Installation of fog lights - correct installation and connection

Fog lights and lights

This type of light source is part of the overall vehicle lighting system. Lighting equipment is designed for more intense illumination of the road at night, as well as in bad weather, when the visible distance is insufficient for safe movement. This system includes:

• Headlights, taillights and brake lights.
• Car showroom lighting, glove compartment lighting, luggage compartment lighting.
• Front fog lights and rear fog lights.
• Illumination of registration plates and information control panel instruments.

Denso spark plugs

It is officially reported that the country of manufacture of Denso products (by the way, is part of the Toyota Group) is Japan (Wikipedia). However, it is reliably known that they produce their products not only there, but also in some European countries (Turkey, Poland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia), as well as in Asia (including China and Taiwan ).

Current and popular models

According to our research, the most popular Denso spark plugs are the k20tt (catalog number 4604), k16tt (catalog number 4603), ik20 (5304), W20EPR-U (3047) and their modification W20EPR-U11 (3049).

Current range of Denso spark plugs:

As a comparison, let's take ordinary nickel spark plugs (Denso Nickel TT) and iridium spark plugs (Denso Iridium Power) from the middle price category.

Types of foglights

According to traffic regulations, the use of fog lights is officially permitted; many manufacturers equip factory-produced cars with fog lights. But many universal types are also produced by third-party companies. By type there are:

• Front fog lights;
• Rear fog lights.

The design features differ in the source of light used. Common types of fog lights:

• Halogen. Relatively inexpensive light sources, in demand among car enthusiasts. The disadvantages include the short service life of the lamps. During intensive use, they require frequent replacement;
• Xenon. The characteristics of the light spectrum are better than those of halogen lamps. They work long enough. The price is quite high;
• LED fog lights. The highest price category. Lamps with excellent light beam. They have a long service life. Lamps are prone to overheating. Requires fairly good ventilation.

How to determine the visibility limit?

The use of fog lights is strictly regulated by traffic regulations. Poor visibility of the roadway is when the visibility to the car in front is less than 300 meters at dusk, as well as in a situation where it is raining, foggy or snowing heavily. How can you tell by eye in bad weather that visibility is limited? It is necessary to count the power line supports that are installed along the road. If less than 6 pieces are visible, then the view is difficult and is less than 300 meters. The distance between the pillars is fifty meters. In such conditions, it is necessary to reduce the speed of the vehicle and be extremely careful.

When are fog lights used?

According to standard No. 19.4 of the Traffic Regulations, front fog lights are designed for additional illumination of the roadway at night or when dusk falls, together with headlight devices. Use is permitted in unlit areas or in conditions of limited visibility caused by weather conditions. And also as running lights, instead of low beam, according to paragraph No. 19.5, during the day. A detailed explanation of traffic rules and GOST can be read in this article: https://businessman.ru/new-dnevnoj-xodovoj-ogon-razyasnenie-gost-i-pdd.html. Separate regulations apply to the operation of rear lights. When according to traffic regulations do you turn on the fog lights installed at the rear of the car? Rear fog lights are intended only for additional identification of the vehicle in conditions of poor visibility: fog, snowfall, heavy rain, etc. Turning on in normal situations is prohibited.

Carrying out marking

To correctly mark, you need to drive up to the wall, approximately 2 m, and then place the center of the axes on it, after which you need to drive back about 7 m. After these actions, the points that mark the center of each optical element must be connected with a line that subsequently supplemented by another, vertical segment. This segment is connected to a point indicating the central part of the car. In addition, you will need to draw another segment that will connect the central points of the optics; it should be located slightly lower, about 5-7 cm.

Scheme for marking

After the marking is completed, you can begin to adjust the low or high beam lighting

Turn on the low beam, you need to achieve the correct beam - to do this, carefully tighten the adjustment bolts located in the engine compartment, on the back of the optics. The best option would be to position the light beam below the center point; the combined optics can be adjusted in the same way

In the event that the high and low beams are not combined, the adjustment must be made separately, in which case the markings will be different. The principle of setting up the low beam with your own hands is identical, but as for the high beam, in this case the light beam should fall on the center of the marking itself. Of course, if you do not have a device or stand, the result will be less accurate than using equipment.

Installation

It is worth paying attention to the correct installation of additional lighting sources. Installation of fog lights according to traffic regulations in Russia has some features and limitations:

• The emitted light should be in the milky white spectrum or have a bright yellow color.
• Installation of only paired directional light sources is permitted. The type of lamp used must be of the same type.
• Installation of an additional device is possible no higher than the level of stationary car headlights. The lowest point should be higher than 25 centimeters from the surface of the roadway.
• According to the dimensions of the vehicle, the separation cannot exceed 40 cm (for a vehicle width of 1.3 m) and 60 cm (for others).
• The connection of the fog lights must be connected to a separate toggle switch.
• The angle of the emitted light beam should be between -10 and +15 degrees vertical.
• The horizontal angle should be between -10 and +45 degrees.

