Calif. Street Legal Aux Light Question
 

Hey All,

So glad I found this forum. I am in a little rush so I will do an intro in the other section in a bit. I just spent a LOT of time trying to figure what is "legal" for street use here in California and really did not get far.

Have a Excursion that I want to put a Smittybilt 130020 Street Light Bar onto and put some lights onto that (thinking a set of KC 634's).

I want to use them on country roads and also some remote highways while on extra dark patches. I normally do not use high beams, but when I need them, the Sylvania 9007 SilverStar Ultra Halogen's I have just do not cut it (but are a LOT better than the stock bulbs).

Looks like the mounting and height is straightforward, but the question is to wiring.

What can I go with to be 100% street legal?
Do I set the KC's to go off only with high beams or what?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Angelo

Those are not street legal and cannot be made street legal.

The California Vehicle Code specifically spells out what auxiliary lights are, their size, and where they can be mounted.

Stewart

Where are you in California?

I must be dumber than a box of rocks. I began with the CVC and found an indication of mounting height and where the beams of light are to be directed and at what distance they are to be operational, but did not see anything mentioned about power at all. I am citing CVC sections 24400-24411 and 25950-25952. I then called both the CHP and DMV and spoke with several people who got me no further ahead in finding that info.

Does your CVC info indicate specifically how much candlepower a street legal aux light can have?

Thanks

San Francisco.

Yeah, I know.

Mistake
 

I just reread my original post and see I put the wrong KC lights down. I had meant to write KC 775 which are 3x5" and have 55 watts combined power if I read it correctly. Not the 634 which are huge round Baja style lights. Sorry about that. Not sure if those are legal either, but those are the ones I was looing at.
Thanks

I seriously doubt that! :-jammin

Bahahahahahahahahaha! :-missingt

That makes a difference.

Those 775's look like driving lights. Should be ok as along as you mount them lower, in the same general area fogs are mounted.

Stewart

Yeah!
 

That makes a difference.

Those 775's look like driving lights. Should be ok as along as you mount them lower, in the same general area fogs are mounted.

Stewart[/quote]


Hi Stewart,

Thanks again!!!! I think we might be good with this as they say. I described that exact KC light to the Redwood City CHP "safety" officer and he said as long as it was just below the headlights or less than 42" which ever was lower AND switched to be on with the high beams, that would be fine.

The rub was when I called 4WheelParts and they told me something else (which made me triple think what I was thinking. I just need a little more light down the road than what my high beams offer.

The officer also said no problem leaving covers off, but carry them in the truck in case. He said that they do not look like something most officers would even look at twice. That was encouraging!

Anyway, thanks again Stewart :-X22

Legally you can have no more than 4 forward lights such as 2 headlights and 2 driving/fog lights.......my .02

Thanks for the advice-
 

Thanks hanklin,

Thanks for mentioning it, better safe than sorry. I did notice last night a truck around the corner had 8 big Baja-type lights and only half were covered (4 on a roll bar and 2 on the bumper). He could get away with it, I . . . 1/4 mile away from home would snag a full CHP inspection (hahahahahaha).

I'm just looking for 2 medium/small lights to help down out a bit.

Anyway, thanks, your 2 cents could have saved me (or others) a LOT more than 2 cents!!!!!

Angelo

I believe it's 4 foward lights in addition to the headlights.

Stewart

Always was told no more than 4 illuminated.

can u have them but not have them on cause i have two big ones one the front of my truck for offing i never use them on the street is that legal of do i have to have them coverd

Kind of glad you are talking abut this. I started to think to get one set of fog lights (amber) and one set of spot lights, rather than try to get one light set. I may not, but had started thinking about it.

CVC says any vehicle on the public road can only have four forward headlights. You can mount as many as you want, but only four can be uncovered at a time. Otherwise, the law will be handing you a ticket.:-arrgh Jag