What does a front fog lamp do?

A front fog light is responsible for illuminating the road in front of your vehicle when driving in poor visibility. According to UK and European law a car must have at least one (working) rear fog light, to warn traffic of your presence when they are closing in on you from behind in poor conditions.

Some more modern cars are also equipped with front fog lights, either as standard or as an optional extra, which help you to see the road ahead more clearly in thick fog.

Both these fog lights are important safety features so should be regularly checked and properly maintained.

Volvo

Volvo Cars is a Swedish luxury vehicle manufacturer, established in April 1927, over 90 years ago.

How popular is Volvo in the United Kingdom?

With around 645k cars on the roads in the UK today, Volvo is a considerable contributor to the UK motor industry.

With a steady rise in status from the boxy estate models popular in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Volvo now produces a strong, executive range of luxury, performance vehicles.

Luxurious executive saloons, estate cars and SUVs

Sticking to the market they understand best, Volvo produces a small range of estate cars and a selection of bang-on-trend SUVs, complimented by 2 luxury saloon models. In other words, Volvo makes cars for ‘grown-up’ drivers where it knows its customers inside out.

Volvo: Exceptional aims for in-car safety

One of Volvo’s key visions is to provide a level of unrivalled safety inside their vehicles and has proven to be a dedicated leader in the field. Their current vision is that nobody should be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo car by 2020.

Pursuing perfection through Volvo technology

The ethos behind Volvo reaches further than just selling units and making a profit. By putting their customers first, they have committed to creating vehicles where ownership gives quality time back to their drivers, are environmentally efficient and exceptionally safe.

Using modern technology and striving to develop the systems to lead the field, is something they take very seriously. After all, this is the company that brought drivers:

• The 3-point safety seatbelt

• The Lambda Sond emissions detector responsible for reducing harmful fumes by 90%

• Side impact, whiplash, and roll-over protection

• Blind spot systems

• City safety scanning

• Pedestrian detection

• Auto-braking

How often should you replace a fog lamp bulb?

Unfortunately no light bulb will last the lifetime of your vehicle, which means at some point you’ll need to replace your fog light bulbs. There is no set mileage at which this should be done, as it depends on how often you use them and on the type of bulb. Just be sure to check them regularly.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Legally a car must have at least one (working) rear fog light and more modern cars should also be equipped with front fog lights. Because these lights are important safety features they will be checked during an MOT. If they are found to be broken or faulty your car will most likely fail its MOT.

What causes a fog lamp bulb to break?

Fog lamp bulbs can break for a variety of reasons. For example, because of a blown fuse, if water has seeped into the light or over time they can simply wear out. The most important thing is that you replace the bulbs as soon as possible as it can be dangerous to drive without them.

What are the signs of a bad fog lamp bulb?

Usually, there a few signs you can look for:

• If one or both of your fog lights has stopped working

• If your fog lights are dimmer than usual

• If you have noticed your fog lights flickering or dipping in and out

What happens during a fog lamp bulb replacement?

During the repair our certified mechanics will:

• Inspect the fog lights and test to see which ones need replacing

• They will then disconnect any power wires attached to the fog lights

• Unscrew or unclip the old fog light bulb that needs replacing

• Fit the new fog light bulbs, ensuring they’re the correct size and type for your car make and model

• They’ll reconnect the power wires and test that the new bulb is working

What is the average life of a fog lamp bulb?

There is no set lifespan of fog lamp bulbs, as it depends on how often you use them and on the type of bulb. Just be sure to check them regularly to ensure they're fully functional for when you need to use them.

Can you drive with a broken fog lamp bulb?

You shouldn't drive without functioning front fog lamps. Legally a car must have at least one (working) rear fog light, to warn traffic of your presence when they are closing in on you from behind in poor conditions.

Some more modern cars are also equipped with front fog lights, either as standard or as an optional extra, which help you to see the road ahead more clearly in thick fog.