Kangaroos

[rondeo]

Having chosen Mondeo over Hilux, there's the kangaroo issue.

Dusk/dawn = kangaroos. Speed limit: 100km/h. Damn, I didn't want to drive at dusk. Slow down. At least there's more time to stop. And if we do meet, damage to the car proportional to the square of the velocity, like braking distance.

On my left, a dead looking roo, fresh blood in the headlights. Hmm... 80km/h, given there's that great music on the stereo, and high beam is nice.

Then a car behind (only one) decides it's awfully slow (which it is). I think you can see the rest of it, I'm soon passing another roo and the same car near it, thankfully just the roo and the car stuffed by the look of it.

That's not to say I couldn't have hit it as well, just less damage?

[cobrin]

What kangaroo issue, you drove to the conditions, the other guy didn't and look where that ended up lol, even with telltail signs he still didn't get it.

Originally Posted by rondeo

just less damage?

perhaps, my experience is there's no guarantee, no roo has always hit the same place. Sure the front once or twice even under the front, teeth over the bonnet (width wise), nose/teeth down one side, tail done some damage.

Mate's ute had the front RH quarter and headlight damaged, side mirror taken out but the nastiest was it emptied the contents of it's bowel down the rest of the side lol...

I treat drives on HWY the same, 'no two drives are the same', it's always new and keep the awareness up. No matter how experienced you are treat it as a new one.

You did well....

edit: It's the Emus that you gotta worry about, at least that was in WA a generation ago. They're the scatter brains and they are a solid hit. Just ask my mother...RIP XA GT...

[rondeo]

Yes, I see your point.

[hackney]

I have hit Roo's in both vehicles(I leave home around 4.45am) you just do not see them coming.As a result my speed now rarely goes above 100kph(sometimes only high as "90kph".) in the early hours.This is still no guarantee that I will not hit one.I have become "paranoid" in these hours.Hate the things!! :(:(

[BradZ]

I had a kangaroo issue once
Hit him at 80kmh hard on the brakes, got very lucky!


I since solved that issue with this
I've lost count how many I've collected but I can tell you there's no use of the brake pedal if one gets in my way. If I swerved even slightly at highway speed she'd be flipped on her lid before I knew what had happened haha


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[BradZ]

Originally Posted by hackney

I have hit Roo's in both vehicles(I leave home around 4.45am) you just do not see them coming.As a result my speed now rarely goes above 100kph(sometimes only high as "90kph".) in the early hours.This is still no guarantee that I will not hit one.I have become "paranoid" in these hours.Hate the things!! :(:(

I deal with this every day of my life also

Damn near impossible to see, luckily there's only one real place in particular they're bad. Investing in 6000k hid's helped me spot them somewhat

Green grass on the sides of the road is a good indicator they aren't far away usually.

Surely they could find a better animal for our coat of arms instead of the 2 worst highway obstacles known to man!

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[bundybear75]

I have the same issue as well. My Mondeo replaced a tired old VP Commodore that I commuted 100km each way each day to work, with at least one trip in the dark. I had fitted the VP with a good quality alloy bullbar and heavy duty springs to counteract the extra weight. I also fitted a ridiculous amount of lighting to the front. The bullbar has seen some action, not the least from a Victorian who pulled an illegal U turn right in front of me.



After experiencing a random electrical problem that ended up leaving me stuck on the edge of the highway, I splashed out and bought my first ex-lease Mondeo (which was totaled the following day by an idiot truck driver). I then splashed out again and bought another Mondeo and then tried to source a bullbar for it. No such luck. Same issue trying to find a nudge bar to mount lights to, no body seems to make them anymore.

