1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Fog lights on advanced = useless

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by Dmitriy Sokol, Feb 17, 2017.

  1. Dmitriy Sokol

    Dmitriy Sokol Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2017
    112
    108
    0
    Location:
    Annapolis, MD
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    Am I the only one who finds fog lights on Advances to be no more than a cosmetic touch? Maybe it's just my Prime, but I don't see how they contribute to lighting the road. I can barely notice that they are on/off.
     
  2. mr88cet

    mr88cet Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2008
    2,311
    1,335
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Have you had a chance to try them in actual fog?
     
  3. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,028
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I've never seen any fog lights that weren't useless.
     
  4. tf4624

    tf4624 Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2009
    526
    51
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I think they are LED. Suggest take them out and upgrade to 6k led or hid if you want them to be used like they were suppose to
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,024
    16,242
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    Story of the Prius. The Gen 2 are completely useless. The Gen 3 is almost useless (at least I can see it illuminate the curb).

    They're mostly cosmetic. My smart fortwo's foglights were pretty good.
     
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  6. iamvietdang

    iamvietdang Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2016
    57
    60
    0
    Location:
    West Palm Beach
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    Definitely cosmetic. They barely light up the road 5' in front of the car.


    2016 Prius 4T Premium Convenience Pkg
    2016 NX200t F Sport
     
  7. mr88cet

    mr88cet Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 9, 2008
    2,311
    1,335
    0
    Location:
    Austin, TX
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    Interesting... Fog is not common here in Austin (TX), but on my Gen-2, I found them to help on the rare occasions that we do get fog.
     
  8. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2006
    5,963
    1,985
    0
    Location:
    Edmonton Alberta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    It's not just the Prius fog lamps. It's every car in North America. You see, by law or regulation, if the fog lamps are on the headlamps must also be on. So the headlamps are blasting right back at your eyes reflected by the fog and the fog lamps do you no good. Further, it has been known for at least 100 years that proper "fog lamps" are yellow. It penetrates the fog better. I guess we've forgotten that now.

    However, they do look cool. That's probably what they were -actually- intended for anyway. ;)
     
  9. Prius Maximus

    Prius Maximus Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 3, 2004
    939
    795
    1
    Location:
    Northeastern IL
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Not sure about that law. My truck fog lamps can be on without the headlights. They actually help, but there is a bigger vertical separation between them and my sight line than in the Prius - or any sedan.

    More than the yellow color, the intent is to place the fog lamps below the fog layer to allow the light to shine down the road beneath the fog. Doesn't work well when the fog extends to the ground.
     
    xtins, dalcon95 and Dmitriy Sokol like this.
  10. Lee Jay

    Lee Jay Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2009
    5,850
    4,028
    0
    Location:
    Westminster, Colorado
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Advanced
    I have a gen 2, and I've never really been able to tell if the fog lights are on or not.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,671
    39,221
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yeah our Canadian touring 3rd gen fog lights are pretty much useless too. As you say, you can hardly tell if they're off or on.

    Our daughter's Pilot's fog lights are much more effective, in comparison.
     
  12. iamvietdang

    iamvietdang Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2016
    57
    60
    0
    Location:
    West Palm Beach
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Four Touring
    The only lower lights I've ever found useful are the ones that light up the curbs and close surroundings when you turn in a parking lot or at low speeds like what we have on our NX.


    2016 Prius 4T Premium Convenience Pkg
    2016 NX200t F Sport
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,024
    16,242
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I had it on during a fog episode in 2005. Made no difference.

    However, my Gen 3 is wired such that the fogs can be on with the parking lights (but the DRLs are still on). It worked a bit better in the blowing snow.

    The issue is the law that requires the low beams to be on when the foglights are on. The whole point of foglights is to illuminate from under the fog (that's why they're supposed to be mounted low on the vehicle. It's rare that fog will be so thick that it's 1" off the ground.... maybe in parts of the UK but rarely in North America AFAIK).

    The only way around that is if your vehicle uses the foglights as DRLs (but Canadian law requires them to be a bit higher up the bumper as they must be a certain height above the ground).
     
  14. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,557
    10,324
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    I agree for factory installed 'fog lights'. But the Honda accessory brochure add-ons (really Bosch Pilots) that I installed on my 1986 Accord were very useful, especially considering the awful headlights (standard singular rectangular USDOT-approved sealed beam of that era) that came on that car.

    I believe that problem here is that factory installed so-called 'fog lights' must be 50-state legal. Proper useful fog lights are (at most) 48-state legal.
     
  15. cproaudio

    cproaudio Speedlock Overrider

    Joined:
    Jul 7, 2010
    2,401
    760
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    On my 2010, I can tell when they're on because the incandescent fog light is different color than led headlights. They really help when one of the headlight is broken, not my Prius but on my Sienna. Fog lights are supposed to be yellow to be effective.
     
  16. xtins

    xtins New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2017
    26
    4
    0
    Location:
    US
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    It works for me, Long Island, NY. We get fog every year and they did worked for me, and I do notice when they're on or not. Prius Prime - Advance 2017.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,671
    39,221
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Was this a third gen you have the most fog light experience with?

    Have to say, I've hardly driven ours in fog, especially dense fog, and it's typically on well lit streets anyway, so hard to tell.
     
  18. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 23, 2016
    1,085
    711
    0
    Location:
    Washington, the state
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Advanced
    The mis-named fog lights are actually for lighting the sides of the road. The ones on my Prime do a little bit of that. Any of the so-called fog lights are a help on a dark wet or snowy road. None I've seen are any help in fog.
     
    Trollbait and fuzzy1 like this.
  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,671
    39,221
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    That's what I like them for. Those stretches of twisty road with no streetlights. They're not very good at that though.

    I'm assuming the prime fog lights are about the same as our 3rd gen.
     
  20. geguia

    geguia Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 21, 2016
    209
    108
    0
    Location:
    los angeles
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    im waiting for some aftermarket side marker LEDS for us non advanced owners.

    I also don't care for the look of the fog lights.