Difference between fog lights and driving lights

[George Simmons]

What if any is the difference between fog lights and driving lights? I know that some of the buttons are green and some are orange. Is this dependant on the year model? Who can straighten me out? Thanks

[campbellcj]

Fog lights are meant to cast a low, diffuse, wide beam directly in front of the car. They are generally used w/ low (main) beams only. The lens has a bunch of prisms/cuts in it to disperse the beam.

Driving lights have a more focused reflector and a clear lens with fewer bevels/prisms. They are typically used to augment high-beams and throw a long, thin beam way ahead of the car.

Two totally different designs.

This is a 914 Euro H3 Hella driving light:


With regards to the 914 switches, I'm not sure but I think the 73- fog switch is orange and the earlier ones green (???). I'm sure somebody else is more up on the switches than me.

[HMeeder]

Chris is right on all points.

My '72 has a green switch (the lights have been converted to driving lights from the original fogs.)

My'74 has a yellow switch.

IMHO I prefer the light of the green one to the yellow (or orange, if you will.) The yellow switch is just plain too harsh when driving at night. I find it distracting. The green switch is quite bright also, but less so.

I don't believe the Pelican site actually says which one you would get if you were to order it from them (the switch center, that is.)

Motor On!

------------------
Herb
'72 1.7 Tangerine 'Teen
'74 2.0 Red Rustmobile

[campbellcj]

Good observation Herb - I hate that damn orange light! I have my driving lights wired to come on with the highbeams (off w/ the lowbeams), so someday I want to rewire the fog switch and reverse the off & on positions, or at least pull the bulb out.

[pbanders]

please ignore

[This message has been edited by pbanders (edited 04-20-2001).]

[George Simmons]

Thanks guys for the explaination between fogs and divivng lights, but what I'm really trying to do is to keep a stock '74 as close to stock as possible. So which is the correct color pull knob for a '74? Or is it green for driving-all years? Is it yellow for fogs-all years? Or what? I have a set of what appear to be driving lights and I want to match it up with the correct color pull knob! Thanks in advance for your help.

[HMeeder]

George:
My '74 has a yellow switch center. I believe that is consistant for that year regardless of fog or driving lights.

Good luck

------------------
Herb
'72 1.7 Tangerine 'Teen
'74 2.0 Red Rustmobile

[pbanders]

please ignore

[This message has been edited by pbanders (edited 04-20-2001).]

[pbanders]

Originally posted by campbellcj:
Good observation Herb - I hate that damn orange light! I have my driving lights wired to come on with the highbeams (off w/ the lowbeams), so someday I want to rewire the fog switch and reverse the off & on positions, or at least pull the bulb out.

If you have your lights wired to automatically come on with the high beams (I've done this, too), doesn't your fog switch light stay off? Aren't you bypassing the fog switch to enable the automatic operation? On my setup, the fog light switch is still in the "off" position during the automatic operation.

I also installed a micro toggle switch in the line so that I could disable the automatic feature, in case I get pulled over and a cop questions the legality of my hook-up.

I mentioned in a post sometime ago that I rewired my headlights/driving lights so that I can "flash" my driving lights with the stalk when the headlights are off and/or retracted. It's really fun to be able to blip the lights when I'm in a standoff at a stop sign, or to say "Hi!" to a passing 914. I should have full details on this conversion on my web site within a couple of weeks. Here's what my system can do:

[*]Flash driving lights w/stalk (HL down and/or off)[*]Driving light on/off in any HL mode[*]Auto driving light w/Hi-beam w/toggle enable/disable[*]"Late" model headlight motor operation (down in parking position)[/list]
Brad Anders
http://members.rennlist.com/pbanders


[This message has been edited by pbanders (edited 03-01-2001).]

[SteveStromberg]

I just took a look at switch color on 4, 74 2.0's with factory fog ligths the results were 3 Green,1 Yellow switch. Steve

[HMeeder]

Well, there's your answer!

Go for whichever switch suits your fancy! You can't be wrong.

To make night driving with the lights on less distracting I moved my light switch to the middle hole and with my smaller-than-stock steering wheel the light is perfectly blocked for my normal head position. I just see the reflection in my side window. A small thing I know, but I'll take my victories where I can get them.

------------------
Herb
'72 1.7 Tangerine 'Teen
'74 2.0 Red Rustmobile