I have started to add some extra lighting, but would love to have the added protection of a bar. I see dozens of roos every trip, and usually have to brake for an errant one once a week or so.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by bundybear75

I have the same issue as well. My Mondeo replaced a tired old VP Commodore that I commuted 100km each way each day to work, with at least one trip in the dark. I had fitted the VP with a good quality alloy bullbar and heavy duty springs to counteract the extra weight. I also fitted a ridiculous amount of lighting to the front. The bullbar has seen some action, not the least from a Victorian who pulled an illegal U turn right in front of me.

image

After experiencing a random electrical problem that ended up leaving me stuck on the edge of the highway, I splashed out and bought my first ex-lease Mondeo (which was totaled the following day by an idiot truck driver). I then splashed out again and bought another Mondeo and then tried to source a bullbar for it. No such luck. Same issue trying to find a nudge bar to mount lights to, no body seems to make them anymore.

I have started to add some extra lighting, but would love to have the added protection of a bar. I see dozens of roos every trip, and usually have to brake for an errant one once a week or so.

image

What is the approximate cost for these light bars?

[BradZ]

Originally Posted by hackney

What is the approximate cost for these light bars?

Your choices are endless. Definitely make sure it has cree led's though!
A general rule of thumb is single row have more distance and double row have more spread.

Most will have 5w chips which are more than enough, but you can get them with 10w chips if you dont mind spending more money.
Any questions just ask!

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[bundybear75]

Originally Posted by hackney

What is the approximate cost for these light bars?

It varies. I usually buy mine from eBay, and generally from the same seller (Sunyee - I have brought dozens of light bars over the last few years and I like their quality). If you aren't in a hurry you can occasionally get a good auction and pick them up cheap.

I paid around $150 for the 240W one that is on the Commodore, about $110 for the 120W one that is on the Mondeo and about $70 for the 60W one on the bike below. Their eBay retail price was usually double but they generally have the same listed on 3 day auctions.

[BradZ]

Originally Posted by bundybear75

It varies. I usually buy mine from eBay, and generally from the same seller (Sunyee - I have brought dozens of light bars over the last few years and I like their quality). If you aren't in a hurry you can occasionally get a good auction and pick them up cheap.

I paid around $150 for the 240W one that is on the Commodore, about $110 for the 120W one that is on the Mondeo and about $70 for the 60W one on the bike below. Their eBay retail price was usually double but they generally have the same listed on 3 day auctions.

image

Agree with buying from eBay, have you seen the price of them in Autobarn and Supercheap?

At least triple the price for the exact same specs, you'd have to be a wealthy sucker to buy from there, or really passionate about helping local business...

Side note: make sure you have a decent battery and alternator as they do pull a bit of power. You wont have an issue with one but my 4wd has two 100w hid's, one 240w light bar and a 300w on the roof, I watch my voltmeter have a seizure every time I turn them on

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[prydey]

Originally Posted by BradZ

Agree with buying from eBay, have you seen the price of them in Autobarn and Supercheap?

At least triple the price for the exact same specs,

what 'specs' are you talking about?

the 'watts' and 'lumens' ratings mean bugger all. the cheap ones don't mention the ratings that are important, and can rarely provide them if asked.

how many can provide Lux specs? most decent ones can provide 1 Lux @ up to 900m for some of the high end brands. you won't get that off an ebay one.

it all depends what you want. if you just want a bit more light in the immediate vicinity of your car, then any light will probably do the job, but if you really want to light up down the road and give yourself a decent chance of seeing in to the distance far enough to give a good reaction time, then you need to spend the coin.

20" lightforce is about $600 and that is probably entry level. if you want a rigid industries or great white etc, you'll pay even more.


having said that, everyone's requirements are different and i agree that its hard to justify spending big dollars if you aren't going to be using it very often.

i do an interstate trip every year, so for twice a year use, i didn't want to spend the top dollars either, however i wanted a quality product that would last. i bought one of these http://www.cosmoblaze.com.au/cbdr120wh.html which rated quite highly in a review i found compared with some of the big name brands. they do sell via ebay http://www.elinz.com.au/buy/cosmobla...work/CBDR120WH and this gives you a chart of the light pattern and effectiveness of the various light bars.

