Show us yer spots!! (If you have some?)

[S4_dan]

As per title, I'm looking for 'more' light from my A4, not brighter lights.

I have 5k in dipped and 6k in main and when they are on, they are brill, but due to the country roads being windy and up and down, I'm after more light. To be honest, I have not seen one A4 with spot/driving lights! only once saw a poorly chavved up A3 with spots bigger than the wheels on the car!! Looked horrendous!

Apart from the 4 light configuration that sits on the front of the bonnet covered with contoured fibreglass like rally cars, What other options are they?

Dan

 

[ScottD3]

Roof lights?

What bout replacing fog lights with some better driving lights?

 

[S4_dan]

I dont have fogs on mine. Although its all wired in, I think the front bumper has been changed at some point in its life.

Dan

 

[ScottD3]

fit some nice brighter driving lights in.

 

[S4_dan]

Would there be much benefit with the lights been so low though? I've got some square 'RING' driving lights that I could try and fit in place of where the fogs go???

 

[ScottD3]

If they are angled right and bright enough I feel they can.
I've driven a couple 4x4 and cars with driving lights down the bottom and they seem to work rather well for seeing the side of the road/hedges.
They wont be brighter than you main driving lights but they do add a little bit extra round the edges.

 

[AndyC]

the light pattern is down to the lenses... its very hard to get more from them without changing these.

 

[S4_dan]

Hence why i'm after spotlights to give me more light. I have FL lights in my PFL car, and they are good now i've fitted HID's into them.

 

[AndyC]

Cibe were always good

 

[AndyC]

KC # 467 5 Inch Driving HID - Black Steel System

 

[aragorn]

The problem as i see it, is that any "driving" lights should only be used when you have your main beam on (ie when there are no oncoming vehicles). As such, driving around with dip beam and some driving lights is illegal, and will cause glare and **** off other drivers.

I've personally never had a problem with the main beam performance on the A4, its pretty good. I'd struggle to think of what your doing on the road at night that needs more illumination than that already provided. Especially if you equip the main beam with a pair of Osram 65w H7/H9 hybrid lamps. The dip beam however is absolutely ****e, especially on halogen projector cars.

Theres a couple of issues at play, first of all a standard halogen bulb simply isnt that bright. Secondly, projector aims to give a much more controlled even spread of light compared with the old reflector headlamps, however this seems to spread the output from a halogen "too thin" resulting in crap visibility everywhere. Thirdly, the projectors on the A4 headlamps simply arent that good.

The biggest issue with all of this, is that you cant fix it by adding additional lights, because on dim beam your only allowed to run the dip beam lamps.

On factory HID cars, you've got twice as much light coming out the projector, which improves things no end, but you've still got the relatively poor projector assembly in the way. You can fit an illegal HID conversion kit to your existing headlamps, but those are pretty junk when used with halogen projectors as the optics are different, and the bulbs etc are generally of poor quality unless you use a real D2S and a H7 adaptor.

I'm currently looking into retrofitting a good modern HID BiXenon projector assembly into my S4 headlamps, which i expect will improve things a fair amount, giving me proper HID main beam.

As for using/replacing the foglights, i very much doubt its going to do anything useful,its far too low to the ground to throw light any great distance, and adding more foreground illumination just makes it more difficult to see into the distance.

 

[jcb]

I have HID on dip and Main beam in FL Projector lights. with full beam on it is like daylight!
These are not "Bi-xenon" switching bulbs like some modern cars, there are two seperate ballasts and two seperate "bulbs".
They are both 4300k IIRC and the full beams through the projector lens is very bright

if you need more than that then I would suggest that they are not working properly!! mine are so bright on full beam that the on-coming signs facing me light up!

cant imagine wanting more, and to be honest additional spots would just get nicked round here!

 

[Foxmeister]

Same.

Facelift lights here with Xenons and properly aligned etc, clearly see the cut offs for each light and find them more than adequate for normal driving! Maybe a problem needing looked et first!

 

[S4_dan]

Don't get me wrong, the lights are working fine. There is plenty of light etc. I'm just after 'MORE' light when main beam is on! Dipped is fine as is Main beam. But the roads are very windy and up and downy round here. So i was after more light area with main beam.

Not to be a tw*t and drive around dazzling every man and his dog. I've had my lights re-aligned when I fitted HID's into the projectors lenses to ensure no dazzling.

Like I say, lights work perfectly, I'm just after a bit more on main beam.

Oh hang on, my lights work perfectly and I'm just after a bit more light on main beam!

There, that's got it!

 

[Bradderz_1988]

I've converted the OEM fog lights to HID's but used a spare kit I had and one of the ballasts is shot just recieved my replacement unit so when I get round to it I'll post some pics up.

Have not done the main beam as I very rarely use it as my HID dipped beams are good enough and if I do use the main beam it serves to its purpose anyway.

 

[Arrkon]

I've converted the OEM fog lights to HID's but used a spare kit I had and one of the ballasts is shot just recieved my replacement unit so when I get round to it I'll post some pics up.

Have not done the main beam as I very rarely use it as my HID dipped beams are good enough and if I do use the main beam it serves to its purpose anyway.

Where did you stash the ballasts? Was tempted to do this or maybe do an led conversion on the fogs...

 

[Bradderz_1988]

Zip tied them to the bumper crash bar !!

They were a tight fit trying to get the connector in the lamp unit and fasten the casing on but a little fiddling and patience and I succeeded lol

 

[Broken Byzan]

Where did you stash the ballasts? Was tempted to do this or maybe do an led conversion on the fogs...

I tried LED bulbs in mine when i had some, looked great, but didn't last long. Perhaps a better quality unit would have been better

 

[S4_dan]

I've fitted HID's into the fogs of my mates A6. Looked good, but still wouldn't give me the light output I'm after. Plus, i dont have front fogs on my A4 for some reason.

 

[aragorn]

HID Fogs dont work:

Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply

 

[jcb]

ah you have it all wrong there...
fog lights arent for fog, they are for Maccy D car parks and Brighton Promenade when cruising in a Citroen Saxo at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon......

wonder if you could cut the grill to bury some small bright spots.
If you had a spare grill and did it with quick release connectors you could switch between spots and no spots....