GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Do you leave your foglamps on all the time and let the twilight sentinel kick them on automatically, leave them off all the time, or depends on the lighting conditions?

I like the way they make the front look. I think it makes the front mean, as if to say "Get the hell outta my way!" Something specialcomming up behind ya!(sheesh, I'm so juvenile)

The fogs do lend that look of authority. I've always thought the front end looks rather like it's grinning anyway. Or maybe that's just my reflection in the windshield... It's so much fun to drive!!
[Modified by millster, 6:02 PM 8/7/2002]

quote:The fogs do lend that look of authority. I've always thought the front end looks rather like it's grinning anyway.My impression (and others) have told me the front end looks like a "bad-(removed)". quote:Or maybe that's just my reflection in the windshield... It's so much fun to drive!!I get the same look, but that is the reflection of me from the inside of the car on the windshield.
[Modified by NSimkins, 9:10 PM 8/7/2002]

i ALWAYS have them on. I agree with you guys, i've always liked the added toughness, sportiness of foglights. But not those stupidly placed bright yellow afterwarket ones that people install themselves!!!!!!

Is it possible to tunr on _only_ the foglamps (i.e. without the low beams)? I can't for the life of me figure it out.

quote:Is it possible to tunr on _only_ the foglamps (i.e. without the low beams)? I can't for the life of me figure it out.No, you can't. At least, not without rewiring the relays.

So..umm...what's the point of the foglamps? I know they look cool, but I thought the real point of foglamps were so you wouldn't shine you low beams in your eyes.

I agree. Hence the reason why I'm researching how to rewire them independent of the headlights.

Hmmmm... I had no idea that you COULD leave them on all the time. Since I saw this thread, I re-read the manual, and it makes absolutely no reference to possibility of having them operate via sentinal. Thanks for bringing it up! From now on, I'm going to leave them on all the time... it does provide better lighting lighting at night, so might as well utilize them!Besides, I also think they look cool.

quote:I had no idea that you COULD leave them on all the time.Yup. I haven't had to actually turn my lights on or off for weeks due to the Twilight Sentinel. My only very minor concern is I hope the cops don't think I am trying to flash oncoming traffic if I happen to go under a bridge during the day and have the lights come on then go back off quickly. Hey, you never know... it could happen.
[Modified by NSimkins, 3:49 PM 8/13/2002]

I don't think you have to worry about the lights turning on and off immediately because there is a 20 seconds delay before the lights turn on in darkness and another 20 seconds before the lights go back to DRL in regular day light.

quote:... there is a 20 seconds delay before the lights turn on in darkness and another 20 seconds before the lights go back to DRL in regular day light.Yes, I was aware of that. The issue I have is with our ultra-sensitive Police dept.'s here that can't wait for any miniscule reason to pull you over.

That sucks then...... well, good luck going through the tunnels and under paths. Hope there are not police around when you are in one.

quote:I agree. Hence the reason why I'm researching how to rewire them independent of the headlights.ALRIGHT NOVA'S ON THE CASEKEEP US POSTED ON THAT

quote:... there is a 20 seconds delay before the lights turn on in darkness and another 20 seconds before the lights go back to DRL in regular day light.Yes, I was aware of that. The issue I have is with our ultra-sensitive Police dept.'s here that can't wait for any miniscule reason to pull you over. I know what you mean. I live in Mineral Ridge for many years and the cops in that area and Niles are pains.

quote:I know what you mean. I live in Mineral Ridge for many years and the cops in that area and Niles are pains.Cool, I live 2 minutes from Mineral Ridge and I know what you are talking about. I just keep an eye out on the brightness of the day, and if necessary I will just turn the light switch to ON just to avoid the needless ON and OFF operation.

Man the cops are that bad there?????

quote:Man the cops are that bad there?????Oh Yeah! Some particular area police departments are known for pulling you over for going only 2-3 miles over the speed limit.. anywhere. These areas have speed traps set.. one minute you are going 50mph, then all of a sudden you have to go 25mph. It's crazy. That's the reason for my twilight sentinel concern.

