GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

You've got a point re bulb wattage, philndz! I must admit I'm judging by my Vibe, which has Max "Super White" high intensity headlight bulbs but stock fogs. Guess I should drop in my 80w. LUKS "lifespan equal to that of the average housefly" (exactly 30 days for their headlights) foglight bulbs and check out the results!

well then.....best wishes for the 30-Day Trial!!! -Phil

let us know how they work out!

When it is dark, yes, they are on 95% of the time. During the day, it is just a waste of my bulbs.

I almost never use them, but last week I did and three different cars flashed headlights at me, as if they were trying to tell me I had my high beams on. Normally try to be considerate, but that day I just flashed high beams back at them to let them know they were wrong. Haven't turned fogs on again since though.

quote:I almost never use them, but last week I did and three different cars flashed headlights at me, as if they were trying to tell me I had my high beams on. Normally try to be considerate, but that day I just flashed high beams back at them to let them know they were wrong. Haven't turned fogs on again since though.Interesting because I had the same issue, however I had the bulk of "flashings" due to the re-aiming I did on the headlamps. Once I lowered them back down a little the flashings have reduced to almost zero. I have been bouncing around having someone drive my car in the opposite direction as I drive another just to see how bright they may actually be.I'll agree the foglamps on some vehicles, as stock, are much brighter than the headlamps and would be annoying to some light-sensitive drivers.

I think it was probably more just light sensitive people. With Daylight savings time over, and the shorter days this time of year, rush hour now lasts until after dark. It's been an adjustment for me, so I imagine it is for other folks too.

I really dislike drivers who leave the fog lamps on all the time. Hey, guys, it's not about how baaad aaaassss your ride looks, OK? That extra light you project coming at me at night reduces my night vision and increases MY liklihood of getting into an accident, while you motor on down the road all pumped about how tough your Vibe looks.Use the fog lamps in the FOG. Only. Or when you're doing photoshoots.

Quote, originally posted by esjones »I really dislike drivers who leave the fog lamps on all the time. Hey, guys, it's not about how baaad aaaassss your ride looks, OK? That extra light you project coming at me at night reduces my night vision and increases MY liklihood of getting into an accident, while you motor on down the road all pumped about how tough your Vibe looks.Use the fog lamps in the FOG. Only. Or when you're doing photoshoots.The fog lights on the Vibe are actually driving lights and are to aid in lighting at night. When used in fog, they actually can cause visibility to diminish.

I agree with esjones. The extra light from other people's fog lights reduces my night vision. Sometimes it is as blinding as when people run with high beams on.Knowing that you hurt other drivers' night vision but do it anyway just to look cool seems irresponsible to me, but I guess it's a matter of individual priorities.

I haven't seen a vehicle with stock fog lights that have hurt my night vision. The only thing that may come close is a jack up pickup with fogs. Some people do however aim their fog lights up which is B.S. I do however remember my fog lights on the Vibe giving better lighting at night which aids my night time vision. I still feel that the pattern was more towards driving lights then fogs like the Lexus IS300.

I don't use them because they don't work very well, they just make the ground directly in front of the car really bright. Can they be aimed? I would like to install some real driving lights in those holes and have them on when the hi-beams are on. Has anyone done this?

I would love to know how to wire the fogs to work without the headlights being on---of course the taillights and parking lights would have to be on also. I just want to kill the low beams. Any Ideas-------- James On my Ford Sport Trac just had to remove one pin from the foglight relay, it's probably possible to do the same type mod to the Vibe, would just need the electrical scematic and a sparky type person to figure it out. mysporttrac.com is the sit that had the how-to. Pretty good site (if you have a ST).

Having your Hi-Beams and foglights on at the same time is illeagle in a few states...As far as why do I keep my fogs on with my low beams? Because they project wider. They cover the side of the road, and yes, the space directly in front of the car. I want them on so I can see on the road. Chances of me seeing a pot-hole in the dark with just the low-beams is a lot lower than with the fogs. Most foglights, and low-beams for that matter, are aimed so they won't shine you right in the face as you drive past. Aftermarket stuff doesn't have that kinda aiming, so it'll definitely cause a problem.The fogs on the Vibe are aimed almost directly in front of the car, the only way they could really affect your night vision is if you -stared- at them. If you don't want that to happen, look at the lines on the right side of the road instead of staring at the car coming towards you.

Quote, originally posted by Salsa! »HUH!!! WHAT DO YOU THINK FOGLAMOPS ARE FOR??????The way they work and that you are complaining is the way they are intended to work!!!! Read a bit more on foglamps before saying that they don't work properly!!!!!Guess I didn't phrase that too well. What I meant to say is that I do not need fog lights, but I really could use some driving lights. I drive across the Arizona desert at night on a black road with suicidal black cows standing in the midle of it.

