Law regarding front spotlights

[dtchch]

Hey all,

I have a couple of stock spotlights I've bought to mount on my Escudo.

They are really just going to be used off road for a bit more light.

I've wired them up to a switch on the dash - now just looking for the best place to take power from.
Do I need to source power from the High Beam circuit for the standard headlights?

As I said they are on a switch so can be turned on/off whenever.

Cheers

[vinceparts]

http://fordtransit.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=19356

[mbw]

I can't believe there's a forum just for Ford Transit owners.

[wjw]

[adimw2]

I can't believe there's a forum just for Ford Transit owners.

thats all I took from that link too haha

[GTS]

it looks like ''MarkM from essex has the best avatar so far''
thats all took from that link

[coxsy]

Hey all,

I have a couple of stock spotlights I've bought to mount on my Escudo.

They are really just going to be used off road for a bit more light.

I've wired them up to a switch on the dash - now just looking for the best place to take power from.
Do I need to source power from the High Beam circuit for the standard headlights?

As I said they are on a switch so can be turned on/off whenever.

Cheers

thats the way may safari came with front spots, a anytime switch

[slide]

If they have an anytime on switch, then they are exempt from wof, and become 'work lamps'.
And work lamps can only be used offroad, so yea, thats fine for what you want.
Otherwise they have to be wired to work only with highbeam, but can have a switch so you can turn off while still highbeams on (ie must not go with low beams).
Hope that helps....
Nath

[Twodiffs]

If they have an anytime on switch, then they are exempt from wof, and become 'work lamps'.
And work lamps can only be used offroad, so yea, thats fine for what you want.
Otherwise they have to be wired to work only with highbeam, but can have a switch so you can turn off while still highbeams on (ie must not go with low beams).
Hope that helps....
Nath

Ok can someone clarify that? My spotlights are wired into the highbeam only and don't have their own on/off switch. Have been to the same WOF place for the last 18 months and they passed no probs, just before xmas the guy said "if they are still wired into the highbeam on your next wof then i'll fail it". He even showed me the 'bible' that says as much.

Told him 'you guys put the warrant on for the last 3 times"!!!!!

[tintin]

ive always had mind connected to highbeam and have pulled a plug so they dont go when heading in for a wof easy as no Qs as they arnt wired up and just for show,
so ethier put a switch in or disconnect them

[SMOKEY]

Bill, I think the diagram you have put up is incorrect , terminal 87 should go to lights and 85 = earth. The diagram is drawn correct just the terminal numbers muddled up, a bit like me.

MIND YOU I HAVE BEEN WRONG BEFORE,

FITZY.

[wjw]

Bill, I think the diagram you have put up is incorrect , terminal 87 should go to lights and 85 = earth. The diagram is drawn correct just the terminal numbers muddled up, a bit like me.

MIND YOU I HAVE BEEN WRONG BEFORE,

FITZY.

that was front that website above..... hmm

[4WDbits]

Bill, I think the diagram you have put up is incorrect , terminal 87 should go to lights and 85 = earth. The diagram is drawn correct just the terminal numbers muddled up, a bit like me.

MIND YOU I HAVE BEEN WRONG BEFORE,

FITZY.

Relay numbers and purpose depends on who manufactured it.

[T-mo]

As far as I knew if you had additional lights mounted to a vehicle they have to be functional. Whether it be via a separate switch or through your high-beams. Just make sure you run them through a relay and fuse them to make it safe.

[Fourbyfour]

As far as I knew if you had additional lights mounted to a vehicle they have to be functional. .

Yep I can vouch for that one driving light bulb had blown and the guy was going to fail me for a warrant, he offered me a halogen bulb at a grossly inflated price but in one minute I had both lights off the vehicle.

[Taz]

I had the opposite happen. Wired to the factory 'anytime' switch, passed a WOF then next time fail because they weren't hooked up to the high beam

I'm really starting to worry about NZ's WOF system. Going the same way as health care!

If they have an anytime on switch, then they are exempt from wof, and become 'work lamps'.
And work lamps can only be used offroad, so yea, thats fine for what you want.
Otherwise they have to be wired to work only with highbeam, but can have a switch so you can turn off while still highbeams on (ie must not go with low beams).
Hope that helps....
Nath

Ok can someone clarify that? My spotlights are wired into the highbeam only and don't have their own on/off switch. Have been to the same WOF place for the last 18 months and they passed no probs, just before xmas the guy said "if they are still wired into the highbeam on your next wof then i'll fail it". He even showed me the 'bible' that says as much.

Told him 'you guys put the warrant on for the last 3 times"!!!!!

As far as I knew if you had additional lights mounted to a vehicle they have to be functional. Whether it be via a separate switch or through your high-beams. Just make sure you run them through a relay and fuse them to make it safe.

