A friend has asked for my help installing some spotlights either infront of or actually in the front grill of his Stilo. One spotlight either side of the FIAT badge is his plan. I'm sure I've read somewhere that spotlights and fog lights have to be installed within 400mm of the side of the vehicle, so installing spot lights infront of or actually in the front grill would be illegal?
My friend said the 400mm law only applies to fog lights not spot lights, because, spotlights are usually wired to the high beam and used to aid the driver by giving extra illumination when needed, dark country lanes for example. Fog lights are wired independantly and are only supposed to be used when the drivers view is impaired by bad weather etc.

So is he correct, can he install spotlights infont of or actually in his front grill?

Something similar to the mini in this link.
http://r52hoot.weebly.com/fit-amp-wire-spot-lights.html

i will have to keep me eye on this thread as i am planning to do the same if my bulbs i am gettin 2morro dont affect me main beam

I have been running my running lights everyday for a few weeks now without getting pulled over

you see all the night rally lads wiht the big driving lights in the middle of the grill and they dont seem to have any problems (there rules are getting strict)

If i was you i would wire them on a relay and scotch lock into the meanbeam feed, then add a switch and put to the relay (the switch is so he dont blind a poor granny if he flashes to let her turn infront of him)

you see nearly all minis with lights like that from the dealer so i dont see why people should get funny about it btw, well aslong as you dont stick sharp rusty things on people will turn a bland eye



btw my idea is to have a box section bar going accross with 2 bits of box section sticking out behind the grill, where you could slide another bit of box section in and out with the lights mounted on.

Does anyone knwo the best place to bold a bar going accross behind the grill to be perminant???

fletch101101 said:

If i was you i would wire them on a relay and scotch lock into the meanbeam feed, then add a switch and put to the relay (the switch is so he dont blind a poor granny if he flashes to let her turn infront of him)

Click to expand...

Got that bit sorted.
Ring RLFK200 Pre-Wired 12v Car Lamps Lights Wiring Kit. £10

He's also a bit confused by the difference between a fog light and a spotlight. Must admit I'm not 100% clear on the differences myself. My understanding is.

Spotlight = long focused beam to illuminate futher along the road.

Fog light = wide beam to illuminate curbs, foot paths as well as infront of the vehicle.

He's a very conservative driver and would require a wide beam more than a long one. I'm wondering if it would be ok to use fog lights instead of spot lights and wire them into the high beam. Would be perfect for him when driving down the dark country lanes on his way home?

fog light is a very disburst light that as you said only lighs up near you, i would go spot lights any day as even if your slow the further away you see stuff the better you can react

spot light go jsut past where your main beam reach, in my stil o10ft in me dads lands well over 100ft


anywiring i do i use my own wires that i cut to length and same connectors, then multiple wires look neater and all your relays line up in a nice (but OCD) perfect line in the bat box hehe

So we had a chat this morning about his needs and he think using fog lights as spot lights would be the best idea as the country roads he drives down are twisty, no long striaghts were the long beam of a spotlight would be useful. He basically wants to increase the amount of light in the area his standard lights cover. Hes already using Osram Plus bulbs but wants more.

So I've been looking around and found 2 Jaguar X-type fog lights(including bulbs) for £35 that I'm sure I could mount in the grill. If they look and work ok I might fit some in our Multiwagon. :chin:

So what do you all think, should I give it a try?

i thought you meant big jobbies that went infront of the grill

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Spotlamp-ange...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item588bd22f1e

something along that line,

standard fog lights off another car would be poo ebcause they havnt got the right beam pattern to them, if your have spot lights and have them so the beams cross over and focus just further than the main beam, when you cross over the beams it will allow you to see around the swindy corners anyway.

his stilo has fog lighs and you can see how much fog lights affect (none) and this will only be a waste of time i think,

Get him a good set of driving lights on, you can never see to far

We did consider both, in the grill and infront of the grill. Mark(my friend) decided having something in the grill would look better. He also wanted something with a wide beam rather than a long beam due to him having to drive very twisty country lanes atleast twice a day. Tractors use the lanes every day and leave stuff behind, everything from straw bales to building bricks. Mark has hit stuff left in the road twice while driving home, the last time was a building brick that punctured his tyre and bent his rim, almost sent him into a ditch. He wants/needs more light directly infront of the car, we think 2 Jaguar fog lights mounted in the grill should be up to the job and hopefully look quite neat too.

