Electrical artwork for new D4

**GregMilner** · 13th March 2017, 01:24 PM

Good idea Bob, I'll take a drive at night and see how they go. Here's one I found with big reflectors: 20″ 240W Double Row Cree LED light bar, 10W series (Combo) - Led Light Bars Australia

My main concern is the IP rating. These are rated at IP67, which is reasonably good for protection against dust and water ingress. Everybody seems to worry most about projection, spread and Kelvin rating. I'm more concerned about drowning the things in river crossings.

**GregMilner** · 13th March 2017, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by DiscoJeffster

At the end of the day, you can't go past a decent old school halogen pencil beam for seeing kilometres into the distance

Most multi-LED lighting is designed to improve your short to medium distance viewing, not long. I guess as long as you have enough visibility to see the obstacle ahead within your braking distance, then you're ok no matter what you choose.

True Jeff...also,
my experience with roos is they wait sneakily by the side of the road till you're almost upon them, then commit suicide. I don't need to be able to see a roo 2 kilometres ahead of me, I need to see the ones off to the side. They're the ones that scare me.

**drivesafe** · 13th March 2017, 02:28 PM

Hi Greg and if you are after optimum night time kangaroo spotting, for the past 30+ years I have been driving around the north west of NSW and roos have always been problem.

About 30 years ago, after some good advice from some locals, I started running roof mounted driving lights as well as bumper mounted driving lights and have had roof lights on nearly every vehicle I have owned ever since.

This includes both my L322 RRs.

I started out with 4 x 130w spotlights and over the years, I eventually found 4 x 55w Hella 181 driving lights gave the best results.

The two in the middle faced directly forward and each side one is pointed slightly off centre.

While I ran 2 x bumper mounted driving lights on my first L322, I have never bothered to mount anything but the roof lights with my second L322.

I am experimenting with a 100w LED bar at the moment. Just need to setup a quick release mount for it.

**GregMilner** · 13th March 2017, 02:39 PM

Hi Tim, yes I would love to run roof mounted lights, but unfortunately they've recently been outlawed in WA I'm told.

**BobD** · 13th March 2017, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by GregMilner

Hi Tim, yes I would love to run roof mounted lights, but unfortunately they've recently been outlawed in WA I'm told.

Yes, lights must be below the bonnet line at the front now. No roof rack lights in WA any more. I thought it was the same in other parts of Aus as well.

**drivesafe** · 13th March 2017, 03:11 PM

Hi Bob and Greg, do some checking in WA.

Roof lights have always been legal in QLD, and are now legal in other states since the ADRs were changed to allow for roof mounted lights.

Again, check in your state because I know WA has always had very stringent vehicle light regulations, but they may now have similar regs to the ADRs.

**loneranger** · 13th March 2017, 03:20 PM

I got pinged last year for having a lightbar on top of my bullbar but sitting below the level of the bonnet. I still haven't been able to get DOT to tell me under what legislation it is illegal as the last contact referred me to the vehicle manufacturer to clarify why it was illegal.

Good luck getting a sensible thought out response from them. 😀

**DiscoJeffster** · 13th March 2017, 03:21 PM

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/media..._VS_IB_123.pdf

Correct! If the spot lamps are considered 'driving lamps' then they are now permitted (though not recommended) to be higher than the driver, assuming they do t reflect off parts of the vehicle affecting the driver's vision. They must also only function on high beam.

Tombie · 13th March 2017, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by loneranger

I got pinged last year for having a lightbar on top of my bullbar but sitting below the level of the bonnet. I still haven't been able to get DOT to tell me under what legislation it is illegal as the last contact referred me to the vehicle manufacturer to clarify why it was illegal.

Good luck getting a sensible thought out response from them.

Here you go...

http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/media..._VS_IB_132.pdf

**BobD** · 13th March 2017, 03:37 PM

Tim, I stand corrected. According to the rules dated 2015 there are no height restrictions on driving lights, which is good news indeed. The police have been stopping people with high lights over the last year or two but it seems that is now incorrect. The last time I looked at the regulations, maybe just before the new regs were introduced when my son was pinged by the police for a roof mounted light bar, there was a height limit and it seemed that all the light bars in WA were illegal. I can now tell him and his mates they don't have to worry about high mounted light bars.

They must not obstruct the driver's vision and are not supposed to reflect off any part of the car into the drivers eyes so they could still fail on that test, but there is now no height restriction.

Thanks Tim.

Maybe I was a bit hasty. There are special rules for light bars, as against driving lights. This is a copy of the latest rules from August 2015, which is what I previously saw.

"Vehicle Safety and Standards
Information Bulletin

LED LIGHT BAR FOR USE AS ADDITIONAL DRIVING LAMPS

Background

Australian Design Rules (ADR) 13/00 previously required that additional headlights be fitted in pairs
only. This inadvertently prohibited the fitment and use of LED light bars. The ADRs have recently
been amended to remove this requirement.

However, this requirement to fit additional headlights in pairs still exists in the Western Australian
Road Traffic (Vehicles) Regulations 2014 (the Regulations). Notwithstanding the aforementioned
amendments to the ADRs, Regulations 286 and 289 of the Regulations have the same effect which
prevents the lawful fitment of an LED light bar in Western Australia (WA).

The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Transport has issued an exemption under the
provisions of Regulation 462 of the Regulations. This exemption will provide for the lawful fitment
of an LED light bar in WA. The exemption notice is effective from 8 August 2015 and will be valid
for a period of three years (expiring on 8 August 2018). The fitment of an LED light bar will be
subject to conditions as stipulated in this bulletin.

Definitions

For the purposes of this bulletin, the following definitions apply:

LED light bar means a lamp which contains multiple LED light sources in one or more rows.

Motor vehicle means a motor vehicle that has four or more wheels

Conditions

The exemption is subject to compliance with the following conditions:


The LED light bar(s) must be installed at the front of the vehicle and not higher than the front
edge of the bonnet.


The LED light bar(s) must be installed horizontally and located symmetrically about the
longitudinal centre line of the vehicle.


The LED light bar(s) must be forward facing and positioned in a way that the light produced
does not cause the driver of the vehicle discomfort, either directly or by reflection while in the
normal driving position. "

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