Safety on the road largely depends on the quality of lighting. One of the elements of external lighting is, but they may not be included in the basic equipment of the car. The article gives advice on how to install correctly fog lights, requirements for installation, connection methods and diagrams are provided.

Requirements for installing fog lights

The purpose of fog lights is to illuminate the roadway in poor visibility conditions: during fog or precipitation. The head light during fog is reflected from water droplets, forming white wall ahead, making it impossible for the vehicle to move further. If the fog lights are adjusted correctly, the light from them will be pressed against the road surface, and the road in front of the car will be illuminated at a distance of 10-12 meters. The driver has the right to decide for himself whether to turn on additional lighting or not.

Despite the fact that PTFs are optional lighting equipment, when installing them you need to comply with certain requirements and know how to connect fog lights. In case of violation accepted standards Problems may arise during the inspection or an administrative penalty may be imposed.

When installing fog lights, the following standards must be observed:

• there must be a distance of at least 25 cm from the road surface to the headlights;
• PTFs must be located symmetrically at a distance not exceeding 40 cm from the side plane of the car (along the outer edge of the side lights);
• You can turn on the fog lights only together with the dimensions;
• if xenon is used in the headlights, then they must be marked “D” and have an automatic leveler installed.

After installation, you need it along with the fasteners. It is necessary to ensure that the light beam falls correctly, under the right angle to the road surface.

Tools and materials

Before purchasing PTFs, the car owner must decide on their installation location. Some cars have special bumper plugs for fog lights. In this case, the size and shape of the headlights should be selected according to the size of the holes. If PTFs will be mounted at the level of standard optics or on the roof, then the shape and dimensions do not matter. It is important that the kit includes reliable fasteners.

When choosing PTF, you should decide on the type of lamps. Xenon can only be installed in specially designed headlights.

When choosing, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• manufacturing material – resistant thermoplastic;
• the housing must be collapsible and sealed;
• It is better to choose an aerodynamic shape, which reduces noise when moving.

When using polycarbonate as glass, it is better to coat the glass protective film, then they will remain transparent for a long time.

For self-installation, you need to purchase not only headlights, but also prepare other materials:

• wires;
• terminals for connecting electrical wires;
• PTF switch in the form of a button or knob;
• fuse rated 20-30 A;
• 4-pin relay.

In addition, to complete the work you will need a standard set of tools. To protect the on-board network, the connection is made through a relay (video author - PRO.Garage).

Methods for connecting fog lights

Connecting PTF can be done in several ways. The simplest one is if the car is equipped with fog lights from the factory, that is, the electrical circuit consists of all the necessary components: connectors, switch, connecting wires, fuse, relay.

Installation, in this case, consists of installing the headlights and connecting them to the power supply. This method can be used when the car is fully equipped, if you need to replace installed fog lights or to improve the lighting system.

When purchasing a PTF kit, you need to make sure that the installation parameters and connectors correspond to the factory ones.

If the basic configuration of the car does not include foglights, you will have to install the wiring yourself. To do this, you need to purchase the necessary components: a set of wires, a relay, a switch, etc. You can purchase a ready-made kit for installing fog lights. Know how fog lights are included in a car's electrical circuit (video author: Morgan One).

Some drivers doubt whether it is possible to connect fog lights to headlights. This cannot be done, since the switch and wiring in the side lights are not designed for the current consumed by the headlights.

