spot light / driving lights

[vrswhite]

i wanna put some extra lights on the car possibly in the bumper at the bottom like the place you oftern get fog lights on a lotta cars.

Has anyone done this? any pics?

the cars a vrs octy by the way

thanks

[VRSPhil]

They are about £140+ delivery from superskoda.com

[vrswhite]

was just about to buy them when it said mesh. If they'd have been in the same style plastic as standard i would have had them

looks like i'm making my own... will pop up a little thread soon

[VRSPhil]

Yeah that is what's putting me off slightly. I was considering using Fabia/Lupo foglights to make my own. They are virtually the same design as those in the picture above.

[KenONeill]

Guys, driving lights down that low will be pretty useless, and illegal for use other than in fog or falling snow.

[vrswhite]

Originally Posted by KenONeill

Guys, driving lights down that low will be pretty useless, and illegal for use other than in fog or falling snow.

szorry ken but they would not be illegal as far as i'm aware:

when fitting a pair of driving lamps you should obey the following legal requirements:

driving lamps should be positioned symmetrically and in pairs: the same height from the road and the same distance from the sides of vehicle.

Driving lamps can only be used with main beam and should be extinguished when headlights are dipped.

there are no height requirements for the positioning of driving lamps

you should not DAZZLE any other road user

THE ROAD VEHICLES LIGHTING REGULATIONS 1989

[KenONeill]

No? IIRC lights positioned less than 12 inches above ground level are defined as "fog lights", may be used with sidelights, dipped or even full headlights, but may only be used in conditions of fog or falling snow. If you dug that one out of an on-line reference, try searching for "front fog lights", or even post it; I could use a decent on-line reference to MVL and/or C&U.

[vrswhite]

this link shows that for FOG lights a maximum height above ground of 1200mm but no requirement for minimum height above ground:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1989/Uks...alfrontfoglamp

but thats for FOG lights can't find what i want regarding driving lights.

The quote i gave earlier was on the instructions for my driving lights i got from RING automotive.

I just copied it

[vrswhite]

Got them fitted





now i just need to tidy up the wire and adjust them. they seem to be pointing at the sky!

anyone know if i can get a plastic cover which i can shrink wrap to the wires ive used?

Also i wanna put a connector on the 2 wires going to the spots. The idea being i can remove the bracket i made for the spots unclip the connector and they are removed, out of the way for working on car.

anyone know a good place to get these bits?

[KenONeill]

Cheers for that; the link looks dead useful, and would explain the stupidly low sited driving lamps I've seen far too many of. The higher a lamp is (legally) sited, the better it works at illuminating the middle and distant vision fields, and the lower it is the better it over-illuminates the near field, actually reducing the distance you can see!

I'm not sure if this is what it's designed for, but there is stuff called "heat shrink" which performs the way you ask for.
As for the connector, call a speed shop that does rally car bits, and tell them what you want; given the existence of removable lighting pods, I'm pretty sure they'll can help.

[ScoobyChris]

Look good there - what's the light output like? I've always used driving lights mounted above the front bumper as it seemed to give the optimum range and spread of light, but looks a bit unsightly!

Chris

[KenONeill]

That's exactly my point Chris. A low mounted, flat topped and wide-spread beam minimises bounceback off fog and falling snow, but creates a bright flare patch in the near field when used in clear conditions. This means that your long-range vision is reduced, so you actually can't see as far in the dark.

A higher mounted lamp has more basic range, less near field flare, and better far field illumination with it. Hence mounting lights that low is a waste of money, unless they're proper fog lights, and then you can hardly ever use them.

[Gizmo68]

Fully agree with you Ken

Originally Posted by KenONeill

unless they're proper fog lights, and then you can hardly ever use them.

Pity the boy racers don't think so! this is a pet hate of mine when people drive around with fog lights on when they are not needed, which is 99% of the time!

[Bigw2069]

'scuse my ignorance, but didnt the octavia vRS come with fog lamps as standard?

[ScoobyChris]

Originally Posted by Bigw2069

'scuse my ignorance, but didnt the octavia vRS come with fog lamps as standard?

It does, but they're built into the headlights IIRC....

Chris

[Gizmo68]

But fog lamps go out when you put main beam on & spot lamps come on when you put main beam on, totally different uses.

[ScoobyChris]

Originally Posted by Gizmo68

But fog lamps go out when you put main beam on & spot lamps come on when you put main beam on, totally different uses.

Is the foglight a separate bulb in the headlight cluster then?

Chris

[KenONeill]

Originally Posted by Gizmo68

But fog lamps go out when you put main beam on & spot lamps come on when you put main beam on, totally different uses.

No they don't; I've just been out and checked, and I can get the fogs on with any of sides, dip and main beam.

[KenONeill]

Originally Posted by ScoobyChris

Is the foglight a separate bulb in the headlight cluster then?

Chris

Yes, the front fog on the facelift A4 is the unit that looks like a projector lamp inside the headlight shield, outboard of the main/dip unit.

[Gizmo68]

Originally Posted by KenONeill

No they don't; I've just been out and checked, and I can get the fogs on with any of sides, dip and main beam.

Strange! not sure if its my Superb or the MK1 Octy i had, but they went out when main beam was on, I thought that was a legal requirement anyway.

All a bit pointless anyway, as if its foggy enough to have fog lights on, then the main beam will just dazzle you off the fog, if however they don't dazzle you then its not foggy enough to need fog lights on!

[KenONeill]

Originally Posted by Gizmo68

Strange! not sure if its my Superb or the MK1 Octy i had, but they went out when main beam was on, I thought that was a legal requirement anyway.

All a bit pointless anyway, as if its foggy enough to have fog lights on, then the main beam will just dazzle you off the fog, if however they don't dazzle you then its not foggy enough to need fog lights on!

Oddly not. there is a requirement for them to have a warning light unless they can only be illuminated with main beam though.

I agree with you about the pointlessness (well except that full beam plus fogs is a great way of shifting a roadhog ).

[smstext]

how about the mini driving lights, they could fit nicely on the bumper and not look over the top either?

[vrswhite]

i put the lights on to try and give a little more light on the roads going to visit my sister in cumbria.

I know that it restricts the light hidden behind the grill low down, but i don't want them showing.

[Gizmo68]

Checked last night - on the Superb the fog lights do go out when you put main beam on

[ScoobyChris]

Originally Posted by smstext

how about the mini driving lights, they could fit nicely on the bumper and not look over the top either?

A couple of nice blue ones behind the grille would look smart too

Chris