In a message dated 6/24/2002 8:13:24 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
LISTSERV@GERRY.VANAGON.COM writes:

> I completely agree that the brake lights need to be brighter than the tail
> lights. This is accomplished, in part, by the reflector inside of the brake
> light housing.  The parking light housing lacks this reflector.  I run
> heavy-duty 50-watt incadescent light bulbs in my parking lights and 50-watt
> halogen 'back-up' light bulbs in my brake lights and my back-up lights.
> This gives me bright parking lights and ultra-bright-retina-burning brake
> lights.  I've had no problems in over a year since I've upgraded.
>
>
This is precisely why the DOT limits the wattage to tail lights.
You are not supposed to burn the retinas of following motorists when you put
your brakes on.
Check your wattages. I think they are illegal.
By all means make the lights good and bright.  In the interest of safety,
that only makes good sense.
This can be done by:
a     Making sure the grounds are good.
b     Making sure the connections are good throughout so there are no serious
voltage losses
c     Making sure the reflectors are clean and shiny, where used.
d     Making sure the plastic lenses are clean, especially on the inside.
The tail light bulbs are supposed to be 10 watt and the brake light bulbs are
supposed to be 21 watt as are the reversing lamps.
I can see wanting to make them brighter like the more modern vehicles but if
you check the wattages of more modern vehicles, you will find the wattages
are not higher.  The lamps are just bigger,newer and cleaner and many have
multiple low wattage bulbs.
In my opinion, a small increase can perhaps be justified but 50 watts is
almost a value for headlight bulbs.
The vanagon tail lights have a dead section, reserved for european rear fog
lights (21 watts).   Mostly there are no bulb holders fitted there in North
American Vanagons.
This dead section can be reworked so that another 10 watt bulb can be fitted.
This makes the tail light much bigger, though still not enormous, and still
have bulbs of legal wattages/candle power.
This is a better upgrade in my opinion, as well as installing a third,
central brake light (21 watts).
LOL, I can hear the rebuttals coming already : )

Steve Cotsford