[BradZ]

Originally Posted by prydey

what 'specs' are you talking about?

the 'watts' and 'lumens' ratings mean bugger all. the cheap ones don't mention the ratings that are important, and can rarely provide them if asked.

how many can provide Lux specs? most decent ones can provide 1 Lux @ up to 900m for some of the high end brands. you won't get that off an ebay one.

it all depends what you want. if you just want a bit more light in the immediate vicinity of your car, then any light will probably do the job, but if you really want to light up down the road and give yourself a decent chance of seeing in to the distance far enough to give a good reaction time, then you need to spend the coin.

20" lightforce is about $600 and that is probably entry level. if you want a rigid industries or great white etc, you'll pay even more.


having said that, everyone's requirements are different and i agree that its hard to justify spending big dollars if you aren't going to be using it very often.

i do an interstate trip every year, so for twice a year use, i didn't want to spend the top dollars either, however i wanted a quality product that would last. i bought one of these http://www.cosmoblaze.com.au/cbdr120wh.html which rated quite highly in a review i found compared with some of the big name brands. they do sell via ebay http://www.elinz.com.au/buy/cosmobla...work/CBDR120WH and this gives you a chart of the light pattern and effectiveness of the various light bars.

I understand lumens, watts and all the rest just fyi. All the lumens and wattage in the world mean nothing with a terrible lux range I agree.

They all pump out enough light to be a huge improvement, although I agree you can get a bit more if you have the cash to blow.

That said, Great White, Lightforce, Arb etc are horrendously overpriced for what they are.

Here is a set of 185w per light led spotties a mate bought from a small company ( cant remember the name) for nearly half the price of a set of Great Whites or ARB Intensitys. Build quality and light output is identical. Cant remember off the top of my head but they did provide lumen, lux and wattage. Said company makes a 225w version now aswell that I'd love to try out


Not having a go at you mate, I agree with what you've said but with Ebay out of the picture there is still plenty of gear I'd buy before dropping $800ish on big brands.

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[Mondaveo]

I was wondering what folks' impressions of the stock Mondeo headlights are. Good, poor, average?

From a recent trip, it seemed to me the low beams (and note these are projector lamps with AFS on my Titanium) are quite good - very strong light out to their full range. The high beams on the other hand are pretty poor - too disperse with not enough light for their attempted throw, yet also having an annoying tendency to dazzle off roadside signs at close range.

I have fairly limited exposure to compare with, though I remember my Astra (TS) as being markedly worse for low beams (although bulb life was fantastic). Funnily enough, the best and brightest I've seen (low and high) is my wife's TK Barina (which perhaps not coincidently also burns through bulbs)!

[DougalXR6]

I have a similiar view of the headlights on my MD Trend.

The lowbeam projector headlights are great however, the high beam is not so good compared to my BA MkII XT and FG XR6, which both had great highbeams. The Mondeo's highbeams do not have any where near the range that the Falcons had.

The MD Titanium may be better with the LED headlights.

[rondeo]

Having migrated from ef Falcon (500,000km of boating) with cloudy lenses I'm happy with Mondeo lights.

The opinion of more experienced is better?

Yes the signs can dazzle, there are some near me which make me dip the beam. Fault is with the signs?

This thread has made me think about supplementary lights: maybe worthwhile.

PS And two roos in the ef.

[Mondaveo]

Originally Posted by rondeo

Yes the signs can dazzle, there are some near me which make me dip the beam. Fault is with the signs?

No, in my opinion the fault lies with the lights having too wide a high beam pattern that directs light upwards and to the sides. The way it hits road signs up and to the left means it reflects intensely as you draw near and pass them. I also noticed it illuminates treetops probably 20 metres above the road, which means a lot of the light we have is pointed uselessly into the sky.

When I considered what mods might improve the amount of illumination on the road, I quickly dismissed the notion of fitting higher output bulbs, as I'm sure that would just be a good way too blind myself passing every second sign.

Maybe the way it's configured makes sense in Europe, but it seems less than optimal for Australian roads and conditions.

[R12RT]

I've just started driving a MD Mondeo Titanium with adaptive headlamps.

I'm finding that the high beams are excellent with good distance and spread. Far better than my old 2010 Mazda6. However, the low beams are only adequate with a very short distance and a sharp cut off. The cornering lamps are great though.

