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opengl
Sep 16, 2010

The_Raven posted:

I would love to start a public service campaign reminding people to turn off their "douche light", or rear fog light.



I'm a pretty laid-back guy when it comes to people pulling stupid poo poo on the road, but being behind people running these things just makes me stabby as gently caress. Goddamnit, just looking at this picture in preview is pissing me off.

Yeah I see it all the drat time, drives me crazy. I figure its mainly because rear fogs are relatively rare in the US, so most of the time people who have them don't even know they have them or that they are on. Not an excuse, but most likely what is happening.

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Fo3
Feb 14, 2004

RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)

rscott posted:

I drive a low rear end E30 and it seems like every 3rd vehicle is a lifted bro truck here in Kansas. I HATE driving at night because of this. I have lovely night vision as it is and all the lights shining directly into my eyes or worse through my back window and into my rear view mirror drives me nuts. I'm sure the glare and poo poo from all the rock chips in my wind shield aren't doing me any favors in this regard but still, god drat.

I understand the rest, but rear vision mirrors normally have a one touch switch to adjust it so lights from behind don't bother you, and have had that feature for a long long time.
Like The_Raven said, bright rear fog lights from the car in front are a bigger issue.

slurry_curry
Nov 26, 2003
<3mini-moni+animu^_^

Mat_Drinks posted:

Why don't y'all come down to West Seattle? We all float down here! :cb:

West Seattle is pretty awesome, until you have to go anywhere that is not West Seattle.

rscott
Dec 10, 2009

Fo3 posted:

I understand the rest, but rear vision mirrors normally have a one touch switch to adjust it so lights from behind don't bother you, and have had that feature for a long long time.
Like The_Raven said, bright rear fog lights from the car in front are a bigger issue.

Hi my car was made in 1986

slurry_curry
Nov 26, 2003
<3mini-moni+animu^_^

rscott posted:

Hi my car was made in 1986

You know that little tab on the bottom of your rear view mirror? That is what I believe he is referencing, and cars have had those since the 60's.

rscott
Dec 10, 2009

Negromancer posted:

You know that little tab on the bottom of your rear view mirror? That is what I believe he is referencing, and cars have had those since the 60's.

:psypop:

I legit did not know this

thebigcow
Jan 3, 2001

Bully!

rscott posted:

:psypop:

I legit did not know this

Still irritating when they're right behind you and somehow filling up all three mirrors.

Viggen
Sep 10, 2010

by XyloJW

thebigcow posted:

Still irritating when they're right behind you and somehow filling up all three mirrors.

Thats when you, with a car newer than 1986, hit the Memory X position on your seat, which causes it to tilt the mirrors outward, and upward, toward, but not completely blinding THEIR line of vision. <:smug:>

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


thebigcow posted:

Still irritating when they're right behind you and somehow filling up all three mirrors.

Your side mirrors aren't adjusted far enough out.

Sit in the drivers seat, rest your head against the side window, adjust the driver side mirror so you can just barely see the side of your car. Then put your head right in the middle of the car and adjust the passenger side mirror so you can just barely see the side of the car.

You should now have a continuous rear view through the side mirrors and rear view mirror with very little overlap, and significantly reduced blind spots.

Jonny 290
May 5, 2005



[ASK] me about OS/2 Warp

West SAAB Story posted:

Thats when you, with a car newer than 1986, hit the Memory X position on your seat, which causes it to tilt the mirrors outward, and upward, toward, but not completely blinding THEIR line of vision. <:smug:>

Exactly. 3 memory seat settings on my 5'er, and they are 1: Normal position, 2: checkin' my hair, and 3: blindin' the jerkwad behind me. I think most newer cars have the auto-darkening rear view mirrors, though, so I stress less about it these days.

Are rear fogs really that vicious? Was thinking of hooking mine up.

DJ Commie
Feb 29, 2004

Stupid drivers always breaking car, Gronk fix car...

Jonny 290 posted:

Exactly. 3 memory seat settings on my 5'er, and they are 1: Normal position, 2: checkin' my hair, and 3: blindin' the jerkwad behind me. I think most newer cars have the auto-darkening rear view mirrors, though, so I stress less about it these days.

