General Additional driving lamps

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General Additional driving lamps

IanWalrus

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The headlights on my new (to me) 2016 4x4 are 'adequate', but I'd like to add some diving lights as I do a lot of driving down dark country roads. I've been thinking about mounting options as I don't really want to drill holes in the bodywork, and have seen number plate bracket mountings (can't post a link, I've not posted unuf!).

I've had a skim thru the MoT manual on the DVLA website and can't see any reason there why not... any particular reason I couldn't use this for mounting a pair of lamps anyone can think of?
 
I can't help you with additional lights, but I switched my bulbs out for Philips X-Treme vision 130% which I got on offer from amazon for about £14,they're only about £16 now for a pair.

Those or Osram Nightbreaker seem a popular choice

Give them a try first see how you get on, got to be a cheaper and easier alternative
 
The lights are bright enough, but I would like a bit wider/longer light; the high-beam turns off the dipped beam so would like something to fill in the gaps.
 
The headlights on my new (to me) 2016 4x4 are 'adequate', but I'd like to add some diving lights as I do a lot of driving down dark country roads. I've been thinking about mounting options as I don't really want to drill holes in the bodywork, and have seen number plate bracket mountings (can't post a link, I've not posted unuf!).

I've had a skim thru the MoT manual on the DVLA website and can't see any reason there why not... any particular reason I couldn't use this for mounting a pair of lamps anyone can think of?

Hi and welcome to the forum.

If you are talking about this sort of thing:

www.amazon.co.uk/Sealey-DLB01-Universal-Mounting-Bracket/dp/B01CUMQ48M

Then I don't see a problem as long as:
A/ No part of the lamp the lamp comes below the bracket in front of the number plate and
B/ They are wired so they can only come on with high beam selected.


Requirement B can be met by connecting a relay coil and the control swith to the exising high beam power circuit.

Technically driving lights have to meet the same standard as headlamps and be E marked. However enforcement is pretty much non existent.

Robert G8RPI.
 
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Is there a model higher in the range that has some in the bumper that you could find from a damaged car.
I've got front fogs already but dont like driving with them on when it's not foggy! The dipped beam is ok, just the main beams don't light up the road as well as I'd like.

Robert - Yep, that's the kind of thing I had in mind. I've wired similar lights on other cars I've had so that part is pretty straight forward.
 
The lights are bright enough, but I would like a bit wider/longer light; the high-beam turns off the dipped beam so would like something to fill in the gaps.

I found this initially, with an earlier Panda of mine - and on dark county lanes would tend to turn the front fogs on to 'fill the gap' directly ahead of the car.

But then I looked into the beam alignment and found that the lights converged in the distance - the left lamp was set slightly right and the right lamp slightly left. This meant that main beam was not very wide. I also found the lights were actually set a little high. With that Panda, and the two newer ones I've had since, i have found that lowering them slightly, and sorting the left/right alignment means that main beam is now fairly good. That and adding 130% brighter bulbs.

(My other car is a Volvo with Xenon lights, and 'active bending lamps' which turn as you steer That is like driving in daylight and the Panda falls sort of that!)
 
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I've got front fogs already but dont like driving with them on when it's not foggy! The dipped beam is ok, just the main beams don't light up the road as well as I'd like.

Robert - Yep, that's the kind of thing I had in mind. I've wired similar lights on other cars I've had so that part is pretty straight forward.
R1NGA here added some rather natty LED lights to his 4x4 that sat either side of the number plate, set into (or maybe sitting flush on) the bumper.... and wired to operate with main beam. At one time there was a minimum permitted height for headlights to be fitted at. That still apples for dipped beam, but main can now be lower. On the Fiat 500, the lamp units below the headlight are the DRL, but also the main beam headlights (it leaves the dips on too)

See here https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/432576-lights-4.html?432576=#post4299828
 
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I found this initially, with an earlier Panda of mine - and on dark county lanes would tend to turn the front fogs on to 'fill the gap' directly ahead of the car.

But then I looked into the beam alignment and found that the lights converged in the distance - the left lamp was set slightly right and the right lamp slightly left. This meant that main beam was not very wide. I also found the lights were actually set a little high. With that Panda, and the two newer ones I've had since, i have found that lowering them slightly, and sorting the left/right alignment means that main beam is now fairly good. That and adding 130% brighter bulbs.

(My other car is a Volvo with Xenon lights, and 'active bending lamps' which turn as you steer That is like driving in daylight and the Panda falls sort of that!)

All our Panda lights exactly as you describe. If too high the mains appear poor. I agree lowering slightly improves this. Is it EU nannying so the gap between dip and full beams is just less than ideal, but should prevent dazzle
 
All our Panda lights exactly as you describe. If too high the mains appear poor. I agree lowering slightly improves this. Is it EU nannying so the gap between dip and full beams is just less than ideal, but should prevent dazzle

Not EU, no. The 'E' markings for lighting, and the beam pattern related to that is an international standard that extends beyond the EU (and predates the EU - it has its origins in standards approved in 1958)

The crucial thing I found was to alter the lateral adjustments, so the beams were parallel, not converging.
 
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Not EU, no. The 'E' markings for lighting, and the beam pattern related to that is an international standard that extends beyond the EU (and predates the EU - it has its origins in standards approved in 1958)

The crucial thing I found was to alter the lateral adjustments, so the beams were parallel, not converging.

Thanks for this info, I malign the E Uvians. I am going to do a little more adjustment on the lines you have outlined.
 
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