I often travel on kangaroo infested roads and have found the best defence is to slow down. In 25 or so years I have only struck a kangaroo with the front of the vehicle twice. Both times the damage has been minor. In that time I've had four kangaroos run into the side of the vehicle.

[hackney]

Originally Posted by Mondaveo

No, in my opinion the fault lies with the lights having too wide a high beam pattern that directs light upwards and to the sides. The way it hits road signs up and to the left means it reflects intensely as you draw near and pass them. I also noticed it illuminates treetops probably 20 metres above the road, which means a lot of the light we have is pointed uselessly into the sky.

When I considered what mods might improve the amount of illumination on the road, I quickly dismissed the notion of fitting higher output bulbs, as I'm sure that would just be a good way too blind myself passing every second sign.

Maybe the way it's configured makes sense in Europe, but it seems less than optimal for Australian roads and conditions.

I find that too with hi output globes.(Blinding myself with the road signs.)

[Russ]

A good light bar is a sound investment for anyone doing a bit of night driving, I have had 2 fitted to my Outback, the first was a smaller 13.5 " which I had fitted to a number plate mount and bolted through the front bar. The current one is a 23" which I have mounted down lower in the bumper (more for the aesthetics) Both provide excellent light and fingers crossed have helped me spot some potential road kill before it became a hood ornament :(

[383hq]

I do 40-50k km's a year in a mondeo diesel - all country highway
easiest mod is the phillips extreme +130% bulb replacement (high beam).
Google around cheap from powerbulbs.com at $30-$40/set.
easier then driving light mounts etc.

Don 't over think it, no need to overcapitalise on a car that might get written off or sold

[NZ XR6]

I found the low beam on the MB was poor. A set of Philips Extreme bulbs helped, but one blew last week after 3 years, and I bought a set of Narva Plus 110 bulbs on sale from Repco. They turned out be Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited bulbs and are even better.

[bundybear75]

I installed the Narva plus 120 globes and was a bit disappointed with them. Couldn't see any real difference from the factory bulbs I replaced. Adjusting the drivers side head lamp helped immensely, it was pointing way off to the left and very low.

[bungfritz]

Originally Posted by R12RT

However, the low beams are only adequate with a very short distance and a sharp cut off.

I had the same issues with my car and you can get more low beam range by going into the car settings menu and changing the light configuration from left to right side (or vice versa I can't remember). You'll notice the headlights will aim a bit higher and will give you and extra few metres of illumination in low beam.

There's been plenty of discussion about what this setting is actually for in the forums, and even the Ford techs can't give a straight answer, so I leave it in the setting which gives the greater reach.

I just came back from a road trip driving at night and my take off the new Mondeo headlights are that I don't like the light colour temperature. Whilst the high beam is very good, I think the light is too white and doesn't provide enough contrast to let you detect things in the distance such as kangaroos etc.

I believe that they sit at around 6000k (to mimic the natural colour temperature of daylight) however for a more practical aspect, a colour temperature of around 5000k would have been better.

I spotted a kangaroo one on the side of the road on the drive home and was lucky it jumped into the bushes and not the other way. Wild have definitely made contact with my car I think.

[BradZ]

Osram Nightbreaker's aren't a bad globe I've found. Nice light colour aswell as being nice and bright still, unlike cheap 5000k globes than actually have less output than standard.

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[prydey]

Originally Posted by bungfritz

I had the same issues with my car and you can get more low beam range by going into the car settings menu and changing the light configuration from left to right side (or vice versa I can't remember). You'll notice the headlights will aim a bit higher and will give you and extra few metres of illumination in low beam.

There's been plenty of discussion about what this setting is actually for in the forums, and even the Ford techs can't give a straight answer, so I leave it in the setting which gives the greater reach.

headlight patterns aren't symmetrical. the light from the left should reach further than the right. the light pattern has an L type shape, to maximise viewing distance without dazzling oncoming drivers etc.

having a different setting is possibly to do with the fact that the same car is sold in left and right driving countries and they probably run common software.

