Foglight, mot and the law help

[DiscoAnt]

Just got a HD bumper but my OEM bumper had front fogs. Am I right in thinking I don't need these for MOT and the law etc or do I have to have them as they was fitted as stock.

Second one, If I get a set of spot lamps and fit to the top of the bumper between the grill like a lot of of other landys. Can they be used on the road in fog conditions legally as the oem ones can that would normally be below the bumper. Just so I know because I will wire them into the Oem sockets so they come on with the fog lights to save time.

 

[bankz5152]

Sorry I canr help, would like to know about the legality of bumper spot lights too.

 

[muscrat]

Hi i don't know about the legal side of vehicle lighting but i do know fog or spot lights mounted so high up on your bumper will be next to useless in fog , they are normally mounted low down because fog hovers just above the road and not on it and fog lights light the road under the fog and not reflect off it, for the mot basically if they are not fitted they can't test them but spot or driving lamps should be wired to come on and extinguish with your main beam hope this helps.

 

[fanatic]

my vw the front fogs are in headlights

 

[mick 1986]

Search on google for vehicle lighting regulations, I think it's 1988 or something around that year. Find the bit about fog lights, and then mount them in accordance with the dimensions in the act. From memory, the outside edge of the light can't be more than 150mm from the outside edge of the vehicle body. Mine are just past this, so I wired them up as off road lights.

 

[timtheenchanteruk]

Front fogs ain't even checked, fitted or not, I know this as my last motor had them, and I had removed one cos the lens broke, stuck it in for the MOT to see what else it would fail on, and it passed.
When I asked, he said front fogs are not on the MOT, as long as theres no sharp edges from broken lenses etc.

 

[Jongould]

Front fogs ain't even checked, fitted or not, I know this as my last motor had them, and I had removed one cos the lens broke, stuck it in for the MOT to see what else it would fail on, and it passed.
When I asked, he said front fogs are not on the MOT, as long as theres no sharp edges from broken lenses etc.

/\ This /\

Front fogs are not part of the MOT, there is no legal requierment for them. If fitted to be classed as fogs they need to conform to the relevant build regs but if they dont they become 'driving lights' instead. If I was you I would utalise the original wiring and make your new front lights work on the old front fog switch as you suggested, its will keep things nice and tidy...

 

[DiscoAnt]

Thanks for the help guys.

 

[JohnnyCrash]

If they are fitted they must work!

But if removed then all is good! As you can’t test something that isn’t there!!

This of course only applies to the front fogs! all UK cars from sometime in the 70s or 80can't remember when must have a working rear fog lamp

 

[Jongould]

If they are fitted they must work!

But if removed then all is good! As you can’t test something that isn’t there!!

This of course only applies to the front fogs! all UK cars from sometime in the 70s or 80can't remember when must have a working rear fog lamp

Nope, not the case at all, they are not tested wether they are fitted or not.

 

[Bobdog]

If they are fitted they must work!

But if removed then all is good! As you can’t test something that isn’t there!!

This of course only applies to the front fogs! all UK cars from sometime in the 70s or 80can't remember when must have a working rear fog lamp

not true- my disco passed its MOT yesterday with no advisories. its an ES with front fogs and only one of them works due to dodgy wiring (bulbs keep blowing)

 

[ricc]

fair bit of bollocks on this thread
facts are
front fogs arnt tested for mot.
spots wired to fog light switch are illegal for on road use.... spots have to turn off on the dip switch


imho fogs that only turn on with dipped headlights are a waste of time.... you still get the reflected glare from the headlights. to see where youre going. in fog you need low mounted flat beam fog lights and nothing else brighter than sidelights. if fog lights are low enough to be usefull in fog you will knock them off off road.
30 years ago dipped beams scattered light, so fog lights run with side lights were useful. modern headlights are designed better so dipped beams have a sharper cut off which is adequate except for the rare occasions when its extreemly foggy.

