What is the deal with this light?
10-04-2007 | 08:05 PM
#1
What is the deal with this light?
I'm wondering what the deal is with the red light on the drivers side of this car from France, I have seen some right hand drive cars in japan that had it on the drivers side (the right side) on them.
Last edited by superfreestyle; 10-05-2007 at 05:52 AM.
10-04-2007 | 09:37 PM
#6
Fog light. European cars are required to have fogs in the rear. The ones that have reverse light in their own individual assembly or combined with the rear tails, have fogs on both sides (e.g. older Audis have them on each side of the license plate). Since the Z has a single assembly for reverse/turn signals, one reverse light has to be sacrificed for a fog light.
On the '06+ Zs, there is a spot in the center console (by heated seat buttons) for the fog button; it is pre-wired too (I checked once).
On the '06+ Zs, there is a spot in the center console (by heated seat buttons) for the fog button; it is pre-wired too (I checked once).
Last edited by usmanasif; 10-04-2007 at 09:40 PM.
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10-04-2007 | 09:48 PM
#8
Originally Posted by usmanasif
Fog light. European cars are required to have fogs in the rear. The ones that have reverse light in their own individual assembly or combined with the rear tails, have fogs on both sides (e.g. older Audis have them on each side of the license plate). Since the Z has a single assembly for reverse/turn signals, one reverse light has to be sacrificed for a fog light.
On the '06+ Zs, there is a spot in the center console (by heated seat buttons) for the fog button; it is pre-wired too (I checked once).
On the '06+ Zs, there is a spot in the center console (by heated seat buttons) for the fog button; it is pre-wired too (I checked once).
why would a fog light be red???
10-04-2007 | 10:18 PM
#9
Question: Why are fog lights yellow?
Answer: My understanding is that it is important for fog lights to be one color
(rather than white, which is all colors) because the different
wavelengths(colors) of visible light scatter off the fog droplets
differently. This phenomenon is known as "dispersion," because the
different colors of light in an image will separate from each other,
causing the image to "disperse." If you illuminate the road with only one
wavelength (color) of light, the images of the objects you see will still
become somewhat blurry because of the scattering of light by the fog, but
at least you won't have extra problems from dispersion. So, if we want to
use just one wavelength of light, which wavelength should we use? It turns
out that light with short wavelengths scatters more than light with long
wavelengths (short to long: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange,
red). So, a long wavelength light will be best. There's another thing to
consider, too: our eyes are not equally sensitive to all colors. It turns
out that we are most sensitive to yellow and green light. So, our best
compromise between sensitivity for our eyes and a long wavelength for least
scattering is yellow light.
Answer: My understanding is that it is important for fog lights to be one color
(rather than white, which is all colors) because the different
wavelengths(colors) of visible light scatter off the fog droplets
differently. This phenomenon is known as "dispersion," because the
different colors of light in an image will separate from each other,
causing the image to "disperse." If you illuminate the road with only one
wavelength (color) of light, the images of the objects you see will still
become somewhat blurry because of the scattering of light by the fog, but
at least you won't have extra problems from dispersion. So, if we want to
use just one wavelength of light, which wavelength should we use? It turns
out that light with short wavelengths scatters more than light with long
wavelengths (short to long: violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange,
red). So, a long wavelength light will be best. There's another thing to
consider, too: our eyes are not equally sensitive to all colors. It turns
out that we are most sensitive to yellow and green light. So, our best
compromise between sensitivity for our eyes and a long wavelength for least
scattering is yellow light.
So why don't we use yellow in the back since it is the best compromise like mentioned above? IMHO, I think there is a double use for using red as rear fog lights, when backing/reversing your car, it doesn't harm anything to have more red lights in the back of your car to warn others that a car is backing/reversing.
Last edited by ZlleH; 10-04-2007 at 10:25 PM.
10-05-2007 | 12:53 AM
#12
Gee ... I thought it was a parking light. On my porsche it lit up the left rear and left front clearance lights. For parking off the road at night or in the fog. they are about the brightness of a brake light in the rear. The Porsche has a additional detent on the light switch.
Let me see if I can find the manual.....
OK, so this is what I was thinking.
Parking lights - with ignition off
Turn signal in up position - right side parking lights on
Turn signal in down position - left side parking lights on
Let me see if I can find the manual.....
OK, so this is what I was thinking.
Parking lights - with ignition off
Turn signal in up position - right side parking lights on
Turn signal in down position - left side parking lights on
Last edited by Z_Driver; 10-05-2007 at 01:05 AM.