Having purchased a universal kit for connecting fog lights, you can connect the fog lights yourself using the following algorithm:

1. Laying wires must begin with dismantling dashboard and relay connections.
2. First you need to find the wire going to the instrument lighting. Following these wires, you can find a block that has a free connector to connect the fog light relay into.
3. The second step is to connect the switch. If there is a free button on the dashboard, connect the headlights to it. If there is a free button, then you need to install a new one.
4. On next stage the relay must be connected to the battery. Wire from battery you need to connect the relay to pin 87. It is more convenient to run the wire under the pedals.
5. It is important to include a fuse in the electrical circuit when installing. This will protect the lamps from burning out and save you from fire when short circuit. The fuse rating is calculated based on the power of the headlights. If you take 60 W bulbs, then the current to power the headlights will be: 2 * 60 W / 12 V = 10 A. The fuse must be selected with a high rating. In this case, it is necessary to use a 15 A fuse.
6. Now we install the PTF in the bumper. Before installing the fog lights, you need to mark the locations for the headlights according to the requirements. It is better to install PTF on a removed bumper. After installation, the headlights must be securely fixed using the fasteners that come with the mounting kit.
7. The negative wire must be shorted to ground (car body), the positive wire must be connected to the 30th contact of the relay.
8. On final stage relay is installed on seat, is fixed. The instrument panel returns to its original location.

Photo gallery

1. Kit for PTF installations 2. Set of wires for connection 3. The process of pulling the wire to connect 4. Installation of the power button

After installing the PTFs, you need to check their operation and adjust them. If your headlights are raised too much, they will lose their effectiveness when driving in bad weather conditions.

PTF connection diagrams

The most simple circuit connecting the PTF directly through the switch to the battery. Each fog lamp has two contacts for connecting power to the lamps. One contact with each PTF must be wired together and connected to a metal part of the body (ground). Better wire connect directly to the negative terminal on the battery.

Fog light connection diagram

The second contacts must be connected to the plus terminal of the battery. They also need to be connected together and the wire connected to pin 87 on the relay.

Then the relay contacts must be connected in the following order:

• 30 is connected through a fuse to the positive terminal of the battery;
• 86 either to the vehicle ground or to the negative terminal of the battery;
• 85 is connected to the battery positive through a switch and PTF fuse, which is connected to the circuit with pin 30.

The button for turning on the fog lights is located in a convenient place for the driver on the instrument panel. The relay is placed in mounting block, where you can find a free connector for fog lights. You can use one of the fuses installed in the block.

Another circuit is based on the previous version, only the positive wire is connected not to the battery, but through the ignition switch. In this case, the fog lamp button is not connected to the battery through a fuse, but to any power wire in which voltage occurs when the ignition is turned on. Since according to this scheme, you can turn on the fog lights only after turning on the ignition, you don’t have to worry about leaving them on when the engine is not running. To comply with the connection rules of current legislation, connect the PTF power button to the external lighting switch of the car.

Conclusion

Fog lights can ensure safe vehicle movement in bad weather. On modern cars they are installed at the factory. If your car does not have fog lights installed, then knowing how to install and connect them, you can perform the installation according to the PTF connection diagram yourself. The installation must be carried out according to the requirements so that there are no problems during technical inspection, as well as to avoid problems on the road with inspectors traffic.

It is important to remember that before you turn on the fog lights, you need to turn on the headlights.

Video “Do-it-yourself PTF from LEDs”

How to make foglights with your own hands using LEDs, and how to connect them to the on-board network, is described in the proposed video (the author of the video is Play on).

Many traveling along the roads of the fatherland cars staffed fog lights. Some of them are included in the basic equipment of vehicles, while other drivers install them themselves. At the same time, few people are guided by practical considerations, often caring about the aesthetic appearance of their car.

Whenever I meet you the car is moving, sparkling with numerous lights, oncoming drivers get stressed. The fact is that excess light blinds them, making it difficult to follow traffic conditions. This often causes dangerous traffic situations. Therefore everyone motorist should know about How to use fog lights.

The name itself suggests that they are intended to help drivers conditions of insufficient visibility. Many, especially representatives of the younger generation, have a poor understanding of the terminology, sincerely believing that visibility at night is considered insufficient. In fact, the term applies exclusively to weather conditions.