Seems like there are a few people from OH here. I was born in Warren. I was just back there a couple weeks ago. Be back again in 6months or so.I agree about the cops, I have been pulled over in a few states but not like OH. Sat in the back of a few cop cars there.

I voted for partial use of the foglights in the pole, but after reading through the rest of the posts and looking at my Vibe myself, I think I will leave them on all the time. It gives the Vibe a nice aggressive look and is cooler when you are driving.

I havn't used them... But now that I have read the posts, they will be on full time.

In my Vibe they are ON since the 1st day

i USED to leave my fogs on... until i realized my headlights were going and staying on (and therefore the fogs too) at 2 pm on sunny and totally cloud-free afternoons. driving around on a sunny day with my fogs turned on just isnt right. so, if the headlights went on only when they should... i would leave the fogs on. i also think when ppl drive around with parking lights on it looks stupid... to me they seem to be more intended to let ppl know the car is running but theyre "parked" or not moving. plus with the parking lights on while driving its kind of obvious theyre trying to look cool. oh and i admit i did it in high school! JMO!

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

You'll have to rewire the entire fog light system as you put aftermarket one and add a switch inside. If you're willing to spend few $ and 1 or 2 hours (if you use to work with car electronic, if not can be longer), you wil be able to do it.

Normally the fog light relay is activated (grounded) by pin 4 of the DRL relay. You could run that wire straight to ground to get independent fog lights. (Cut leg 4, connect the incoming end to leg 2.) Haven't tried it though -- conceivably the DRL relay needs that voltage for something, but I doubt it. More info about the DRL relay at http://vibeowner.home.attbi.com.There is some reason the designers wanted the fogs tied to the headlights -- maybe state laws?

---( You could use duct tape)-----I am looking for a correct answer and not some BS statment like that!!

quote:Normally the fog light relay is activated (grounded) by pin 4 of the DRL relay. You could run that wire straight to ground to get independent fog lights. (Cut leg 4, connect the incoming end to leg 2.) Haven't tried it though -- conceivably the DRL relay needs that voltage for something, but I doubt it. More info about the DRL relay at http://vibeowner.home.attbi.com.There is some reason the designers wanted the fogs tied to the headlights -- maybe state laws?Wow, much better then rewire all that. Where is located the fog light relay?

I assumed you would make changes at the DRL Relay, not at the foglights relay. DRL relay is just forward of the ignition key, fog relay is up by the battery.

I've debated this with other guys over at the Grand Am board, but arent they "Driving" lights? Fog lights are usually amber in color, to cut through the fog, hense, "foglights". Driving lights are usually clear and help you see better at night, but do very little in foggy conditions.Anyway, I do wish I could can the DRL's and run with just the parking/driving lights on. Nova, keep-a-lookin'.

I'm sorry but I think that cars that drive around with just their driving lights or fog lights and parking lights on at night look really gay.Most modern cars seem to turn off the fog/driving lights when the high beams are put on. Why is that?I'm pretty sure that the lights on the Vibe are Driving lights because they would be designed to come on without the headlights if they are Fogs.When I disabled the DRLs and Auto Lights on my 2000 Grand Prix I was able to turn the Fog/Driving lights on by just turning the selector to the Parking light position. They didn't shine very bright so I would assume that they are Driving lights as well. It is a lot easier in the Grand Prix. Just pull the DRL fuse. None of this cutting and grounding relay BS.Anyway, if anyone does figure out an easy way to turn the Fog/Driving lights on without the low beams I would definatly be interested. Then I can leave the low beams off and drive around looking gay myself (only in fog, of course).

