increased engine temps/overheating w/ new front end aux lights? (1 Viewer)

[jwh2m]

Hey all: Just curious, I have been contemplating a set of round led driving/fog lights for the bull bar on my 89 FJ62. Stock engine, 108k miles, daily driver. Have been considering lighting up grades in general, including headlights to the Hella halogens, also a wiring harness upgrade and I want a big set of round Hellas or PIAAs for the bar. My concern is that they will block too much airflow through the radiator. I know it doesn't take much to impede that flow. Anyone have any experience with this issue? TIA!

 

[unklwedy]

Big fog lites(2) shouldn't hurt air flow

 

[OSS]

This is OK to do.

This not so much. Fan clutch will lock up all the time.

I used to have two lights just like the top picture shown on my ARB bumper (130 W ea) but I found that they were TOO bright. Reflective signs & even the zot dots on the road were blinding and made driving at night kinda more hazardous. Also if you forget to flip them off and a car approaches from the other direction - you've created a very dangerous situation by blinding him.

After I upgraded my car headlights to 100/80 with a wiring harness (mandatory) I found I no longer needed the bumper lights & got rid of them. I don't miss them. Even off road. They also get in the way of handling the winch cable on the drum (if you've got a winch). I'm glad they're gone. I'm a bigger fan of unobstructed air flow to the radiator.

 

[HemiAlex]

My temps didn’t change after adding the bigger arb bumper, winch and lights.

And i watch them on an unhealthy level.

 

[jwh2m]

This is all great info, thanks- nothing like someone who has done it already, Mudders! I was mostly concerned because of a web episode of an Australian (if I recall correctly) Overlanding show where he described a front license plate frame that only partially occluded his grill (on a modern Aussie Land Cruiser) causing him to run hot on the highway. Again, much appreciated. I try not to cause myself more issues than the Cookie Monster throws at me from time to time.

 

[jwh2m]

On this same note, then- does anyone have a (current) source for a plug and play wiring harness upgrade for the 62? I want to go with the Hella 100/80 as OSS describes. This has become an issue since I had a lot of trouble seeing my way home with my family in the Cruiser on a dark and stormy night..... in Pittsburgh, of all places. More light! I am OK with wiring (did an aftermarket stereo, speakers, and an underseat add-a-woofer), but wiring a necessity like headlights makes me... a little nervous. No lights is dangerous, no sound just sucks.

 

[HemiAlex]

I added that mini temp gauge to track temperature trends.

In the mountains of big bend and the long stretches of I-10 where I held the truck at 3200rpm for an hour at a time, it would climb up to 205* and drop on the other side of the hill consistently.

Temp climbing on the highway is just a function of engine load, there was no shortage of cool air. This was with my snorkel also.

View attachment 1631652

 

[HemiAlex]

On this same note, then- does anyone have a (current) source for a plug and play wiring harness upgrade for the 62? I want to go with the Hella 100/80 as OSS describes. This has become an issue since I had a lot of trouble seeing my way home with my family in the Cruiser on a dark and stormy night..... in Pittsburgh, of all places. More light! I am OK with wiring (did an aftermarket stereo, speakers, and an underseat add-a-woofer), but wiring a necessity like headlights makes me... a little nervous. No lights is dangerous, no sound just sucks.

Just get two of the IPF harnesses.

I’m using one on my 60 with 100/80 bulbs and I love it.