Adding Side Markers. What colour?

Starinless · Aug 28, 2016

Hi again im back with more questions.

My 2008 Nissan Patrol comes from the factory with no side markers and the even though the headlights and taillights wraparound to the side, the slots for the sidemarkers are blocked with opaque plastic http://imgur.com/a/Keisj as you can see in the first through third images.
now I would like to add some side markers to my car but the law gives me three possible options, unless indicated the reflector will be the same colour as the marker.

Option one: Amber at front and amber at rear using the markers in the forth image.
Option two: Amber at front red at rear also using the markers in image four.
Option three A: Split red & amber markers at front with amber reflectors and the same on the back like in image five but with an amber reflector.
Option three B: same as above but the rear reflector is red like in image five.

Now most trailers and buses use option 3, vans usually use option 1 , trucks(semis) usually use option 2 and flat bed trucks/ box trucks usually have a amber marker at the front with split red&amber markers in the middle and rear.

So can you guys think of any advantages or disadvantages to these setups?
What one should I go for? Mixing and matching isn't out of the question EG: amber in front with split in back.

Alaric Darconville · Aug 28, 2016

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006L02308
8. COLOUR OF LIGHT EMITTED

8.1 The side-marker lamp must emit amber light; however it can emit red, if the rearmost side-marker lamp is grouped or combined or reciprocally incorporated with the rear position lamp, the rear end-outline marker lamp, the rear fog lamp, the stop lamp, or is grouped with or has part of the light emitting surface in common with the rear retro- reflector.

On the face of that, your rear sidemarker lamp must be amber.

-Virgil- · Aug 28, 2016

Actually, US-style separate red rear sidemarkers are allowed in Australia on passenger vehicles (a category that includes the OP's Nissan Patrol) as per §45.3.3 of ADR 45 ("Lighting and Light Signalling Devices not Covered by ECE Regulations"). That configuration of amber front, red rear is the most effective from a safety standpoint. The "Options 1 and 2" lights will do fine, though if you want something less clunky the Hella 2TM 964 295-101 (red, for the rear) and 2PS 964 295-061 (amber, for the front) are nice type-approved LED side marker lights with built-in reflectors. Hella Australia might not bring those particular ones in, so you might have to shop from abroad on the internet.

Starinless · Aug 28, 2016

OK so I should abandon adr spec sidemarkers (option 3) and go for the more uncommon option 2.
Do the regulations state what approval is allowed for the markers? The amber marker states that it is a sidemarker and is adr and ece approved on the packaging and lens, but the red marker states it is a rear end outline marker on the packaging but it has US DOT markings that say it is a sidemarker.
Do you know if the DOT regs for sidemarkers match with the ADR sidemarkers?

-Virgil- · Aug 28, 2016

Starinless said:
OK so I should abandon adr spec sidemarkers (option 3)

Yes, those are really meant for long commercial vehicles (trucks, buses, road trains). They won't make visual sense on a passenger vehicle like yours.

Do the regulations state what approval is allowed for the markers?

In addition to ECE specs, the US and Japanese specs are OK per ADR 45.

The amber marker states that it is a sidemarker and is adr and ece approved on the packaging and lens, but the red marker states it is a rear end outline marker on the packaging but it has US DOT markings that say it is a sidemarker.

Those will be fine. Can't tell if they are also retroreflectors or just lights. If just lights, pick something else that has the retroreflector built in.

Starinless · Aug 28, 2016

I have installed the sidemarkers http://imgur.com/xm6CT9G but now the question is do make them flash or not (is it even legal for them to flash?)
Allso yes these do include reflectors

I have noticed something even though both red and amber markers are ECE & US DOT approved the rear marker appears to be brighter than the front, rivalling the brake lights in on axis intensity, is this normal?

OverRiding64 · Aug 28, 2016

Starinless said:
I have installed the sidemarkers http://imgur.com/xm6CT9G but now the question is do make them flash or not (is it even legal for them to flash?)

Your vehicle already appears to have side turn signal repeaters. But you could make the front sidemarkers flash as well, as long as it's in synchronous phase (which may be a bit complicated).

-Virgil- · Aug 29, 2016

Starinless said:
I have installed the sidemarkers http://imgur.com/xm6CT9G

Nice job, they look positively...American!

now the question is do make them flash or not (is it even legal for them to flash?)

The front ones can flash in synch with the turn signals. This can be done with a control module as described here (the "cross-feeds" method will not work with LEDs, only with incandescent bulbs, and it would flash the markers in opposite-synch with the front and rear signals anyhow, so not applicable outside America).

