richard
Sorry, you've lost me there. Ignoring the cataract arguent, the fact remains that because fog lights are mounted so low, they have to be set at at an angle very close to the horizontal, to give the required range. Headlights, mounted higher, don't have be. By the laws of trigonometry, road undulations and suspension movement means that fog lights ARE more likely to cause more dazzle than headlights.
Another point is that to be effective in fog the foglights actually have a much shorter range than dipped headlights, and actually illuminate the kerb very close to the car. If you find they are 'better', I'd argue you're not looking far enough up the road for safety.
Why don't you simply use the lights on the car as they are designed to be used?
regards
John
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When I first got fog lights I was driving with them + side lights on. Got stopped by a copper who told me to turn them off.
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I remember a while ago I used to look after one of the last of the "classic" XR2i's, the 1800 16V model.
As standard that had four extra lamps in the spoiler, two were foglamps and the other two were driving lamps. I can't remember if the driving lamps were dipping, dipped only or main only.
I know the girlie driver loved having the whole lot on but she's better now!
David
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Hi David,
Saw a Cinquecento the other day with five, yes five, foglamps all illuminated.
Seeing as he was having a struggle up this hill it made me wonder what % of the power output went to drive the alternator.
Ho hum.
Stuart
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On the Discovery I have in today there are two massive OE Land Rover fog/driving lamps on the bumper.
They look great but have fixed plastic grilles that prevent you from cleaning the glass without getting a toolkit out, they must mask/scatter the light as well.
Anyway I shall never know, I daren't turn them on for fear of burning out the end wall of the workshop.
PS. You haven't come up with an answer to my Xantia light dilemma yet.
David
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Main beam is not a problem.
Mount two small spot lights on the front dam below bumper height and wire them to extinguish with dip, like the 205GTI and I believe one of Tomo's cars had a similar arrangement I recall him mentioning in a lucid moment. It might be illegal but I reckon you will be left well alone.
Dip beam is more problematical, I take it the later lamp units with fewer prisms in the lens are not a straight swap then?
If you mount extra lights in/front of the grille and regardless of how they are aimed some folks will see four lights and think you are on main beam and........
Dare I say swap the Xantia for a.............?
Incidentally I drove behind proper gas discharge Xenons the other day for the first time and was distinctly underwhelmed. Might need more time to evaluate methinks.
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David/FiF
Driving lamps, ie those which operate only in conjunction with main beam, are the classic answer to improving main beam. Popular on 'sporting' Fords and was used on the XR2i, XR3i, Cortina 2.0iS and 1600S Fiesta to name a few (including some I've owned). Given this popularity I don't believe they are illegal - despite the mounting on an XR2 being below 2ft - because they only operate in conjunction with main beam.
Dip beam is more difficult. I have seen some coaches and some older Japanese cars which appear to have a 4 lamp dip system. As you say though, four lamps illuminated are likely to be interpreted as main beam. Assuming the brighter bulbs in the standard lights don't do the trick, is it feasible to mount two 'standard' round headlamp units as auxiliary lamps (I'm thinking Caterham 7 here), just inboard of the main lamps - for use as main/ dip units? Vehicle Wiring Products (0115 9305454) sell them (including a Quadoptic lamp with an H4 bulb), as I imagine do (dare I mention them?) Ripspeed or Demon Tweeks.
It would perhaps stand out rather and you may need to order one of those special baseball caps with the peak at the back, but at least you'd find your way across the darkened Fens, alternator output permitting.
regards
John
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John/FIF,
The main beam is fine, if that was the problem I would just investigate some neat extra driving lamps. No dip is the major issue. It is due to excess glass fluting on these first Xantias, the later models had more control from the reflector and less fluting. However the more folks I speak to, and from my brief night use of a later Xantia, I realise it is a huge amount of trouble/cost to source/fit later light units (new/shand?) possibly with uprated bulbs if there is a simpler way.
What I don't want is some gash arrangement on the front of the car but had looked at some of these driving lamps you see that are very small and with a futuristic styling...know the things I mean?
Only thing is would their light be well enough controlled to set up on the beam machine to use as dip?
Annoying thing is that the old BXs were fine, as is the pocket money Polo.
David
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David
The units I mentioned are pukka 7" round headlamps, having an H4 bulb, and so do provide a 'proper' dip, and would supplement main beam too. They would be very obvious on the front of the car though.
The small units you mention are available from Demon Tweeks, but I don't know what their beam pattern is like. Must be worth a call.
regards
John
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David/John
There are two problems I think you will have here with installing extra units in the grille.
As we have previously said either you will have four separate units on so some folk will think you are on high beam. No matter how well aimed they are I can predict you will get some flashes from the brigade who flash people because they have fog lights on etc.
Or if you arrange it so only the extra lights are illuminated on dip then will you be breaking C&U regs because the lights are inset too far from the car's extremity?
Maybe you could install something neatly in the bumper and rely on the top height setting on the suspension to ensure they are above 24" from the road surface if ever you get a pull. But then bumpers are for bumping so that won't work either.
David, I have to confess something here, and its not what you want to hear, but this is not the first time I have tried to solve this problem. A relative had exactly the same with an early Xantia, plus it was also in Fenland. I forget what wattage bulbs we got up to in the end.
The solution?
He bought a later model Xantia with the better light units, sorry.
Butyou commented on the good BX lights and the Polo, and I know our Nova's are rather good. Know what they all have in common? big reflectors/lens
It appears size really does matter, cue for a post about P100's. (have to go now thoughts turning to *that* nanny)
All the best,
Stuart
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Stuart
Cue 'old fart mode':
You're right. It all went wrong when round headlights of decent size were phased out. Style took over, and some errors were made. I've got a set of Lucas sealed beam halogens (yes really) in the Minor and they are great.
Regards
john
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Are the modern 'baby' headlights with a fat lens in front any good? Their sudden popularity makes me suspicious that it's primarily a style/cost thing. Well, that and envy, as I can't afford a car that new :-)
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John S, you've hit the nail right on the head -- My 1972 Triumph has four round sealed beam units and the 1992 BMW has four round halogen-bulb units. I am happy with both, though I have to admit that the halogen ones do control the light spread better than the sealed beam units.
David W -- I expect you have already thought of this, but just in case ..... Is it worth checking the voltage you are getting at the headlights? If there's a big drop in the circuit, you could fit a relay heavy-wired between the main supply point (e.g. the fuse unit) and the headlights, using the switch circuitry simply to activate the relay.
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David,
No this is a well known Xantia difficulty due to the poor reflector/lens design. Your comments are quite appropriate though because I will be fitting a halogen conversion set to the old Land Rover and a relay with some new feeds makes the best of these lamps. Leave the old wiring/earths as is and there will be little improvement.
PS Well behind on mails, sorry.
David
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