Funky lights/Road signs/Aiming

[Joe Yakubik <75363.2524@compuserve.com>]

The "funky lights" you may be referring too:

I have seen lights that "appear" to glow purplish.  Some of these are on very
high end BMW's, Audi's and Merc's.  I have also seen similar lights on very low
end everything else's.  PIAA advertises something called "Ion projector" which
converts white light to amber without a loss of candle power.  Amber light is
useful in high glare situations: heavy snow, fog.  White light is better for
general driving.  The high end apps do not (as far as I know) change to amber,
but to white.  The low end, or FOG SPECIFIC apps probably do.  (PIAA is not low
end, but fog specific)

If you want BLUE GLOW lights cheap, check out the J.C. Whitney catalog.  They
have several advertised from $16.99 for H3 bulbs to $44.95 for light sets.

If you really want "FUNKY LIGHTS"  go all out and order the Hella euro Black
lights.  These fit BMW's (some sheet metal, welding there, I'm sure they'd fit)
These are dual round black headlights that put out normal light.  They are not
those "smoked" lenses that are tacky, unsafe, and should be banned.

Or really, really "FUNKY LIGHTS": the test lights from Saab and/or Volvo and
Sweden.  They tested Ultraviolet lights and found them extremely effective.  The
only problem was retrofitting road signs, car reflectors, etc with UV reflective
material.  Kinda expensive.

On the topic of street signs and light cut-offs, etc:  I have driven in Europe
and the US and Asia and have not not seen an APPRECIABLE difference in street
sign height.  If your lights are adjusted correctly, clean, and have a
reasonable beam pattern (this boots most Audis) you shouldn't have too much
trouble.  If you are using fog lights to illuminate street signs then your fog
lights are too high.  Fog lights should be low to see the road in bad weather.
If your lights are mounted under the bumper and are pointing up towards signs
you ought to change the mounting location.

General rules of thumb:  Fog lights, under (or in) the bumper aimed low so as
not to reflect off the weather into your eyes.

Aux low beams: mounted parallel (or nearly) with the low beams and aimed fairly
flat.

Aux hi-beams or "driving lights" mounted up with the main headlights and also
aimed fairly flat.

If your lights are aimed correctly and clean, your problems are reduced.

Joe Yakubik
self proclaimed light guru

"Stop me, before I write about lights again...."