I have noticed something even though both red and amber markers are ECE & US DOT approved the rear marker appears to be brighter than the front, rivalling the brake lights in on axis intensity, is this normal?

It's not abnormal. The European/Australian brake light standard allows dim brake lights vs. American standards. What are all the lens markings on these lights?

(It looks like your headlamps are badly hazed...best replace them with new Nissan-made ones.)

Starinless · Aug 29, 2016

Both markers say SAE DOT AP2 10 on them and the tail lights are adr aproved with the top set being ECE rear Fog and SAE stop.

And yes the upper portion of the lamps is hazed, the stupid thing is all patrols had glass lenses until they did a facelift and changed the design removing the DRLs and cornering lamps.

Alaric Darconville · Aug 29, 2016

-Virgil- said:
Actually, US-style separate red rear sidemarkers are allowed in Australia on passenger vehicles (a category that includes the OP's Nissan Patrol) as per §45.3.3 of ADR 45 ("Lighting and Light Signalling Devices not Covered by ECE Regulations").

Missed that one!

Starinless, your installation looks good!

-Virgil- · Aug 29, 2016

Starinless said:
Both markers say SAE DOT AP2 10 on them

That's pretty straightforward (except the "DOT" mark doesn't really belong because it doesn't mean anything...the only vehicle lights where a "DOT" mark means something is headlamps).

A: Reflex reflector (the US name for retro-reflectors)
P2: Sidemarker light

What are the ECE markings on these new lights you installed?

Starinless · Aug 30, 2016

Sorry for the late reply I have an industrial type job.

The ECE markings on the amber marker are 00 SM1 & 02 IB The red one has on it 02 R1 & 02 IB

Allso there is ADR markings 74/00 & 47/00 for amber & 49/00 & 47/00 for red.

Is there a way to delete posts?

-Virgil- · Aug 30, 2016

Starinless said:
The ECE markings on the amber marker are 00 SM1 & 02 IB The red one has on it 02 R1 & 02 IB

IB: Retro-reflector, class B.

R1: Rear position (tail) lamp with single level of intensity, emitting 4 to 17 candela

SM1: Side marker lamp, class 1, emitting 4 to 25 candela

Take note, the up-to-date intensity range for a single-intensity ECE/ADR stop lamp (brake light) marked "S" or "S1" is 60 to 260 candela, so there's no way your new red rear sidemarkers are close to the stop light intensity unless your stop lights are faulty.

Allso there is ADR markings 74/00 & 47/00 for amber & 49/00 & 47/00 for red.

ADR 47: Retroreflector
ADR 49: Rear position (tail) lamp
ADR 74: Side marker lamp

irsa76 · Sep 2, 2016

As these lights are supplementary to the ADR approved lighting, and aren't required for your vehicle, the laws are a little vauge. However, technically, unless the amber side marker light is also approved for use as a side turn indicator, then it's not permitted to flash.
The red side marker is not permitted to flash as the only permitted colour for direction indicators for your vehicle is amber.
http://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2006C00784 This link is for the relevant ADR for direction indicators.

-Virgil- · Sep 2, 2016

irsa76 said:
unless the amber side marker light is also approved for use as a side turn indicator, then it's not permitted to flash.

I do not believe that is correct. The document you referred to (ADR 6 Direction Indicators) isn't the right place to look for operational requirements of side marker lights. There is nothing in ADR 6 supporting your idea that an amber side marker lamp not also approved as a side turn signal may not flash.

ADR 13 (Installation of Lighting and Light Signalling Devices on other than [motorcycles]) is the right place to look for the operational requirements for all lighting devices on a vehicle such as Starinless' Nissan Patrol. For side marker lamps' electrical hookup, it states:

§ 7.2.7 Electrical connections: No specific requirement.

Moreover, ADR 13 § 6.5.7 and § 5.11.1.2 specifically and permissively refer to side marker lights flashing with the direction indicators (the same is true of § 6.5.7 and § 5.11.1.2 of ECE Regulation 48).

Starinless · Sep 2, 2016

It may have taken awhile for me to respond but I have a few DRL-1 modules around (they are quite popular here as when bullbars are added to cars they often block the DRLs and Turn Signals so they are often combined into one amber lamp in the bullbar as ROAD TRAFFIC (VEHICLES) REGULATIONS 2014 - REG 294.4.A allows) In fact my patrol actually had one installed when the bullbar was added.
So I will hook one of the ones I have up to the front sidemarkers to allow them to flash.

Adding Side Markers. What colour?

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

OverRiding64

Newly Enlightened

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

Alaric Darconville

Flashlight Enthusiast

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

irsa76

Newly Enlightened

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Starinless

Newly Enlightened

Similar threads

Latest posts