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Equipment Tests > Lighting Upgrade
Lighting Upgrade
Issue: August 2009
Words and photos by Mark Allen
On a dark and creepy night...anything could jump out in front of your 4WD and wipe out a well planned holiday in the blink of an eye - so why not upgrade your lights now?
On a budget, or simply don't want extra lights bolted to the front of your 4WD? Perhaps a headlight upgrade is the next best option.
With improved lighting you'll see further in front as well as out to the sides of your 4WD as you hurtle into the darkness of Outback roads and tracks. More light will mean less strain on your eyes and you'll no doubt notice a whole lot more compared to driving with standard manufacturers candles...err headlights.
Yes, adding additional aftermarket driving lights to your 4WD is the ultimate way to make night time jaunts easier and safer, but what if you simply can't afford extra halogen driving lights or heaven forbid the higher priced HID's?
Perhaps you simply don't want extra lights bolted to your faithful stead for whatever reason. If that's the case, there are a few ways to force those standard headlights to throw more light out.
WIRING
Utilising an aftermarket wiring loom, with larger diameter wires and improved terminals will allow extra currant to 'flow' to your lights, allowing them to 'burn' brighter. Replacing the headlight wiring loom is a relatively easy affair with many manufacturers suppling a kit that simply replaces the original - unplug and plug in the new, run the wires neatly around your engine bay and under the dash and you're done.
BULBS
There is a plethora of aftermarket bulbs that can be put in place of the standard headlight bulb. OE bulbs are (generally) lower wattages of 60 and 55 (high and low beam), as compared to some aftermarket bulbs offer much higher ratings of up to 130 and 90 watt. In general, the higher the wattage the brighter the light that is emitted.
Then there are the weird and wonderful array of differing coloured bulbs, variations of white light and different gasses available in aftermarket bulbs - not all of which are ADR compliant, so check the packaging to ensure your 4WD stays legal.
Be aware that upping the bulb wattage may have adverse affects on other components; higher wattage equals higher light output, which produces more heat, which may be too hot for your head light reflector and even standard wiring.
Some of the alternate 'colour' bulbs claim to emit a blue/white light, which is kinder to your eyes providing less eye strain while driving at night - a good thing. So, they are not necessarily brighter, but they are whiter or more like daylight in their colour. Additionally, many of these 'coloured/whiter' bulbs are still rated at 60/55 watt, so don't draw higher currants than standard, which means no additional heat on your wiring or reflectors - another good thing.
read on below advertisement
These aftermarket lower wattage bulbs also claim to offer a longer service life than the higher wattage bulbs - yet another tick!
If you change the bulbs in your 4WD, be sure not to touch the glass section of the bulb. The grease on your finger tips will create hot spots when the bulbs are in use, causing early failure. That explains why the bulbs are packaged in their little boxes with the connectors facing you when the lid is opened. If not...you've opened the wrong end! Some even have plastic or protective wrapping on the glass - you've been warned
REPLACEMENT LENS
Of course, all the above lighting improvements rely on your actual head light (the glass and reflector) to do its job as good as possible. That's where aftermarket, replacement lights are often needed to be able to take advantage of all that extra light being thrown out. If the old lights reflector has 'yellowed' or rusted slightly, or is not well focussed, then you're wasting your time and money adding all the above improvements.
Not all 4WDs are capable of having their actual headlight changed, but if yours is, you should seriously consider changing for the best light output.
At the end of the day (which incidentally is when you're turning your lights on) the complete lighting system is best updated - wiring, bulbs and reflector to give your eyes the best chance of seeing every obstacle on the road to ensure you get to that great camp spot safely, get home safely and have no unforseen repair bills just because you didn't see that damn pothole or rock on the road. Imagine the damage to your 4WD if you didn't see that huge roo that decided the grass needed munching on the opposite side of the road just as you happen to be passing at 100km/h...it ain't pretty!
If you do want to go the whole hog and fit additional aftermarket driving lights, be sure to see Overlander 4WDs September 2008 and October 2008 editions for the halogen and HID light testing.
