Cornering lights

[mitch84]

Hi 

Can anyone tell me under what circumstances the cornering lights on a MK8 come on?

Do they come on under a certain speed and a certain angle of the wheel, I see them come on on roundabouts, I'm wondering if they come on when Im only turning my wheel slightly.

I really dislike them and would love to be able to turn them off.

 

[Daggerit]

Don’t know all the circumstances but the ones I’ve noticed are when turning the wheel below about 20mph, when the indicator is on around the same speed, whether the wheel is turned or not, and also when the car is put in reverse it would appear.

I’m not a fan either, I’d love to be able to turn them off without having to plug anything into the car but I don’t think it’s possible?


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[mitch84]

1 hour ago, Daggerit said:

Don’t know all the circumstances but the ones I’ve noticed are when turning the wheel below about 20mph, when the indicator is on around the same speed, whether the wheel is turned or not, and also when the car is put in reverse it would appear.

I’m not a fan either, I’d love to be able to turn them off without having to plug anything into the car but I don’t think it’s possible?


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I think I have noticed with indicator on they come on as well like you stated regardless of wheel alignment, and both coming on when in reverse, just find it so pointless!

[isetta]

When I am driving and see corner lights on car behind going on and off in my mirror I think it looks reAlly stupid and annoying. 

[mitch84]

28 minutes ago, isetta said:

When I am driving and see corner lights on car behind going on and off in my mirror I think it looks reAlly stupid and annoying. 

Considering a lot of cars have these cornering lights, I'm yet to notice them on other road users cars yet. I'm not bothered if they look stupid or not and don't find them annoying, as just said Ive not noticed them on other cars, I just find them pointless.

[Eric Bloodaxe]

Don't drive much at night nowadays, but can't say I've ever noticed these coming on in the Fiesta, unlike other cars I've had where they were very noticeable. I've never used the actual front foglights on any car I've had anyway, so can well do without these.

Find myself wishing more and more for a car with a lot less features, but where those it does have actually work reliably!😀

 

 

[TomsFocus]

I see corner lights on loads of cars.  VAG cars especially and most noticeable on 30mph roundabouts as cars turn left towards you.

[isetta]

I guess that once one manufacturer instals something like this, then others follow suit just to keep up even if no one with them thinks there is any point in them (has anyone on this forum got them and think there is any point in them.  (maybe if someone has a tight awkward driveway with low wall hazards or something I guess they might have some small benefit).

Hope the EU does not make them compulsory on all new cars, like with so much stuff creeping in over the years

[Blatto]

5 hours ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I've never used the actual front foglights on any car I've had anyway, so can well do without these.

I drive quite a bit in the dark in the Winter months, from about November until February it's mostly dark for my journey to and from work.

I've used the front fog lights on quite a few occasions on the unlit/no road markings country lane part of my journey. Makes it much easier to see the edge of the road especially in the wet. The front fog lights are not a nuisance for the oncoming vehicles as the beam is pointed down at the road and towards the kerb. 

But in the last 10 years of commuting I've never seen it foggy enough to warrant using fog lights (front or rear) for fog. The slightest bit of mist around this way and every idiot and their dog has the glaring rear fog lights on. It's supposed to be for visibility of less than 100 Metres. Apart from the glare it's also not good on the motorways as you can often think someone is braking up ahead when instead it's some muppet with rear fog lamps when they aren't required.

As for the cornering lights, I don't mind them being on but I've not really noticed any scenarios in my journeys where they have been much use. And I'm not sure what the criteria is for them to operate.

My old Citroen had proper cornering lights that were moved by an electric motor and they were very useful on tight turns in unlit areas.

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

34 minutes ago, isetta said:

 (maybe if someone has a tight awkward driveway with low wall hazards or something I guess they might have some small benefit).

Lol I once hit the low wall in a friend's curving driveway, but as it was broad daylight I had no-one to blame but me!😞

[Mavroz]

What issue do cornering lights cause drivers who have cars with them?

Why do people dislike them?

Why do people think they are stupid?

Anything that illuminates the road and kerb edge more in the dark is a benefit surely? 

Other drivers seemingly go to the ends of the earth to pay a fortune for headlamp lamps that increase light output slightly to generate more brightness.

I am just trying to understand why a few drivers seem not to like the extra light output.

[Guy Heaton]

I wouldn't say annoying but I'd file them in the growing list of modern gimmicks that are basically pointless. 

Something like Abs is a great idea.  Cadence braking is a difficult skill that you dont want to be thinking about in an emergency. 

I'm probably a minority though.  I was looking at the Focus ST the other day and its stupidly fast and capable but it made me think that modern cars are boring and what I really want is that battleship gray Saab 900 turbo I never got 30 years ago. 😄

[mitch84]

4 hours ago, Mavroz said:

What issue do cornering lights cause drivers who have cars with them?