If they are wired up I think they have to be functional? To pass my WOF mentioned about all I had to do was disconnect the wires and pull the relay.

[kiwipete]

:lol: I had the opposite happen. Wired to the factory 'anytime' switch, passed a WOF then next time fail because they weren't hooked up to the high beam

I'm really starting to worry about NZ's WOF system. Going the same way as health care!

If they have an anytime on switch, then they are exempt from wof, and become 'work lamps'.
And work lamps can only be used offroad, so yea, thats fine for what you want.
Otherwise they have to be wired to work only with highbeam, but can have a switch so you can turn off while still highbeams on (ie must not go with low beams).
Hope that helps....
Nath

Ok can someone clarify that? My spotlights are wired into the highbeam only and don't have their own on/off switch. Have been to the same WOF place for the last 18 months and they passed no probs, just before xmas the guy said "if they are still wired into the highbeam on your next wof then i'll fail it". He even showed me the 'bible' that says as much.

Told him 'you guys put the warrant on for the last 3 times"!!!!!

As far as I knew if you had additional lights mounted to a vehicle they have to be functional. Whether it be via a separate switch or through your high-beams. Just make sure you run them through a relay and fuse them to make it safe.

If they are wired up I think they have to be functional? To pass my WOF mentioned about all I had to do was disconnect the wires and pull the relay.

Nope, if they are fitted they have to be operational.

[pouw]

Heya, probably repeating what everyone else has said but heres my take after reading up on it and putting some on my truck:

1. You are allowed 4 driving lights on your vehicle (including the two headlights) so that allows for two spotlights. Weird considering the number of trucks with roof lights as well but thats how it reads on the WOF site.
2. The spotlights must only work when high beam is triggered. Side note - seems the best way to tap into this is from the high beam wire at the headlamp for convenience.
3. The spotlights can have an on/off switch if you like, but rule two overrides this, in other words, switch or not, the lights must not work except when high beam is on.

I have a mate who was told that his non-functional and unwired spotlights had to be removed. Basically, if you have them mounted, they must be wired as per the rules above.

Having said that, different garages, vtnz and other wof centres really seem to have their own rules to some extent. In reality this is more a case of how much the person doing the WOF knows about the rules, how much they can be bothered, and honestly, how sympathetic they are to 4wders.

Thats my understanding anyway

[kiwipete]

It is all covered here. http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/virm-in-service-cert-wof-only/docs/gen-4-lighting-v4a3.pdf

[UBZ]

It is all covered here. http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/virm-in-service-cert-wof-only/docs/gen-4-lighting-v4a3.pdf

interesting read

it says nothing about spot lights or work lamps
all it says is that you are permitted 2 sets of high beam lamps.

I spoke with a certifier regarding this a whille ago.
his interpretation was that you could wire a second set of spot lights to the high beam as per the above document.
any other forward facing lights are deamed "work lamps" and must have covers / idependant switches for road driving .
In regard to rear lights , you are allowed one additional rear facing work lamp on a separate switch and 2 reversing lamps.
Work lamps do not need to be operational for WOF

[We are Borg]

To reiterate what has been covered:)
If lights are fitted THEN THEY MUST WORK
If DRIVING lights are fitted then they must work ONLY on High beam( does not need an overide switch)
You can ONLY have 4 Headlights displayed at one time ( ie one set of headlights and one set of driving lights)
Here is a picture of my Truck,this is LEGAL,the Headlights have been upgraded with Hella inserts+130/90 bulbs+uprated wiring including dual relays.
The driving Lights ( Cibie Super Oscars Spots) have 100 watt bulbs+relays+huge wiring wired via the High beams and an override switch.
The Fog Lights (Cibie Super Oscars Fogs) have 100 watt bulbs +relays and are wired up to go ONLY with Dip lights and have an override switch.

[kiwipete]

It is all covered here. http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/virm-in-service-cert-wof-only/docs/gen-4-lighting-v4a3.pdf

interesting read

it says nothing about spot lights or work lamps
all it says is that you are permitted 2 sets of high beam lamps.

Table 4-15-1. Lamps that are not cosmetic lamps
Other lighting equipment not requiring inspection

PSV interior lamps
Reflective material
Interior lamps
Designed to illuminate the interior of the vehicle for the convenience of passengers
Work lamps
White or amber high-intensity lamps that are not necessary for the operation of the vehicle but are designed to illuminate the area around the vehicle or the vehicle itself
Scene lamps
Work lamps designed to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to illuminate the area around the vehicle or the vehicle itself
Alley lamps
Work lamps designed primarily to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to the side of the vehicle it is fitted to
Flashing or revolving beacons
Illuminated vehicle-mounted signs
Includes PSV destination signs, taxi signs and variable message signs operated by enforcement
officers, under a traffic management plan or permitted by other legislation

I spoke with a certifier regarding this a whille ago.
his interpretation was that you could wire a second set of spot lights to the high beam as per the above document.
any other forward facing lights are deamed "work lamps" and must have covers / idependant switches for road driving .
In regard to rear lights , you are allowed one additional rear facing work lamp on a separate switch and 2 reversing lamps.
Work lamps do not need to be operational for WOF

Work lamps do not need covers. and are not permitted to be used whilst driving.

