Headlamp Bulbs

[adnewton]

Was wondering if upgrading headlamp bulbs would be of any benefit ( not HID ). Normal dipped beam is not as clear as I would have liked, so been looking to upgrade to white light type.

Has anyone done this & if so what did you use? Also, not sure if replacement bulbs are as durable as OEM.

Decent replacements are around £40-£80.

[ChumpusRex]

White light is a bit of a gimmick, as it causes more glare in rain and fog than normal, but it's a very minor difference. It also removes light from the beam, so that the filament has to run hotter and the durability is reduced.

In general, the actual brightness of the bulbs is strictly regulated by law - a car bulb must produce a prescribed amount of light, no less, no more otherwise they are illegal.

Now, the manufacturers use a bit of marketing trickery to claim "50% brighter" or whatever. Whenever anything is manufactured, there is a degree of variability. In the case of a car headlamp, the filament position and size may vary slightly, as may the position of the glare blocker. Because of the precise nature of a headlight lens and reflector, small variations in filament position can make quite a big difference in light output. The fancy "50% brighter" bulbs are made to higher precision, and the filament is more compact - so you get the same amount of light, but more gets onto the road. The manufacturers don't say how they work out their brightness claims, but I'd guess that they take the worst possible beam performance from a regular bulb and compare it to the worst possible performance from their premium bulb. In reality, most bulbs are manufactured pretty close to optimal, so the actual real benefit of premium bulbs is rarely much at all.

You pay a price for the increased performance. Precision manufacturing is more expensive. The more compact filament runs hotter and at higher stress, so the bulb is less durable. For example, a standard H11 headlight bulb from a good brand (e.g. Philips) is rated for 500 hours usage; whereas a premium upgraded H11 bulb (Osram night breaker) is only rated for 150 hours.

[adnewton]

Thanks for the comprehensive write up......

I assume then they are not worth the extra money or effort?

[Scoops]

I have used them in a different car and found them to make a positive difference but I am happy enough with the CT lights. They do seem to cut a bit short in dipped beam but full beam is pretty damn good. I have used a couple of Nissans where the main beam was appalling.

I should add the ones I bought were just from Halfords for a Citroen C2... In the year I had them in, they didn't need replacing..

[Desmond]

Has anyone tried one of these?

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/hidkits.php?car=36092

[PWOOD]

I used Osram night breaker plus bulbs on my Crz which had poor lights and they really made a difference.

as for HID conversions any car fitted as of a year ago must have self levelling headlamps and washers or it will fail an MOT. Apart from that how well tested are they given the electric in our cars and to work properly the headlamps reflectors are different hence the MOT change to stop this practise.

[Pidu]

Reading American CT forum HID is very popular upgrade over there. I guess legal requirements are different. Anyway I have in a garage a set of 35W HID i bought some time ago for offroad use. Out of my curiosity fitted it to the car - had no issues, all working perfectly including auto lights, no glare and lots of light, huge improvement over halogen bulb. The headlight lens obviously does the job. But it was just a test, not using it due to legal issues.

Few years ago I upgraded my previous car to zenon headlights. Used proper headlights with D2S bulbs, HID ballasts (genuine were way to expansive), OEM washers and universal Hella self-levelling kit. That upgrade was perfectly legal and I was driving for few years without problems, then sold the car.

BTW price of those HID kits is just silly. You get exactly the same kit with slim ballasts for 30 quid.

[DanD]

I also recommend the Osram night breakers.

[adnewton]

Think I'll them as OEM for now. Not too sure if changing will make make much difference & how long they will last.

Appreciate all the feedback though. Thanks.

[Desmond]

Was wondering if upgrading headlamp bulbs would be of any benefit ( not HID ). Normal dipped beam is not as clear as I would have liked, so been looking to upgrade to white light type.

Has anyone done this & if so what did you use? Also, not sure if replacement bulbs are as durable as OEM.

Decent replacements are around £40-£80.

I thought about this last winter but didn't bother. Now the clocks have altered I am reminded again that the headlights are the weak point of a very good car. Perhaps I've been spoilt by having such good ones on my IS but I don't find the CT lights pick out the kerbs as well, certainly on the B roads round here it can be a little problematic without care. Maybe next time I should go for a Premier?

[Stompe]

My recommendation would be Phillips Xtreme well worth the money, I agree the pure white ones cause more problems then solve.

[Stompe]

http://www.powerbulbs.com/ found this company very good.

[Desmond]

Thanks for the info Steve.