 

[Jongould]

fair bit of bollocks on this thread
facts are
front fogs arnt tested for mot.
spots wired to fog light switch are illegal for on road use.... spots have to turn off on the dip switch


imho fogs that only turn on with dipped headlights are a waste of time.... you still get the reflected glare from the headlights. to see where youre going. in fog you need low mounted flat beam fog lights and nothing else brighter than sidelights. if fog lights are low enough to be usefull in fog you will knock them off off road.
30 years ago dipped beams scattered light, so fog lights run with side lights were useful. modern headlights are designed better so dipped beams have a sharper cut off which is adequate except for the rare occasions when its extreemly foggy.

Agreed, but there is NO legal implication to utalising the fog switch for spot lights, the switch is a redundant accessory switch that can be used for whatever you want it to be used for.

You are right that driving lights need to be switched with the full beam to be classed as driving lights but for off road use you can have it wired anyway you want. For road use they need to switch with the healights but this isnt always good for off roading as you use your dip pattern for close in lighting and the spots for extended lighting, having them wired to switch wouldn't allow you to do this...

As for the fog light bit, totally agree that they are useless on a 4x4 as they need to be so low you will lose them. You can get 'soft light' lights, the yellow tinted ones that work better in foggy conditions but then they are pretty crap all other times...

 

[JohnnyCrash]

fair bit of bollocks on this thread
facts are
front fogs arnt tested for mot.
spots wired to fog light switch are illegal for on road use.... spots have to turn off on the dip switch


imho fogs that only turn on with dipped headlights are a waste of time.... you still get the reflected glare from the headlights. to see where youre going. in fog you need low mounted flat beam fog lights and nothing else brighter than sidelights. if fog lights are low enough to be usefull in fog you will knock them off off road.
30 years ago dipped beams scattered light, so fog lights run with side lights were useful. modern headlights are designed better so dipped beams have a sharper cut off which is adequate except for the rare occasions when its extreemly foggy.

Ok, but was only quoting from past experience, I took a classic mini that had 2 spots 2 fogs across the grille for MOT

but none of the lights were wired up (just not got round to it) and was advised at the time any lights fitted must be working lights, maybe he was hoping I'd pay him to wire them up??? :scratching_chin: I just took them off and put in the boot lol

 

[bencorkill]

From my understanding of it any lights that are to be used on the road have to be correctly angled ? :s i thought if spots come on with main beam it would be a MOT failure ? I have wired mine to come on with high beam but i also have a kill switch that cuts them off the circuit if that makes sense ?

 

[oxides]

Clearly front fogs are not compulsory - many cars don't have them, my wife's Subaru doesn't but the dip cutoff is so good they're unnecessary. Spots should be wired so they only come on with the main beam - that's fairly understandable. Round my way, fogs are used to see where you're going 'cos one of the dip beams is usually out!

 

[Jongould]

From my understanding of it any lights that are to be used on the road have to be correctly angled ? :s i thought if spots come on with main beam it would be a MOT failure ? I have wired mine to come on with high beam but i also have a kill switch that cuts them off the circuit if that makes sense ?

There is no pattern for a full beam light, you can have as much light as you want for full beam, its only dipped that are measured for a pattern and intensity. Having extra lights on full beam is not an MOT failure, you can have as many as you want for full beam as long when switched they all switch off and leave just a pair of switched dips (and sidelights)

 

[bencorkill]

There is no pattern for a full beam light, you can have as much light as you want for full beam, its only dipped that are measured for a pattern and intensity. Having extra lights on full beam is not an MOT failure, you can have as many as you want for full beam as long when switched they all switch off and leave just a pair of switched dips (and sidelights)

Ah okay thats good to know, so full beam you can do whatever the heck you can fit and or power basically haha

 

[Jongould]

Ah okay thats good to know, so full beam you can do whatever the heck you can fit and or power basically haha

Pretty much, remember though every set of lights adds more power drain and will need beefier wiring, unless you go for CREE LED lights which is the way I would do it...

 

[bencorkill]

Well im like this already