If you leave the fog lamps in the "on" position all the time, then your fog lamps will be turning on and off all day long - and my fear, is then that people think I'm flashing them, or cops for that matter get the wrong idea.The Vibe's light sensor is overly sensitive and it keeps clicking on and off the headlights, taillights, and interior lights all the time. Drive in shade (if you live in a forested area like I do) and they turn on. Drive in the sun, they turn off. Have an annoying CT state emissions sticker on your lower left corner of the windshield, and it only makes it worse. I may just disable the automatic sentinel one of these days.

Quote, originally posted by esjones »I really dislike drivers who leave the fog lamps on all the time. Hey, guys, it's not about how baaad aaaassss your ride looks, OK? That extra light you project coming at me at night reduces my night vision and increases MY liklihood of getting into an accident, while you motor on down the road all pumped about how tough your Vibe looks.Use the fog lamps in the FOG. Only. Or when you're doing photoshoots.Man, I wish there were more drivers like you! If its illegal to drive right at someone with highbeams on, then why don't people understand 4 light beams headed right at someone isn't what FOG lights were intended for (and yes, I know HIGH beams shoot "high" - not an excuse)! Fog lights were intended for weather conditions that necessitate them. Now its a status symbol?

Only reason you should have reduced vision from fog lights is if they're misaimed! Properly aimed foglights shoot straight ahead, at a minutely downward angle. Theoretically, the only time properly aimed foglights would hit your eye directly is if the opposing car was coming over a hill and you were on level road.I leave mine on all the time, not because I think I look cool, but because they enhance my vision and help me see things I may not normally (like suicidal deer )

vibegtdriver, I agree with you, the extra lights on other cars have an affect on me, regardless of whether they are scientifically supposed to or not. My question for you is, where've ya been? you signed up half a year ago, but only went active today? what's up? you didn't give us a chance to say 'welcome to genvibe! welcome to genvibe

Quote, originally posted by joatmon » My question for you is, where've ya been? you signed up half a year ago, but only went active today? what's up? you didn't give us a chance to say 'welcome to genvibe! welcome to genvibe Guess I just been reading genvibe.com and driving the Vibe the rest of the time!Thanks much!

Well I drive with them on all the time when the sensor detects that its dark enough outside to turn the headlights on. I actually did not spend a whole lot of time trying to figure out how they work so I guess you can turn them off with the headlights on?No one has flashed their headlights at me till I put in Silverstar headlights... and will replace my fogs with them as well, awsome visibility. They know when I flash them back that they are looking at my low beams. Only happened once.I'm going to have to check this out lol.Well I checked it out and you can turn those fog lights off when the headlights are on.

I drive with them on all the time. Like the way they look and never had a problem with fog lights messing with my eyes except for those aftermarket ones that point upwards.

I leave them on all the time as well. I love the look of foglights, but some people don't know when to quit..I saw a Miata with foglights like.. 8 inches in diameter

wrong again! i also find fog lights on in clear weather to be blinding at night. they seem to be aimed straight ahead (as opposed to down) and they make the front end of the oncoming car much brighter.when fog lights were first introduced as aftermarket goodies, they were supposed to be used in foggy/rainy conditions only (cops could ticket you for using them in clear weather). on the lighting side, they are only brightening the road for about 10 ft in front of the car. That is not where the driver should be looking if driving anything above 20mph... i tested mine on the road and they don't add any significant light at 15+ feet in front of the car. imo they don't add any useful lighting to regular driving. By brightening the near range, they may actually hinder night vision at mid-extended range for the driver.just my .02

I constantly keep my eyes moving while I drive, as I was taught (and I believe, as is stated in the NJ state drivers manual). I know that 15+feet is not a lot of road, but it is when there's something small on the road. You aren't likely to see that small black cat, or that possum, from 15-20 feet away. Chances are, you wouldn't notice it until you were almost on it, which is why most of them get hit.I have my fogs on because I want to see those nearer ten feet. Chances are, i'll see something and have time to avoid it, such as the potholes that riddle the road. If I had my fogs off, chances of seeing those potholes at night go down significantly.And cops want any reason to ticket you, any aftermarket mod continues to be a reason to get a ticket, they just don't as much because of the sheer number on the road, it was no longer seen as a viable threat.As I said before, i've never had fogs affect my night vision. No more than regular headlights. And often, the foglights are mounted relatively close to the headlights, so the same amount of damage would be done. But then, I don't stare at the oncoming car, and my night vision recovers fairly quickly.

i found several articles on the net (UK and USA), most of which advocated NOT using fog lamps in clear weather, reserving their use for fog and dense snowfall weather.the NHTSA has put car lights on it's 'rules investigation' list for the next 3-4 years . Based on complaints received on car headlights, driving lights and fog lamps.see the following url for the whole article: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/....html

Well, based on my own personal driving experieces: I've never been blinded by other driver's fog lights while driving. The only real headlights that greatly affect my ability to see while driving at night are those of tall trucks, such as "muddin" trucks that have been jacked up, or (inconsiderate) people who drive around town with their high beams on.