The rules do not regulate the exact installation location.

Rear fog lights

It is prohibited to connect rear fog lights together with brake lights. It is also not allowed to turn on the rear fog lights if the overall visibility is equal to or higher than 300 meters. Such restrictions have objective reasons. The brightness of the rear fog light sources is the maximum of all the lights present in the rear of the vehicle. They are even brighter than brake lights. With sufficient visibility in normal weather conditions, they cause blinding of drivers behind the cars. It is also strictly unacceptable to combine the buttons for turning on and off the front and rear fog lights.

Is it possible to challenge

If the offender does not agree with the imposed sanctions, then he has the opportunity to appeal the fine in the district court or directly by contacting the traffic police.

A fine for violating the use of external lighting devices, as well as other penalties from the traffic police, must be contested no later than 10 days from the date of receipt of the penalty receipt or signing of the protocol.

You can challenge sanctions after 10 days only if during this time the driver:

• was undergoing mandatory inpatient treatment;
• was on a business trip and did not have the opportunity to send a written complaint to the court via Russian Post;
• the driver was caring for a seriously ill relative.

A complaint form is available.

Other situations are not considered a valid reason in court proceedings, even if the driver simply did not know about the existence of the fine or did not receive a receipt for payment.

So, you can appeal the decision of the traffic police officer if:

• visibility of the roadway was insufficient due to fog or other weather conditions, and the use of closed-circuit vehicle was necessary.
• the offense occurred because the driver wanted to avoid an accident and a collision with another car.

In addition to a written application for an appeal, you will need to provide an argument for one of the reasons why the offense was committed.

Weather reports, photo or video recordings on the road, or witness testimony can be used as evidence that the driver is right.

Thus, the unlawful use of light sources can cause not only a fine, but also the cause of an emergency. However, if there was no danger, the traffic police inspector may limit himself to a verbal warning.

To avoid such incidents, it is necessary to follow traffic rules and standards for the use of light sources.

Additional LED lights

What do the regulations say about installing LED fog lights?
To answer this question, let's start with the main headlights. Is it possible to change the headlight bulbs recommended by the manufacturer to xenon or LEDs? Traffic regulations give a precise answer: if the manufacturer recommends or could install non-halogen light diffusers on the conveyor for a specific car model, then “upgrading” is permissible. To put it simply, everything that is included in the vehicle configuration is permissible, everything that is not provided is prohibited. If you simply replace halogen lamps with LED fog lamps, then due to the design features of the headlight (the diffuser lens only works correctly with the lamp intended for it), there will be almost no good effect. The headlights will, of course, emit more light, but the beam formation will be incorrect. It will not be possible to achieve the desired result without replacing the headlights themselves, except for blinding oncoming drivers.

All the same rules apply to fog lights with LEDs. The installation of fog lights not provided by the manufacturer according to the traffic rules (Article No. 12, paragraph No. 5) provides for punishment. It is illegal to operate a vehicle with lights that are not designed for a specific model. Will lead to deprivation of a driver's license for a period of 6 to 12 months with confiscation of light sources.

Photos provided by the Internet agency "DreamTrade"

Self-adjustment

To adjust the light yourself, you do not need to have special equipment. To carry out the work you will need:

• handy tools,
• pre-serviced and prepared car,
• adjustment diagram.

Necessary equipment and facilities

To perform the setup you will need the following tools:

• roulette,
• marker,
• building level,
• screwdriver or hexagon depending on the car model,
• clean rag.

A device for adjusting headlights is expensive; you can find it in specialized workshops. Self-correction is no different from professional adjustment, but takes a little longer. To carry out the adjustment, you should choose a warm evening without wind or precipitation.

With the help of adjustments, you can either improve the light of the headlights or worsen it. Negative consequences arise only if the instructions are not followed and the diagram is constructed incorrectly.

Preparing the car

To adjust the light, you need to prepare the car. To do this you need to follow the steps:

1. Inflate the tires according to the instructions on the placard located on the driver's door pillar.
2. Clear luggage compartment.
3. Fill a full tank of fuel.
4. Wash the body in a car wash.
5. Place the car on a flat area in front of the wall, garage door at a distance of 5 meters.
6. Rock the body to relax the springs and shock absorbers.
7. Open the hood and wipe the optics with a cloth.
8. Set the corrector to the zero position.

Marking

The adjustment diagram will help you set the correct angle and check the area of ​​the cut-off strip. The marks are made using a marker and are suitable for adjusting the light of reflector and lens headlights.