Are rear fogs really that vicious? Was thinking of hooking mine up.

They actually detract from good low-beam vision because they illuminate the hell out of the near field. Honestly, you have n vision and adding to the close light will detract from the ability to see distance.

Viggen
Sep 10, 2010

by XyloJW

DJ Commie posted:

They actually detract from good low-beam vision because they illuminate the hell out of the near field. Honestly, you have n vision and adding to the close light will detract from the ability to see distance.

That's when you kick on the fogs. :haw:

atomicthumbs
Dec 26, 2010


We're in the business of extending man's senses.

Jonny 290 posted:

Are rear fogs really that vicious? Was thinking of hooking mine up.

They have two functions: keeping people from running into you in really dense fog, and being/blinding jerks. If you have need for one of the two, go right ahead!

(I was browsing a Swedish Volvo parts site to inspire mild envy, and one of the things they had available was an HID kit for the rear fog lights. I cannot imagine the kind of person who installs that.)

InterceptorV8
Mar 9, 2004

Loaded up and trucking.We gonna do what they say cant be done.

West SAAB Story posted:

Thats when you, with a car newer than 1986, hit the Memory X position on your seat, which causes it to tilt the mirrors outward, and upward, toward, but not completely blinding THEIR line of vision. <:smug:>

I do that with my big truck all the time. I can always tell when I hit them in the eyes because they slam on their brakes. You'd be surprised at how many can't figure out they are blinding themselves.

Viggen
Sep 10, 2010

by XyloJW

InterceptorV8 posted:

You'd be surprised at how many can't figure out they are blinding themselves.

Not really.. I've been to Ferntucky before.

InterceptorV8
Mar 9, 2004

Loaded up and trucking.We gonna do what they say cant be done.

West SAAB Story posted:

Not really.. I've been to Ferntucky before.

Oh this is much more out in the great wide open. Massholes/New Yorkers seem to be the most common, followed by Californians. Retards from Nevada forget to turn off their minepit flashers and drive around blinking green lights.

IOwnCalculus
Apr 2, 2003





opengl128 posted:

Yeah I see it all the drat time, drives me crazy. I figure its mainly because rear fogs are relatively rare in the US, so most of the time people who have them don't even know they have them or that they are on. Not an excuse, but most likely what is happening.

Guaranteed. They bump the switch or hit it trying to figure out what it does, and never think about looking at the back of their car, so they just drive around blissfully blinding everyone.

I've yet to meet someone in real life who actually knows what a rear fog light is... not that it's a conversation I have often :v:

Viggen
Sep 10, 2010

by XyloJW

InterceptorV8 posted:

Oh this is much more out in the great wide open. Massholes/New Yorkers seem to be the most common, followed by Californians.

Do the needful, goon sir. :patriot:

IOwnCalculus posted:

I've yet to meet someone in real life who actually knows what a rear fog light is... not that it's a conversation I have often :v:

I had to train some people in a redneck Scandinavian shop exactly what that button was for. A few times.

InterceptorV8
Mar 9, 2004

Loaded up and trucking.We gonna do what they say cant be done.

West SAAB Story posted:

Do the needful, goon sir. :patriot:


I had to train some people in a redneck Scandinavian shop exactly what that button was for. A few times.

Did you also have to give them a lesson on how to correctly say "SAAB"?

Viggen
Sep 10, 2010

by XyloJW

InterceptorV8 posted:

Did you also have to give them a lesson on how to correctly say "SAAB"?

Nah. Just took a few beers and they were on their way..

Disgruntled Bovine
Jul 5, 2010

The_Raven posted:

I would love to start a public service campaign reminding people to turn off their "douche light", or rear fog light.

I'm a pretty laid-back guy when it comes to people pulling stupid poo poo on the road, but being behind people running these things just makes me stabby as gently caress. Goddamnit, just looking at this picture in preview is pissing me off.

I've got a douche light and I've never actually used it, but now that you mention it I'm tempted to try it out on people who tailgate me at night. That said it's probably a bad idea, they'll just be blinded and sideswipe me on their way off the road.

