Professional Guide to Vehicle Lighting Selection & Installation
Choosing and installing the right vehicle lighting starts with understanding the application. Auxiliary headlights and LED bars are designed primarily for long-range visibility, while work lights illuminate work areas, position and marker lights enhance visibility as well as style, and warning lights serve a safety function. The correct installation also depends on electrical consumption, mounting position, beam pattern, ECE approval, CAN bus compatibility, and the accessories required for the vehicle.
ECE APPROVAL
ECE approval is required for road use in Europe. Auxiliary headlights and LED bars are subject to ECE regulations R10 and R149. All vehicle lighting is subject to ECE regulations in Europe, so make sure you're up to date on these. Some regulations might vary between countries.
Mounting is covered by ECE R48 regulations, including:
Where the lights may be mounted, including forward-facing and symmetrical installation.
How many lights may be mounted: 2 or 4 pcs.
The maximum combined Reference number for the lights: ref. 100.
CHOOSING BEAM PATTERN
Different beam patterns provide different lighting characteristics. It is common to combine different beam patterns to create a tailor-made lighting experience. For example, mounting an LED bar on the roof and driving lights in the grille.
Spot / Long-distance | Long reach and narrow beam, with less glare from the road, road signs, and objects in or near ditches. |
Driving / Extended | Balanced width and distance, providing more illumination in and outside the ditches and more time to react when wild animals become visible earlier. |
Euro / Optimized | Balanced width within E-approved reach. Most of these lights are E-approved, making them road legal in all or most of Europe when mounted correctly. |
1 LUX @ X M
The 1 lux @ m measurement describes how far the light reaches. One lux is similar to candlelight intensity and is enough to read a newspaper. Therefore, 1 lux @ m describes the distance from the light at which you should be able to read a paper.
Lux measures the amount of light in a specific spot and is the main figure when comparing different auxiliary headlights.
Adding two lights that individually reach 500 m does not create a 1,000 m reach. The resulting reach is approximately 707 m, depending on how the lights are aimed.
On Strands products, you'll find a diagram of the beam pattern. This tells you both the shape of the light and the distances at which it reaches 10, 2.5, and 1 Lux.
LUMEN AND KELVIN
Lumen describes the total output of light. Both actual and theoretical figures are often provided, but only the actual lumen output needs to be considered. Lumen becomes more relevant when searching for lights with a wide beam.
Kelvin (K) measures the color temperature of the light output. Lower Kelvin provides warmer light that is smoother and more relaxing for the eye. Higher Kelvin provides colder light with greater intensity and sharpness.
KELVIN | TEMPERATURE | EFFECT |
|---|---|---|
1000-3000 | Warm | Cozy |
3000-5000 | Neutral/medium | Medium |
5000-6000 | Cool/daylight | Sharp |
DESIGN, MOUNTING BRACKETS, AND MOUNTING POSITION
Auxiliary lighting is available in many designs, sizes, reflector configurations, and shapes. It is important that you can choose a design that enhances both you and your vehicle.
Choosing the correct mounting bracket, cables, and accessories is also important. Many of these are included with your new light, but depending on your vehicle, you may need additional cables or brackets. In the Strands Pro range, you'll find all of the above, and other parts like top stabilizers, resistors, and cable harnesses. These are designed to make the most of your new Strands lights.
WHERE EASY INSTALLATION MEETS PERFORMANCE
A common solution is a license plate bracket, like the Nuuk E-Line range. The license plate is removed, the bracket is installed behind it, and the plate is remounted, creating an “invisible” bracket. Installation on bars normally requires a bar bracket using a clamp solution.
Mounting position also affects beam performance. Bumper, in-grille, behind-grille, front-bar, and roof installations produce different results. The higher the light is mounted, the better its full potential can be utilized.
WHAT SHOULD YOU CHECK BEFORE BUYING VEHICLE LIGHTS AND ACCESSORIES?
Decide where you want to install the lights before purchasing them. Determine whether installation is possible in the intended position and how the lights should be mounted.
Calculate the combined wattage of all lights. Check where power and ground will be taken from, where the relay will be installed, where and how the lights will be mounted, and how cables will be routed between the lights and the power source.
Determine the required accessories and purchase them at the same time. The Strands PRO range contains a wide range of installation accessories designed to make the most of your Strands lights.
Completing these steps before buying the lights and accessories reduces the risk of surprises during mounting and connection, resulting in a better installation.
Required accessories can include:
Brackets.
Wire harnesses.
CAN-bus solution, if needed.
Relay base kit.
FAQ
Lux is the main figure when comparing different auxiliary headlights. The 1 lux @ m figure describes the distance at which the light provides one lux of illumination.
Only actual lumen output needs to be considered. Lumen describes the total output of light and is particularly relevant for wide-beam lighting and work lights.
CAN bus monitoring and control can cause flickering, error messages, or disabled outputs. Depending on the installation, solutions include XBB, a CAN bus interface, a resistor, or a separate switch and relay.
LEARN MORE ABOUT CHOOSING AND INSTALLING YOUR LIGHTS
Want to know even more about choosing and installing lights? Check out the rest of our Knowledge Bank articles. You'll find info on everything from choosing the right LED bar to how to wash your driving lights.