What driving/fog lights to get?

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 12:34 pm

So I had a minor fender-bender awhile back and lost my fog lights (2005 renegade factory lights).

My question - should I just get a pair of Hella 500 fog lights, or should I get some long-range driving lights instead? I've been wanting to get longer range headlights anyway, for when I'm driving at night in ME/NH in those places where there's just NO light at all. Fog lights that aren't mounted low were never particularly useful, and I never noticed all that much difference in lighting between fogs and low beams.

Any recommendations?

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 2:41 pm

why not get both?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 3:52 pm

I have the Hella 500 driving lights and love them.

hyedipin · **Joined:** Thu May 11, 2006 10:20 am **Posts:** 1667

I like those Angel Eyes.. they look cool.. I am not sure how useful they are though.

raceinfan · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 4:51 pm

oh my god he's ALIVE :wink:

nice to hear from you again

anyways I'd go with the fogs, wider side to side for thos unexpected deers crossing or playing frogger

distance is good but I perfer the fogs

Ertsride1 · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:12 pm

you really need to get lightforces they are sweet.

www.lightforce.com

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

Another option for getting the light on the road is upgrading the headlight bulbs, say with PIAA extreme whites. There's a few other options for this. If you do this together with good long range driving lights you should have all the bases covered: width for the ditches and a good view up ahead.

Donkeykong · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:22 pm

I have the Hella 500's which I paid $56.00 after having advance price match an online price.... having said that, they are good, but the BEST driving lights I have ever owned or have ever even seen was hands down my PIAA platinum 1100x driving lights. The install was simple and they were bright..... and that is a severe understatement. at $199.00 they aren't cheap, but they are incredible quality and the size makes them easy to tuck away. If I hadn't just purchased a house I would have them hanging off of my bumper in leiu of the hellas. (and fyi: I have the hella driving lights, not the fogs, I do a lot of night time 50+mph driving where I like to see way ahead of me)
-Mark

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 1:22 pm

Donkeykong wrote:

I have the Hella 500's which I paid $56.00 after having advance price match an online price.... having said that, they are good, but the BEST driving lights I have ever owned or have ever even seen was hands down my PIAA platinum 1100x driving lights. The install was simple and they were bright..... and that is a severe understatement. at $199.00 they aren't cheap, but they are incredible quality and the size makes them easy to tuck away. If I hadn't just purchased a house I would have them hanging off of my bumper in leiu of the hellas. (and fyi: I have the hella driving lights, not the fogs, I do a lot of night time 50+mph driving where I like to see way ahead of me)
-Mark

Oh, good idea. I didn't even consider local stores.

I just looked up the Hella 500 driving lights on advance auto parts - they have them for $64 with a 10% discount for buying online - so we're down to $58, and I can pick them up today. If anyone else is looking for a good deal for an xmas gift, that's a pretty darn good one!

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:36 pm

just make sure if your using them for road use you check with local and stae law for vehicle exuiptment requirements. I am in the middle of preparing my case for court for lighting. Ill probably get a post on here sooner or later regarding lift laws and lighting laws sooner or later when i can sum up all of the information ive gathered. Anyway go with the hellas or lightforce. The hella are cheap and compared tothe same output of a piaa light they perform bette for the price. If you want bar none the best lighting that money can buy go with the lightforce lights. You would swear you strapped the sun to the front of your truck with them.

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:52 pm

C co Crusader 2/127 wrote:

just make sure if your using them for road use you check with local and stae law for vehicle exuiptment requirements. I am in the middle of preparing my case for court for lighting. Ill probably get a post on here sooner or later regarding lift laws and lighting laws sooner or later when i can sum up all of the information ive gathered. Anyway go with the hellas or lightforce. The hella are cheap and compared tothe same output of a piaa light they perform bette for the price. If you want bar none the best lighting that money can buy go with the lightforce lights. You would swear you strapped the sun to the front of your truck with them.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure legally these driving lights will need to be wired up so that they turn off when the low beams are on. Not sure if that means that they can ONLY be on with the high beams or if I am able to wire them up independently. What's good is that they will look pretty close to factory, so unless I have them on, nobody will question it.

So what is the ticket you're contesting?

C co Crusader 2/127 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:02 am

the ticket os for "aux. lamp violation". basically he threw a bs ticket at me because i argued that their legal when he said their not. Keep in mind that im very anal about my things so the have to be 1000000000% perfect all the time. The statute that the ticket is under say you have to extinginsh your lights with in 500 feet of aproaching/following if your beams reach farther than low beams. key part there....... if the reach farther. their at the same distance as my low beams just a lot more focused so the seem brighter. Im putting relevant mass. vehicle laws below for you. Height, lights, etc...
from what i see you guys still have a lot of laws still in effect from when model t's were still rolling around. What i get from what i looked at is.... you have to have a minimum of 2 lights; if you do you aftermarket lights they can only be used when stock lights fail to function to the best of their ability(ie adverse weather). An you cant really lift anything more than 2 inches without aproval.

PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

TITLE XIV. PUBLIC WAYS AND WORKS

CHAPTER 90. MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT

MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 90: Section 7P. Height of motor vehicles; alteration restricted

Section 7P. No person shall alter, modify or change the height of a motor vehicle with an original manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of up to and including ten thousand pounds, by elevating or lowering the chassis or body by more than two inches above or below the original manufacturer’s specified height by use of so-called “shackle lift kits” for leaf springs or by use of lift kits for coil springs, tires, or any other means or device.

The registrar shall establish rules and regulations for such changes in the height of motor vehicles beyond said two inches. No motor vehicle that has been so altered, modified or changed beyond the provisions of this section or the rules and regulations established by the registrar shall be operated on any way.