What really annoys me though is my headlights. I have a Volvo S60R and since the US has a DRL requirement and most of europe didn't (doesn't?) Volvo decided that instead of fitting another bulb for DRLs inside the headlamp assembly they would swap the high beams out for DRLs and motorize the standard beams to sweep upward for high beams and downward for low beams. As a result I have awful high beams. You can get euro-spec headlights that fix the problem but they cost over $1000 EACH (the S60R's headlights are glass) and are apparently a real bitch to install.

Oh Volvo. At least I can't complain that my car lacks character.

On a related note, there really needs to be a law against raising vehicles and not adjusting the headlights accordingly. For that matter, most stock SUVs and pickups seem to have their headlights pointed directly in my back window, while my headlights barely kiss the bumper of someone 20 feet in front of me.

Binge
Feb 23, 2001

I work at the DMV, and I'm honestly amazed at the amount of people who don't know what the VIN is for their car, nor could they pick it out on a small registration stub. Maybe that's harsh, but it's the pickup driving, CDL holding guys that I want to look at and say "really?" You don't know where or what your VIN is? Grandma with her 96 corolla doesn't know which number is the VIN, that's cool, love to help. Guy that's owned 12 vehicles in the last 10 years, and drives dump trucks for a living giving me a blank stare when I ask them to fill it in from their title, they're the best.

BrokenKnucklez
Apr 22, 2008

by zen death robot
Even owning my Range Rover I still get the dumb rear end bro trucks that still some how manage to get their lights pointed right in my god drat mirrors.

And I am driving a large-ish SUV. loving Omaha people, they are obsessed with rolling coal, stacks, HIDzzzz and stick on fender vents.

You Am I
May 20, 2001

Me @ your poasting

Jonny 290 posted:

Are rear fogs really that vicious? Was thinking of hooking mine up.
Rear fog lights would be the only reason I'd own a BB gun so I could shoot them out

Geoj
May 28, 2008

BITTER POOR PERSON

Jonny 290 posted:

Are rear fogs really that vicious? Was thinking of hooking mine up.

Try getting stuck behind a car that has one on for about five miles. Its like the brake lights being on constantly.

Sviatoslav
Feb 9, 2010
I put in an additional fog light on the right side of my 855, so if someone is riding my rear end I flip the rear fogs and it looks like I'm break checking them. It works like 40% of the time... which is better than nothing.

I work at an independent Swedish car shop. One of the first things I look for when I do my initial inspection is check if they have their rear fog on. If they do I turn it off. I've slowly and surely been waging a war against rear fogs left on.

Salami Surgeon
Jan 21, 2001

Don't close. Don't close.


Nap Ghost

KozmoNaut posted:

Your side mirrors aren't adjusted far enough out.

Sit in the drivers seat, rest your head against the side window, adjust the driver side mirror so you can just barely see the side of your car. Then put your head right in the middle of the car and adjust the passenger side mirror so you can just barely see the side of the car.

You should now have a continuous rear view through the side mirrors and rear view mirror with very little overlap, and significantly reduced blind spots.

That is about what the SAE recommends, and Car and Driver has a good visual. The lean method gets you close but it's not perfect. I like to adjust at stoplights and in parking lots so I can see a car next to me in 2 different mirrors or 1 mirror and a window.

Even when they'll all adjusted properly, people will blind me through 1 mirror with their lovely eBay headlights. It's unavoidable.

Jared592
Jan 23, 2003
JARED NUMBERS: BACK IN ACTION
Convinced a friend not to put a cheap HID kit in his new Civic Si, and instead just go for some higher-output bulbs. You're welcome.

kastein
Aug 31, 2011

Moderator at http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/and soon to be mod of AI. MAKE AI GREAT AGAIN. Motronic for VP.
I got road raged by some dipshit in a lovely 90s caddy with terrible HIDs (which were blinding me via the rearview) tonight so I "beat" him and then let him win and used him as a rolling radar sponge while he did everything in his power to stay in front of me.

Sadly none of the usual locations had speed traps :sigh: really had my hopes up for that.

Feeding the bears, one douchebag at a time :haw: for some reason guys in ratty cars with crappy HIDs always want to race, so I let them soak up radar on my commute as often as I can.