quote:I'm sorry but I think that cars that drive around with just their driving lights or fog lights and parking lights on at night look really gay.Gay? That is so Jr. High. Are you 12 years old?gay adj. Of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same (removed). Showing or characterized by cheerfulness and lighthearted excitement; merry. Bright or lively, especially in color: a gay, sunny room.So what you are saying is:I'm sorry but I think that cars that drive around with just their driving lights or fog lights and parking lights on at night look really of, relating to, or having a sexual orientation to persons of the same (removed).orI'm sorry but I think that cars that drive around with just their driving lights or fog lights and parking lights on at night look really showing or characterized by cheerfulness and lighthearted excitement; merry.orI'm sorry but I think that cars that drive around with just their driving lights or fog lights and parking lights on at night look really bright or lively, especially in color: a gay, sunny room.Riddle me this Batman: I seem to remember a guy named korax123 using the same phrase:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 28korax123 is from Campbell OH, is 19 years old, has a real name of Michael Slanina and last posted in 12/5/02 (21 days ago):http://forums.genvibe.com/zerouser?cmd= ... &id=434You (Shadow) are from CO, are 28 years old, have a real name of Mike S. and joined the list 19 days ago (12/7/02).http://forums.genvibe.com/zerouser?cmd= ... d=623Let's see: korax123 (Michael Slanina) last posted on 12/5 and Shadow (Mike S.) joined on 12/7. Very interesting.

quote:Let's see: korax123 (Michael Slanina) last posted on 12/5 and Shadow (Mike S.) joined on 12/7. Very interesting. Book 'Em, Danno

Definately leave mine on all the time. I think it looks really cool.

i'm a partial user depending on road conditions, ice fog or snow...i just purchased some yellow covers for them to make 'em true fogs and will be anxious to try them out when they arrive

I usually only use my foglights when it's dark, or at least dusk.I always turn them off for daytime driving.

silverawd, i ordered them from importequipment.com...ordered some other items too....waiting to see what their quality is like...the matrixowners.com clubmembers seem to like the work and quality of the products

quote:Man the cops are that bad there?????Oh Yeah! Some particular area police departments are known for pulling you over for going only 2-3 miles over the speed limit.. anywhere. These areas have speed traps set.. one minute you are going 50mph, then all of a sudden you have to go 25mph. It's crazy. That's the reason for my twilight sentinel concern.If what you are saying is true, then listen to this. When a speed limit drops as much as you indicate, there should be a warrning signs indicating reduced speed ahead with new speed. Then, the new sign should be placed.If they are not there then it should not be expected of a driver to slow down from like 50 to 25 mph. this would create unsafe conditions resulting in many rear end collisions. Making it short, it's a bad design.

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quote:If what you are saying is true, then listen to this. When a speed limit drops as much as you indicate, there should be a warrning signs indicating reduced speed ahead with new speed. Then, the new sign should be placed.If they are not there then it should not be expected of a driver to slow down from like 50 to 25 mph. this would create unsafe conditions resulting in many rear end collisions. Making it short, it's a bad design. I agree... One area in particular, they did have the "Reduced Speed Ahead" signs, but about 20 feet later, you hit the speed limit sign. Clearly not enough warning. After enough complaints, they did move the reduced speed sign ahead a little more, but it is still a highly targeted area.

Im not sure, but here goes.In California, you can only have fogs on if your headlights are on as well. So, if you run fogs without headlights, you could be cited.I think this is why they come hard wired to turn on only if your lights are on as well.Besides, they are called "fog lights", not "all the time lights". They are meant to be used to inclement weather or when you need the extra visibility for some reason. Running them all the time cause it "looks cool" is such a high school (or even junior high) answer.

quote:Do people dirve around at night with the fog lights on without the headlights?Yeah.. I see it alot around here. I'm pretty sure, if you get a stuck up cop, that they will pull you over for it too. Personally, if it is dark enough for headlights, that is what should be on... not just the foglights. All or nothing.

I find that driving towards a vehicle with the fogs on is almost as bad as them having their brights on. I've had truckers flash me because they find my fogs too bright. I can always tell when it is a Pontiac coming at me ... distinctive round fogs ... there are a lot of GA's & GP's around here.

Um call me juvinile but I have my 'fogs' on all the time only because I think it looks nifty. Also cuz of the if you can't beat them join them mentality... everyone else has them on so... ok not a good excuse but.. oh well Actually they're not really fog lights because they don't help in foggy weather. In fog you want a low focused beam thus generally the headlights must go off as their beam tends to leak upward illuminating the fog in front of the car... when this happens you loose your visibility. I therefore believe that these lights are just for show

I almost never use the fog lamps. They only light up just in front, real close. Most of the roads around here are two lane country highways, an I usually am looking a lot farther ahead than the fog lights. There have been some foggy nights where they offer some limited benefit. I'm thinking about changing them from white to yellow to see if that makes a difference in fog.During the day, it really doesn't matter. If you want to use them to look cool, that's fine. More power to you. At night, if you come at me with them on, it makes your lights almost as blinding as if you had your brights on. Since they don't help you see the road much at all, you're just indicating that you don't care if the oncoming traffic can see well or not. If we do a head-on, there'll be two less Vibes on the road.At least on the Vibe they're low. Some of those Canyoneros out there have them right at eye level.

