Spotlights on low beam??

[fzrr]

Hi all

Bear with me as I'm new to 4wds and the D22 is my first one. I just finished wiring up some spotties using the Nissan wiring loom and they only work on high beam. Is this the way its meant to be?

After getting caught in some forests after dark with the standard headlights I was hoping to be able to use the spotties in conjunction with low beam so you don't lose the close up lighting?

cheers

 

[MAD D40]

If you wish to use spotties on low beam you will need to hard wire an extra switch into the existing relay used for the spotties so you can turn them on and off at any time.
Also if you leave the current wiring in as well you can use the high beam setup on the highway so you can shut down the spotties with the high beam stalk.

 

[Nevyn]

Yep, they're supposed to be only available on high beam so when you're on the blacktop they can be turned on and off by the dipper switch. I've been thinking about the same for a while now and reckon that some "work lights" like the LED flood lamps might be the go, mounted low like a pair of fog lamps somehow. Still thinking though!!

Cheers Brad

 

[fzrr]

Oh so its a legal thing that they only work on high beam?

 

[mitch92]

Oh so its a legal thing that they only work on high beam?

It certainly is. As others said, a second switch to power the relay would be able to be installed to allow them to switch on under low's, however it would be illegal to use them as such. I think it comes down to common sense though, only use them when on low beam in the situations where needed and im sure all would be fine, only problem would ever be if the cops pulled you over and knew what was going on with them, which even then you could probably explain your way out of it if you weren't already pissing them off.

Mitch

 

[Old.Tony]

I like Brad's idea of a second set of lights. My particular issue is while driving at night towing our van around tight forest trails, I want to be able to see around corners.

My idea is to get some 55W "flood" style (not spot) driving lamps and aim them down and about 20 to 30 degrees to each side off the line of the vehicle, available only on high beam - makes it easier to flick 'em off and makes 'em legal. This will let me see a little further around the bends, so I can avoid branches, roos, snakes, wombats, echidnas, washouts etc.

 

[fzrr]

Damn I was hoping to get some IPF Fatboy bulbs to upgrade the low beams and then with the spotties on it would solve my lighting on forest trails.

After how long it took me to install the spotties and i'm not that keen to try install a second switch. I'm a numpty when it comes to electrics.

 

[KraftyPg]

Illegal yes but it's not something anyone will ever check. Even the insurance company in the worst case scenario is unlikely to check how spotties are wired up and unless you flash a copper they wont tend to worry either. I'm usually an advocate for doing things legal but spotties on high beam only is a stupid rule.

There are heaps of reasons why spotties should be allowed on low beams, live wire or parking lights and I've never once wired a set up to the high beam in 9 cars, the only reason my IPF's are wired that way was because I was too lazy to install them myself.

 

[fzrr]

I'll wait and see how the spotties go in the forest at night and then decide. They're both combined spot and spread beams so maybe they'll provide enough lighting that i wont' have to worry about low beam.

But in theory if I were to cut off the plug that piggy backs the right head light plug, and then splice that cable into one of the other light cables i would then be able to use the spotties in more then just high beam?

 

[MAD D40]

just use a piggy back terminal on the switch side of the relay.
supply power to a switch then from the switch to the relay via piggy back terminal and your all set.
That way you can have best of both worlds. Switch on spotties at any time even if your headlights are turned off. And also controll via the dipper switch.
Last thing you wanto do when driving highway is find your spotty switch to turn trhem off each time a car heads towards you.

 

[Dion]

On the topic of using worklights or similar as some short range lighting to either side of the vehicle at 30 degrees or so; whilst this will comfort the driver and make them feel they can see more, the intensity of 'foreground' lighting ruins the eye's ability to effectively view the 'background' that is lit by the regular headlights. Also, at any speed beyond 50km/h or so, the information provided by said lights is largely useless; you don't have the time to safely avoid anything that you've only detected 10-15m in front of the vehicle.

That's why cars don't have these lights from factory, and fog lights are for fog. As has been suggested, awesome lights for night wheeling trips though. Just don't use them on the blacktop.

 

[Old.Tony]

Late at night fully loaded with the 1.8T van behind - total weight about 4.5 tonnes on a dirt track that may or may not be wet in places (mountain forest tracks often have water on them, seepage from the ground) - I'm not going to be doing 30km/h, let alone 50.

That's why the lights would suit me. It's mostly for those sharp bends in the track, you're usually (if your brain is still functioning) doing less than 20km/h around those kind of bends. I tend to go even slower if they're really tight and I'm not getting any reflection off the surface in front to see around the bend like when the side of the road is over a cliff, or at dense foliage. When I'm pointed towards a cliff face it's okay, because I can have my window down and see the reflected light off the dirt/rock.

 

[WoodyD40]

I agree with Tony - great to have a 2nd set of lights that you can turn on manually (work/task lighting) for safety if travelling tracks at night.

My opinion is to have the main (front bar) spot lights always hooked up legal with the high beam. Will never have a problem with the boys in blue then, and vehicle is street legal.

Have secondary lights which are task specific (night drives on off-road tracks) to help illuminate the foreground and beside, even behind the car.

I have rear mounted LED lights on my nav - which can easily rotate around about 240deg travel and the power comes off the 2nd battery in the tub. I can switch these from the drivers seat, or from the rear of the canopy. Great for camping, great for reversing on tracks - and can be manually turned almost foward so that i can see beside the nav whilst on tracks too.

 

[fzrr]

I have rear mounted LED lights on my nav - which can easily rotate around about 240deg travel and the power comes off the 2nd battery in the tub. I can switch these from the drivers seat, or from the rear of the canopy. Great for camping, great for reversing on tracks - and can be manually turned almost foward so that i can see beside the nav whilst on tracks too.

Do you have any pics of these lights? I'm keen to see what they're like.

 

[Tiburn]

I talked to a SA copper at the SA 4WD camping show and he said you are legally only allowed 4 High beam lights on at once. i.e. I asked if I disconnect my high beam and just use driving lights I can have 4 driving lights, answer was yes. If you keep the high beam you can only have 2 driving lights.

Thought this may help those in SA

 

[WoodyD40]

Do you have any pics of these lights? I'm keen to see what they're like.

best i can come up with at short notice ...

hope this is clear enough to demonstrate.

 

[fzrr]

Thats a great idea...I don't have a canopy or roof racks though. lol

Maybe one day...

 

[gadgets]

Ive two led lights mounted on the back off my roof rack and a switch on the dash as well(think having a switch on the dash for the rear lights is illegal though), reversing at night time on tracks is way easier now, only annoying thing is that they seem to interfere with the picture on my reverse camera.