Splizwarf
Jun 15, 2007
It's like there's a soup can in front of me!
Worth noting that in my Volvo owner's manual, it specifically states in caps that the use of the rear fog switch is completely illegal in the US (circa 1989), and that they were left on the car as vestigial organs to be used only in situations where you are significantly more worried about immediate death than getting a ticket.

I've used them in heavy downpours occasionally, whenever the visibility is under ~25 feet or so. I try to avoid using them, not because I am worried about blinding people (although that's a fine secondary concern), but because they're so loving bright that I am actually really worried they'll melt the housings if I leave them on for too long.

It's like burning part of the ship to fuel the boiler. :3:

Galler
Jan 28, 2008


After I reinstalled the headlight assembly on my bike I did a half-rear end aim on the garage door but forgot to do a final one after it warmed up. Thanks to this thread I just now went and aimed it according to the very precise (German) instructions in the manual. It was slightly off but not blindy. Need to do the same thing on the Fit but the lights on it look pretty close and aren't really capable of blinding anyone so :effort:

I didn't know rear fog lights were a thing, which I guess isn't surprising since I live in the USA, but it wouldn't make much of a difference since hardly anyone turns on any of their lights anyway. Heavy rain/dense fog/night time/whatever they aren't watching the road enough to notice they can't see it or realize no one can see them.

InitialDave
Jun 14, 2007

I Want To Believe.
Rear fog lights are installed for people who will either fail to turn them on when it's foggy, or fail to turn them off when it's not.

Shin-chan
Aug 1, 2008

To be a man you must have honor...
...honor and a penis!

Splizwarf posted:

Worth noting that in my Volvo owner's manual, it specifically states in caps that the use of the rear fog switch is completely illegal in the US (circa 1989), and that they were left on the car as vestigial organs to be used only in situations where you are significantly more worried about immediate death than getting a ticket.


This (illegality) can't be true because I owned a 2002 Olds Aurora and it had twin rear fog lamps. If it were against regulations it wouldn't be allowed to be imported or put onto domestic cars.

I just checked my land rover manual: "ALWAYS remember to switch the fog guard lights off as soon as visibility permits; in clear conditions fog guard lights can dazzle other road users!"

InitialDave posted:

Rear fog lights are installed for people who will either fail to turn them on when it's foggy, or fail to turn them off when it's not.

I must be the only one who uses fog lamps (front and rear on 2/3 of my cars) when appropriate then.

shoopeach
Aug 13, 2012

InitialDave posted:

Rear fog lights are installed for people who will either fail to turn them on when it's foggy, or fail to turn them off when it's not.

I only used mine a handful of times in Germany when the fog visibility was less than or equal to one white road marker on b roads. I have no idea what that distance is, but it was short. I think even then it pissed off some other people.

8ender
Sep 24, 2003

clown is watching you sleep

Shin-chan posted:

I must be the only one who uses fog lamps (front and rear on 2/3 of my cars) when appropriate then.

In Canada, during the winter, I often witness the majestic white ghost. The driver of the white SUV that fails to put on their headlights, tail lights and fog lights during a snowstorm, and drifts in and out of vision like a mirage, despite being less than 50 feet from your car.

randomidiot
May 12, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 11 years!)

Disgruntled Bovine posted:

since the US has a DRL requirement and most of europe didn't (doesn't?) Volvo decided that instead of fitting another bulb for DRLs inside the headlamp assembly they would swap the high beams out for DRLs and motorize the standard beams to sweep upward for high beams and downward for low beams. As a result I have awful high beams. You can get euro-spec headlights that fix the problem but they cost over $1000 EACH (the S60R's headlights are glass) and are apparently a real bitch to install.

On a related note, there really needs to be a law against raising vehicles and not adjusting the headlights accordingly. For that matter, most stock SUVs and pickups seem to have their headlights pointed directly in my back window, while my headlights barely kiss the bumper of someone 20 feet in front of me.

But the US doesn't require DRLs anywhere in the country (about half of the states do require them on motorcycles, or otherwise require riders to keep their headlights on while riding). Sweden, on the other hand (you know, where your Volvo was at least designed), requires that cars either have DRLs or be driven with the headlights on at all times. GM in particular has lobbied really hard to get DRLs onto American cars, but more so that they don't have to build different electrical systems for cars exported to Canada (Canada has required DRLs since 1990, at least on cars built after 1/1/90 - it saves GM money to build to one standard).

