Driving/Fog lights (LONG answer)

[Larry C Leung]

If you are fighting fog (usually at night, during the day you, and
everyone else are stuck on equal, groping ground), the only thing that
works are real, quality fogs. BTW, factory Bosch units SUCK. I'd go Hella
8400 series (really interested in the tiny round little jobs b/c they're
small, still trying to figure out a clean mount inside the lower valence
grille) or PIAA 1400 series ($$$$). I've heard of less than stellar
results from Catz fogs (too bad, physically they'd fit very nicely in the
lower grille) but good things about their driving lights, don't know
about others. So you know, fogs have a very wide, relatively short
forward range (probably good for MAYBE 45 MPH on a clear night, no
headlights) with a (if they're good like Hellas or PIAA's BTDT) VERY
sharp low upper cutoff so there is no glare bounced back to the driver.
Hence, ideally, the lower the mounting, the less the glare, so below the
bumper is best. Also, when wiring, even if it's illegal in some states,
the ideal set-up would be to have the fogs able to run separate from the
headlights, though I'd recommend that they work with parking lights on.
Also, if your fogs can be mounted within 10 inches (25 cm) from the
furthest outside point of your car (each side, obviously), some states do
allow for the fogs to be counted as marking lights, which then makes them
legal to be used without HEADLIGHTS, (other markers such as tail and side
must still be on). It also pays to separate the fogs as much as possible
anyway as the coverage is better. Driving lights are, to a degree, a form
of more centered longer range high beam, so much less useful in fog, hard
to see weather conditions (BTDT, too, have a Euro light equipped GTi with
occasional mounting of fogs). Euro lights are a help, useful all year,
and more glare free then US DOT headlamps (hence better in light fog than
DOT lights) but they are absolutely NO USE in heavy fog, rain or snow.
There, only fog lamps will do (and don't expect to do full highway speeds
in conditions where you need fogs and expect to see well enough for that
speed. That's not what they're designed for, not what they are capable
of. If you NEED fogs, you really need to slow down to their abilities.
Okay, I lied, I could in heavy fog, snow or rain in the dark could
approach 50, but that was under ideal conditions for them. DOES take
careful aiming. 

LL - NY

On Fri, 13 Jul 2001 05:16:03 -0700 (PDT) ANTHONY ATTARD
<acattard at yahoo.com> writes:
>Good audi fans.
>
>
>It's desperation time.  I need additional lighting for
>my 1989 Audi 90 Q.  I am driven over 100 miles a day
>through fog and all kinds of weather.  so I need to
>improve the lighting big time.  But I am not sure
>which way I should go.  (1) add more lights, if so,
>where does one mount them to??, or (2) improve the
>headlights that came with the car?  Any suggestions
>(phone #s., names, places, etc. etc. ) will be greatly
>appreciated. Does anyone know of someone who has gone
>down this road before??  Thanks a bunch in advance.
>
>Tony:  83 URQ; 86 4K CSQ; 89 Model 90Q 
>
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