PART I. ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT

TITLE XIV. PUBLIC WAYS AND WORKS

CHAPTER 90. MOTOR VEHICLES AND AIRCRAFT

MOTOR VEHICLES

Chapter 90: Section 16. Offensive or illegal operation of motor vehicles

Section 16. No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall any owner of such vehicle permit it to be operated, in or over any way, public or private, whether laid out under authority of law or otherwise, which motor vehicles are prohibited from using, provided notice of such prohibition is conspicuously posted at the entrance to such way. No person shall operate a motor vehicle, nor shall any owner of such vehicle permit it to be operated upon any way, except fire department and fire patrol apparatus, unless such motor vehicle is equipped with a muffler to prevent excessive or unnecessary noise, which muffler is in good working order and in constant operation, and complies with such minimum standards for construction and performance as the registrar may prescribe. No person shall use a muffler cut-out or by-pass. No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any way which motor vehicle is equipped (1) with a muffler from which the baffle plates, screens or other original internal parts have been removed and not replaced; or (2) with an exhaust system which has been modified in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the exhaust. No person operating a motor vehicle shall sound a bell, horn or other device, nor in any manner operate such motor vehicle so as to make a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise, nor permit to escape from such vehicle smoke or pollutants in such amounts or at such levels as may violate motor vehicle air pollution control regulations adopted under the provisions of chapter one hundred and eleven. No siren shall be mounted upon any motor vehicle except fire apparatus, ambulances, vehicles used in official line of duty by any member of the police or fire fighting forces of the commonwealth or any agency or political subdivision thereof, and vehicles owned by call fire fighters or by persons with police powers and operated in official line of duty, unless authorized by the registrar. No person shall use on or in connection with any motor vehicle a spot light, so called, the rays from which shine more than two feet above the road at a distance of thirty feet from the vehicle, except that such a spot light may be used for the purpose of reading signs, and as an auxiliary light in cases of necessity when the other lights required by law fail to operate.

No person, except a duly authorized person driving an emergency fire vehicle, shall operate a motor vehicle equipped with metal studded tires upon a public way between May the first and November the first; provided, however, the registrar may authorize the use of such tires before November the first, if weather conditions require the use thereof. Whoever violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars.

KCKJ · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2007 12:46 am

I don't know if this law differs from state to state or not. I would assume not since all vehicles appear to be made this way. Vehicles are only allowed to have a total of 4 headlights on at a given time. When your highbeams are on, you actually have 2 bulbs/filiments burning in your highbeam headlight, Meaning they consider this to be 4 headlights/filiments on. (thus making a brighter light) That's why no companies have fog lights on with highbeams on. If they allowed foglights to be on along with highbeam headlights, it would be 6 lights on. (or illegal) Fog lights can come on when the low beams are on because there is only 1 bulb/filiment on in the low beam.
make sense??
confusing, and hard to put into words.

Hope this helps.

Rush345 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2007 1:53 am

Both my main Mechanic and a law emforcement officer have both informed me that I can not mount Running lights on the Cowel between the hood and the windshield like a Renegade shown here at L.O.S.T.. they call it obstruction of my foward vision. But the spot light like emergency vehicles, Ploice and even Taxis is permissable. I have found where I can buy these spot lights for about the same price as KC Lights. Doen't make sence to me because when you turn those lights in like the police do when not in use they take up the same space as the driving light in the cowel mount locations. But as the COP said I don't write the Law I just enforce it. So I'll be buying spot light because I like that locattion and look.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Dec 01, 2007 2:32 am

Rush345 wrote:

Both my main Mechanic and a law emforcement officer have both informed me that I can not mount Running lights on the Cowel between the hood and the windshield like a Renegade shown here at L.O.S.T.. they call it obstruction of my foward vision. But the spot light like emergency vehicles, Ploice and even Taxis is permissable. I have found where I can buy these spot lights for about the same price as KC Lights. Doen't make sence to me because when you turn those lights in like the police do when not in use they take up the same space as the driving light in the cowel mount locations. But as the COP said I don't write the Law I just enforce it. So I'll be buying spot light because I like that locattion and look.

You can also get a ticket for a cracked windshield here in colorado as "obstruction of vision" which I believe is a 1 point offence.

FYI, the only reason you see taxis with those pillar mounted lights is that they are used police vehicle(or possibly a new crown vic ordered with the police package).

snowsport · **Joined:** Tue Oct 18, 2005 11:52 pm **Posts:** 1211

Rush345 wrote:

I have found where I can buy these spot lights for about the same price as KC Lights.

Who is the supplier/manufacturer of those? I have been thinking about adding one too. Anybody here ever install one?

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

KCKJ wrote:

I don't know if this law differs from state to state or not. I would assume not since all vehicles appear to be made this way. Vehicles are only allowed to have a total of 4 headlights on at a given time. When your highbeams are on, you actually have 2 bulbs/filiments burning in your highbeam headlight, Meaning they consider this to be 4 headlights/filiments on. (thus making a brighter light) That's why no companies have fog lights on with highbeams on. If they allowed foglights to be on along with highbeam headlights, it would be 6 lights on. (or illegal) Fog lights can come on when the low beams are on because there is only 1 bulb/filiment on in the low beam.
make sense??
confusing, and hard to put into words.

Hope this helps.

Actually, both filaments are hardly every burning at the same time.

There is typically a 55 watt filament for the low beams and a 65 watt filament for the high beams. All high-beams really do is throw the light further and off to the sides more. The have a higher cut off angle (hence the name high vs low beams).

If you want to see what both filaments burning looks like, then hold the light stalk in the back position. Just as if you where switch from high-to-low or low-to-high but keep holding the stalking back. This will cause both filaments to light up.

What driving/fog lights to get?

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