Roof Top Lights

We were talking about roof lights, not fog lights but while on the subject, very, VERY few vehicles have genuine fog lights.

Most of these so called fog lights are nothing more than ****** lights and that includes the “fog” lights on all LRs.

Vehicles like early model BMWs, VWs and such, had proper fog lights that pointed down and lit no more than about 1 or 2 metres in front of the vehicle, not facing in front as these ****** lights do.

Back to the roof lights, although you often see pimped up 4x4s with 4 or more SPOT lights on the roof, there is actually no advantage to spots on the roof as they will give you no more advantage than bumper mounted SPOT lights.

You fit spread driving lights on the roof and you aim them to cover the area of road just ahead of where your low beam ends.

This type set up lets you see over crests better, see pot holes sooner and if you spread the lights slightly out to the sides, you can actually see around corners.

I’ve been running roof lights for over 25 years, on numerous types of vehicles and have run numerous combinations and I’ve found spots have proven to be a waste of time up on the roof.

After running 4 spreads on the roof and two spots on the bumper of my 03 RR, I have not even bothered to mount any spots on my 08 and just run the 4 roof mounted spreads when I’m doing some night driving.

It is best to find written documents on the laws and keep copies with you for things like this because I have found that every person that you ring will have a different answer and unfortunately so do the boys in blue. It is also of benefit to keep documentation while you are in other states as it might just get you off a fine if you can prove its legal where the vehicle is registered.:cool:

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Originally Posted by VladTepes

How can you use fog lights NOT with headlights ?

Sounds like poppycock to me.

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Australian Road Regulations (NSW)

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215 (3)
Also, a driver driving during the day in fog, or other hazardous weather conditions causing reduced visibility, may drive without the headlights of the driver’s vehicle operating if the vehicle is fitted with front fog lights and those lights are operating effectively and are clearly visible.

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This relates specifically to heavy vehicles, but ADR13/00 applies to all vehicles

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A motor vehicle must have a pair of low-beam headlights fitted to it (except Special Purpose Vehicles intended for daylight use only), so that either -
a) each low-beam headlight can also work in the high-beam position, or
b) a pair of headlights that can work in the high-beam position is also fitted to the vehicle.
A motor vehicle may also have additional pairs of high-beam headlights fitted to it. ADR 13/00 limits the number of high-beam headlights to 2, 4 or 6. “Driving lights” that project “white” light in front of the vehicle are additional high-beam headlights.
Headlights must be fitted to a vehicle so that their light does not reflect off the vehicle into the driver’s eyes.

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Heavy vehicles are also limited to lights no higher than 1400mm and I couldn't see 4WDs being allowed to go higher.


Martyn

Fog light point the light down below the rain (fog), head light don't.
so driving with both headlight and fog, do jack ****.

Quote drivesafe:
Actually Vlad, it’s not poppycock at all, Brian is right on the money.

In QLD, it is an offence to drive with your headlights on while your fogs are on.

why don't they inforce it. a bit more revenue for the Gov.

"Then you go to the auto shop, and they can try sell you 100 watt globes,
not the 55 you need to have. (wire and lense) seen it done."

Then there is lights on the roof, as drivesafe says.
use spread beams.
If you can only use roof lights off-road,
how far can you see on dirt tracks. not far,
so you don't need 600mt pencil beams.
you want too see up hills and down gullies, before you get to them.

my roof lights aren't great! but they do exactly what I want them to, they light up everything around me just in front of the car while my spots light up everything further foward.....

BUT please note my lights are ONLY used off road and not often as I dont get out to do enough night drives :BigCry:

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Originally Posted by garrycol

I have always heard that roof lights were illegal BUT on the previos model Jeep Cherokee you could get them as a factory option built into the factory roof rack - so they must be legal in some form.

Garry

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I do recall reading that Jeep had to go through hell to get the roof mounted lights ADR compliant in Australia. They had to fit lower wattage globes to get them to pass, which probably made them next to useless (except for show).

From what I heard, Chrysler Australia took two years to get roof lights approved and this is why they are now ADR approved for all vehicles.

Nissan also fitted lights to the top of a limited edition Nissan X TRail into the front of the roof rails and i now they had been sold in Qld and would assume other states also.
http://img243.imageshack.us/img243/5...0707vm2.th.jpg

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Originally Posted by Turtle61

The issue of roof-mounted driving lights has been discussed at lengths on various fora.

I checked with RTA some time ago and there is no height restriction for driving lights so they can be mounted anywhere you like. The issue here is that they must face forward. If there is any doubt - like lights mounted on a roll bar that can potentially be turned backwards - the boys in blue will get you. If the lights are mounted in front of an object - like a roof rack - then there is no potential for them to be turned any other way.

Factory fitted lights in Jeeps were legal as they were in pods and oriented forward.

Anyway, my 2 cents' worth

-- Irek

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Taxis in Sydney use lights on the roof that are not forward facing in order to read the house numbers.

Also there are a maximun allowed, 6 in NSW that includes your headlights and they must be in pairs
The same law apply,s in Vic anymore than 6 (3 pairs) of forward facing lights your history !
But why would you want to mount Big dollars worth of lights up high , just to get broken by branch,s when off road unless you just want to be like all wanky jappers out there:p
Sorry its not for me :cool: