High beam, low beam, fog lights and DRLs: what and when you can turn on and for what you can get a fine

Please adhere to the appropriate traffic regulations when using lighting devices.

When driving a vehicle on a rainy day, the window glass will quickly cool down and the temperature of the glass inside the vehicle will quickly decrease, so the moisture remaining in the air will accumulate and create condensation. In this case, water will appear on the inside of the window glass. The reason for the appearance of condensation on the inner surface of the headlight glass is the same. In other words, the amount of water in the air will increase as the temperature rises and if the temperature drops, the water will accumulate and create condensation known as fog.

If condensation appears on the light fittings of a vehicle, then after turning on the high and low beams, the condensation that appears on the glass of the headlights will begin to dissipate and disappear after 1 hour - this is normal. If not, there may be water inside. Contact the appropriate service station for repairs.

When replacing a light bulb, carefully check the installation of each part of the light bulb to ensure proper installation and good insulation! Otherwise, serious consequences may occur due to water or dust getting inside!

High pressure water jets should not be used to clean the engine compartment, especially the light fittings. Otherwise, due to the high jet pressure, parts of the light fittings may become loose and come off, and the vent, wiring and electrical connectors may become wet.

As a result, the water that will be inside the light fittings or steam will not dissipate, which will lead to the creation of a large amount of condensate.

parking lights

Turn the outer ring of the steering column switch lever 1 to a position where mark 2 aligns with the corresponding symbol.

Low beam headlight

Turn the outer ring of the steering column switch lever 1 to a position where mark 2 aligns with the corresponding symbol. The corresponding warning light on the instrument panel will light up.

High beam headlight

If the low beam is already on, then to turn on the high beam, pull the lever of the steering column switch 1 towards you. The corresponding warning light on the instrument panel will light up.

To turn on the low beam headlights again, move the switch lever toward you again.

Fog lights

Please note that if it is necessary to turn on the fog lights, the side lamps and low beam headlights must be turned on. Typically, the front fog lights are turned on in case of fog, snowstorm, rain, or when visibility is severely limited.

Turn the middle ring 3 of the steering column switch lever to a position where mark 4 aligns with the corresponding symbol.

Automatic switching on of headlights upon ignition

In order to organize such operation of the lighting elements, it is necessary to connect them to the ignition power source, and as many know, some devices can be connected at any position of the ignition switch, while others begin to function only when the ignition is already on. Based on this, the most convenient place to connect the headlights is the heater switch button (the rightmost switch block).

For this scheme you will need:

  • any standard five-pin relay;
  • diode;
  • wires.

Next, we need:

  1. Remove the size switch (switch block on the leftmost side).
  2. Disconnect the positive wire from the key block responsible for the low beam operation (usually this is a green double wire) and connect it to the relay.
  3. You need to insert an additional wire into the positive wire that goes to the heater switch and also connect it to the relay.
  4. Connect the wire that powers the headlights to the relay.
  5. Throw the wiring to minus (to the body).

The connections can be soldered, but for full-fledged work, an ordinary insulated twist will suffice. As a result, automatic low beam headlights will work as soon as you turn on the ignition.

However, this method is considered not the most economical, since the headlights start working immediately, which is not very important in winter, when the engine needs to be warmed up or when repairing a car.

Rules for using car lights

Good afternoon, dear reader.

This article will review the rules of the road that apply to the use of vehicle headlights and lights in various driving situations.

Lighting devices are designed both to illuminate the road ahead of the car (to avoid collision with an obstacle) and to indicate the car itself (to avoid collision with other vehicles).

Unfortunately, many drivers do not know the rules for using headlights and flashlights, and therefore do not use all the opportunities provided to them.

Automatic switching on of headlights after engine start

To organize such a work scheme, you can go in two directions: connect to the oil pressure sensor or to the handbrake.

Method 1: Connecting to the oil pressure sensor

To make this connection you will need:

  • relay;
  • transistor (2 pieces);
  • wires;
  • microcircuit K561TP1.

All parts are placed in a small relay housing, after which the device must be connected to an oil pressure sensor. When the pressure in the engine lubrication system normalizes, that is, when the engine is turned on, the sensor will open, and the power from it will go to the capacitor. Ultimately, the voltage to the relay will be supplied through the transistors included in the headlight power supply. When the engine is turned off, power from the sensor is supplied to the desired lamp located on the dashboard. At this time, the capacitor that is included in the headlight control unit begins to discharge and the power supply to the relay stops.

In this case, you can also control the headlights manually if you use a parallel connection. In order to set the time to turn off and turn on the headlights, just select the resistance on the board. The higher this parameter is, the longer it will take the headlights to turn on and off.

True, not everyone likes this method, since this scheme is much more complicated (you need to pull wires and make 3-4 connections).

Method 2: Connecting to the handbrake

This method is much simpler, since in this case it is enough to just slightly modify the headlight connection diagram for ignition, which we talked about at the very beginning. To do this, just add another relay and a short wire (about 25 cm) to the standard contact of the handbrake button.

Thanks to this method, the headlights will turn off as soon as you pull the handbrake, and light up when you release it.

When can you use the emergency lights?

Hazard alarms are also considered a lighting device, and traffic regulations clearly regulate the possibility of their use. So, the emergency lights need to be turned on:

  • if you get into an accident along with a warning triangle (2.5 traffic rules + 7.1 traffic rules);
  • if a situation arises where your car poses a danger;
  • when forced to stop in a place where stopping is prohibited (together with an emergency stop sign);
  • when towing on a towed vehicle;
  • if you are blinded by oncoming traffic.