Originally Posted by bungfritz

I just came back from a road trip driving at night and my take off the new Mondeo headlights are that I don't like the light colour temperature. Whilst the high beam is very good, I think the light is too white and doesn't provide enough contrast to let you detect things in the distance such as kangaroos etc.

I believe that they sit at around 6000k (to mimic the natural colour temperature of daylight) however for a more practical aspect, a colour temperature of around 5000k would have been better.

I spotted a kangaroo one on the side of the road on the drive home and was lucky it jumped into the bushes and not the other way. Wild have definitely made contact with my car I think.

i've fitted a lightbar to my FG falcon, and most of the research i read said the same thing about light temperature and going too high isn't as effective at penetration.

that being said, after driving for many hours with my light bar on (6500k) and then turning it off so i'm only on high beams, the high beams look like you are driving in a tunnel with a candle. while they may still light up a reasonable way down the road, the sheer volume of light produced by the light bar is unbeatable. i felt much more relaxed and way less fatigue with the light bar on, than without. i still wouldn't recommend going too high up the temp range, but after experiencing 6500k, its not something to avoid. yes, it reflects more off some surfaces but standard high beam does that anyway.

i've been looking at replacing my FG with a mondeo in the future, so good to hear the the feedback on the standard lights.

[castellan]

Originally Posted by R12RT

I've just started driving a MD Mondeo Titanium with adaptive headlamps.

I'm finding that the high beams are excellent with good distance and spread. Far better than my old 2010 Mazda6. However, the low beams are only adequate with a very short distance and a sharp cut off. The cornering lamps are great though.

I often travel on kangaroo infested roads and have found the best defence is to slow down. In 25 or so years I have only struck a kangaroo with the front of the vehicle twice. Both times the damage has been minor. In that time I've had four kangaroos run into the side of the vehicle.

Drive faster and most likely it gives them lest time to run into the side of your vehicle.
The best thing is to always have a gun on you and when you see roo's, you stop and shoot them all.
They are a pest, just like a great big over grown rat, I see red when I see people nurturing baby roo's on TV just to let them free in the bush, people like that should be sued, people get killed by them bastard roo's you know and I know of some who have been.

My last car had the teeth marks of the mother and the joey in the bonnet, it happened only due the ABS brake rubbish.

[BradZ]

Originally Posted by castellan

Drive faster and most likely it gives them lest time to run into the side of your vehicle.
The best thing is to always have a gun on you and when you see roo's, you stop and shoot them all.
They are a pest, just like a great big over grown rat, I see red when I see people nurturing baby roo's on TV just to let them free in the bush, people like that should be sued, people get killed by them bastard roo's you know and I know of some who have been.

My last car had the teeth marks of the mother and the joey in the bonnet, it happened only due the ABS brake rubbish.

Whole heartedly agree with them being pests. Not entirely sure speeding up is a foolproof method as they're known to spontaneously jump out of nowhere.

Having a rifle on hand isn't a bad idea but not everyone has a license.

I quite frequently do my part to cull the population though

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[R12RT]

Originally Posted by castellan

Drive faster and most likely it gives them lest time to run into the side of your vehicle.
The best thing is to always have a gun on you and when you see roo's, you stop and shoot them all.
They are a pest, just like a great big over grown rat, I see red when I see people nurturing baby roo's on TV just to let them free in the bush, people like that should be sued, people get killed by them bastard roo's you know and I know of some who have been.

My last car had the teeth marks of the mother and the joey in the bonnet, it happened only due the ABS brake rubbish.

The drive faster bit makes me think of the number of times on country roads you will see skid marks. At the end of the skid marks is a pile of btoken glass and plastic with a dead 'roo off to the side.

It is quite likely that had the dtiver accelerated instead of braking the 'roo would have passed harmlessly behind the vehicle.

[rondeo]

Originally Posted by R12RT

The drive faster bit makes me think of the number of times on country roads you will see skid marks. At the end of the skid marks is a pile of btoken glass and plastic with a dead 'roo off to the side.

It is quite likely that had the dtiver accelerated instead of braking the 'roo would have passed harmlessly behind the vehicle.

Or else it had landed on your lap instead of busting the headlight?