Reverse Lights on my 80

When I hooked mine up, was told by the mechanic that they can only turn on with reversing. A switch can isolate them if you wish.
Apparently this is to stop people turning them on while travelling forward, in an effort to blind those behind. (Usually as payback for highbeam in your mirrors)

G'day Silvio,

I hooked up an LED worklight to the back that is just turned on and off by a switch in the cab.
The switch has a warning light so we can see if it gets turned on by accident.

This works good for reversing, setting up and heaps of other things.
I've seen wiring programs for hooking them up to the reversing lights with a switch to over ride that but I just got it wired up direct.
The Autoelectrician say anything about it.

Steve

Silvio,
I just bought a couple of Hella worklights and mounted them above the back door opening. Oooodles of light for working behind the vehicle when camped up.
They were not bad as reversing lights either but they WERE fitted for use as "Worklights".
I direct wired them through a fuse from the battery, through a switch of course.

Disco.

If you wire them as reversing lights you have to comply with the Australian design rule covering reversing lights, this ADR covers where the lights can be mounted and their output.

If you comply with the ADR your not going to get much more light output then what you already have.

http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2005L03873

However if they are work lights thats a different story.

Hi Sivereagle

Olcoolone is correct.
Reverse lights under the regulations (design rules) are fitted to let the people behind you know that you are reversing. Therefore the lights are not very bright to minimise glare which means that they are designed as a light to indicate something and not as a light to see by.
Worklights will provide an answer to your problem. You can wire them up any way you like as they are meant to be used for working around, repairing or loading/unloading your vehicle. The restriction on their use relates to not causing glare to other road users under the general traffic law. The interpretations on this usually means that you can't use them while mobile unless you are travelling at low speed, are not causing glare or pointing at other road users. So for example taxis can have side pointing worklights for illuminating house numbers and driveways.
Of course you are not restricted when off road other than common courtesy.

regards

A