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quote:Besides, they are called "fog lights", not "all the time lights". They are meant to be used to inclement weather or when you need the extra visibility for some reason. Running them all the time cause it "looks cool" is such a high school (or even junior high) answer.It's all a matter of personal preference. IMHO, that's like saying people who don't have DRL's, but put their headlights on all the time, are high-schoolish because they try to make themselves more visible.As for why they're not wired independently, here is my take. Federal law requires headlights on vehicles be a certain height off the road surface. Foglights fall below that minimum height requirement. Also, if the weather and/or visibility is poor enough, you should have your headlights on, no excuses. Stand-alone fog lights may be too low for your car to be properly identified by oncoming traffic, and it could be mistaken for any number of things. They also don't meet the federal regulations for how much of the area directly in front of the car must be lit. And the reason they don't do much in foggy weather is just that. It's foggy weather. You can't do much of anything in foggy weather -- it's a natural phenomenon that can't be defeated through light. It's water vapor in the air. Water molecules reflect and refract light, so you can make them any color, any brightness, but that won't change the light-altering properties of water vapor. It's the same thing as trying to shine a flashlight into a clear bucket of soup. Yeah, you can see parts of the light, but no matter how bright you make the light, or what color it is, you will never be able to see completely through the soup.They do, however, give me more light at night, which I think helps.And as for truckers flashing you if your fogs are on alone -- you better get them aimed, because if someone flashes you as a result of your fogs, that thing has to be waaaaay off. And if your low's are on too, then you need to get your lows aimed. The only thing you should ever be flashed for is high beams...or a cop hiding in the bushes ahead.

I leave the fog lmps all the time also. I like the look too, but it's just easier to leave them on all the time and let the Sentinal remember to do it for me(lazy (removed)). That is when the lenses aren't cracked and let moisture get in the casing! I don't know if I just got behind some bad sand trucks this winter but I have gone through two lenses this season. Anyone else have this problem?

Haven't had any problems with lens cracks...but they do seem to be spotted, stained, discolored, or marked, or something...and I can't seem to clean 'em...grrr....

I'm with Chris on this!Let's summarize:o They can't be used effectively as fog lights, because they come on only with low beams, and for REAL fog, you need the main beams off.o They light up the ground ~10 feet ahead, so they are worthless as driving lights.o Many people think it's pretentious profiling ("Hey! Look at me!") to drive around with them on in good weather.o At night, drivers who can barely count to four think you're on high beams and flash you.Therefore they are nothing but a non-functional "sporty image" styling feature

quote:Therefore they are nothing but a non-functional "sporty image" styling feature whoa...i love em! spending a lot of time of dark roads i will take any extra light i can get......now admittedly i dont remember how effective they were when they were stock (the first thing i did when i got my vibe was to put high-wattage bulbs in both the headlights and the fog lights) For my fog lights i used not only higher wattage bulbs but a yellow ion bulb to help cut fog a little better. That said....they are great...where the headlights illuminate far away the fog/driving lights illuminate directly in front of the vehicle and further to the immediate left and right of the vehicle too. for dark corners this is great...gives you much more vision of what you are turning in to. I do leave these lights on all the time at night.... i figure that with a quite a bit more left and right vision then if it helps me to see a deer of god forbid, a child just a little sooner then it is very worth while!!!!! and to those folks who were stepping on those who drive w/ the parking lights on all day and at the beginning of dusk......did you know that there are a number of vehicles that instead of having DRL's they automatically run the parking lights. therefore it is not fair to step on everybody that you see doing that....in fact there are a few mini-vans in my neighborhood that have no choice but to run parking lights if the headlights are not on (like during the daytime). they cant help it!!!