Volvo S40: Rear Fog Lights?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Macabre Tel Aviv
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Macabre Tel Aviv

I've just noticed that I only have a rear fog light on the drivers side.

On the passenger side there is no bulb and the opening for the bulb has
never been snapped out??

Should there be a fog light at both sides at the rear?
 
There should only be one light, and it should burn brighter than your tail
lights. This is so that there is not confusion with your tail/brake lights.
The rear fog light is really there so that people behind you can see that
there is something in front of them from a greater distance away.
 
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Macabre Tel Aviv said:
I've just noticed that I only have a rear fog light on the drivers
side.

On the passenger side there is no bulb and the opening for the bulb
has never been snapped out??

Should there be a fog light at both sides at the rear?
Click to expand...


There has been a lot of discussion about this in this NG in the past. The
perceived wisdom - or, at any rate, that subscribed to by Volvo - seems to
be that one fog light is safer than two since it is less likely to be
confused with stop lights.

My view is that this is cobblers - and that in foggy conditions, you need to
maximise the chance of being seen by drivers coming up behind. My 1999 V70
was supplied with only one working foglamp - but the other one was there,
complete with bulb. The only thing which prevented it from working was a
deliberate discontinuity in the conductor in the lamp assembly - which was
quite quickly remedied!

Regulations differ from country to country, so check before doing any
re-engineering. In the UK, it is legal to have either one or two rear fog
lamps - but if you have only one, it must be on the driver's side of the
centre-line of the vehicle.
 
Bonnet Lock said:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,



There has been a lot of discussion about this in this NG in the past. The
perceived wisdom - or, at any rate, that subscribed to by Volvo - seems to
be that one fog light is safer than two since it is less likely to be
confused with stop lights.
Click to expand...


I never understood that mentality, if someone thinks your brake lights are
on, they'll likely slow down and back off, rarely a bad idea, particularly
in fog. If you actually *do* hit the brakes then the additional brake lights
will come on and that will be readily apparent.
 
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Claudel said:
No
Rear fog is only one on the driver side
Click to expand...


Were you answering the question "Should there be a fog light at both sides
at the rear?"?

If so, there are two answers, depending on how you interpret the question.

1. Did Volvo intend there to be two fog lamps? NO

2. Does common sense dictate that there *should* be two fog lamps? YES
 
Bonnet Lock said:
2. Does common sense dictate that there *should* be two fog lamps? YES
Click to expand...

The argument in the USA is that two fog lamps would reduce the
effectiveness of the brake-lights. One fog lamp alerts people behind
that they are approaching a vehicle but does not give any clues as to
the distance.

Volvo actually puts two fog lights on all the cars I have seen. In the
USA market Volvo puts in a wiring harness that only goes to one of them
or uses a lamp fixture that does not power up the second one. Usually
the socket and power are there and a little creative wiring can get them
working very quickly. I have done this on 850s and V70s.
 
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Stephen Henning said:
The argument in the USA is that two fog lamps would reduce the
effectiveness of the brake-lights.
Click to expand...
Yes, I've heard the argument. I just don't accept it!
Volvo actually puts two fog lights on all the cars I have seen. In
the USA market Volvo puts in a wiring harness that only goes to one
of them or uses a lamp fixture that does not power up the second one.
Usually the socket and power are there and a little creative wiring
can get them working very quickly. I have done this on 850s and V70s.
Click to expand...

Precisely what I did on my (UK) 1999 V70.
 
"The argument in the USA is that two fog lamps would reduce the
effectiveness of the brake-lights.
Click to expand...
Yes, I've heard the argument. I just don't accept it!"

Oldsmobile has twin rear fog lamps on the big Aurora.... OLDSMOBILE! One of
the original American car companies.

They are mounted in the rear bumper, below the main lighting clusters, but
even so there are two.... And they're really bright.
 
Oldsmobile has twin rear fog lamps on the big Aurora.... OLDSMOBILE! One of
the original American car companies.