[DEATH_INC]

Here is a picture of my Truck,this is LEGAL,the Headlights have been upgraded with Hella inserts+130/90 bulbs+uprated wiring including dual relays.
The driving Lights ( Cibie Super Oscars Spots) have 100 watt bulbs+relays+huge wiring wired via the High beams and an override switch.
The Fog Lights (Cibie Super Oscars Fogs) have 100 watt bulbs +relays and are wired up to go ONLY with Dip lights and have an override switch.

I think you'll find that your 90/130's actually aren't legal. You can have too much light for a wof too.

[Fourbyfour]

Even between VTNZtesting stations there appears to be many inconsistancies regarding the way they interperet the rules regarding vehicle lighting and when you factor private workshops into the equation this just compounds the problem.
Most Private garages will only check that the lights are going rather than check alignment or light output. Warrants in Auckland cost between $20 and $50, to check a vehicle properly for a warrant should probably take about 20 minutes but most of the time it is less than half that. We have all experienced things that have been missed at warrant time. On one particular occasion for me the guy just checked lights were working and nothing else, no practical brake test no wheel bearing check, just wrote the warrant out and all done in about two minutes, that was the last time I went to him.

[petefj40]

I had no problem getting cert/WOF with my work lamps.

[KIWI_TERRANO]

I had no problem getting cert/WOF with my work lamps.

Thats perfectly legal, you are allowed on set of light on bumper/bullbar, all lights on roof are classes as work lights and can operate how ever you wish.

This is what my wof man and 2 4wd shops in chch anyhow over the last couple years

[Fourbyfour]

[/quote]
I think you'll find that your 90/130's actually aren't legal. You can have too much light for a wof too.[/quote]
I got told my lights were too bright at a VTNZ testing station when I had forgotten to remove the 90/130 bulbs out of the Terrano. Lucky for me the examiner gave me the opportunity to replace them with the standard bulbs which were in the glove box.

[slide]

are classes as work lights and can operate how ever you wish.

Not quite...
Work lamps must be switched independant. Otherwise they are classified as to how they are wired...

[kiwipete]

I am dragging this thread up again as there is some serious confusion amongst WOF places regarding the "old rule with working lights"

I cannot find a link on the LTSA site for the definition of this rule anymore, it was as follows.

Table 4-15-1. Lamps that are not cosmetic lamps
Other lighting equipment not requiring inspection

PSV interior lamps
Reflective material
Interior lamps
Designed to illuminate the interior of the vehicle for the convenience of passengers
Work lamps
White or amber high-intensity lamps that are not necessary for the operation of the vehicle but are designed to illuminate the area around the vehicle or the vehicle itself
Scene lamps
Work lamps designed to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to illuminate the area around the vehicle or the vehicle itself
Alley lamps
Work lamps designed primarily to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to the side of the vehicle it is fitted to
Flashing or revolving beacons
Illuminated vehicle-mounted signs
Includes PSV destination signs, taxi signs and variable message signs operated by enforcement
officers, under a traffic management plan or permitted by other legislation

I have failed my latest WOF with the 5 x "working/scene lights" mounted on my roof rack.

If someone knows the relevant document that covers these can you post a link so I can take it back to the WOF guy?

[kiwipete]

This is the closest I have been able to find.
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/rules/vehicle-lighting-2004.html#107
10.7 Fitting and performance requirements for work lamps

10.7(1) A motor vehicle of Class LC, LD or LE, or of Group M, N or T, or an unclassified motor vehicle, may be fitted with one or more work lamps.

10.7(2) The light emitted from a work lamp must be substantially white or amber.

10.7(3) A motor vehicle of Class AB, LA or LB must not be fitted with a work lamp.

And the definition of a "work lamp"
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/latest/whole.html
work lamp means a high intensity lamp, which is not necessary for the operation of the vehicle, but is designed to illuminate a work area or scene; and includes—

(a) a scene lamp; and
(b) a spot lamp; and
(c) an alley lamp.

scene lamp means a work lamp designed to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to illuminate the area around a vehicle or the vehicle itself

alley lamp means a work lamp designed primarily to provide a fixed or movable beam of light to the side of a vehicle to which it is fitted

Spot lamp is not mentioned in the list?


I hope this will help others who may be in the situation where they fail a WOF because of their "work lamps"

Now to go back and get my WOF signed off.

BTW, my "work lamps" are independently switched form the lighting system and have illuminated switches to warn when they are energised, the WOF man was happy with that at least.