Front spot/fog lamps

Post by **ndevans** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 12:15 pm

Can anyone tell me what regulations are in force regarding the number, postioning, colour & use of front spot/fog lamps please?

I've trawled through www.vosa.gov.uk to no avail.

cheers,
Neil

Post by **Orkney** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 2:48 pm

What you got in mind Neil? its one of those areas not enforced whatever the regs are - ask the blokes on the space shuttle who can see all the trucks with 8x 100+ watt lights on top of the cabs hurtling down the A9 in the early hours.
Most boy racers dont have std wattage headlamp bulbs and never heard of anyone getting done for that.

Post by **dunketh** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:10 pm

I want to fit 4 spots to mine like the Mini Coopers have, can't see there being any problem provided you're not stupid with them.

The minimum height is something silly as new cars nearly scrape the floor with their low splitters and integral fog lights.
The upper height isn't an issue imo, you're not going to be daft enough to fit any higher than the normal lights.

You get a leaflet with any 'new' spotlights that tells you the regs, at the moment I can't find them anywhere either...

Post by **ndevans** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:38 pm

I've got two Lucas lamps, one a Lucas Ranger which I think is a fog lamp, the other is a Lucas FT10 which I think is a spot lamp. Just the two mounted either in place of the bumper overriders, or just inboard of them.

I'm thinking that they'll be handy when I come to Orkney next year-driving along those small unlit roads at night was quite hair raising with my standard lights!

Post by **alex_holden** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:50 pm

Just upgrade the standard lights to halogens and they should be fine. I had spots on my Landy and never used them.

Post by **mal** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:51 pm

Mine are mounted on a badge-bar, gone through 4 mot's and never been stopped by the Police with them after 40k + miles..
Oh.. that reminds me, I must get round to connecting them up one day

Mal

Post by **Orkney** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:51 pm

You can do overkill on the lights ! theres a special bar you get which carries the lamps as a pod if your serious - rally accessory etc.
Your better off Neil with the bulbs which give 55w on low & 100 on high - avalable at any good MS parts stockist - i quite fancy a pair of driving lamps but not at the prices they are

Oh yeah and Neil - next year bring your tent

Post by **alex_holden** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 3:57 pm

BTW if you do fit a pair of spots, wire them through a relay controlled by the main beam so they go out automatically when you dip the lights.

Post by **ndevans** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 4:12 pm

alex_holden wrote:Just upgrade the standard lights to halogens and they should be fine. I had spots on my Landy and never used them.

I admit it's a fashion accessory as much as anything! I like the look of them on a minor.

As for tents, well that's down to The Boss.

Post by **Alec** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:22 pm

Hello Dunketh,

"The upper height isn't an issue imo, you're not going to be daft enough to fit any higher than the normal lights. icon_lol.gif "

Aesthetics apart there is a lot to be said for high mounted lamps, as their beam is less affected by the road undulations. (You will note that all modern rally cars fit their lamp pods on the bonnet.)

The opposite effect is ultra low lights that point all over the place as bumps and undulations affect them a lot more as their angle of projection is nearly zero.

Alec

Post by **simmitc** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 6:25 pm

Just to warn that 100W main beams are ILLEGAL on public roads. The maximum permitted wattage is 60/55 for road use. One silly thing about the regs is that they stipulate wattage rather than lumens; and of course 60 watt input gives different brightness with tungsten, halogen, xenon, etc.

Post by **MoggyTech** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:57 pm

There are a stack of lighting regulations but finding them these days is hard due to all the other regulations

Those I do know are as follows.

1: Unit Bulbs must carry the E Logo to prove they are legal for use in the EU.

2: They must be adjusted, so as to not dazzle other road users.

3: If FOG lights, they must only be used when visibilty down to 100 Meters or less

4: Must only be capable of being used when side lights are on, and or dip beam, and must go off when main beam selected.

5: Switch for operating them must have a tell tale warning light.

6: Driving lights may be used in normal visibilty, but lenses of units must carry the EU code for a driving light (can't remember what the code is)

7: Lights must not be steerable by the driver (e.g. spotlight for checking house number in the dark, as used by service engineers in the 70's)

If not fitted in pairs, then certain dimensions have to be observed, and I think it's no more than 410mm inboard on the drivers side, measured from the vehicles width excluding side mirrors.

Info given in good faith, but regulations change quite frequently.

Post by **ndevans** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:30 pm

Thanks for all the above.
After further trawling, I cam across the following useful links:-

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTr ... /DG_069869

This has links to various pieces of road and traffic legislation, in particular:-

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891796_en_1.htm

This is The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, which seems to contain all the relevant info on what you can and can't have.

It seems that a 1969 Minor is exempt from a lot of stuff, the EU code requirements being one of them, and from what I can figure out I can have as many fog & spot lights as I want as long as they are at least 400mm in from the side and no more than 1200mm high. So I reckon I will get away with my Lucas Ranger spot light and Lucas FT10 fog lamp. The MOT inspectors will probably not know what they are looking at anyway.

cheers,
Neil

Post by **8009STEVE** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:32 pm

and or dip beam, and must go off when main beam selected.

Is it not the other way round?

Post by **MoggyTech** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:43 pm

8009STEVE wrote:
and or dip beam, and must go off when main beam selected.
Is it not the other way round?

Negative. Fog lights are always used with dip beam, as main beam just bounces most of the light off the fog and back at the car. To complicate matters, the new low slung 'driving' lamps fitted to most modern cars in the front spoiler can be used with sidelights,dip and main beam, but it is illegal to use them unless visibility is under 100 metres. Around here, Plod is having a massive crackdown regarding these lamps.

Post by **8009STEVE** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:45 pm

Sorry, I was thinking of spot lamps not fog lamps.

Post by **MoggyTech** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:48 pm

8009STEVE wrote:Sorry, I was thinking of spot lamps not fog lamps.

No worries, and yes for spot lamps, on with main beam, off for dipped beam. All illuminating stuff

Post by **ndevans** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:53 pm

Good to cast light on these things.........

Wah wah wahhhhhh...........

Post by **Onne** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:55 am

As some of you may know I have a spot light smack bang in the middle, that wasn't a problem at all at the MOT.
It is only a little 38W one though

Post by **MikeNash** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 10:08 am

A few thoughts.
Post a similar discussion a few years ago I trawled the garage roof and found a couple of spots, a Raydyot and a Luminax, and a ditto pair of yellow bulbed fog lights. These I 've mounted so they sort of look right. The spots are mounted inboard on 1/8th inch thick strip bent to suit (took a bit of bashing) bolted to where the W shaped support holds the front crome bumper. (I don't have the sheet fairing on the top 'cos its a rust trap.) The yellow fogs are bolted similarly to the bumper mounting bolts on the body. All have halogen 55/60 watt bulbs (like the headlights).
'Cos the wiring to the lights all goes thro' various bullet connectors, its easy to put in a double connector (obtainable fron Halford's etc) and then power your lights directly. So, my spots come on when I press mainbeam on the foot switch, the reasoning being that when I want full light, I want FULL LIGHT. The fogs are wired from a double bullet connector near a lightlight back to a dash pushpull switch and then out to the fogs.
This has worked very well, the dymano driving the lot without trouble, although recently I've gone to an alternator for other reasons. The whole thing has been a great success. So I say do it! Regards, MikeN.