Safe night driving.
Words and photos by Mark Allen
On a dark and creepy night...anything could jump out in front of your 4WD and wipe out a well planned holiday in the blink of an eye - so why not upgrade your lights now?
On a budget, or simply don't want extra lights bolted to the front of your 4WD? Perhaps a headlight upgrade is the next best option.
With improved lighting you'll see further in front as well as out to the sides of your 4WD as you hurtle into the darkness of Outback roads and tracks. More light will mean less strain on your eyes and you'll no doubt notice a whole lot more compared to driving with standard manufacturers candles...err headlights.
Yes, adding additional aftermarket driving lights to your 4WD is the ultimate way to make night time jaunts easier and safer, but what if you simply can't afford extra halogen driving lights or heaven forbid the higher priced HID's?
Perhaps you simply don't want extra lights bolted to your faithful stead for whatever reason. If that's the case, there are a few ways to force those standard headlights to throw more light out.
WIRING
Utilising an aftermarket wiring loom, with larger diameter wires and improved terminals will allow extra currant to 'flow' to your lights, allowing them to 'burn' brighter. Replacing the headlight wiring loom is a relatively easy affair with many manufacturers suppling a kit that simply replaces the original - unplug and plug in the new, run the wires neatly around your engine bay and under the dash and you're done.
BULBS
There is a plethora of aftermarket bulbs that can be put in place of the standard headlight bulb. OE bulbs are (generally) lower wattages of 60 and 55 (high and low beam), as compared to some aftermarket bulbs offer much higher ratings of up to 130 and 90 watt. In general, the higher the wattage the brighter the light that is emitted.
Then there are the weird and wonderful array of differing coloured bulbs, variations of white light and different gasses available in aftermarket bulbs - not all of which are ADR compliant, so check the packaging to ensure your 4WD stays legal.
Be aware that upping the bulb wattage may have adverse affects on other components; higher wattage equals higher light output, which produces more heat, which may be too hot for your head light reflector and even standard wiring.
Some of the alternate 'colour' bulbs claim to emit a blue/white light, which is kinder to your eyes providing less eye strain while driving at night - a good thing. So, they are not necessarily brighter, but they are whiter or more like daylight in their colour. Additionally, many of these 'coloured/whiter' bulbs are still rated at 60/55 watt, so don't draw higher currants than standard, which means no additional heat on your wiring or reflectors - another good thing.
read on below advertisement
These aftermarket lower wattage bulbs also claim to offer a longer service life than the higher wattage bulbs - yet another tick!
If you change the bulbs in your 4WD, be sure not to touch the glass section of the bulb. The grease on your finger tips will create hot spots when the bulbs are in use, causing early failure. That explains why the bulbs are packaged in their little boxes with the connectors facing you when the lid is opened. If not...you've opened the wrong end! Some even have plastic or protective wrapping on the glass - you've been warned
REPLACEMENT LENS
Of course, all the above lighting improvements rely on your actual head light (the glass and reflector) to do its job as good as possible. That's where aftermarket, replacement lights are often needed to be able to take advantage of all that extra light being thrown out. If the old lights reflector has 'yellowed' or rusted slightly, or is not well focussed, then you're wasting your time and money adding all the above improvements.
Not all 4WDs are capable of having their actual headlight changed, but if yours is, you should seriously consider changing for the best light output.
At the end of the day (which incidentally is when you're turning your lights on) the complete lighting system is best updated - wiring, bulbs and reflector to give your eyes the best chance of seeing every obstacle on the road to ensure you get to that great camp spot safely, get home safely and have no unforseen repair bills just because you didn't see that damn pothole or rock on the road. Imagine the damage to your 4WD if you didn't see that huge roo that decided the grass needed munching on the opposite side of the road just as you happen to be passing at 100km/h...it ain't pretty!
If you do want to go the whole hog and fit additional aftermarket driving lights, be sure to see Overlander 4WDs September 2008 and October 2008 editions for the halogen and HID light testing.
Safe night driving.
