How do the fog lights work?

[alec_b]

I know the title makes me sound like an idiot but it explains the point. I was looking for a little more in-depth information. I have yellow 881 bulbs coming for the fog lights on my '95, and I noticed that when you turn the fog light switch off, they don't actually turn "off", they just dim. At first I thought there were smaller bulbs in place to "fill in" when the fogs were off, but upon closer inspection I realized that the actual fogs themselves were dimmed.

 

Is this accomplished with a resistor, almost like the one used for the hi-beam DRL's in the newer GM cars? It's really of no difference to me, I was just curious as to how the system worked. I used to have access to mitchell online at work... but there's no more work so there's no more mitchell.

 

Thanks guys! I'm really starting to like this car...

[1990lumina]

Sounds like the system is being back fed somewhere.

[oscar_wilde]

I am pretty sure they are supposed to just shut off. Any other electrical problems going on with this car?

[alec_b]

Nope no other electrical problems at all. All the lights work perfectly. The fog light switch works properly, and the indicator turns on and off as it should. The high-beams work great as does the indicator.

 

So no one else's does this? Keep in mind this is a sedan with the fogs in the front light bar.

[Crazy K]

Nope no other electrical problems at all. All the lights work perfectly. The fog light switch works properly, and the indicator turns on and off as it should. The high-beams work great as does the indicator.

 

So no one else's does this? Keep in mind this is a sedan with the fogs in the front light bar.

 

Are you confusing the actual fog bulbs with the running lights that are in the light bar? many GPs have little blade bulbs across the entire lightbar and headlights which turn on when the parking lights are on....

 

do you have DRLs?

[alec_b]

No I don't have DRL's.

 

I think it's the fogs. It's listed under fog lights in the manual, and there is a fog light switch to activate it. These are the outermost lights in the front light bar, not the 3 middle bulbs that are 3157's or whatever. These are 881 fog bulbs.

 

I wish I had a decent camera to take pictures but all I have is my phone and it won't email pictures to me cause I'm using a blackberry without the data plan. Screw t-mobile

[Crazy K]

unless the fogs are dimmed to be at the saem intensity as the rest of the lights....

[alec_b]

I believe that's the idea, because with the fog light switch off the fogs come on at about the same brightness as the regular 3157 bulbs, then you hit the switch and BAM full brightness.

 

I know this isn't just my car, there's about 9 million GP's driving around my town, and most of the time the fogs are off (reduced) and match the rest of the bar. I always drive with mine on (full power).

[Brian P]

I always thought there were little peanut lights in there that illuminate the foglight area dimly... maybe that's the early models and STE's?

[Twenty]

I always drive with mine on (full power).

 

Ditto. I always have the switch on, but in the day they automatically shut off.

[alec_b]

Mine don't do anything automatically. I have to turn the headlamp switch to turn them on. Kinda neat though, the headlight housings have little maybe 194 bulbs that light up the housing, so I can run with the parking lights on at dusk, turn the fogs on full, and still have full illumination from left to right. Then at night I hit the headlights and bam I can see!

 

I do have to say the lights in these are pretty good, better than my bonneville but not quite as good as my cadillac's.