Strobe fog/rain lights?
Strobe fog/rain lights?
Author
Discussion

Mr Hoops

Original Poster:

88 posts

184 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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Following a new BMW 3 Series estate this morning boasting a bright DTM style rain light in the rear 'diffuser'. It was set to 'strobe' under braking.

I assume this is not a factory-fit option?

Pretty distracting none the less and I guess questionable legality too?.

LennyM1984

1,139 posts

98 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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It's to alert you to the fact that the driver in front is a moron.

smithyithy

7,929 posts

148 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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They're ridiculous.. I also saw one on a BMW I was behind (M135i or similar)... His was permanently on, like a rear fog light, but strobed on and off when he braked silly

Just add it to the list...

  • 5D fridge magnet plates
  • Tinted plates
  • Chameleon windscreens
  • Strobing rear fog brake lights
At least they're making it increasingly easy to spot them on the road, so we can give them an extra wide birth...

Pica-Pica

16,674 posts

114 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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These have been around at least since LCI F30/31. My 335d has them. See below, the hazards also come on when you are stopped. They confused me the first time they come on, but, to be honest, you have to be doing pretty much an emergency stop to activate them, so about 2 or 3 times in 7 years. I would guess they are pretty useful in emergency stop situations, if they are occurring regularly, then that driving needs hauling back a bit. What others have seen may not be factory fit, by the sounds of it.


Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 21st June 11:47

Whataguy

1,144 posts

110 months

Friday 21st June 2024
quotequote all
Yes, I've seen quite a few people with them when I had a Golf - F1 style they called them.

Usually an aftermarket diffuser with the light in the middle low down.

(Rather than the flashing of brake lights under heavy braking)

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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Pica-Pica said:
These have been around at least since LCI F30/31. My 335d has them. See below, the hazards also come on when you are stopped. They confused me the first time they come on, but, to be honest, you have to be doing pretty much an emergency stop to activate them, so about 2 or 3 times in 7 years. I would guess they are pretty useful in emergency stop situations, if they are occurring regularly, then that driving needs hauling back a bit. What others have seen may not be factory fit, by the sounds of it.


Edited by Pica-Pica on Friday 21st June 11:47
Think OP means these type ones. Because Race Car. Every time you touch the brakes, they flash.



Alex_225

7,841 posts

231 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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LennyM1984 said:
It's to alert you to the fact that the driver in front is a moron.
Exactly this! It's basically an alerting system to allow ordinary people to spot an utter bell-end in front.

They can be used in hand with maps that make exhausts crackle and tinted number plates!

Mr Hoops

Original Poster:

88 posts

184 months

Friday 21st June 2024
quotequote all
Thanks, yes that is the one, which I see now is an aftermarket thing.

I can understand this might be a useful feature for heavy braking on, say a motorway, but pretty pointless at 5mph in Sainsbury carpark smile

Lester H

4,426 posts

135 months

Friday 21st June 2024
quotequote all
LennyM1984 said:
It's to alert you to the fact that the driver in front is a moron.
Nailed it. Also cyclists with ultra bright lights flashing .

Lo-Fi

1,291 posts

100 months

Friday 21st June 2024
quotequote all
Whataguy said:
Yes, I've seen quite a few people with them when I had a Golf - F1 style they called them.

Usually an aftermarket diffuser with the light in the middle low down.

(Rather than the flashing of brake lights under heavy braking)
Eh? You only saw them when you had a Golf?

Whataguy

1,144 posts

110 months

Friday 21st June 2024
quotequote all
Lo-Fi said:
Whataguy said:
Yes, I've seen quite a few people with them when I had a Golf - F1 style they called them.

Usually an aftermarket diffuser with the light in the middle low down.

(Rather than the flashing of brake lights under heavy braking)
Eh? You only saw them when you had a Golf?
It was quite a common modification for golf owners in the club I was in.

You can fit a diffuser onto a base model and have the f1 light. Or fake exhaust pipes when your car only has one underneath the original bumper.

Along with reprogramming systems through the obd port to customise various things.

You could even program the rear lights to flash in patterns if you wanted.

Lo-Fi

1,291 posts

100 months

Friday 21st June 2024
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Whataguy said:
Lo-Fi said:
Whataguy said:
Yes, I've seen quite a few people with them when I had a Golf - F1 style they called them.

Usually an aftermarket diffuser with the light in the middle low down.

(Rather than the flashing of brake lights under heavy braking)
Eh? You only saw them when you had a Golf?
It was quite a common modification for golf owners in the club I was in.

You can fit a diffuser onto a base model and have the f1 light. Or fake exhaust pipes when your car only has one underneath the original bumper.

Along with reprogramming systems through the obd port to customise various things.

You could even program the rear lights to flash in patterns if you wanted.
Nah, I can live without it.
A chap at work has one on his M4. Conforming to the stereotype, he lives with his mum and brylcreems his hair. In his 40's.


Blakewater

4,559 posts

187 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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Some guy who delivers parcels around my neighbourhood has one on his ancient diesel Golf. It flashes as he reverses as well.

anonymous-user

84 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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Lester H said:
LennyM1984 said:
It's to alert you to the fact that the driver in front is a moron.
Nailed it. Also cyclists with ultra bright lights flashing .
,So a cyclist making themselves visible to other road users is moronic, I would say the compelete opposite, it's the sensible thing to do.

Its Just Adz

19,042 posts

239 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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They usually don't work properly and are attached to A Class Mercs around the West Yorkshire area.

Rough101

3,069 posts

105 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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Only ever seen them on Mat Armstrong style BMW’s

South tdf

1,828 posts

225 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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Have seen a few of them, mainly on madly modified German cars

The other two incoming “top mods” to watch seem to be light up BMW grills (not to be confused with the terrible factory ones). Where some people used to stick on coloured plastic strips they can now buy light up ones. The other I noticed on a Golf was the rear light had a multi colour LED making a flashing circle of colours.

GolfDragon

301 posts

97 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
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Saw a 5 series Uber/Private Hire vehicle with one of those F1 car style lights in the centre of the rear bumper. Didn’t look functional. I don’t understand why people think it looks cool on an everyday car but each to their own I guess. It’s nowhere near as bad as driving around with a stupidly loud exhaust in a residential area or doing other antisocial driving activities.

Pica-Pica

16,674 posts

114 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
quotequote all
lancslad58 said:
Lester H said:
LennyM1984 said:
It's to alert you to the fact that the driver in front is a moron.
Nailed it. Also cyclists with ultra bright lights flashing .
,So a cyclist making themselves visible to other road users is moronic, I would say the compelete opposite, it's the sensible thing to do.
I think the word ‘ultra’ is the key modifier here. Some can be distractingly bright, almost like main beam but flashing. On bicycles, the flashing bit is the alerter, therefore brightness should be low.

ecsrobin

18,679 posts

195 months

Saturday 22nd June 2024
quotequote all
South tdf said:
Have seen a few of them, mainly on madly modified German cars

The other two incoming “top mods” to watch seem to be light up BMW grills (not to be confused with the terrible factory ones). Where some people used to stick on coloured plastic strips they can now buy light up ones. The other I noticed on a Golf was the rear light had a multi colour LED making a flashing circle of colours.
Even the BMW WEC/Le Mans team have resorted to running an LED grill wink