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Katie
Dodge Dakota
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6/11/2006
19:03:00
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 Subject: Will I be breaking the law?
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I have an 03 and was just wondering if I could use my hella 500 lights on the road as long as I keep my fog lights off. I know your not supposed to have 3 pairs of lights on at the same time but I was thinking I could have my head lights and my hella 500s on at the same time and keep my fogs off. I have them mounted below the mid part of the bumper which is 4 to 6 inches higher then the fog lights. Thanks in advance.
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Scott C
Dodge Dakota
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6/11/2006
19:49:54
|  RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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i dont think you would have a problem pending the state your living in... some cops may take differently to having a bright azz light shinning in their rear veiw mirrors.... if ya take and angle them down a bit to hit road more that might be more sufficant...
Scott C
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JimmyD
Dodge Dakota
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6/11/2006
19:58:43
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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If those lights are sold "for off-road use only", then yes, you'd technically be breaking the law in any state, and subject to citation.
Off-road lights typically have smooth clear lenses and do not have the proper lens configuration to aim them properly to keep on-coming traffic from being blinded.
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Obio3
Dodge Dakota
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6/11/2006
20:12:21
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Off road or not they can not excede 55 watts period. Most good off road lights are much higher wattage. Just put legal bulbs in and your good to go PROVIDED roof mount lights are legal in your state. Some states alow emergency lighting only to be on a roof IF turned on for on road use.
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Josh
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
05:36:25
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Isn't this great. 3 different answers. The best thing to do, Katie, is visit your local Sheriff or Highway Patrol office and pose your questions to them.
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SamO
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
09:17:46
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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If the lights are not DOT approved for highway use you could be cited.
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daddio
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
09:40:41
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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the safest route- do as Josh stated and contact your local authorities as laws vary from state to state and sometimes county to county.
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Kowalski
GenIII
6/12/2006
17:13:37
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Lights are not restricted to 55 watts; most low beams are 55 and high beams 60 watts, the legal max. I've got away with running 55/90 on a motorcycle, but always dimmed to low quickly as soon as I saw the glow of oncoming lights. If the hellas look brighter than your regular lights, cops will likely pick up on that.
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
17:16:30
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Straight from the PA Vehicle Code:
(l) Auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps. Auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps may be installed on a passenger vehicle or light truck if the lamps comply with the following:
(1) Auxiliary driving lamps shall not be substituted for headlamps. Auxiliary driving lamps may only be used with high headlamp beams.
(2) Fog lamps may not be substituted for headlamps.
(3) Auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps shall be mounted on the front, spaced at least 20 inches apart from center to center and at height not more than 42 inches above level surface upon which the vehicle stands nor lower than the lowest chassis part. Rear fog lamps, if originally installed or offered as optional equipment, are acceptable.
(4) Auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps shall be aimed when the vehicle and lamp assembly are in the straight ahead position with the beam not above horizontal centerline of lamp at 25 feet.
(5) A vehicle specified under this subchapter may have only one pair of approved auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps.
(6) Auxiliary driving lamps and fog lamps shall not be placed in front of a required lamp.
(7) Auxiliary driving lamps shall not be used on snowplows as a substitute for headlamps obscured by blade. A substitute for headlamps used on the vehicle shall be complete, approved headlamps having both high and low beams.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
17:39:10
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Laws for most states are easily findable on google. As far as I can tell the main jist of the laws here in PA is there is a limitation on the candle-power for headlamps, anything on the roof has to be covered, nothing can be aimed any higher than perfectly horizontal at 25 feet, and you can technically only have one set of fogs and one set of driving lamps. Nothing in there I could see about the number of lights you can have on at once being limited. The only thing is, driving lamps are only legally for use with high beams and fogs on most vehicles won't work on high-beam without modifications.
So you could use the driving and fogs with the high beams if you do the fog light mod but it's technically not legal to have low-beams, fogs, and driving lights on.
I Ihave Hella 500 driving lamps in a safari bar about the hight of the fogs, as well as aftermarket fogs in the factory openings. I've run low-beams, driving lights, and fogs on dark, unlit roads and in inclement weather and passed cops without issue. Around here as long as you're not an ass about it, ie keeping the bright driving lights on in situations where it might blind others, they don't care. I try to turn the driving lights off when I pass other vehicles or sit behind them for awhile at a light. I think you can run all the lights you want at once as long as they're placed and aimed properly and you're not running driving lights and low beams. At least that's the case in PA.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
17:43:05
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Sorry, to rephrase: You cannot have as many lights as you want on. You can have either fogs with low-beams or high-beams and driving lights, with fogs too if you want to mod them to run with the high beams.
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Obio3
Dodge Dakota
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6/12/2006
17:44:45
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Your regs don't say power allowed. 55 watts is federal DIM light number. 65 watt is federal high beam. Federal law states auxiliary lights may not excede dim light specks or 55 watt. If your state laws are differant, then you can only use them on secondary routes. Federal highway/freeway systems would be off limites. Kawalski, your state can't be 60 watt max for high beam. Cars are built to federal specks and I am not aware of any autos built today that do not have 65 watt high beam. tyhere is great differances in reflectors in headlights. Dodge/crysler products have the worst reflectors I have ever seen.I actually think there dangerous to use. Chevy done a great job developing there headlights and infact are about the best I ever seen. Kawalski, I also run 55/90 headlights in my Dakota and they still don't hold a candle to chevy there in lies your answer to no tickets. Get in a chevy one night and it will make your 90's look like there parking lights. Dodge dakota lights suck.
So many problems .... So little time
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Kowalski
GenIII
6/13/2006
16:45:52
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Ah, things seem to have changed in the years since I was running that set up on my bikes. The 90's on my bikes were very bright; the reason I got no tickets was that I used them responsibly as I described...
Lead, follow, or get out of the way
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Brandon
Dodge Dakota
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6/13/2006
21:22:33
|  RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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I have put two Hella 500s on my front bumper. I will have pics posted by the end of tonight for you. As far as the laws I have no clue if they are illegal. www.cardomain.com/id/surfinstud
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Dakota red
Dodge Dakota
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6/14/2006
01:16:13
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Pepole that drive with fogs on, on clear nights are A$$ holes!!!
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Dan man
Dodge Dakota
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6/14/2006
10:10:15
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Now why are they ass holes?
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shatto
Dodge Dakota
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7/09/2006
19:19:04
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Its like the traffic light; where the guy behind you is in too much of a hurry and the guy in front not enough.
Searchlights are fine when you are behind them.
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eddy
Dodge Dakota
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7/12/2006
21:21:31
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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I love my Hella 500s. I was approaching someone slogging along at 55 in the left lane for no good reason whatsoever on an almost empty stretch of I-95 the other night at around midnight. I turned the Hellas on at about 150 yards and when I got to within 50 yards or so they got out of the way, no honking or high-beaming blinking necessary. A good, well-placed pair of auxiliary lights at night is a much better response to left-lane blockers and people cutting you off than honking your horn.
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Tfw
Dodge Dakota
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7/12/2006
22:42:58
| RE: Will I be breaking the law?
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Could also be a good way to be shot at depending upon where you live. Would not advise that here in Phoenix area.
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