Fog lights turn off when turning on high beams

Is there a way to have the fog lights stay on when the high beams are turned on? Is it something that can be changed in the "settings"?

 

There will be no way to do this in the trucks "settings".

There is a wiring mod for the 2nd gens to allow them to run at any time, I'm sure a similar thing can be done for the 3rd gens.

Edit: search "foglight anytime mod"

 

It can't be changed in settings. Here in Canada, the Highway Traffic Act states you cannot have Highbeams and Foglights on at the same time. I assume this the case in most States as well. I am sure there is a way to bypass relays or modify headlight switches to accomplish this but I wouldn't recommend it.

 

do a little searching on here there was a post with pictures on how to cross two post on your relay and they stay on with brights you can turn them off with the switch if they are not needed

 

It defeats the practical use of fog lights to use them and high beams at the same time

 

Exactly.....

You're not supposed to use highbeans in a foggy situation, all the light reflected back at you due to the fog.

 

Nothing on the dash of my truck mentions the words "fog lights" - there is however a switch that turns on the lower set of factory installed lights. They are in fact, high enough off the ground in Arizona to qualify as additional "headlights" - of which you are allowed to have (4) facing forward and illuminated. The elevation of the lamps - on a four wheel drive vehicle like the Tacoma - is such that they are not too effective in "FOG".

Because of that - I'd say they are best described as "driving lights" ...................

 

I go back far enough to remember that people considered the difference between "Driving Lights" and "Fog Lights", was that "Fog Lights" were amber, and "Driving Lights" were clear.
I used to see people who had a set of each on their car.

 

It's pretty dumb that they don't allow this...You are supposed to dim your headlights for other vehicles anyways....So fogs or no fogs...it cant hurt...except for those who do not dim their headlights.

 

I guess what I would really like is to have an independent switch for the fog lights so the fog lights won't go off when the high beams are turned on. I drive back roads very early in the morning and would appreciate all the illumination I can get to avoid established and potential road kill. Of course I dim my lights for oncoming traffic, but my vision is not what it used to be.
I've looked into LED lights just for low beams, but there does not appear to be a consensus as to which one is best in this forum. I'm waiting for the RSI report. So far the Phillips appear to be the ones that have a similar cut-off as the halogens.

 

^This. Not sure if the diagrams will match but there is only one way to find out.

 

What you need is auxillary lighting.

Install yourself, switched independently of OE lighting. There are subtle in-grill options available.

 

30" light bar in the grille will provide all the light you need

 

What you need is auxillary lighting.

Install yourself, switched independently of OE lighting. There are subtle in-grill options available.



Thx. I'll look into it.

 

You will find that the two lower lamps have a very effective horizontal "cut off" in their optics. Park in front of a closed garage door or light painted wall and have a look at how the various lamp beams behave.

There are directions around this site that allow making the factory auxillaries answer only the dash switch - keep looking. Due to the effective cut off the lowest beams (I prefer "driving lights" as a description) - you can substitute an H9 headlight bulb for the H11's - and get some effective light out of them. Because the optics work with both lamps - the cut-off will remain. Those directions are on this site as well. it only takes about 30 seconds each to make the bulbs fit the harness connection. Doing both modifications will allow exactly the performance you described - backroad candlepower to see the critters.....and on your command.

The H11 bulbs are 55w/1350 Lumens and the H9 bulbs are 65w/2100 Lumens - a considerable difference. They do not last as long as the lower watt lamps - but typically they are not used a lot. I've tried to detect a heating problem with mine - but so far so good. I don't usually have them on in daylight hours - and a 107º day like today might be a problem.

 

I'm with ya....Although, I used to drive for a living and you'd be surprised at the number of drivers that forget to turn off their highbeams.

 

I'm with you there!

 

Pretty much any H11 LED will work for the low beams, high beams and driving lights.
You can even get amber ones for your fog lights.
I had my seatbelt chime turned off in the settings. I will check with my cooperative tech to see if the driving light off when hi beams on can be changed too.
2016 taco

 

Hopefully, you aren’t talking to anyone in the audience that use both their high beams and overhead LED lightbars in the fog! Those people are oblivious to what blinding back scatter is.

 

The reason that you don't want your fog lights - and it's the beam pattern that determines the designation - on with your high beams is that your low beams are already on with the high beams and overlighting the foreground reduces the effective distance you can see with your high beams. We all discovered that back in the mid 1970's when we replaced all the horrible sealed beam lights with Cibié H4/H1/H2 systems. Hell, I would wire three separate relays for lows, mains and fogs and you could mix and match at will. Of course the Cibié 175's were and still are some of the best fogs ever made and the Cibié 5.75" pencil beam still puts our very good high beams to shame. Maybe the reduction in distance vision with these fairly useless fogs is less than with those old 175's but it's still there. It didn't take long to figure out why you didn't run fogs with main beams.