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989
Made 28th September 1989
Laid before Parliament 11th October 1989
Coming into force 1st November 1989

Part 1 Schedule 5 (regulation 18 & 20) Requirements relating to obligatory main-beam headlamps and to optional main-beam headlamps to the extent specified in part 2
1. Number- a) Two
2. Position- a) Longitudinal: No requirement
b) Lateral- i)Where two main headlamps are required to be fitted-
(A)Maximum distance from the side of the vehicle: The outer edges of the illuminated areas must in no case be closer to the side of the vehicle than the outer edges of the illuminated areas of the obligatory dipped-beam headlamps.
c) Vertical: No requirement
5. Markings- a) An approval mark or a British Standard mark
7. Colour: White or Yellow
8. Wattage- a) No requirement
10. Electrical connections- a) Every main-beam headlamp shall be so constructed that the light emitted therefrom
i) can be deflected at the will of the driver to become a dipped beam or,
ii) can be extinguished by the operation of a device which at the same time either-
A) causes the lamp to emit a dipped beam, or
B) causes another lamp to emit a dipped beam.
12. Other requirements- a) Every main-beam headlamp shall be so constructed that the direction of the beam of light emitted therefrom can be adjusted whilst the vehicle is stationary.

Part 2 Schedule 6 (regulation 20) Requirements relating to optional front fog lamps
1. Number- a) No requirement
2. Position- a) Longitudinal: No requirement
b) Lateral-
i) Where a pair of front fog lamps is used in conditions of seriously reduced visibility in place of the obligatory dipped beam headlamps-
Maximum distance from side of vehicle: 400mm
ii) In all other cases: No requirement
c) Vertical-
i) Maximum height above the ground-
A) 1200mm
ii) Minimum height above the ground: No requirement
4. Alignment: To the front and so aimed that the upper edge of the beam is, as near as practicable, 3 per cent below the horizontal when the vehicle is at its kerbside weight and has a weight of 75 kg on the driver's seat
7. Colour: White or yellow (12/99)

John

Thanks John

Been doing a bit of research. (bit the bullet and called my x-wife, she's old bill)
The lights will be wired to the main beam and not switched seperately like normal fog lights(Where a pair of front fog lamps is used in conditions of seriously reduced visibility in place of the obligatory dipped beam headlamps) so the 400mm doesn't apply. They would then be classed as main beam, not fog. This is how the mini in my earlier post is able to have 4 lights in the center of the car.

btw why dosnt he get driving lights, i just bin talking to me dad.


spot lights = narrow beam

frog lights = close stuff

driving lights = everything!!!!!

fletch101101 said:

btw why dosnt he get driving lights

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I'm not sure what he means, what are "driving lights"?

Any chance you could find an example on eBay?

Edit.
I found this:
"Driving lights are designed to supplement your high beam headlights"
here:
http://www.outbackautomotive.co.uk/p0/driving-lights/373464.htm

So I guess I'm trying to install "driving lights".

The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations.

Schedule 5 relates to what I plan on doing.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/made

i would dont think he would get any problems as all the night rally lads use them and allot of people try and road to get them banned, and the driving lights are the main thing you see lol.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...ails_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1#BVRRWidgetID

these seem good and have good review to

miles better than fog lights

fletch101101 said:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/...ails_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1#BVRRWidgetID

these seem good and have good review to

miles better than fog lights

Click to expand...

Not quite the eye candy we had in mind. These were the ones we were looking to place infront of the grill.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220708770952&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

they look tidy. i got me new bulbs un but still crapy lenses on me stilo .

i think i will be putting me dads old rally lights on sometime soon, once i figure a way of putting a plate behing the grill

fletch101101 said:

once i figure a way of putting a plate behing the grill

Click to expand...

We were looking into that to.

Had a visit from Mark 30 minutes ago(on his way to work). He had another suggestion for the position of these lights.
I'm not sure what to think so I stole a front end picture of a Stilo off the internet and pasted in a couple of lights to give me some idea of what he was talking about.

Instead of being fitted into the grill, fitted into the bumper, one either side of the number plate, uploaded the pic, what do you all think?

Think it would look cool if its possible. If you get these in and working I would come to you to fit in for me

Look good but i would of thought they would give much better lighting from higher up, on the grill.

look cool tho