Practical exam at driving school Radmir Krmp

After successfully passing the theory at the driving school, we move on to passing the practice. We immediately find ourselves in the training machine. First of all:

  • Fasten your seat belt using the /rem
  • Start the engine with left Ctrl
  • Turn on the headlights with the left Alt

After this, we begin to follow the red signs.

When driving, do not forget to stop at Stop , and also follow the traffic lights. If you make two mistakes, the exam will fail.

After successfully passing the practical part of the exam, the message “Exam passed successfully” appears and you are automatically issued a driver’s license.

Rules for using fog lights 2022

So, we found out whether it is possible to turn on the PTF during the day - yes, it is possible. It's time to figure out when you need to legally turn them on.

And the answer to this question is quite unexpected - you can never use fog lights at all according to traffic regulations.

And it is true! The key lies in the fact that the traffic rules in force in 2022 cannot oblige the use of fog lights simply because the Technical Regulations provide that cars can be equipped without them. How can you oblige the driver to include something that was not included when buying the car?!

That is, traffic rules indicate when you can use PTF, but do not prescribe when you can’t. Specifically, the current Rules establish the following possibilities regarding our topic:

  • fog lights can be used during the day instead of DRLs,
  • in case of insufficient visibility, they can only be turned on in conjunction with the headlights,
  • but in the dark only on unlit sections of roads and also with a head light.

Remember at the beginning of the article we mentioned that fog lights can always be used? But the traffic rules do not directly indicate that this possibility includes the condition of darkness and a lit road. If there is no direct permission, then it is prohibited? Not at all!

In fact, everything that is not directly permitted by the Rules does not mean that it is prohibited by them - this comes from the very essence of discretionary law. In addition, the Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees the protection of citizen freedom. This means that freedom - in this case freedom of movement in a vehicle - is given the highest priority.

In addition to specific instructions, there are general rules for regulating the use of headlights:

  • it is impossible to remove installed fog lights (clause 3.1 of the Basic Regulations of the Traffic Regulations),
  • it is prohibited to install PTFs if they are not provided for by the design,
  • It will also be a violation to install additional such headlights,
  • a fine will be issued if the traffic police inspector finds that any elements of the lighting devices do not work (clause 3.3),
  • It is forbidden to drive with dirty PTF,
  • an inappropriate type of lamp is installed in the fog lamps (for example, LED or xenon lamps in headlights intended for halogen ones),
  • they shine in any color except white, orange or yellow,
  • if the fog lights are not adjusted according to GOST.

Types of foglights

According to traffic regulations, the use of fog lights is officially permitted; many manufacturers equip factory-produced cars with fog lights. But many universal types are also produced by third-party companies. By type there are:

  • Front fog lights;
  • Rear fog lights.

The design features differ in the source of light used. Common types of fog lights:

  • Halogen. Relatively inexpensive light sources, in demand among car enthusiasts. The disadvantages include the short service life of the lamps. During intensive use, they require frequent replacement;
  • Xenon. The characteristics of the light spectrum are better than those of halogen lamps. They work long enough. The price is quite high;
  • LED fog lights. The highest price category. Lamps with excellent light beam. They have a long service life. Lamps are prone to overheating. Requires fairly good ventilation.

Causes

There are several common reasons why the optics do not go out after the ignition is turned off. Let's take a closer look at the low beam relay malfunction, the power button sticking, and the steering column switch failing.

Low beam relay


Low beam relay
In most cases, this happens due to a stuck relay. Experienced drivers simply tap it with a screwdriver and it comes off. If it does not help, then the element is replaced with a new relay.

The device for opening and closing the wiring of car lights is located in the installation - a special block, along with fuses. At least on the latest VAZ cars, it is located in the compartment on the left side of the driver.

This decorative plug must be removed to see the mounting block.

And here is the mounting block in the photo.


Mounting block

According to the VAZ scheme, the relay device responsible for the optics is located in this location.


Relay on the diagram

To remove any type of relay, the mounting block contains oval red tweezers.

After removal from the mounting block, the relay looks like this.

Button or key for turning on the dimensions and lights

The button may also be broken or there are problems with the wiring. In the case of the button, the size and light keys get stuck. The contacts simply close internally and it does not turn on.

It is noteworthy that this button is never actively used by motorists. A priori, it is left on, but when it gets stuck, it naturally does not perform its functions normally.


Optical keys in cars

The key is called a light switch, and is initially considered a flimsy thing and not entirely reliable.

Often this particular key becomes the favorite upgrade option for “handy” motorists. Noticing that the key is missing only an indicator that could turn the button into a useful thing, they improve it. This modernization makes it possible to significantly simplify the life of the driver, who was previously constantly worried about whether I turned off the headlights or not.

To carry out the upgrade, just use an LED. You also need a donor button, a soldering tool and a heat gun.

You need to do the following:

  • disassemble the donor button, remove the contact legs and the light filter for the window;
  • insert an LED and additional contacts along with a light filter inside the key.

Here's how to connect:


Connection

  • additional (new) contacts are introduced from above;
  • plus is taken from pin 6, minus is taken from pin B.

The LED is soldered here:


Where to solder the LED

An LED is embedded in the slot on the right.

In the end it turns out like this:


Tuning button

Green light – clearance, white – low beam.

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