How To Have “Turning Lights” On Car

[jyl]

In Portland neighborhoods, our streets are often narrow, pitch dark, rainy, and filled with black clad pedestrians too entitled or Phone-engrossed to watch out for themselves in even the most basic manner.

So this situation happens: you have to make a sharp, like almost full-lock, right turn into inky dripping blackness, and the only way you’ll know if anyone is there is by feeling their body thump off your fender. Because your headlights only illuminate ahead of the car, not to the side, and side marker lights disappeared from cars long ago.

So I want to have bright white lights illuminating at a 45 degree angle off each A-pillar or a point close to it. That are only “on” when the turn signal is blinking.

Tell me - how you would do this?

[wilnj]

What car? Likely not feasible with anything modern.

[Alan A]

Turn on your fog lights. That’s how at least one of my VWs did it.

[908/930]

A couple 12v delayed off relays could possibly be triggered by the turn signal light power. Should check DOT rules for lights.

[deckard]

or buy a tucker 48

[serene911]

It would take some real design and engineering. I believe the older Citroens
had headlights that turned slightly with the steering.

[look 171]

I wrote about almost hitting this dumb F in an dark street late one evening several years ago on my way to pick up my kid from his friend's. All black, hoodie, slowing walking toward the big street. I drive fast and almost killed the SOB. Nope, I wouldn't have felt bad.

I live in the hills with very narrow streets often hair pin like. One night, someone decided to put out their trash into the street. I was driving my Duramax truck and the turning diameter is no better then an aircraft carrier so I knocked down their trash. I had to spend couple mins picking up. Pissed and always looking for a solution, I decided to empty my piggy bank and bought some Rigid driving lights. they shoot straight as well as on the side. I just aim them lower then normal. Not street legal but they are great lights and I sometimes keep them on but no flash from on coming drivers due to their aim. I can see wall off into the corners way before I make the turn. 30-40 degrees into the darkness. I only know of another company, Baja Design, also make something similar. My Rigid driving or fogs ran about 350 for the pair. I just flip a switch and its daylight about 40' in front of me close to aobut 180 degrees.

[look 171]

I think they are called adaptive headlights. I have those in my Cayman S. They live toward the direction of the steering wheel.

[Gogar]

I had em on my X5 till they broke. Couple grand to fix but the car's only worth a couple grand.

[fanaudical]

That sounds like something that be done with some additional relay wiring. Which car, John? Do you have electrical schematics? I'm willing to look at that with you.

[jyl]

I’m looking for a generic conceptual solution that I can adapt to different cars. All older ones. Let’s start with my 1999 F250.

I thought of some LED marker lights, the kind you put on a trailer or truck as reverse or clearance lights, somehow mounted on the A-pillar or side mirror or front fender or bumper corner, wired to the turn signal circuit before the flasher. Cars still use discrete flashers, right?

(Edit: Ah, the flasher relay is actually always hot, the turn signal switch is downstream, when the switch is closed the circuit to the turn signal is completed. So my naive idea won’t work. Unless I use the delayed off relay!)

Fog lights don’t illuminate to the side. I run with fogs on all the time for this reason, but they’re not good enough.

[look 171]

https://www.rigidindustries.com/d-ss-pro-driving-pair-black-262313.html

Perfect for the 250

[look 171]

I cut out the lower valance where the stock, big, useless fog lights go. I made a metal bracket so I can adjust the aim to avoid blinding on coming drivers. If aimed as true driving lights, it will light up the dark night. Aimed down but light up the front for 25'. Don't get their fog or wide spread light. Useless in the dark or with city lights on.

[RANDY P]

I can't think of an elegant way on an average car. You might have to install some LED fogs with a low beam/cruiser option. It won't be Lilly white and not quite crooked (NO PARF Reference!) but it may give some corner lighting.

Point of reference: Diode Dynamics SS3s which do exactly that on my Subaru.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by look 171

https://www.rigidindustries.com/d-ss-pro-driving-pair-black-262313.html

Perfect for the 250

I could wire them in parallel with the stock fog lights. Or ditch the stockers, as you say they don’t do much.

Pretty spendy though. I just spent money on a dishwasher, ya know. Are they 5X better than Hella?

[look 171]

Here's the pics I jsut ook for ya

[jyl]

I’m on a mission to NOT kill a hipster at night.

On the F250, am replacing headlights and bulbs, already LED’d the turns and reverse and brake, have LEDs for fogs to install. Also getting new eyeglass Rx. Read the thermal camera thread with interest but that’s a different problem.

[jyl]

Originally Posted by look 171

Here's the pics I jsut ook for ya

Now you’re talking!

When you have a chance, snap a pic from driver’s seat pointed toward passenger A-pillar, please? That’s where I think I’m most likely to collect a hipster.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by jyl

I could wire them in parallel with the stock fog lights. Or ditch the stockers, as you say they don’t do much.

Pretty spendy though. I just spent money on a dishwasher, ya know. Are they 5X better than Hella?

I think 50 time better then Hella. Again, I don't know what Hella has up their sleeves these days, but back in the old days, they rule the night driving world. I had their H1 (I think) replacement headlights on my lil' toyota truck and loved them. These Rigid lights are bright and well built IMO, unlike amazon specials where light scatters all over the place with poor construction along with crappy reflectors or LEDs. Its worth the money but then again, I am a freak about lighting in cars, residential both interior and exterior, even flash lights ( I have custom flash lights made that's how nutty I am).

[look 171]

Originally Posted by jyl

Now you’re talking!

When you have a chance, snap a pic from driver’s seat pointed toward passenger A-pillar, please? That’s where I think I’m most likely to collect a hipster.

On that thought, NO. Hit the damn hipster.

Give me a few. I will do it with my head lights off. its parked right up against my rental so...