This month’s article is going to consist of a chart to aid you into uncovering the meanings of the SAE codes on the lens of your light. I will post every letter and what it means to the SAE in this article so you will be able to tell what your light is designated for by the manufacturer. I derived this information from the same source as last month. An SAE document printed in 1995 and published on law.resource.org. Again, the source will be at the end of the article for your own reading pleasure.
Here, I present to you, the “SAE Device Function Table: A – Reflex reflectors A2 – Wide angle reflex reflectors C – Motorcycle auxiliary front lamps D – Motorcycle and motor-driven cycle turn signal lamps E – Side turn signal lamps-vehicles 12m or more in length E2 – Side turn signal lamps-vehicles less than 12m in length F – Front fog lamps F2 – Fog tail lamps G – Truck cargo lamps H – Sealed beam headlamp HG – Discharge forward lighting (headlamp) HH – Sealed beam headlamp housing HR – Replaceable bulb headlamp I – Turn signal lamps 13 – Turn signal lamps spaced from 75mm to less than 100mm from headlamp. 14 – Turn signal lamps spaced from 60mm to less than 75mm from headlamp. 15 – Turn signal lamps spaced less than 60mm from headlamp. 16 – Rear mounted turn signal lamps and front mounted turn signal lamps mounted 100mm or more from the headlamp, for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. 17 – Front mounted turn signal lamps less than 100mm from the headlamp, for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. J590 – Turn signal flasher J945 – Hazard warning signal flasher J1054 – Warning lamp alternating flasher K – Front cornering lamps K2 – Rear cornering lamps L – License plate lamps M – Motorcycle and motor-driven cycle headlamps – motorcycle type. N – Motorcycle and motor-driven cycle headlamps – motor-driven type. O – Spot lamps P – Parking lamps P2 – Clearance, sidemarker, and identification lamps P3 – Clearance, sidemarker, and identification lamps, for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. PC – Combination clearance and sidemarker lamps PC2 – Combination clearance and sidemarker lamps, for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. Q – Turn signal operating units – Class A. QB – Turn signal operating units – Class B. QC – Vehicular hazard warning signal operating unit. R – Backup lamps S – Stop lamps S2 – Stop lamps, for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. T – Tail lamps (rear position lamps) T2 – Tail lamps (rear position lamps) , for use on vehicles 2032mm or more in overall width. U – Supplemental high-mounted stop and turn signal lamps. U2 – High-mounted stop lamps for trucks 2032mm or more in overall width. U3 – Center high-mounted stop lamp for passenger cars, light trucks, and MPVs. W – Warning lamps for emergency, maintenance, and service vehicles. W2 – Warning lamps for school buses. W3 – 360 degree emergency warning lamps. W4 – Emergency warning device. W5-1 – 360 degree gaseous discharge lamp – Class 1 W5-2 – 360 degree gaseous discharge lamp – Class 2 W5-3 – 360 degree gaseous discharge lamp – Class 3 Y – Driving lamps Y2 – Daytime running lamps Z – Auxiliary low beam lamps”
Take a look around the lights on your truck with this article in hand to see what the codes on your light mean. You can also use this article when shopping for lights to see if they have the SAE markings on them for your application. We offer many lights with SAE markings on them through our website www.slclighting.com or give us a call to at 800-938-0120 to see how we can help you meet your lighting needs.
Also, be sure to check the website in November for some special BLACK FRIDAY and CYBER MONDAY SAVINGS on the entire site! I hope this article has been helpful to you.
Next month, we will finish up Year 1 of “The Lighting Basics.”