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| Underbody Lighting |
| Anybody that has seen the movie 'Fast & The Furious' or knows anything about the current Japanese 'drifting' craze will know all about under- body fluoro lighting kits. Admittedly a properly fitted kit does look pretty cool but I've found an extremely practical use for them apart from the decorative aspect. Here in South East Queensland we have unparalleled access to many 4WD legal beaches, parks, forests and reserves. The lighting is an excellent source of light for fishing off the beach in total darkness with the lights drawing minimal current allowing them to run for extended periods with low battery drain. The light emitted doesn't affect night vision but is adequate to find your way around. I guess its not a bad safety aspect as well; it wouldn't be the first time I've been motoring along a beach in complete dark with somebody parked in the middle of the beach with a fishing rod in hand with not much more than a cigarette for warning illumination .... |
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| The lighting kits are available in various colours and tube sizes and are easily fitted and wired with transformers and harnesses all supplied in kit form. The tubes themselves are a plexiglass covered fluorescent tube and are weatherproof and impact resistant. However the tubes fit in a very well protected position at floor level well above the chassis rails to risk of damage or getting them torn off is almost nil. The front tube easily mounted behind the bottom lip of the front air intake for the radiator and once again is unlikely to get damaged. There was another tube in the kit but lack of practical rear mounting points made it 'too hard' at least for the time being. This particular kit came with 2 x 4 ft tubes and 2 x 2 ft tubes with harness, low voltage transformers and switches although they can be bought individually in a range of colours and sizes. |
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| Kits include easily attached flexible holders with only the transformers needing to be kept dry ie inside the car. Remember that using these lights on public roads is illegal in most states in Australia. Mine are wired to a switch inside the Kia as well as interfaced with a spare channel on the alarm remote allowing the lights to be turned on from up to 30 metres away. Great in the dark to find your car .... Kits vary in price but a couple of hundred dollars for the kit plus fitting if required is what you should expect to pay. Current draw is minimal allowing them to be left on all night without flattening the gel cel battery fitted in the Sportage. |
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