I got nothing about the sweep you mention though - I assume you have factory HIDs if you have that?

And most (all?) states do have laws on the books about headlight aim, which also applies to lifted vehicles. Not really enforced in most states unfortunately. Some states have specific guidelines for lifted vehicles (I think Texas does).

kastein posted:

I got road raged by some dipshit in a lovely 90s caddy with terrible HIDs (which were blinding me via the rearview) tonight so I "beat" him and then let him win and used him as a rolling radar sponge while he did everything in his power to stay in front of me.

Sadly none of the usual locations had speed traps :sigh: really had my hopes up for that.

Feeding the bears, one douchebag at a time :haw: for some reason guys in ratty cars with crappy HIDs always want to race, so I let them soak up radar on my commute as often as I can.

This app helps find the bears. Perhaps you can lead someone down a road marked with a bear warning sometime. :v:

Shin-chan posted:

I must be the only one who uses fog lamps (front and rear on 2/3 of my cars) when appropriate then.

I'm guilty of using the front fogs in the rain, and also on residential streets without traffic. No rear fogs to deal with though.

Smoke
Mar 12, 2005

I am NOT a red Bumblebee for god's sake!

shoopeach posted:

I only used mine a handful of times in Germany when the fog visibility was less than or equal to one white road marker on b roads. I have no idea what that distance is, but it was short. I think even then it pissed off some other people.

As far as I know in most European countries rear foglights are permitted when visibility is below 50 meters. Fronts can go on for visibility under 200 meters. Inappropriate use will usually result in a ticket if spotted by the police.

Doesn't stop people from turning them on the moment it's no longer sunny or there's a few wisps of fog like a kilometer ahead. Although most abuse seems to happen when it's raining here.

My car has both, in a single switch that first turns on the fronts, then the rears, and turns them off in that same order. It's a biased switch, so if I forget to turn them off(Which never happens due to nice clear indicator lights) they don't switch on again when I restart the car.

Smoke fucked around with this message at 10:24 on Sep 20, 2013

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Smoke posted:

As far as I know in most European countries rear foglights are permitted when visibility is below 50 meters. Fronts can go on for visibility under 200 meters. Inappropriate use will usually result in a ticket if spotted by the police.

Doesn't stop people from turning them on the moment it's no longer sunny or there's a few wisps of fog like a kilometer ahead. Although most abuse seems to happen when it's raining here.

Doesn't stop people from running their front fogs all the time along with their low beams, either. I think they do it because "it looks cool" or because they think a bunch of near field light improves vision, when in fact it does the opposite.

Front fogs OR low beams. Not both. And certainly never front fogs at the same time as high beams, that's even more idiotic.

randomidiot
May 12, 2006

by Fluffdaddy

(and can't post for 11 years!)

KozmoNaut posted:

Doesn't stop people from running their front fogs all the time along with their low beams, either. I think they do it because "it looks cool" or because they think a bunch of near field light improves vision, when in fact it does the opposite.

Front fogs OR low beams. Not both. And certainly never front fogs at the same time as high beams, that's even more idiotic.

Every car I've driven with factory fogs (except for the one I own now) don't let you run the fogs without the low beams (but they do switch off with the high beams). It was easy to change the wiring on my Integra to allow the fogs to be turned on without the low beams though (factory wiring only powered the fog light switch with the low beams - snip that wire, splice the wire to the dash lighting switch, which would let you run the fogs anytime the parking lights were on).

The car I have now has automatic lights, but if you turn on the fogs, then bump the headlight switch from auto to off (momentary switch for the off position), the fogs and parking lights stay on. Same happens if you tap the fog light switch when none of the lights are on - parking lights come on, fog lights come on, headlights don't come on - though if you do it in that order, the headlights eventually do turn on automatically when it gets dark enough.

And like smoke mentioned, my fog lights won't turn on without hitting the switch - even if they were on when I parked. I didn't like that when I first got the car, but now it makes me think before I blind people.

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General_Failure
Apr 17, 2005
The Niva has the wiring for a rear fog light. It's just the light and the switch on the dash aren't there. I've considered other alternate uses but can't think of a good one.

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