Its a small amount, but the more eletronic devices you have turned on in your car = the more gas you will burn up.OVer the course of a year, it could mean an extra $10 per year in gas costs.I read the calculations on the net once, but I can't find the link to the article right now.I know its a small amount, but hey - keep that in mind the next time you turn on those fogs when you really don't need them.

Quote, originally posted by kaybeejay »Its a small amount, but the more electronic devices you have turned on in your car = the more gas you will burn up.Over the course of a year, it could mean an extra $10 per year in gas costs.I read the calculations on the net once, but I can't find the link to the article right now.I know its a small amount, but hey - keep that in mind the next time you turn on those fogs when you really don't need them.>WARNING! TECHNOBABBLE ALERT!746 Watts is one horsepower, so assuming say 85% electrical efficiency, about 635 watts of electrical draw will absorb one horsepower. This doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind that it probably only takes 10 or so HP to power a Vibe down a level road at a steady 50 MPH, thus that 635 watts imposes perhaps a 10% fuel economy penalty, say from 40 to 37 MPG.This holds true for DRLs also of course, which on an econobox like a Civic Hybrid (or an old Metro 3 cyl.) can amount to several MPG. A thirsty great SUV might lose only a few tenths, since the total consumption is much higher and the electrical load is about the same. Transport Canada's Fuel Economy Guide (and possibly the US EPA) data does not include this loss as they don't want negative publicity re the cost of DRLs. (e.g.: A GM and a similar Brand 'X' model might both get 26 MPG city and 42 highway on the EPA certification test, but Brand 'X' does not use DRLs in the US. If they publish the "real" numbers, GM is penalized for their contribution to safely by having to report 25 city and 39 highway.

Quote, originally posted by kaybeejay »I know its a small amount, but hey - keep that in mind the next time you turn on those fogs when you really don't need them.Foglights, compared to the rest of what's been added onto my Vibe, aren't gonna mean much.

Quote, originally posted by MadBill »>WARNING! TECHNOBABBLE ALERT!746 Watts is one horsepower, so assuming say 85% electrical efficiency, about 635 watts of electrical draw will absorb one horsepower. This doesn't sound like much, but keep in mind that it probably only takes 10 or so HP to power a Vibe down a level road at a steady 50 MPH, thus that 635 watts imposes perhaps a 10% fuel economy penalty, say from 40 to 37 MPG.This holds true for DRLs also of course, which on an econobox like a Civic Hybrid (or an old Metro 3 cyl.) can amount to several MPG. A thirsty great SUV might lose only a few tenths, since the total consumption is much higher and the electrical load is about the same. Transport Canada's Fuel Economy Guide (and possibly the US EPA) data does not include this loss as they don't want negative publicity re the cost of DRLs. (e.g.: A GM and a similar Brand 'X' model might both get 26 MPG city and 42 highway on the EPA certification test, but Brand 'X' does not use DRLs in the US. If they publish the "real" numbers, GM is penalized for their contribution to safely by having to report 25 city and 39 highway.I'm not seeing the direct corollation between your numbers. What is taking away 1hp or 635 watts? I have never seen a connection between using a stereo for example and then not and having an increase in gas mileage. I can see something like A/C having an impact since it creates a load on the engine, but that didn't even impact my gas mileage.

Having a stereo on will have an effect on your gas mileage, unless my car just wants to confuse my poor addled mind for it's own wicked intentions. Then again, with the level of stereo equipment I have in my car, that may not be relevant to the average driver..

If I can guess that math right, because I can't do it in my head, that means the foglights would be using something like half a MPG.. If that.To be honest, if I really wanted effeciency, I would've bought a Prius, or a TDI VW.

Quote, originally posted by mu_ohio »I'm not seeing the direct corollation between your numbers. What is taking away 1hp or 635 watts? I have never seen a connection between using a stereo for example and then not and having an increase in gas mileage. I can see something like A/C having an impact since it creates a load on the engine, but that didn't even impact my gas mileage.I used Watts per horsepower as an attention getter for those with high powered stereos. For small loads one could say "generating 64 Watts requires 1/10 HP from the engine", or even "0.0016 HP is required per watt", but it's hard to visualize one point six thousandths of a horsepower...

