Reverse Light(s)

[MK5Sportline]

As good (stylish) as the design is on the tail lights of MK5 Golf I really think functionally they're a bit below par...the brake lights are small, the indicators even smaller and when driving at night, braking with the indicator on, the indicator is almost undetectable. I dont really like the assymetrical look of the single reverse light and rear fog light (which I'm not sure I'll ever use!). I've just ordered a set of OEM LEDs (from TMTuning) which have some inherent LED shortcomings but I think are a safer (though expensive) option.
Today though I removed (it just clips in and out) the red 'filter' lens from the rear fog light and tested it tonight. Besides the lights now being symmetrical in looks the reverse lighting has increased by about 300%. I dont know if the rear fog is a stronger bulb or has a different reflector but its much more powerfull than the standard reverse light. Admittedly you have to pull the light switch to turn it on but thats hardly a big deal and you just use it when you need better illumination out the rear.
Just wondered if anyone else had thought about or done this? I wanted to trial it on my standard tail lights as a proof of concept before applying to my upcoming LEDs.

[Stan]

seems like a good idea

[maca]

That's a fantastic idea.. I've thought about it a few times but i've decided to keep the rear fog in case we get some bad weather up here in tropical QLD.. (which can happen frequently in the summer months)

It looks great though.. But now that they look symmetrical, you're gonna get sick of the "one of your reverse lights are out" comment if you dont turn the rear fog on haha..

[blutopless2]

i would assume that the rear fog lamp would be a higher wattage than the reverse lamp on the other side. what you could do is replace the fog lamp with the same wattage globe as on the normal reverse so they look the same. also you could run some wiring from the other side of the car to the "new" reverse lamp and tie them together so that they both work when you are reversing instead of having to turn the rear foglight on to get the other one to work.
this is what we did with our new beetle.

[spiff]

As good (stylish) as the design is on the tail lights of MK5 Golf I really think functionally they're a bit below par...the brake lights are small, the indicators even smaller and when driving at night, braking with the indicator on, the indicator is almost undetectable. I dont really like the assymetrical look of the single reverse light and rear fog light (which I'm not sure I'll ever use!). I've just ordered a set of OEM LEDs (from TMTuning) which have some inherent LED shortcomings but I think are a safer (though expensive) option.
Today though I removed (it just clips in and out) the red 'filter' lens from the rear fog light and tested it tonight. Besides the lights now being symmetrical in looks the reverse lighting has increased by about 300%. I dont know if the rear fog is a stronger bulb or has a different reflector but its much more powerfull than the standard reverse light. Admittedly you have to pull the light switch to turn it on but thats hardly a big deal and you just use it when you need better illumination out the rear.
Just wondered if anyone else had thought about or done this? I wanted to trial it on my standard tail lights as a proof of concept before applying to my upcoming LEDs.

Do you have fog lights installed? Is that why it is 300% brighter?
I didn't get fog lights installed (front nor rear), so like you, I find the asymmetrical look ugly and a waste of space. It's a mod I want to do later on (changing it so both become reverse lights, and yes, removing the red lens on the right).

THanks for doing this first and posting about it.

[maca]

Do you have fog lights installed? Is that why it is 300% brighter?
I didn't get fog lights installed (front nor rear), so like you, I find the asymmetrical look ugly and a waste of space. It's a mod I want to do later on (changing it so both become reverse lights, and yes, removing the red lens on the right).

THanks for doing this first and posting about it.

What do you mean you didn't get the rear fog installed? I thought they came standard and you had no choice..

[spiff]

What do you mean you didn't get the rear fog installed? I thought they came standard and you had no choice..

for real? in the dealership, when the "new sales consultant" put the reverse light on and was explaining abt the fogs, he didn't mention that the rear fogs were default and how to turn them on.

i didn't get the front fogs option, so i thought it was the set since that's wot the "new sales consultant" told me. hmm.. i read something earlier in the forum about having to pull the light switch to activate the fog?

i'm going to take it out for a drive and test that (and the dipping passenger rear mirror).. will report back later.

[maca]

for real? in the dealership, when the "new sales consultant" put the reverse light on and was explaining abt the fogs, he didn't mention that the rear fogs were default and how to turn them on.

i didn't get the front fogs option, so i thought it was the set since that's wot the "new sales consultant" told me. hmm.. i read something earlier in the forum about having to pull the light switch to activate the fog?

i'm going to take it out for a drive and test that (and the dipping passenger rear mirror).. will report back later.

Yeah you have to pull the switch out when on main beam to activate the rear fog.. And tmk I don't think it's a set. My car wasn't ordered with front fogs yet I still have the rear one. I thought all euro cars came with the rear fog light but the front ones being the option..

Ps. When you test the dipping mirror, make sure the knob is switched to "L" and that you've preselected the position you want it to dip to!!

[85turbo]

yep, the rear fog is standard fitment.
i don't have front fogs either, yet i still have the rear one.

as maca said, you have to have the light switch in the "on" position (not on auto) and then pull the switch out. the rear fog will turn on.

i plan to add some front fogs later, so ill keep the rear one (for now)

Jason.

[spiff]

cheers all! found out that i do have the rear fogs afterall.

[M4RK0]

That's a fantastic idea.. I've thought about it a few times but i've decided to keep the rear fog in case we get some bad weather up here in tropical QLD.. (which can happen frequently in the summer months)

It looks great though.. But now that they look symmetrical, you're gonna get sick of the "one of your reverse lights are out" comment if you dont turn the rear fog on haha..

I agree on that about the weather, I don't know in QLD but in Sydney even when it's raining very hard there are some idiots sticked on your rear, and for me the only way to get rid of them is turning On the fog,

Symmetry, not sure, I like the way they are "different", some time people asks me "You have a reverse light the doesn't work" and tell them the difference and the responce is "Oh clever! ", BUT!, i have a friend that installed the fog light like the Beetle on the bumper, I'll ask him for some pics and "how to's" for all of us to check,

Cheers!

[maca]

I agree on that about the weather, I don't know in QLD but in Sydney even when it's raining very hard there are some idiots sticked on your rear, and for me the only way to get rid of them is turning On the fog,

Symmetry, not sure, I like the way they are "different", some time people asks me "You have a reverse light the doesn't work" and tell them the difference and the responce is "Oh clever! ", BUT!, i have a friend that installed the fog light like the Beetle on the bumper, I'll ask him for some pics and "how to's" for all of us to check,

Cheers!

Also good for tail-gaters.

[CatonaPC©]

. . . what you could do is replace the fog lamp with the same wattage globe as on the normal reverse so they look the same. . . .

Umm, wouldn't this cause a globe fault warning light to illuminate on the dash?

[blutopless2]

that would depend upon how sophisticated the warning system is. i'm not sure as i have never tried it. i want to do the replacement on my jetta but haven't looked that deeply into it yet.