Turn on front fog lights Only possible during heavy fog, rain or snowfall. We are talking here about using additional light simultaneously with the main one. When road conditions due to deteriorating weather become difficult, thanks fog lights, not only does visibility improve slightly, but the moving car itself becomes more noticeable, which helps the driver behind the wheel to assess much better traffic conditions.

However, if the weather is good, use the fog lights at the same time as running light not worth it. Such a vehicle is perceived by other drivers as a huge shining spot, which is a source of increased danger. If you're not ready to give up fog lights, then at least turn it off low beam. Thanks to this, the normal balance in the operation of lighting devices will be restored, which will inevitably have a positive impact on safety.

It is also worth recalling the order of use rear fog lamp. It is worth noting here that not every driver knows about its existence. However, all modern cars have it. It is turned on by pressing or pulling out the toggle switch responsible for the operation of the low beam and side lights.

Light rear fog lamp so bright and, so to speak, poisonous, that it irritates the eyes of drivers behind you. Therefore, the use of this device is strictly regulated. Rear fog light It is strictly forbidden to turn on in the urban cycle. However, it can also be used on the track only under the condition insufficient visibility caused by heavy fog.

By the way, please note that installing additional fog lights should only be carried out in certified centers and with the approval of the vehicle manufacturer. Otherwise, there is a high probability that the lighting devices will be selected incorrectly. Well, in situations where there is a threat to the safety of someone’s health or life, you should under no circumstances neglect the recommendations and instructions.

Our drivers often use fog lights however they want, whenever they want. Nowadays this is noticed less often, but fifteen years ago powerful “fog lights”, with four or more pieces, could be seen even on the roof of the cabin. Although the rules clearly and clearly state that PTF on a vehicle should be used by the driver only “in the dark” or in conditions of “insufficient road visibility.” Moreover, the use of fog lights should occur simultaneously with the low beam or high beam car. It happens that “fog lights” are used instead of low beam headlights. These exceptional cases are specified in certain paragraphs of the Traffic Rules. In other words, fog lights are used in special cases. That is, when there is fog, smoke or dust on the road, and also when it is snowing, raining, or hailing.

Of course, fog lights exist for a reason. In difficult weather conditions and poor visibility, this is an indispensable device. After all, such headlights have an internal parabolic reflector and a specially designed diffuser that expands the beam of light and ultimately produces a horizontal glow. This glow represents a wide beam of light directed downwards onto the road, as if cut off from above. With the available costly power, such a headlight will be able to provide maximum illumination without blinding oncoming drivers. The color of the beam can be white or yellow.

The rules for using fog lights are as follows:

If the visibility of the road is less than 100 meters when the main beam is on, turn it on and high beam, and “foglights”;

If the fog is not very thick and visibility is more than 100 meters, turn on the fog lights and low beams.

During daylight hours and with normal visibility, as already mentioned, fog lights can be used instead of low beam headlights, but when maneuvering on mountainous and, in general, winding roads, you can’t do without them.

The generally accepted location for installing fog lights is below the level of conventional headlights. After all, fog near the ground is less dense than at the level of human eyes, and the road, therefore, will be easier to illuminate.

The rules allow the installation of only two headlights in front. Moreover, not according to the principle “to make it look beautiful,” but specifically: no further than 40 cm from the plane of the wing and no lower than 25 cm from the plane of the road. The rear of the car is provided with at least one red fog lamp, and the lamp should be installed on the side closest to the driver. If there are two lights, then they must be installed on the same line symmetrically to the center of the car and separated from the brake lights of the car by at least 10 cm. Rear fog lights should not be used in conjunction with brake lights, which can be observed quite often, and they are prohibited from being turned on without necessary, for example, on a clear night.

Yes, in order to use fog lights correctly and effectively, they must be optimally adjusted, certified and have an indelible international approval mark on the lens or protective glass.

The fact that fog lights significantly improve visibility in poor visibility and on the sides of the car is beyond doubt. The fog light reflector is designed to create uniform illumination around the headlight, which explains why high efficiency PTF. But as for the rear fog lights, for many drivers the question remains not entirely clear why they are needed, and whether they are needed at all, because they do not provide any obvious practical benefit.

