Driving light dilemna.....

[byez]

I own a 03 Toyota Highlander and would like to improve the lighting for mountain/highway driving. Should i go with a fog light or driving light? Should I use the oem fog light location or is there a better location?

(I currently do not have these fogs installed) If I were to buy an h4 halogen housing and put them in place of the oem fog lights, would the light output be ok with hid's in them?

 

[Jonny Z]

Strictly speaking:
Driving lights are pencil beams, used with highbeams.
Fog lights are spread beams, used with low beams, to enhance foreground, and side lighting.
I think most places have laws against using pencil beams on road.
What you probably want, are aux low beams. I would not go HID, especially not in an H4 lamp.

 

[mxhdroom]

You can get driving lights which are more of a "flood" light type of beam (for lack of a better term) - it all depends on the reflector and/or lens. But Jonny is correct - they are meant to be used with high beams only. If you are going to mount fogs, they should be placed no higher than the headlights. The lower they are mounted, the better they work as they are designed to illuminate under the fog layer. They are also designed to work only with low beams. Those PU drivers with the fogs mounted on their roll bars are not doing themselves any favours, in that the light will reflect back through the windshield and worsen the visibility.

Good luck!
G.

G.

 

[tom slick]

Some manufacturers make a cornering beam, it might be what you are looking for.

 

[STG]

Anything that will fit in the stock locations won't be worth the trouble.

I have a couple of Hella Rallye 4000s. A Euro-beam (driving) on the left and a cornering beam on the right.

 

[byez]

Thanks for the help.

What I really need are headlight washers! I should have bought a Volvo. The real reason I need upgraded lighting is for my trips through the BC/Alberta rockies during winter as I am an avid snowboarder. On a trip a few weeks ago I was driving through some really heavy snow and visibility was horrible. Will fog lights perform in snow?

Another concern is whether a 9006 to 9005 conversion would help and if it would produce more glare? My headlights have a shield within the housing for the low beams (9006) and no shield over the high beams (9005). In addition 9006 bulbs have a shield on the actual bulb while a 9005 does not.

 

[byez]

http://www.bmwe34.net/E34main/Upgrade/More_light.htm

For reference.