Date:         Tue, 26 Nov 2002 23:22:42 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: WARNING: SOUTH AFRICAN QUAD LIGHT GRILLES INCITE ROAD RAGE...
In-Reply-To:  <1ab.c8bc921.2b13a254@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>no - theyre driving lights.

Anyway, what's the difference between a long-reach driving light and
a high beam? Both serve the same function.

>the high beams are the stock outer 7" round high
>beam. the inner lights are just driving lights.

Nope- they're high beams. A normal 4-round-light setup. I can send an
image of mine if anyone's interested.

>seems most listers have them
>wired so they come on w/ their high beams - , but how often do you use your
>high beams?  do whats really the point of this grille then? to look cool?
>(like i've never bought anything to look cool :<)   Anyway, driving lights
>should be able to be used all the time.

No way. They are intended for high-beam use.

>the Jetts/golf GLX/GTI's have "under
>the bumper" driving lights that you can run all the time...and nobody has a
>problem w/ them..

  those are FOG lights, NOT driving lights.

>  its the location of the inner SA driving lights next to the
>stock headlights in the grille that makes people think theyre high beams.
>the difference between a fog" light and a "driving" light is the lens.
>foglights have a fluted lens to displace light to the sides of the road and
>directly in front of you, driving lights have a clear lens and project light
>in a beam down the road in front of you like headlights.

Driving lights come in 2 basic types: long-range (pencil-beam), which
can have either smooth or ribbed lenses, and are normally circular;
and wide-beam, which have ribbed lenses and are either circular or
rectangular. The latter can be high-mounted for Drivinglight) use on
twisty roads or underbumper as foglights. Stock integral fogs can be
any shape and most seem to have ribbed lenses.

True fogs most certainly do glare (and stock units as far as I know
are not adjustable, but fixed in the airdam), as I can attest every
time I go out at night, with all the cretins out there using them in
addition to or even instead of headlights.

>  i did.  when i put the high beams on, you can see the light in their rear
>view mirror, but with the low beams on and driving lights on, the light
>doesnt hit their mirror..

These lights have no cutoffs, unlike H4 low-beams, and therefore will
scatter light into the oncoming drivers' vision.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut