I just noticed there is a space in the front bumper. Did the 2001 Rx come with fog lights? If so can someone post pictures of them?

Anyone have any picture of after market ones?
thanks

 

To turn on your fog lights,twist the inner part of the headlamp stalk. Go to the front of the RX,and you will see where they are. It`s kind of directly under the headlamp lights. But your lights need to be on as well,they dont work with out the headlights on.

 

its like a little strip below the headlights.

 

I wouldn't put anything in the open holes in the bumper because they are mainly for air flow to the engine and transmission cooler. Don't wanna mess with that...

 

What Lexus calls Fog Lights really aren't, in my opinion. They supplement (fill-in near-field coverage of) the headlights. I normally leave them switched on (they only operate when the headlights are on).

I've learned in previous threads on this subject that real fog lights aren't legal in some/most/all? States! That is, yellow fog lights used without headlights.

 

Yeah, those are the real fog lights; their spectrum is naturally more yellow but mostly whitish. They don't have to be deep yellow (but the more yellow ones might be more helpful in the densest fog). As you said, fog lights fill in the near view, at their upper/farther range no more than headlights, but with a much wider field of view angled to the right, effective at night whether there's fog or not. Fog lights were standard on all RX's at all trim levels beginning in 1998 (for the 1999 model year). Check out their field of view in the dark. They are wired so they shut off with the low beams. I haven't thought of changing the bulbs in the stock fog lights, but I bet they will directly interchange with a yellow bulb if you are so inclined.

The angled air vents below the bumper at the outside edges are important for ventilation to the brakes, and most importantly, the transmission cooler (passenger side). You don't want to block the flow of air that's directed through those ducts, although I put a redundant tranny cooler stacked in addition to the stock cooler, and a small 12V fan on a thermostat inside the cooler duct (under the washer bottle on the passenger side), and with an exacto knife, cut more exit vents in the plastic inner fender liner inside the wheel well. Tranny coolers seem to always be cheap insurance and the RX is no exception. Whatever you install (there is no reason you can't have more than one set of fog lights) I don't think you want to block those two lower vents.

 

I hope I can clear the fog on this issue.

Fog is essentially low hanging cloud. The moisture has the tendency to reflect light and with enough particles around tend to glow (they bounce light back and forth).

Visibility from the driver point of view depends upon light source (bulb) emitting light, the photons traveling through air + fog, reflecting of the object, traveling back through air + fog, and making it way to the eye.

The onlooker (driver of the other car in front of you), the journey stops before the reflection and terminates in the eye [(s)he sees the light source].

Lot of people have a voyeuristic view of bright white and many lights source, but forget about the science and the driving laws.

Driving laws require 2 or at most 4 major white (various shades) on the front with at least (2 defining the edge ? inches away form the edge) and 2 parking lights (dimmer). Also white light in the direction of motion. There are laws about the rear where red markers define the edge, and license plate light (indirect white illumination). Flashing red or yellow can be used as cautionary light source. Low beam , high beam and fog-lights makes 6 major light sources, so they are wired in a way to keep the count at 4. [Add on lights are illegal for street use .. even if they are aimed properly].

Back to the science of fog lights. Due to reflective nature of fog, the light must be angled down [high beams end up lighting up the fog wall and do no help you see further out .. that why high beams and fog lights are exclusive of each other]. In white light spectrum, yellow/amber is higher freq (red being the highest .. but reserved for rear), ends up as best color to penetrate the fog the farthest (good for driver an on-looker). The fog light reflector, thus provides light closer and wider than where the low-beam spreads. The high-beam (up and further out) is useless and worse in fog. The wider spread in fog helps in giving the driver more reaction time and helps the on-looker to spot the glow further out.

Psychological impact of fog:
Various studies have shown that drivers perceive the driving speed incorrectly in fog and end up driving faster than what they think they are driving at. So in fog, please look at the speedo more often and drive a bit slower than the posted limit.

I personally get a chuckle from folks who want pure white (as in HID) for fog lights ,,, they are getting more form than function.

On 2nd gen early GS models, Lexus would give you "yellow" fog lights if you opted for a premium option, else you would get white.

Hope it helped some one.

Salim

 

Nice explanation, Salim!! Interesting info!

 

in those holes in the lower bumper are your tow hooks. Look in side and its in your manual.