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The Case for Adding Driving Lights

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    The Case for Adding Driving Lights

    There has been some discussion on the forum about improving the lighting system by converting to E-spec headlights with glass lenses. I think most people are aware of the benefits of this modification. However, installing a good pair of driving lights might achieve comparable results at a more economical cost. If you go to: www.autospeed.com you can access an informative article about the benefits of adding auxiliary lights to your car. The title of the article is, "Fitting Xtra Lights" by Julian Edgar. As this is a relatively new article that has not yet been archived, it costs AUD $3.00 (~US $2.00) to access it.

    Edgar recommends adding good quality extra lights "if you want a LOT more high beam depth and brightness". Edgar points out the difference between a driving beam and a pencil beam. For most applications the driving beam is preferable because although its reach is somewhat shorter, its additional width helps to better illuminate the side of the road and the entrance into corners. He goes on to discuss mounting driving lights on a Lexus LS400, wiring considerations and the crucial importance of aiming. The largest light that will fit should be used because a larger reflector will produce a greater light output. The author concludes by saying, "if you buy carefully and fit them correctly, driving lights can make a huge difference to night-time country road visibility. The cost doesn't have to be very high and the results are typically vastly superior to changing the bulb design and/orwattage of the original headlights".

    I don't have fog lights in my car so I don't know what size lights fit in the sedan. I know the sedan takes rectangular lights and the P5 takes round ones, however.

    If you go to www.cibielights.com you can view a suitable selection of driving lights. Even more important, you can view the various beam dimensions and patterns available. For example:

    Rectangular Lights (all use an H2 55W bulb)
    950 Charlie, 6 1/8" x 3 3/4" x 2 1/8", beam length 330 m (1083'),
    beam width 28 m (92'), US $105.35 ea.

    Cesar (Series 175), 7 1/4" x 3 15/16" x 2 3/4", beam length 460 m
    (1509'), beam width 22 m (72'), US $93.14 ea.

    Round Lights (all take H1 bulbs)
    Oscar (Series 180), 7.1" dia. x 7.7" hgt. x 4.8" dpth., beam length 400 m, beam width 22 m, US $92.16 ea.

    Other types are also available as well as some models with pencil beams. Wiring harnesses are also available-see the Cibie website. Another source of quality lights can be found at www.hellausa.com

    Daniel Stern Lighting also sells Cibie lights and wiring harnesses and provides useful information about the whole lighting field.

    Driving lights should be wired so that they can only turn on with the high beams. Edgar feels that the two should always be on together but I think that a cockpit switch should be provided to turn them off independently of the high beams. For maximum effectiveness use a separate wiring harness, don't depend on the OEM wiring already in place for the fog lights. One suggested method is to tap off from the high beam circuit wire in the instrument panel, run it through the OEM fog light switch and then connect it to the coil terminal(s) of the relay(s).

    Power the driving lights with a direct connection from the batt. + terminal to the relay switch terminals (you could use one DPST type, for example) and then a separate wire to each light. If you make your own harness, use sufficiently heavy gauge wire. If two wires are run all the way from batt. to lights, 14 ga. should be sufficient. If a single wire is run from batt. to relay and is then split, use a 12 ga. wire to the relay and then two 14 ga. ones to the lights. Remember to use a fuse or fusible link as close to the batt. as possible to prevent catastrophe in case of a short.

    H1, H2 and H3 bulbs are rated at 55 W at 12 V. This means that the two bulbs together will draw~9.2 A. At 13.5 V, the two bulbs together will draw~10.3 A. Keep this current draw in mind when sizing wires, fuses and relay capacity.

    Most of these lights will also accomodate 100 W bulbs without damage. I don't advocate them nor do I think you would need them in a properly carried out installation. I'm also sure that they are probably illegal on every public highway in the US and Canada. However, should you ever need them for off-road use (as they say), bear in mind they will draw~16.7 A at 12 V and~18.7 A at 13.5 V, so adjust your components accordingly.

    One final point mentioned by Edgar. When adjusting driving lights, you have the option of pointing them both straight ahead or of pointing the passenger side light very slightly to the right to better illuminate the side of the road and to improve cornering visibility. This adds some flexibility to the system.

    Here's to brighter lights for all!
    02 DX Millenium Red - The Penultimate Driving Machine
    MP3 Strut Tower Bar kit; Cusco Front Lower Arm Tie Bar
    MSP Springs, Struts, Stabilizer Bars, Trailing Links, #3 Engine Mount
    Kartboy Stabilizer Bar Bushings; Nyloil Shifter Bushings; Red Line MT-90 Gear Oil
    MP3 Shifter, Knob and Aluminum Pedal Set
    Suvlights HD Wiring Harness; Osram Night Breaker H4 Bulbs; Exide Edge AGM Battery
    Summer: 5Zigen FN01R-C 16 x 7" Wheels; Yoko S.drive 205/45-16s
    Winter: Enkei OR52 16 x 7" Wheels; Falken Ziex ZE-912 205/45-16s
    Modified OEM Air Intake; Racing Beat Exhaust System; Techna-Fit SS Clutch Line
    Denso SKJ16CR-L11 Extended Tip Spark Plugs; Magnecor Wires
    Power Slot Front Brake Rotors; Techna-Fit SS Brake Lines; Hawk HPS Pads
    Red Line Synthetic Engine Oil; C/S Aluminum Oil Cap
    Cyberdyne Digital Gauges: Tach; Ambient Air Temp; Voltmeter

    #2
    I understand Egdar's points, however it is illegal to have ANY other driving lights on when the high beams are on.

    I'm sure the laws are different in Australia, but here in the US, the law states that you may use no more than TWO sets of driving lights at any one time. It also states that high beams - regardless of whether they are a separate bulb (like the P5), or a dual-function hi/lo bulb (like the sedans) are automatically considered TWO pairs. This is the reason that the foglights on the P5 automatically turn OFF when high beams are used; to comply with the laws.

    People can do what they want - and I see illegal lighting all the time. But if it IS done, it should be done properly so as not to blind other drivers and/or cause a dangerous glare situation.

    Personally, I find my P5 stock headlights to be awesome. The fogs are largely useless, but once day I might yank off the internal shroud that covers the top half of the bulb so I can get more use out of them.

    Just FYI.

    ~HH

    Comment


      #3
      I always put driving lights on my vehicles... I didnt even know there was a law... oh well. Just buy a relay and use a splitter off the hi-beam to control the relay and run the driving lights that way so that the driving lights CONNOT come on at all with low-beams and I have never been stopped. Beware though, this is the easiest way to insure you dont get caught with the driving lights on, as the DTRL will also probably activate the relay, it does in my Protege anyways. If you wanna do it right, you gotta find the hot wire going to the high-beams after the factory HL re-lay as far as i can tell there is a seperate DTRL relay... I didnt look into it, i hooked up my driving lights on the side of the highway.

      Comment


        #4
        Damn, how many old threads are going to be continually revived? We should lock threads after they reach 2 months inactive.

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