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Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:34 am
by dfnder
I'm trolling for suggestions as to what after market lights any of you would recommend. Once I heard that the stock fogs are not that great I am looking for alternatives. I would possibly add 4 lights, 2 directional that would be good for highway and 2 for area effect for offroad.

I'm looking for a place to put the second set of Aux lights and I don't have a roof rack so I can't put them there.
I have seen a few pics of lights mounted below the turn signals or below the Rad air intake, I would think these to positions too vulnerable of an area to mount.

your thoughts are welcome :-)

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 9:43 am
by sasquatch-hunter
I think the stock fog lights are great. If you are looking for driving lights, I will suggest Bosch Pilots (around $80.00) and change the bulbs (H3) to Osram yellow coated H3 (around $40.00 a pair).

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 10:01 am
by Golf Cart
Dfnder,

I personally have never been a fan of fogs. maybe its me but I find keeping my low beams on seemed to work better than either hi beams or fogs.

I opted for a set of KC Black Daylighter ( $109.00 at Shucks in the states) and am in the process of mounting them up between the uprights on the bullbar. NOT for road use as thse puppies will cook a chicken from 3 feet away. I got them for my jaunts in the backroads. My son gave me a set of those Cambodian Tire purchased oval ones that I had planned on mounting on either the down pipes on the insides of the bull bar or just infront of the tranny and A/C coolers. They should be low enough to cut thru some of the fog , and as for being guarded from getting hit, the spot right infront of the coolers may be a better choice. Curious to see what you come up with.

Gregg

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:29 pm
by delicat
New fog lights.jpg
New fog lights.jpg (67.08 KiB) Viewed 4719 times
:-D

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:48 pm
by dfnder
Thanks for the responses, I read some good reviews about the Daylighters and the PIAA 530's. Also BOsch is a trusted name in bulbs as well. I'm curious if the PIAA's you have are the ones that have a switch for two settings? If so how do you compare the settings, the review said one setting was quite a tight beam and the other was vary dispersed.

I would like some lights to assist while in traffic (highway) and not blind the oncoming traffic yet I would also like to be able to have "daylight" in the appropriate setting. I wrote "fog light" but I'm more interested in Aux lights as I also find that often fog lights or high beams in foggy conditions can be worse than low beams. Usually I'll try both highs and lows and depending on the type of fog I'll use either. I'm sure that there are "fog lights" that if set up correctly with the right beam pattern could be better than white light but for the most part I think it is usually just mood lighting.

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:01 pm
by JMK
Ever since I had seen this post I had been considering this model:

http://www.delica.ca/forum/added-piaa-4 ... -2677.html

Image

Also I see Sierra Trading post have these on sale at $179.95:

Image

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/4376 ... Round.html

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:47 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
I have to tell you, I have the stock fogs, they tend to light up the first twenty to twenty-five feet. I have not had the chance to try them out in a pea souper but I have found other uses for them:
  • When leaving my friends place, which is in a cul-de-sac, I know that I am not lighting up all his neighbours homes with my headlamps and I am not going that fast to need distance light.
  • When going up a FSR, when I crest those little hills that usually come with an archipelago of pot holes full of water ~ unless it is really bright out I can read the pot holes for which is deeper & shallower by the colour of the reflection.
  • Regarding fog; ideally you want lights that are typically under the bumper as the fog always sits about eight inches off the ground. Of course that is not an option in a Delica ~ but the amber light does make a difference, rather than the white headlamp light that tends to make everything white. The same goes for driving in the snow; amber light gives you definition.


If you want to get brightness for driving in the bush at night ~ I'd invest in a rack to go across the roof with four or five daylighters on it, but personally I would still keep the fogs.

Falco.

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 8:13 pm
by EnviroImports.com
If you take a look at charles, Intheforest delica his roof rack has a light bar built in with Very economical lights, you may not need a full size roof rack, but we make light bars for the delica, $175, 100% aluminium, tig welded , I will post some picts when i get back to town in the next day or so. Here is a picture of his rack and the lights,
i like these lights as the boot for them is Rubber, and the lights are VERY easy to replace the bulb if a rock takes one out. the light bars we make are similar to the roof rack brackets we do, but a lighter version
Image
Noel

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:46 pm
by jessef
Ordered a set of lightforce 170's recently.

Had a pair on my Pajero. I kid you not, they are indestructible and beat my piaa 80xt's in the bush and snowy/fog on the road.

They use them in Rally's around the planet and made in Australia. They're tough cookies. 8-)

They have an adjustable beam, like a maglight, that could go from a pencil beam to a flood light by rotating the housing, and they have interchangable covers/filters so you could go from a driving light to a fog light by swapping filters.

I always carried a clear and amber spot/combo. One wide and one spot.

Pics below are not mine but same combo/lights.

1. Clear spot lens cover

Image

2. Clear combo filter (wide/spot)

Image

3. Yellow combo filter (wide/spot)

Image


Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 8:20 pm
by jrman
Am I correct in believing that any fog light change I make when using the existing wiring will need to be 55W?
I'm electrically challenged to be sure!
Tks.

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:00 pm
by jessef
I would make it safe below 55w but just in case if you're up to it, may as well route new wire for them.

A dedicated pair of 55+w aux lights should have their own harness/fuses/relay(s),etc... :M

Since most aux lights come with complete harnesses, it makes sense to make use of it.

Unless you can test the wiring in the stock/fog Delica.

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 9:20 pm
by jrman
Oh, I think I understand.
So, if I were to see a nice set of 100W units that I like - and used the harness / fuses etc as supplied - then I could go with that?
I thought there was some issue related to the alternator output or something that limited Aux lighting to 55W....but from what you are saying, it's the wiring that is limiting it to 55W....correct?
Tks for clarification.
SS

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:29 pm
by JMK
The issue is not having a circuit (wire being the most important part of that circuit, but also the relay and fuse), that is capable of delivering enough current, measured in amps:

Image

The importance of optimum operating current and the negative effect voltage drop can have (due to being starved for current), on the luminous intensity of a bulb, can be seen from the table above.

The moral of the story, use wire that has an amp rating capable of delivering enough amps to sustain 100 Watts at the maximum possible voltage.

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:44 pm
by madmazda
for example like plumbing ...if you want more flow you need larger size, and with electrical you also need more strands , as electricity flows (per sey) on the out side of the copper wire thus the more wire strands you have the more electrons the wire will handle ie; voltage/amps....:) but what do i know I'm only a plumber...;)

Re: Fog/Aux Light suggestions?

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 10:56 pm
by TardisDeli
Reminder, the actual delica wiring is not meant for these huge electrical draws. End up with shorts / melted wire / blown fuses / fried connectors. Unless you run new wire from battery to the headlights, and bypass the wires on the steering column "birds nest" and headlight stalk lever.
Christine.