My brother-in-law recently purchased a 2003 Windstar and is unsure of the operation of the lower valance lights, the owners manual provides no insight. The closest I could come was a fleeting reference to 15a ganged fuse in the engine compartment fuse box listing auxiliary lights among others. I assume they're auxiliary driving lights since they have clear lenses.

His dilemma is that they do not illuminate when the headlights are on nor can we find any form of on/off switching. They look factory and original so any insight you could provide on how they operate would be much appreciated.

 

Are you sure they are fog lights? I have cornering lights that illuminate when you use the turn signal. Here is one:

 

If the lights you're talking about are ROUND, then they are Driving/Fog lights. If they look like the one that "Bluewind" posted, then they are CORNERING lights.

 

Thanks for the replies, pleasant surprise! :-)

I'm not 100% sure but do believe they were round. Seem to recall it looked like the attached image. Unfortunately they were down here in MD for vacation but are now back in NY with the vehicle so I'll have to verify.

Seems odd that there would be no logical way of switching on and off if they are auxiliary driving lights therefore you have me second guessing that they could be turn illumination. If they end up being driving lights would they be manually switchable?

 

I was just advised the lights are indeed round which should identify them as auxiliary driving lights. So that leaves me wondering how they are designed to operate. Can they be manually turned on/off or are they in some form automatic. As far as I know my brother-in-law has never seen them illuminated and still can find no switch or owners manual documentation to their usage.

 

If wikipedia is worth its salt then auxiliary driving lights should be "on" when the high beam is "on".
Wiki:
Auxiliary lamps

Driving lamps


High beam headlamps augmented by auxiliary driving lamps


"Driving lamp" is a term deriving from the early days of nighttime driving, when it was relatively rare to encounter an opposing vehicle.[citation needed] Only on those occasions when opposing drivers passed each other would the dipped or "passing" beam be used. The full beam was therefore known as the "driving beam", and this terminology is still found in international UN Regulations, which do not distinguish between a vehicle's primary (mandatory) and auxiliary (optional) upper/driving beam lamps.[4][5][8] The "driving beam" term has been supplanted in US regulations by the functionally descriptive term "auxiliary high-beam lamp".[9] They are most notably fitted on rallying cars, and are occasionally fitted to production vehicles derived from or imitating such cars. They are common in countries with large stretches of unlit roads, or in regions such as the Nordic countries[citation needed] where the period of daylight is short during winter. Many countries regulate the installation and use of driving lamps. For example, in Russia each vehicle may have no more than three pairs of lights including the original-equipment items, and in Paraguay auxiliary driving lamps must be off and covered with opaque material when the vehicle is circulating in urban areas.[10]

 

Nice research there bluewind. Much appreciate the reply!

I'm guessing there's no real standardization. My 1994 Pontiac GranPrix would be a good example. It has factory auxiliary driving lamps located in the lower valance and on the dash next to the main headlamp switch is a dedicated switch for them. To me the most frustrating part of attempting to help him figure this out is the fact that, as stated earlier, the owners manual for that vehicle makes absolutely no reference to these lamps.

 

They are indeed driving lights I have the same 03 blue winny as the picture the lights are round and are on with the headlight switch there is no other switch .Its the wifes car and shes not home yet but almost positive they are on when the markers are on also when the headlights are on and I think even high beams they are on, Go simple and check if the bulbs are good first,it tells you in the owners manual all the bulb numbers,

 

Much appreciate that reply windstar03!

Just what I needed to hear. Very good possibility it could be burnt bulbs or corroded sockets. The vehicle is from northern NY (2 miles from Canadian border) so likely has seen quite a bit of winter's ravages. I'll pass your info along, it should provide him with what he needs to get them working...now that he knows how they should work!

 

confirmed ,lights are on all the time ( with switch) bulbs look to be a #912 but need to confirm ,good luck