Not even the RL has them.