[lordpinoypol]

Can the extra driving lamps be turned on along with the headlights? or can it be only on when the highbeams are turned on? or can it be on all the time along with the headlights?
or is it illegal to turn them on on public roads?

im asking this because if it is illegal then i dont want to waste my money on them.

thanx,
paul

[Rawhyde]

Quote: Originally Posted by lordpinoypol

Can the extra driving lamps be turned on along with the headlights? or can it be only on when the highbeams are turned on? or can it be on all the time along with the headlights?
or is it illegal to turn them on on public roads?

im asking this because if it is illegal then i dont want to waste my money on them.

thanx,
paul

The OEM setup turns them off on low beam. This is good. THe beam pattern is like souped-up high beams, so they'd be brutal to oncoming cars.

Legal? In some places they are and other places they aren't. It's a moot point anyway if you're a courteous driver with the OEM setup. Dim your lights for oncoming cars, and they'll never be seen by other cars.

I've had similar (self installed) setups on many many cars over my driving career and never had any problems at all. Our local cops are only interested in radar but in my travels, I've never even been questioned even though I always run E-Code (euro-spec and much brighter) headlamps and driving lamps on all my cars.

If you use them properly, they can help prevent you from having a wreck (deer and other critters are easier to spot). You just can't have too much light on the open road or rural areas.

Rawhyde

If you stay in cities or suburban areas, you won't get a lot of practical use out of them.

[Cherry2005]

I finally had mine installed last week and my MA told me they only work with the high beams.

Well guess what.

They also work with just the normal headlights on. Brutally bright!

[lordpinoypol]

thanks guys

since u said it will be very helpful in rural or wooded area. i am considering getting them because i live in an area with hefty amounts of deer and almost no street lights. so im sure they will be useful to me...and they look kool =]

thanx
-paul

[Vitesse]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

well on that very subject i installed and wired my own spots
tapped them into the front fogs,
when you switch on the front fogs the whole front of the car lights up also i set the beams so that they are directed to the same level as the normal dipped beams
really looks cool at night

Cooper S Ire Is it legal in Eire to drive with front fogs on during normal conditions? Last time I was over there it seemed quite common or is it the same as UK? I must admit with most newer cars the argument about the glare caused is really a non-argument, as they don't seem to produce much. There again I've tried driving with them on, and on a good clear night and the beam produced is so much in front of the car, that it doesn't offer that much aid? Therefore do people drive with them on in good conditions purely coz it looks good?

[MyWiniCooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

well on that very subject i installed and wired my own spots
tapped them into the front fogs,
when you switch on the front fogs the whole front of the car lights up also i set the beams so that they are directed to the same level as the normal dipped beams
really looks cool at night

Did you wire the factory ones?
i was thinking of re-wiring these so i can toggle them on and off independantly from the lights. I havent figured out how yet though.

[minirizzo]

I have the driving lights installed, and when I first found out that they only work in High-Beam mode i was disappointed. But when you have your highs on and switch on the driving lights, watch out!

I can remember heading down a dark street one night with them on and rounded a corner where a gentleman was walking home, boy did he had several choice words for me!
And to this day, I swear I saw his retinal nerve...

minirizzo

[CARdiac]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rawhyde

I've never even been questioned even though I always run E-Code (euro-spec and much brighter) headlamps and driving lamps on all my cars.

If you stay in cities or suburban areas, you won't get a lot of practical use out of them.

How do you have a car with E-Code? Can the dealer set this for us here in the US?

[Rawhyde]

Quote: Originally Posted by CARdiac

How do you have a car with E-Code? Can the dealer set this for us here in the US?

I swapped out the lamp assemblies. I sent you a PM

Rawhyde

[snarl]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

well on that very subject i installed and wired my own spots
tapped them into the front fogs,
when you switch on the front fogs the whole front of the car lights up also i set the beams so that they are directed to the same level as the normal dipped beams
really looks cool at night

That's the "Italian Job" approach. I remember seeing that movie and realizing they had tweeked the wireing for that effect. I'm on default so they only come on with the hi-beams. I make sure to have them switched on even during the day though, so when I flash another MINI "hello" or a big SUV "don't run me over" all the lights come on with just a touch...