They are mounted in the rear bumper, below the main lighting clusters, but
even so there are two.... And they're really bright.
Click to expand...

And lots of Aurora drivers use them when there is no fog.
 
one fog light is better than two...imho...

less confusing, folks see something different and
take notice.....one could "trigger" the wrong
response by having two lights, and be mistaken
for brakes...
one solid, brighter than normal fog light is my
vote......
 
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
one fog light is better than two...imho...

less confusing, folks see something different and
take notice.....one could "trigger" the wrong
response by having two lights, and be mistaken
for brakes...
one solid, brighter than normal fog light is my
vote......
Click to expand...

But the purpose of rear fog lamps is to help you realise that you are coming
up behind another vehicle earlier than if it just had tail lights. Whether
you see fog lights or brake lights really doesn't matter - the more the
merrier!
 
not "the more mrrier"...hells bells, it isnt supposed
to look like a xmas tree presentation, one, bright
light is adaquate "extra warning"...indicating something
"is up"...
 
one fog light is better than two...imho...

less confusing, folks see something different and
take notice.....one could "trigger" the wrong
response by having two lights, and be mistaken
for brakes...
one solid, brighter than normal fog light is my
vote......
Click to expand...

Yeah, unusual like one brake light being burned out, I don't see how this is
any less confusing.
 
Rob Guenther said:
Oldsmobile has twin rear fog lamps on the big Aurora.... OLDSMOBILE! One of
the original American car companies.
Click to expand...

In case you haven't heard, Olds and dinosaurs have something in common,
they are both extinct.

Maybe you should say Olds had ...
 
Stephen Henning said:
In case you haven't heard, Olds and dinosaurs have something in common,
they are both extinct.

Maybe you should say Olds had ...
Click to expand...


Not that it matters, Olds has been part of GM for many decades now, the
original Oldsmobile company has been extinct since around WWII.
 
James Sweet said:
Not that it matters, Olds has been part of GM for many decades now, the
original Oldsmobile company has been extinct since around WWII.
Click to expand...
His point is that GM is shutting down Olds forever
 
James Sweet said:
Not that it matters, Olds has been part of GM for many decades now, the
original Oldsmobile company has been extinct since around WWII.
Click to expand...

In 1895, Ransom Eli Olds and Frank Clark built their first self
contained gasoline-powered carriage.

In 1897, the Olds Motor Vehicle Company was formed 8/21/1897.

In 1900, the name Oldsmobile adopted in a "Name the Car" contest.

In 1901, Olds Motor Works created the first assembly line.

Ford's claim to fame was that he added a moving conveyor to the assembly
line. Olds just rolled the car to the next stage in the line.

In 1905, R. E. Olds forms the REO Motor Vehicle Co.

In 1908 Oldsmobile becomes part of General Motors Corporation.
Oldsmobile was the second brand to become part of General Motors. Olds
Motor Works, joined GM in November 1908, two months after Buick.

R. E. Olds retained REO and that company stopped making cars in 1936 but
continued for some time as a truck manufacturer.

Olds was the first company to mass produce gasoline-powered automobiles,
mass producing the Olds' Curved Dash automobile in 1901.

Oldsmobile was the first to use chrome decoration on its cars. In 1926,
the shiny metal plating was used on Olds radiator shells.

Olds had the first cars with a fully automatic transmission, the
Hydra-Matic, which debuted in 1940 models.

The Oldsmobile line became GMs vanguard, its coolest brand. Steel
wheels, hydraulic brakes, independent front-wheel suspension, the first
4-door hardtop, Autronic Eye, air conditioning, four-barrel carburetors,
front-wheel drive and even the first airbags were introduced by
Oldsmobile.


Once GM began sharing components, and virtually entire cars, among
different brands, Oldsmobile began to suffer from a loss of identity.

The last Olds, a Special Edition Alero, which bore special logos and
certificates of authenticity, rolled off the assembly line at 10 AM
Thursday, April 29, 2004, in Lansing, the same city where the brand was
born over 106 years earlier.
 
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