Quote »on the lighting side, they are only brightening the road for about 10 ft in front of the car. That is not where the driver should be looking if driving anything above 20mph... i tested mine on the road and they don't add any significant light at 15+ feet in front of the car. imo they don't add any useful lighting to regular driving. By brightening the near range, they may actually hinder night vision at mid-extended range for the driver.I have to disagree. I use my fogs at night on poorly lit roads (ie Pacific Coast Highway between L.A. and Oxnard), even in CLEAR conditions. They help illuminate the side of the road for debris, rockslides, cattle (ok, not really ), crazy (removed) night joggers, etc.I find them VERY helpful in these clear conditions. Do I use them on a clear day in broad daylight? No.

I keep my fogs on and they light up the area right around the vehicle quite well. Specially the lower front and sides which is where you really need it.Some guy flashed his lights at me the other day so I turned on my highbeams, that fixed his issue lol. So are there lights out there that add to HP?

Quote, originally posted by Mavrik »I...So are there lights out there that add to HP? Might get a little photon thrust from those APC backup lights, if you fitted an override switch so you could use them while driving...

Quote, originally posted by MadBill »Might get a little photon thrust from those APC backup lights, if you fitted an override switch so you could use them while driving... Thats a GREAT idea, sorta like the Batmobile's flames only I'll be using lights thats my next HP mod! hehBut seriously though, fog lamps are not what they used to be.

That's silly, everyone KNOWS you only get Light HP from neons!

Gee, I guess I'm A rebel. I always thought FOG lights were for FOG... not to look cool. I guess the more lights on the front of the ol' Viber the cooler you are.

It gets very foggy every time I turn them on, so I usually keep them off! LOL

The fog lights in my car are always on at night the car does look cool at night whith them on especially with the eurolites in them they are bright and clean looking. During the day I always switch them off no need for that while driving around.

Its a small amount, but the more eletronic devices you have turned on in your car = the more gas you will burn up.OVer the course of a year, it could mean an extra $10 per year in gas costs.I read the calculations on the net once, but I can't find the link to the article right now.I know its a small amount, but hey - keep that in mind the next time you turn on those fogs when you really don't need them._______2003 Shadow Vibe GT and 2001 Nissan Xterra 4x4kaybeejay----I can't help but notice your signature states that you own a 4x4 xterra? Talk about gas guzzling...

Yup.I use the Vibe for daily commuting, but the 4x4 comes in handy if I am visiting the field and am driving thru mud or something. (I'm a Civil Engineer)The Xterra also handles my mountain biking, hiking hobbies alot easier.The Xterra gets about 15-17 mpg. It's pretty bad, but its a purpose built vehicle. (camping, off-roading, etc) SUV's aren't supposed to get good mileage. They are supposed to be able to take you to the jungle and back. survival is more important than economy.People who buy SUV's and use them strictly as cars are dumb.

You said it! Vibes are the perfect vehicle. I actually think that instead of lowering my vibe, I might eventuallly raise it up, find some used AWD drivetrain, and turn it into a mini off-road SUV. Of course that would be years away... Just some ideas

An AWD Vibe with more ground clearance would have lots of shortcomings...1) Unibody frame would limit amount of body flex for these types of manuevers (pics): http://community.webshots.com/...nBopt2) Independent front and rear suspension would not have enough articulation for anything more than a forrest road.3) little 4-banger engine does not put out enough torque for off-roading.This list also applies to the CRV/Escape/RAV4/etc.

I don't think I would ever do serious off-roading witht hte vibe. You are very right in all those things. I was just kind of day dreaming about a project later on in life, and see what I could do with it. I was just wondering how I could make it a little better at off road than it is now. Even with a lot of modifications though, it still wouldn't be a great off road vehicle. Hence the x-terra....

Another reason...Lifting the Vibe would put the CV Joints at a "steeper" angle and probably cause the joints to snap if any considerable load is placed on them - like stepping on the gas.The CV Joints on small 4-bangers like the Vibe are not particularly strong.

um ya..... i wouldn't say the vibe awd would be any kind of good or great 4x4! if you want something like that, you want to get a suzuki samarai and build it... those little things are sweet if you lift them and so some engine and suspension. great rock crawlers... even thot about one of those for myself at one time.

Yah, I am still not sure what I want to do to the car. I know I want to do something though. I am going to wait until my warranty runs out I think. That should give me another year to think about it.