Blueish Headlights

Retro fitted HID's as a low beam alternative are illegal in Vic unless you have self-levelling headlights...

Like most things in this country, the onus is on the customer to make sure it's legal. We admire people who can flog things and make a $, then slap the wrist of the poor B that bought it and tried to use it.
That's how we got 27meg CB radio, and Trikky got his millions.

Laura the blue spotties are legal as they are not a primary foreward light... I have the Narva's and was tossing up between the blue or clear, both claimed to meet ADR's...

Adam, why don't you check with your Road Traffic Authorites,it is simple as that,
stop guesingSee UUu

Hi gonebush SA, this is not much help to you in SA but it may tweak someone with some idea of a similar site in SA

This is one of a number of QLD sites.

QLD Road Rules

I would not be surprised if the other states had similar sites

Note. QLD has a number of sites with different sections of the road rules being posted.

This next URL is for a PDF that lists vehicle modifications and you will have to cut and paste it to get the file, it's not that large and gives some handy info including the use of fog lights which is not covered all that well in the Road Rules, GO FIGURE?

http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/qt/LTASinfo.nsf/ReferenceLookup/Modification_Jan05v2.pdf/$file/Modification_Jan05v2.pdf

Very good link that. Well done.

I asked that question to an inspector at the motor reg in SA and he said you could have any wattage in your headlights, the colour was what mattered.

Hi Chaz, after testing some of the Philips Crystal Vision globe, what you posted, is the exact the reason I replaced all my globes.

I was running 130 watt driving light globes and when I changed over, I noticed that the new globes were not as bright but colour separation was much better.

I other words, while the older yellow lights lit up further down the road, everything had a yellow tinge to it.

With the Philips globes, because the light is so white, you can see where the grey tar meets the brown road edge and the green grass starts and more importantly, where the grey kangaroo is standing in the green grass.

Everything just stands out clearer so you identify things a lot earlier, making night driving a lot safe and easier.

Cheers

Hi Guy's,
HID lamps are the way of the future along with high intensity LED's and they are starting to show up in high end European luxury and sports vehicles. These too have the blue effect to on comming traffic and comply with ADR regulations. The whole idea of the blue lamps is to give a whiter light that reflects better light from road signs and even white lines when they are wet.
So far I haven't been able to find anywere in the regulations where it says you cant use the blue light globes, but it does state that headlights have to be white. The ADR's are basicly "The function of this Australian Design Rule is to specify the photometric requirements for headlamps which will provide adequate illumination for the driver of the vehicle without producing undue glare for other road users."
So there is no mention of wattage or globe colour.
After using 130watt bulbs in my IPF's and blowing a globe or two on almost every trip, I decided to try the Phillips 55watt H3's and they have now lasted a couple of years. They produce almost as much light and draw nearly half the current. My headlamp bulbs are PIAA 5000K and are probably illegal, but are brilliant.
Not that I have contempt for oncomming traffic, but until someone flashes their high beams at me, I doubt if I'm annoying them.

Funny you should post that Chaz, I have always run at least 4 but usually 6 Hella 181s, all with 130 watt globes which eventually burnt the reflectors.

When I bought my RR, I didn’t want heaps of lights hanging off it so I decided to fit a set of IPFs with 130 watt globes.

Although these two IPFs were better than any two Hellas 181s, I was not that impressed ( and wouldn’t bother fitting them again ), I was forever blowing headlight globes ( H7 ) and one of my customers sold Philips Crystal Vision globes and talked me into trying them.

I only had them in over a weekend and was so impressed, on the following Monday I changed the IPF globes and was hooked.

I still didn’t have enough light so I made a quick fit and remove roof bar with 4 new Hella 181s. I gave the 100 watt globes to a mate and fitted the Hellas with the Philips globes and the results or fantastic.

After 3 years of use, with up to 10 lights at a time, I have only had to replace one headlight globe and that was two weeks ago and all the reflectors still look like new.

Just the life span alone has paid for these globes.

BTW, my wife’s D3 is fitted with HID headlights and when she first got it, I was not impressed with the limited range these lights give on low beam, but the first time I drove it in the wet, my impression changed BIG HEAPS. I do heaps of night driving and these HIDs are the best lights I have ever come across for driving in rain and in fog.

Cheers.

Hi Drivesafe,
Interesting thread, this one. Personally I don’t mind seeing these lights coming towards me and to me, they don’t seem as bright as high wattage halogen globes provided you don’t look straight into them.
BTW, I took your advice and replaced the 6mm cable to my camper with 16mm through some 50 amp anderson plugs. The C/T batteries do seem to recharge quicker.

Cheers
Chaz

Only too happy to be of some assistance and glad it worked Chaz.

Cheers

Just like when everyone uses those bottom driving lights, Some are well over 55watts, which is the legal limit, why on earth do everyone use then when theres no fog.