In a message dated 97-07-31 02:24:44 EDT, tboicey@brit.ca (Trevor Boicey)
writes:
> If you have high beams and fog lights, this puts you
> over that limit. So they are wired to be mutually
> exclusive.
Not only that, but having both the high beams and the fog lights on at the
same time is self defeating. The high beams are designed to have a longe
range, penetrating beam. while fog lights are designed to have sharp cutoff
of light above a certain height, with all the light concentrated close to the
road surface.
With high beams in a fog, the light is reflected back from the fog. This
reflection osbcures forward vision for anything more than just a few feet.
Fog lights, on the other hand, light the area under the fog. Usually, fog
stays a few inches above the road surface. With the light beam down low, it
gets under the fog, giving maximum vision for the condition.
For that reason, fog lights should be mounted as low as practicle on the car,
while driving lights should be mounted as high as practicle.
Even if you are not driving in a fog (speaking literally, not figuratively!),
you don't want both on at the same time. On a straight highway, the fog
lights are of no benefit. On a narrow, winding, country road, the fog lights
will light up the road sides much better than the high beams, and the high
beams can produce glare from trees, bushes, etc.
I have driving lights on my car, and they are wired to be on only when the
high beams are on. That is a matter of convenience, as I don't have to
operate two switches to dim my lights when meeting oncoming traffic.
Dan Masters,
Alcoa, TN
'71 TR6---------3000mile/year driver, fully restored
'71 TR6---------undergoing full restoration and Ford 5.0 V8 insertion - see:
http://www.sky.net/~boballen/mg/Masters/
'74 MGBGT---3000mile/year driver, original condition
'68 MGBGT---organ donor for the '74
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