Why do people dislike them?

Why do people think they are stupid?

Anything that illuminates the road and kerb edge more in the dark is a benefit surely? 

Other drivers seemingly go to the ends of the earth to pay a fortune for headlamp lamps that increase light output slightly to generate more brightness.

I am just trying to understand why a few drivers seem not to like the extra light output.

I used the wrong word when I said I dislike them, I just don't find they make much difference to me , and I drive home at night down pitch black country lanes, yes they give slightly more light output low down to the side, but I don't need it to see where i'm going, so I feel its just another bulb that will eventually need replacing from the constant use.

 

 

 

[DG97]

34 minutes ago, mitch84 said:

I used the wrong word when I said I dislike them, I just don't find they make much difference to me , and I drive home at night down pitch black country lanes, yes they give slightly more light output low down to the side, but I don't need it to see where i'm going, so I feel its just another bulb that will eventually need replacing from the constant use.

 

 

 

I'd agree with that 100%. I don't really care for them being on or off but I don't think they make much difference. Even on sharp corners, the illumination is visible but not in that improves your vision, you can just see something is lit up. 

I think adaptive headlights that turn with the wheel turning are a better idea. By default, the cornering lights are fog lights which project forwards, almost in line with the headlights so they don't really result in giving more "cornering" vision. 

When playing around with Forscan, I did see an option to change the function of the fog lights from cornering to just fogs which I assume would switch the cornering lights function off. I didn't try it as I'm not that fussed either way but for anyone that wants to give it a shot, it's just choosing a different option. Shame it can't be done easily via the vehicle settings in the trip computer display thing. 

[Bobr]

My wife has a top of the range Renault Kadjar that has them and she can't see that they make the slightest difference.   In fact, until I pointed them out, she didn't even realise that she had them.

['mazin]

I live in a rural area, and for 3 years I drove a car with cornering lights.  I just traded it in for a car that does not have them, and boy do I regret it!  I drive at night regularly, and there are at least 3 places I drive where I have to make a 90 degree turn onto a side road that is sloped down.  With the cornering lights, I could see where I was going before starting to turn.  Now I'm turning into total blackness.  All you who don't see the point are lucky you don't encounter situations where they are useful.  If you ever need them and don't have them, you'll probably "see the light" ;-)

[Blatto]

8 hours ago, 'mazin said:

All you who don't see the point are lucky you don't encounter situations where they are useful.  If you ever need them and don't have them, you'll probably "see the light" 😉

Yeah, I'm not sure why so many people seem to be disliking them, I've never seen them causing any problems. I've not had a situation on my current regular drive where they help, but I'm sure they are useful in some situations, as you say.

Now a feature  that would be useful is to stop people turning on their rear fog lights when the visibility is over 100 metres. In the last 10 years of driving every day around my part of the UK I've never seen fog thick enough to warrant the use of fog lights.

[Frembrit]

I have a mk4.5 Mondeo and I really like the cornering lights on it, but they are not the fog light type. They are built in to the headlight units and use a seperate H1 bulb which are angled out at about 60-70 degrees. They come on at speeds up to 40mph and is activated on the amount the steering wheel has been turned. I find them great for turing in to unlit junctions etc.

As a comparison,my frined had a mk5 Mondeo with LED headlights and he was unawre that his fog lights were coming on when he was turning until I mentioned it. He said they didn't really light up much to the side, not like my cornering lights.

I think I'm going to miss them when I replace the car (not likely to be soon though) as I'm not aware of many cars having them in the headlight units( not that I've investigated), only seen an Audi, A6 maybe, that I noticed once when I was walking past as he was doing a 3 point turn.

 

 

[st line x 140 driver]

1 hour ago, Frembrit said:

I have a mk4.5 Mondeo and I really like the cornering lights on it, but they are not the fog light type. They are built in to the headlight units and use a seperate H1 bulb which are angled out at about 60-70 degrees. They come on at speeds up to 40mph and is activated on the amount the steering wheel has been turned. I find them great for turing in to unlit junctions etc.

As a comparison,my frined had a mk5 Mondeo with LED headlights and he was unawre that his fog lights were coming on when he was turning until I mentioned it. He said they didn't really light up much to the side, not like my cornering lights.

I think I'm going to miss them when I replace the car (not likely to be soon though) as I'm not aware of many cars having them in the headlight units( not that I've investigated), only seen an Audi, A6 maybe, that I noticed once when I was walking past as he was doing a 3 point turn.

 

 

My zafira tourer has them very useful.

[Jim H]

Cornering lights are not new. The original Citroen DS had them, as did the later SM. The main beam had an electric or hydraulic motor which swivelled them when going around corners. Those would certainly make a difference when cornering. The SM had both normal and cornering main beams.