wiring PIAA's into low beams
01-31-2012, 02:04 PM
#11
Senior Member
One more thing, it appears that the bouncing around that occurs when the lights are shipped can weaken the solder on the bulb wires. The solder joint let go on both bulbs within a month or two. Replaced free of charge. But two months later I had a burnt bulb again. Think that one was because the guy touched the bulb. DONT Touch the bulb.
They replaced that one too.
They replaced that one too.
01-31-2012, 02:08 PM
#12
Senior Member
actually the reason the fogs cutout when your highbeams are turned on is because you can only have a certain amount of light (candle power) coming from the front of a vehicle. its legal to wire them with their own switch, as long as they arent on. i know every state is different with their laws. some states if you have aftermarket lights you have to have covers on them when driving down normal street.
01-31-2012, 02:36 PM
#13
Senior Member
In most states, you can't legally have more than 4 lights in the front; pair of head lights and pair of fogs, unless you have covers. That's why you see roll bar mounted lights with two showing and the rest covered. So far nobody has given me an issue, but I never run with both the stock fogs and my PIAA's lit up.
01-31-2012, 03:22 PM
#14
Senior Member
My other truck had fog lights below the rear bumper for years, which is illegal, but I never got pinched for it because they don't care. Now if my truck had been seen parked in shady areas of town on a regular basis, I'd probably had been pinched so they could get a look in my truck while I got the ticket.
01-31-2012, 03:27 PM
#15
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i wouldnt wire them into your low beams. youre just asking for a ticket. Wire them into your HIGH BEAMS. State laws limit you to 2 sets of lights (headlights and a set of factory fogs) on at one time. i had my factory heads, fogs and two more sets of lights on and got pulled over for it.(they were even aimed away so they wouldtn blind). now this is the state of Michigan law but im pretty sure its the same everywhere. look at your state laws man and save yourself from a $200 ticket.
I would wire the lights on a seperate circuit anyways. isolate all circuits, it makes them easier to diagnoise and fix problems. I would wire them straight from the battery to a relay with an inline fuse and a seperate switch to the battery. thats how i have all of mine. thats just me, i know alot of people wire aftermarket lights to their highbeams circuit.
I would wire the lights on a seperate circuit anyways. isolate all circuits, it makes them easier to diagnoise and fix problems. I would wire them straight from the battery to a relay with an inline fuse and a seperate switch to the battery. thats how i have all of mine. thats just me, i know alot of people wire aftermarket lights to their highbeams circuit.
01-31-2012, 03:27 PM
#16
In most states, you can't legally have more than 4 lights in the front; pair of head lights and pair of fogs, unless you have covers. That's why you see roll bar mounted lights with two showing and the rest covered. So far nobody has given me an issue, but I never run with both the stock fogs and my PIAA's lit up.
01-31-2012, 03:49 PM
#18
Senior Member
according to PIAA all six of my lights are supposed to be hooked to the low beam headlights. of course mine have both driving and fog light bulbs in them so I guess thats why. this is the first I've ever heard about a candle power law. what do they do about cars with hids from the factory? in front of the projector lens under the cut off would surely exceed this limit.
01-31-2012, 04:32 PM
#19
according to PIAA all six of my lights are supposed to be hooked to the low beam headlights. of course mine have both driving and fog light bulbs in them so I guess thats why. this is the first I've ever heard about a candle power law. what do they do about cars with hids from the factory? in front of the projector lens under the cut off would surely exceed this limit.
yea when i was reading into the law when i got my ticket for having my lights on i had contacted the michigan state police. they sent me a link telling me about a candle power law, i cant remember what the number is exactly but there is some math behind it and the type or reflector of the light housing plays a big part in the candle power output. it said you can have only yellow. amber and white lights on the front of a truck and then it went on to say that you could only have a certain amount of candle power frm the front of a vehicle. this may only be michigan.
01-31-2012, 08:25 PM
#20
Senior Member
i was told HIDs arent exactly 100% legal.
yea when i was reading into the law when i got my ticket for having my lights on i had contacted the michigan state police. they sent me a link telling me about a candle power law, i cant remember what the number is exactly but there is some math behind it and the type or reflector of the light housing plays a big part in the candle power output. it said you can have only yellow. amber and white lights on the front of a truck and then it went on to say that you could only have a certain amount of candle power frm the front of a vehicle. this may only be michigan.
yea when i was reading into the law when i got my ticket for having my lights on i had contacted the michigan state police. they sent me a link telling me about a candle power law, i cant remember what the number is exactly but there is some math behind it and the type or reflector of the light housing plays a big part in the candle power output. it said you can have only yellow. amber and white lights on the front of a truck and then it went on to say that you could only have a certain amount of candle power frm the front of a vehicle. this may only be michigan.
that's interesting about the candle power stuff. my friend actually got pulled over the other day when it was so foggy you couldn't see 10 yards in front of you because he had extra fog lights on.
i've never been pulled over for them but i just cut them off when i see a car coming or just have two of them turned on on the low beam fog light setting so it's legal. i no longer have factory fog lights since i replaced them with piaa atp lights. they are too bright to be on all the time.