10-05-2007 | 01:18 AM
#13
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: Hawaii
It's a rear fog. Not the first time this question has been asked. I only know this because I read the British car magazines EVO and CAR and have seen a handful of asymmetrically colored taillight lenses. It eventually bugged me to the point that I looked it up and came across an explanation of rear fog lights. However, folks in the US only tend to notice when they see a single asymmetric rear fog on a vehicle which has a colored lens unlike the reverse light on the other side of the car. In pairs they look like a second set of brake lights and sometimes the single rear fog is centrally located and simply looks like an additional low mounted 3rd brake light.
More info:
More info:
Rear fog lamps
(ECE Regulation 38, SAE J1319) In Europe, vehicles must be equipped with one or two bright red "rear fog lamps" (or "fog taillamps"), which are switched on manually by the driver in conditions of poor visibility to enhance vehicle conspicuity from the rear. The allowable range of intensity for a rear fog lamp is 150 to 300 candelas, which is within the range of a U.S. brake lamp. For this reason, many European vehicles imported to the United States have their rear fog lamps wired as brake lamps, since their European-specification brake lamps may not be sufficiently intense to comply with U.S. regulations, and rear fog lamps are not required equipment in the U.S.
Most jurisdictions permit rear fog lamps to be installed either singly or in pairs. Proponents of twin rear fog lamps say two lamps provide vehicle distance information not available from a single lamp. Proponents of the single rear fog lamp say dual rear fog lamps closely mimic the appearance of illuminated brake lamps (which are mandatorily installed in pairs), reducing the conspicuity of the brake lamps' message when the rear fogs are activated. To provide some safeguard against rear fog lamps' masking of brake lamps, ECE Regulations require a separation of at least 10 cm between adjacent illuminated edges of brake lamps and rear fog lamps.
(ECE Regulation 38, SAE J1319) In Europe, vehicles must be equipped with one or two bright red "rear fog lamps" (or "fog taillamps"), which are switched on manually by the driver in conditions of poor visibility to enhance vehicle conspicuity from the rear. The allowable range of intensity for a rear fog lamp is 150 to 300 candelas, which is within the range of a U.S. brake lamp. For this reason, many European vehicles imported to the United States have their rear fog lamps wired as brake lamps, since their European-specification brake lamps may not be sufficiently intense to comply with U.S. regulations, and rear fog lamps are not required equipment in the U.S.
Most jurisdictions permit rear fog lamps to be installed either singly or in pairs. Proponents of twin rear fog lamps say two lamps provide vehicle distance information not available from a single lamp. Proponents of the single rear fog lamp say dual rear fog lamps closely mimic the appearance of illuminated brake lamps (which are mandatorily installed in pairs), reducing the conspicuity of the brake lamps' message when the rear fogs are activated. To provide some safeguard against rear fog lamps' masking of brake lamps, ECE Regulations require a separation of at least 10 cm between adjacent illuminated edges of brake lamps and rear fog lamps.
Last edited by bruddahmatt; 10-05-2007 at 01:23 AM.
10-05-2007 | 04:05 AM
#14
Originally Posted by superfreestyle
I'm wondering what the deal is with the red light on the drivers side of this car from england, I have seen some right hand drive cars in japan that had it on the drivers side (the right side) on them.
and from seeing the plate that is a car from France, not England
10-05-2007 | 04:21 AM
#16
Originally Posted by Z_Driver
Gee ... I thought it was a parking light. On my porsche it lit up the left rear and left front clearance lights. For parking off the road at night or in the fog. they are about the brightness of a brake light in the rear. The Porsche has a additional detent on the light switch.
Let me see if I can find the manual.....
OK, so this is what I was thinking.
Parking lights - with ignition off
Turn signal in up position - right side parking lights on
Turn signal in down position - left side parking lights on
Let me see if I can find the manual.....
OK, so this is what I was thinking.
Parking lights - with ignition off
Turn signal in up position - right side parking lights on
Turn signal in down position - left side parking lights on
Look at the 350Z above. If the car is from France, the red parking light is on the drivers or street side.
Last edited by davidv; 10-05-2007 at 04:29 AM.
10-05-2007 | 12:06 PM
#17
Originally Posted by superfreestyle
why would a fog light be red???
10-05-2007 | 03:47 PM
#20
Originally Posted by usmanasif
On the '06+ Zs, there is a spot in the center console (by heated seat buttons) for the fog button; it is pre-wired too (I checked once).