Eurolights, slush and blizzards

[Lawrence C Leung]

Can't comment on the type 44T lights (but my now re-aimed 9007 converted
lamps are somewhat pittiful in bad weather, tho better than stock with
9004s. They are better than 9004's in rain or clear weather though. They
were aimed too high before, so in bad weather (fog, snow not so bad in
rain) they just produced glare. BTW, I rigged the parking lights with a
relay to trigger with the high beams and installed 50W back up light
bulbs. It is rather tough on the wiring, but I haven't had time to do
this with proper wiring. It REALLY helps the high beams, but would have
too much glare on lows. The drawback is I have NO parking lights (yet),
though I'm looking for the bulb sockets from a pre-86 quad headlight 5KQ
to get me some ) but the Euro's on my GTi and my ex-4KQ (quad 4x6s) were
a serious improvement, as long as they were clean. They were just as bad
when they got coated. That's why I think the Euro people started getting
headlight washers. Too bad they don't seem reasonable to retro-fit to our
cars. I just resign myself to stopping and cleaning every so often. 

LL - NY

On Sat, 30 Dec 2000 01:14:18 -0500 "Doyt W. Echelberger"
<Doyt at nwonline.net> writes:
>Huw's comment about headlights clicked my relays, and now I have a 
>question: First, let's set the scene......... We have a snow storm 
>going 
>here in Ohio, and it is about 6 PM and pitch black, and about 20 
>degrees F. 
>I am driving the 87 5ktq in heavy traffic in a suburban area with 
>malls and 
>stores and service stations. The wind is blowing fine snow and sleet 
>in 
>great horizontal sheets, and the slush is spraying up all over and the 
>
>traffic turns it into a fine mist that is like a cloud on the highway. 
>I 
>have on my stock headlights but I can't see my beams or really see 
>that 
>they are lighting anything up ahead of me. The thought crosses my mind 
>that 
>they have burned out, because I can't tell if they are on.
>
>The street lights and other cars are providing all the illumination 
>available for my navigation. I seriously consider stopping and seeing 
>if my 
>lights have gone out, but the dash is illuminated, and if I switch off 
>my 
>headlights maybe I'll see a difference. No, that's the same.....They 
>must 
>have gone out.......I stop at a service station and wash the 
>headlights 
>with the stations's brush and fluid. They are on.   Anyhow, I finally 
>get 
>out onto a freeway, and can just barely see that the headlights are 
>dimly 
>making the wet slush and blowing sleet look a little different. I 
>wonder if 
>other cars can see me.
>
>I had gotten accustomed to driving in good weather with my stock 
>lights. 
>But tonight I very pointedly became aware that they are almost useless 
>
>under these conditions.
>
>So, to my question: Do people with the $600 Eurolights have any better 
>
>results under these conditions? Or, do those expensive lights just get 
>
>coated over and dimmed down by icy slush and calcium chloride/salt 
>like my 
>stock lights?  I suspect that they get dumbed down also. I have read a 
>
>hundred great stories about the way Eurolights have made night driving 
>
>something less than a nightmare, but, how do they work under the 
>conditions 
>I just described? Seems like a reasonable question, and appropriate 
>for the 
>season.
>
>Doyt Echelberger
>
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>At 12:33 AM 12/30/00 -0500, you wrote:
>>Wait! Wait!  I gotta finish installing my headlights :-)
>>
>>Lee Levitt wrote:
>> >
>> > 12 inches of snow forecast for northeast Saturday...
>> >
>> > Gentlemen, start your engines!
>> >
>> > :)
>> >
>> > Lee
>>
>>--
>>Huw Powell
>