SpotLights

[Diesel28]

Hi all.Just wondering if my 93 bighorn wiring can handle
400watt spotlights ?
best ask in case i get them on and then truck goes up in flames.They are a hella brand .

I currently have 2 100watt yellow fog lamps on bull bar that is wired up to the factory spottie button.
Will have them fitted by a pro

[Witchdoctor]

I take that as 4 /100watt spoties, if so get rid of them & get 1 pair of 240 Blitz from Lightforce. They will beat the 400watt hands down. There is a person in the club that can get them at the rifgt price .

Dave

[Diesel28]

No i already have 2 @ 100w yellow fog lights but have seen some hella 250mm dia 400watts each spotlights.And wondering if my wiring will handle that output .or be prepared to carry a fire extenuiser constanty .

[geeves]

Thats a lot of light! Definatly run new wireing to the lights through a large relay on the original wireing.
Also the standard 50 amp alternator only gives 600 watts or if you have the larger 80 amp 960 watts which will still struggle with the other lights,engine and stereo

[Diesel28]

Geeves,so do u think to not go that high ?
They will certainly help when going fishing @ night time .but i dont want to pay to get them wired up and findout its doing damamge t alternator or wiring by putting toomuch strain on them.As if i put them on i would mount them on top of my bull bar in the middle and sometimes use them when driving country roads at night and driving down river beds and beach .

[geeves]

Wont damage the alternator but as your lights will be useing more than the output be expecting to run out of battery every now and then (expect 2 hours max from standard battery then all lights go out then engine stops long walk home)

[darkhunter]

400 watts is way overkill,thats what a toy boy racer would use,either change your fogs to 150 whites and use the existing wiring or you will have to upgrade your wiring,by the way consider this,
if you drive down a river etc and it reflects the light back at you,how long before you can see properly again,sometimes its better to go alittle brighter than overpowering as it is easier for your eyes to adjust quickly
mtcw

[geeves]

That was 400w each side ie 800watts. Improve on a sunny day. Aparantly a new rule has been bought in regauding the use of fog and driving lights. Use them wrong and pay$150

[sneeble]

I have 400w in total for fog lights, but I deliberately disconnected them and only reconnect for fishing, there is no other use for them, quite frankly big fog lights make the fog bigger.

[mulover]

There has been studies done that have found that the yellow lenses don't do crap and most of the time you will find that driving with the headlights on dip will give you better visability anyways. Me personally, I have 2 narva 4" pencil beams with 130 watt globes in each light, and 2 hella rally 2000's, which are spead beam and i don't know what size globes they are. These are just about too brite at night, unless you are trying to light up a town or something.....

[Andrew]

Here is an extract fom the LTSA web site.. on the new laws re: lighting.

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Main beam headlamps
Main beam headlamps are used for lighting the way a long way ahead of the vehicle. Because they are not dipped, they will dazzle other road users if not used properly. (Dipped beam and main beam headlamps are often combined into one lamp.) Additional main beam headlamps are also known as ‘driving lamps’.

Fitting requirements (original equipment)
Most motorcycles, cars and trucks are fitted with one or two main beam headlamps as original equipment.
Main beam headlamps must be white or amber in colour.
Fitting requirements (additional equipment)
You may fit additional main beam headlamps (driving lamps) as long as you don’t have more than the maximum allowed for that type of vehicle. All vehicles except motorcycles may have up to four main beam headlamps (motorcycles may have up to two). For example, if your car has two main beam headlamps you may add two more, but if it already has four main beam headlamps you may not fit any more.
Main beam headlamps must be wired so that they automatically switch off when the headlamps are dipped.
On the road
Only use main beam headlamps when you’re driving on the open road and there are no other vehicles directly in front of you or coming towards you. You must switch to dipped beam as soon as you notice other vehicles ahead to avoid dazzling them.

Front fog lamps
Front fog lamps illuminate the road ahead in foggy conditions, both at night and during the day. They give off a short, wide beam of light that is designed to shine through the fog, lighting up the area directly in front of the vehicle and helping the driver see the sides of the road better.

Fitting requirements
You may have up to two front fog lamps fitted to your vehicle. If your vehicle already has two front fog lamps fitted as original equipment, you cannot fit a second pair. Fog lamps should be wired so that they can be turned on or off independently of the headlamps.
Front fog lamps must be white or amber in colour. When purchasing front fog lamps, it is your responsibility to ensure they meet approved standards and are designed for that specific purpose. If in doubt, consult a vehicle lighting retailer.
On the road
Fog lamps should only be used when visibility is severely reduced, eg by snow or fog. It is against the law to use fog lamps in clear conditions (day or night) as they can dazzle other road users.

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I have heard of some people being fined for operating "Spot Lights" on a clear night... The wording that is being used for this is "Fog lamps should only be used when visibility is severely reduced"..

Common Sence time me thinks....

[adam]

can you change the bulbs/lens in the factory fog lights and turn them into 150w spotties ??

[geeves]

You can fit bigger h4 bulbs but not recomended. Hit Hella plus 50 bulbs They give far better light for the same wattage

[adam]

any idea on a cost off the top of your head? (and do super cheap etc have them) ? thanks bro

[geeves]

Dont buy the super cheap lights I learnt this lesson the hard way. More light yes but the colour was hopeless in the wet. It would iluminate things ok but not the actual road which is no good for confidence. Seeing the posts on the side of the road for miles and nothing inbetween is very off putting.
The plus 50 lights are sold under the Hella and philips brand and are the same bulb Narva also sell a plus 50 bulb that might be the same thing but not sure. With these you see everything but also any cars you follow tend to stop and let you past. This must be good all round
I bought mine a year ago from a local auto sparky for $50 for the pair.

[Harry]

400w spotlights would be good for crayfishing.You could precook them!
Harry.

[Paaji]

Sounds like daytime to me.
Not sure about NZ rules, but here is OZ the ADR's for lights states 100watts as a maximum.

J