Set of ION oval Driving lights made by Roadboy, sold under the Max-5 brand by Performance Buyers Club
The kit included the two lamps, mounting hardware, wiring harness, relay, switch, and Miata specific instructions from PBC. I took me about 45 minutes to install these lights. The wiring harness has all the wires going to one plug which needs to be plugged into the relay. The main power is brought from the fuse box under the hood where the large 12V+ line comes in to the fuse box. The switch is mounted in the cockpit and needs to be supplied with power from a 12V+ line, some use the cigarette lighter wire, I used a wire from my alarm that is hooked into the parking lights so that the driving lights can only be turned on if the parking lights are on. There are four wires left at the end of the harness that are plugged into the lights. I mounted the lights in the mouth of the car by removing two of the three screws holding the top of the plastic bumper cover to the car. The screws were replaced by bolts that hold up the mounting plates for the lights. The lights are then simply mounted to the plates with 2 bolts and nuts. I alligned mine pointing straight ahead in front of the car. I had many people flashing there high beams at me. They were later realligned by a local Miata shop pointing more downward. Since they are driving lights and not fog lights they don't have much of a cut off. The light bounces back at you in the fog creating more glare. I usually turn them off in the fog and just leave my H4's on, with their sharp cut off they really help in bad weather. I use the driving lights to help illuminate far reflective objects at night, such as road signs. Since the H4's don't shine as far, these help out a lot at night. These look exactly like PIAA 1000's at half the price. They have a metal body unlike some that are plastic. And use a 55 watt H3 bulb.
I have had no problems at all with them, and would recomend them to anyone wanting the PIAA look without the PIAA pricetag. And from what I have seen the perfromance between these and the PIAA's is about equal as well.
These lights are also availible with clear lenses instead of the ION, which is a purple-yellow coating that produces amber light. At night time from the sides the lights are blue and purple, as you move towards the front of the car they become a real intense yellow.
Under 30 minutes to remove completely
| Back to Product Reviews | 17 August, 1998 |