And even the opposite. Rear fog lights when driving in the dark, according to many motorists, only get in the way because they obstruct vision, and the brake light of the car in front becomes difficult to see. However, most vehicles are standardly equipped with rear fog lights, and it is illegal to remove them from the vehicle structure yourself - it will become impossible to pass inspection without them.

Do cars need ZPTF?

Rear fog lights, if they are structurally provided on the car, cannot be removed by yourself. ZPTF are intended for more correct identification of a vehicle in conditions of poor visibility. As a rule, such headlights are designed to install standard incandescent lamps - no special brightness is required here. There are also no clear standards regarding the connection diagram - when self-installation It is better to use a separate rear fog lamp relay.

The presence of rear fog lights allows you to avoid a collision between two cars in bad weather. For example, in case of heavy snowfall, rain or fog. They are initially somewhat brighter than simple dimensions, and are located at some distance from them, so they turn out to be quite effective. Naturally, it is still not worth turning on the rear fog lights unless necessary - in clear weather, at night they interfere with other drivers.

If there are no ZPTF

Not all vehicles are equipped with a closed-circuit vehicle at the factory. According to GOST R 51709-2001, the presence of rear fog lights by car is mandatory. Therefore, many car enthusiasts are forced to install them themselves - otherwise, certain difficulties arise when passing a technical inspection. This is due to the fact that a car without ZPTF does not comply with GOST. It is worth immediately noting that such requirements apply only to vehicles produced in 2006 and older.

Another important point, which is often “forgotten” by traffic police inspectors - if rear fog lights are not provided structurally, the driver is not required to install them himself - GOST requirements apply only to manufacturers, not consumers. If the ZPTF is nevertheless installed independently, then this is not done haphazardly, but according to certain rules - if installed incorrectly, the inspector’s refusal when trying to pass the MOT will be completely legal.

The number of ZPTF can be one or two. If one headlight is installed, then it is placed only on the left side. If there are two ZPTFs, then they are placed at a height of no higher than one meter from the ground level, and not less than 25 cm from it. The width between them is not regulated in any way, but there is an important point that must be observed - the distance between the ZPTF and each brake light cannot be less than 100 mm.

How to use rear fog lights

When rear fog lights are installed by the automaker, the question of how to turn on the rear fog lights and how to turn them off is determined by him - the driver can only press the buttons. If you install this equipment yourself, there are a lot of connection options, but you cannot use the ZPTF as you please - this procedure is quite strictly regulated and cannot be changed independently.

Thus, according to the law, ZPTF can only be turned on in conjunction with headlights or front fog lights, and they should only be lit in constant mode. They are turned off in parallel with other outdoor lighting equipment, and should not be turned on as separate equipment. Under no circumstances is it permitted collaboration rear fog lights and brake lights that come on when the car brakes.

When installing it yourself, the choice of headlight type is at the discretion of the car owner. The law does not provide any restrictions or conditions for PLTF. The headlights can crash into the bumper, like the front ones, or mounted versions can be used, on special mounts. The main thing is to comply with the above installation features. When using mounted options, care must be taken to ensure secure fastening.

Some features of ZPTF operation

In most cases, the rear fog lamp uses a housing designed for a halogen or incandescent lamp, marked "H". This means that installing other types of lamps, in particular xenon, is prohibited. When installing mounted ZPTF it is extremely important to set correct angle tilt - the headlight should not blind drivers behind.

Since the rear part of the car becomes quite dirty during operation, it is necessary to constantly monitor the cleanliness of the PTF, otherwise the meaning of their inclusion is completely lost, and when driving in conditions of insufficient visibility, the car may simply go unnoticed on the road, which will inevitably lead to an accident. A little about the repair of the closed-loop valve in the video: