Can you get your Fog Lights to come on automatically?

cbacarisse · July 3, 2019

I've looked in the manual, but it only describes the button and indicator for the fog lights. I can't find a setting and I'm pretty unfamiliar with the nuances of GM vehicles. Is there a way to have the fog lights come on when the headlights come on.

They were automatic in my RAM, but not in my wife's Touareg.

jlong1984 · July 3, 2019

If I had the fog lamps on and I shut the truck down and come back within 20-30 minutes, say I needed to run in the store quickly, they will still be on when I start the truck up again. If I had them on the previous night, and come back out in the morning, they aren't and I have to hit the button again.

They remember they were on for some time period, I have no idea how long that period is though.

Wiggums · July 4, 2019

It shouldn't be automatic. It's on an as-needed-basis. I don't know about the U.S., but if you have fog lights on in Germany for no reason, it's a ticketable offence.

Cpl_Punishment · July 5, 2019

21 hours ago, Wiggums said:

It shouldn't be automatic. It's on an as-needed-basis. I don't know about the U.S., but if you have fog lights on in Germany for no reason, it's a ticketable offence.

Agreed. There are so many people driving around these days with their fog lights on for no reason that I started to wonder if auto manufacturers just got rid of the switches for them.

Wiggums · July 5, 2019

People just turn it on to let others know they have fog lights. It doesn't really help with nighttime viewing, it just bothers other people. I don't think I've ever turned on my fog lights in the past few years. I know I used it a lot more when I was in Germany though. Sometimes I'd forget it on and people would flash their lights to remind me to turn it off when the morning fog went away.

Absolutely no way would I want it on all the time. It should be on an as-needed basis.

Cpl_Punishment · July 5, 2019

49 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

People just turn it on to let others know they have fog lights. It doesn't really help with nighttime viewing, it just bothers other people. I don't think I've ever turned on my fog lights in the past few years. I know I used it a lot more when I was in Germany though. Sometimes I'd forget it on and people would flash their lights to remind me to turn it off when the morning fog went away.

Absolutely no way would I want it on all the time. It should be on an as-needed basis.

We've been getting terrible ice fog here in the winter much more in the past couple years than previously so I've had to use mine more, especially when going past all the refineries with all their steam leaks.

Mountain boy · July 23, 2019

The headlight beams are far reaching by design, fog lights are a short and fat beam should light up the sides of the road better and not be as reflective in fog. Driving lights are far reaching but more of a pinpoint. I use my fog lights quite a bit, I live in the country no street lights for 1, we do get a lot of fog 2, and maybe the most important we have a helluva lot of deer around here and they help see them before they jump in front of you from the side of the road. I see deer on my farm almost everyday.

cbacarisse · July 23, 2019

2 minutes ago, Mountain boy said:

The headlight beams are far reaching by design, fog lights are a short and fat beam should light up the sides of the road better and not be as reflective in fog. Driving lights are far reaching but more of a pinpoint. I use my fog lights quite a bit, I live in the country no street lights for 1, we do get a lot of fog 2, and maybe the most important we have a helluva lot of deer around here and they help see them before they jump in front of you from the side of the road. I see deer on my farm almost everyday.

Exactly. We have armadillo, raccoons, opossums, skunks, rabbits, deer, and alligators. I prefer to have at least a little warning before one darts in front of me.

oldmann · July 24, 2019

5 hours ago, Mountain boy said:

The headlight beams are far reaching by design, fog lights are a short and fat beam should light up the sides of the road better and not be as reflective in fog. Driving lights are far reaching but more of a pinpoint. I use my fog lights quite a bit, I live in the country no street lights for 1, we do get a lot of fog 2, and maybe the most important we have a helluva lot of deer around here and they help see them before they jump in front of you from the side of the road. I see deer on my farm almost everyday.

Agreed. They really add light out the sides of the headlight beam to the ditches to spot deer.