[Kinster]

Quote: Originally Posted by Vitesse

Cooper S Ire Is it legal in Eire to drive with front fogs on during normal conditions? Last time I was over there it seemed quite common or is it the same as UK? I must admit with most newer cars the argument about the glare caused is really a non-argument, as they don't seem to produce much. There again I've tried driving with them on, and on a good clear night and the beam produced is so much in front of the car, that it doesn't offer that much aid? Therefore do people drive with them on in good conditions purely coz it looks good?

I don't know about Ireland, but it is illegal in the UK and very annoying. It's like... what's the point? Does it make the car look better? You get extra browny points for looking so good?

[03cooperS!]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cherry2005

I finally had mine installed last week and my MA told me they only work with the high beams.

Well guess what.

They also work with just the normal headlights on. Brutally bright!

No offense, but your mom should stay away from MINI technical advice!

[vagt6]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

well kinster the whole point of a forum like this is for us to show off our cars and admire other cars,
do i sense a bit of the green eyed monster in your post,
in my opinion it does make the car look better like when someone has a cool set of wheels or graphics or a JCW kit,
and the lights usually only annoy old drivers in their lada's
most other people think they are quite cool
and i hope your not a wannabe mini owner or a closet lada owner?????

In fact, most other people DON'T think it's cool to use auxillary lamps inappropriately. See the poll in the "General Discussion" thread here. In my experience, knowledgeable drivers think folks who use fog lamps in non-foggy condtions, or driving lamps in daytime or with low beams, are dangerous and inconsiderate drivers.

Not saying that you're one, however.

[Kinster]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

well kinster the whole point of a forum like this is for us to show off our cars and admire other cars,
do i sense a bit of the green eyed monster in your post,
in my opinion it does make the car look better like when someone has a cool set of wheels or graphics or a JCW kit,
and the lights usually only annoy old drivers in their lada's
most other people think they are quite cool
and i hope your not a wannabe mini owner or a closet lada owner?????

Why would I be jealous with the cars I've got? We do show off our cars on this forum, but we don't do illegal things.

The subject I was talking about was 'fog lights'? So why talk about wheels & graphics?

What it is, is that you actuallly 'think' other people find it cool when you have them on in non-foggy conditions

With your narrowminded judgement it seems that the majority in the following poll have a Lada

http://www.mini2.com/forum/general-discussion/83410-driving-fog-lights-uk.html

[vagt6]

Quote: Originally Posted by Cooper S Ire

so why do so many countries insist on Daytime Running Lights if the practice is so UNSAFE or INCONSIDERATE
as i originally said i have the beams set so that there is no dazzle from the driving lamps and anybody who has front fog lamps knows that the light from them is very minimal and really only cosmetic
now it would be a different story if i was driving around with high beams on that would be unsafe BUT IM NOT,
in fact the Americans dont even insist on rear fogs never mind front fogs so how unsafe is that

DRLs are lifesavers, IMHO, however, they are less than half the power of low beams for obvious reasons. I don't think anyone was discussing DRLs, were they?

Fog lamps and driving lamps are a totally different animal and may temporarily blind oncoming drivers. Yes, fog lamps, regardless of how they're aimed, too.

Please drive safely, and courteously, which includes proper use of auxillary lamps.

Cheers!

[Mini G Man]

I ordered some front spot lamps on my new Cooper S. I was told by my dealer that it's UK law to have these lights ONLY wired into the high-beam setting. He said that only in high-beam and when "flashing" other drivers will they come on. I asked if it was possible to set them so i may switch only the spot lights on when i liked, but he said that it's not allowed, and high-beam is the only way.

Sounds cool enough to me, because i'm a considerate enough driver to actually DIM my high-beams with approaching cars, and i never drive with fog lights unless there's actually fog.

[beckckkc]

I am also looking at adding driving lights. I live in an area where there are numerous deer and the farther I can throw light down the road the less chance my MINI has to spend in the auto body shop. I was just looking at Alta's light bar system with four lights. Has anyone an opinion on this or other systems?

[pocketrocketowner]

PKT RKT came with the extra lights.....I have yet to take the covers off......I think they look cool but so far they have been pretty useless (or I've been pretty lazy)