Ok, so this is a really stupid question, but I didn't grow up around cars much (from a big city) so bear with me. On the front of my fit there are regular headlights, and then, if you look straight down, there are these little circle light things. I can't figure out what the point of them is or how to turn them on. I thought they were called low beams, but apparently those are normal headlights. Fog lights are just super bright normal headlights. So...what are these little lower lights?

 

I believe they are fog lights or driving lights. Back in the day, fog lights differed from driving lights based on the lens, or color of the light. A light which had a diffused lens was designed to scatter light more left to right than straight forward, and often times directed to have a shorter "throw". Some fog lights were yellow in color, or of a lower Kelvin temp, which had better light projection through bad weather (rain and fog) compared to a white light. Driving lights have clear lens and are pointed more forward and at times to the outer edges of the lane to provide a clearer/brighter path.

Plenty of light experts on the forum can explain it clearer, and will correct me if I'm wrong. Hope this helps.

 

Yes, fog lights. If memory serves, they come on with the headlights (trying to recall reflection in the back of cars ahead of me).

 

yah, those are driving lights i suppose since they are not yellow in hue but as others said, it only comes on with the headlights unless you wire them a different way.

since the headlamps are so weak on the car, my wife has those lights turn on all the time. (btw half a turn upwards on the headlight aim helped the lighting quite a bit).

 

Driving lights project a narrow beam far down the road, while fog lights throw a diffused pattern to the lower front and to the sides. Based in this, these are FOG lights, despite being white, not yellow.

I put yellow bulbs in mine.

 

The Fit manual calls them fog lights. They'll only go on with the headlights (not like the old days when you could turn them on separately). I've learned they're especially good at illuminating the sides of the car in the front. Just the other night I was out during a bad storm and used the fog lights to see into my turns, especially my left turns. For some reason the Fit's headlight beam seems very tight toward the front, no diffusion around the edges.

 

Tom & Ray say:

Fog lights are low-mounted lights (bumper level or below) that project light that's cut off at the top. So the light pattern on a good-quality fog light goes straight out at bumper level and down, but not higher than that. The reason for that is that fog tends to hover about 12 to 18 inches off the ground. So by projecting light in that fog-free pocket, you can illuminate the road a greater distance from your car and therefore see farther ahead.

Some people swear by fog lights. Others claim that they don't really make much difference.

 

When I looked at my light stalk today (yeah, I need to get a life), it looked to me like one of the settings allows for the fogs only. So having checked out which lights come on for the OP earlier, now I need to check that out too. I usually keep my lights on the "Auto" setting (EX, if that matters).

 

more like useless lights regardless..

 

Or a little harmless sporty bling, a fashion statement of sorts. I can make no statement to their usefulness, Fog doesn't come here at times when I drive.

 

I agree with the folks who are saying that the fog lights help illuminate the sides of the car better than just the headlights alone.

It's handy for situations where side visibility is poor

 

To turn them on, like everyone else says, the headlights must be on first. Then on the same headlight/turn signal combo switch, you will see a 2nd rotating switch that will turn on/off the fog/driving lights.
They do a good job of adding light to the immediate 10 feet or so in front of the car.

 

Huh...why the confusion?
Those round lights below your headlights?
Those are FOG LIGHTS.
It's in your owners manual. There is a picture with a designation given-Fog Lights.
Plus the indicator light is what appears to be a reflector shape, with squiggly lines infront of it...those squiggle lines represent...fog.

Plus fog lights are NOT just "super bright" normal lights. That would be your high beam. In a fog situation bright direct light just bounces back at you. Which is why fog lights are aimed and positioned lower.

 

huh, u guys seem fixated with them fog lights in the wrong color. haha

keep them on, the headlights are so weak it can use all the help it can.

 

I actually find them quite useful in lighting the sides of the road at night. This is especially useful for spotting small varmints. Sorry you don't find them useful.

 

no worries, the GK is so behind in the lighting area it can use all the lights you can turn on.. this is why my wife keeps them on 100% of the time as posted earlier. they are like supplementary lights for driving as the headlights are so weak.

 

For the reasons I mentioned I run mine all the time as well.