Piaa Bulbs?

[edli83]

Hi All,

I bought PIAA H4 bulbs recently, but I just noticed they output 130/90W

Reading some random posts online, some people think this may melt the headlight unit...

Can I get away with using these? Or back to the 65W bulbs?

Thanks,

Ed

(53 Yaris T Sport)

[alfiejts]

They carry a risk of melting or discolouring the reflector (as well as actually being illegal to use on the road).

Its your call, (especially now that you've bought them), but I've gone for the Philips X-treme Vision H4s for my Yarii (and the H7s for my Audi) as they ge tthe best reviews at present as being the brightest road legal bulbs on the market at the moment.

[aygoal]

That is up to double the power, and remember 90% of bulb output is heat.....

Remember that as well as the headlight unit, the wiring and fuses may not be up to the extra load.

Not to mention the point of legality brought up by the learned gentleman above!!!

[DONFRAMAC]

That is up to double the power, and remember 90% of bulb output is heat.....

Remember that as well as the headlight unit, the wiring and fuses may not be up to the extra load.

Not to mention the point of legality brought up by the learned gentleman above!!!

Just check the ACTUAL wattage marked on the bulbs/packaging, and you will likely find that these elite-brand bulbs are actually extremely efficient, due to technical advances, not by boosting wattage to the old 100/80 W levels that people used to resort to as a means of increasing light output. Nowadays, there are different gases used inside the bulb, to enhance output and efficiency, as modern acrylic headlamp- shells would melt if the old hot-running bulbs were still used. PIAA are the business ;-- you are unlikely to find better for the price. (Hella are well reputed but difficult to get in the UK.)

The only other way to get high brightness is by true HID convertion kits, and they use a lot less wattage than basic headlamp bulbs.

The major concerns by the authorities concerns colour temperature, as the UK requires white headlights for road use, so the top limit for colour-temp is about 6000 deg kelvin, which is the figure for my PIAA tera 501 T10 W5W LED sidelights I have just fitted. The other main concern is avoiding dazzling oncoming traffic, so a clean cut-off to the dip beam is vital.

[alfiejts]

Worth checking the actual wattage as Don says. PIAA list a number of bulbs that are really 60/55 but are as bright as higher wattages, but they do also list some "real" 135/90w bulbs....

Extract of H4 bulbs from their web site is below.

If they are the "real 135/90 watt" listed below, then the coments about running hot will still count but the other bulbs which are all really 60 watts max will be OK.

Interestingly PIAA web site says that these particular 135/90 watt bulbs are E marked for legal road use and aren't specifically flagged for "off road use only" unlike others, so they may actually be legal (somehow..)....

HALOGEN BULBS

H4X13590: H4 P43T 135/90W

PLATINUM WHITE BULBS

HE268: H4 P43T 60/55 = 110/100W

COMPETITION BULBS

H88: H4 P43T 60/55 = 130/120W

XTREME WHITE PLUS BULBS

H291E: H4 12V 60/55=110/100W ANTI-VIBRATION BULB

CHROME MIRROR WHITE BULBS

H352: H4 60/55=130/120W

POWER SPORT BULBS

H292E: H4 60/55=110/100W ANTI VIBRATION 4000K

[DONFRAMAC]

Worth checking the actual wattage as Don says. PIAA list a number of bulbs that are really 60/55 but are as bright as higher wattages, but they do also list some "real" 135/90w bulbs....

Extract of H4 bulbs from their web site is below.

If they are the "real 135/90 watt" listed below, then the coments about running hot will still count but the other bulbs which are all really 60 watts max will be OK.

Interestingly PIAA web site says that these particular 135/90 watt bulbs are E marked for legal road use and aren't specifically flagged for "off road use only" unlike others, so they may actually be legal (somehow..)....

HALOGEN BULBS

H4X13590: H4 P43T 135/90W

PLATINUM WHITE BULBS

HE268: H4 P43T 60/55 = 110/100W

COMPETITION BULBS

H88: H4 P43T 60/55 = 130/120W

XTREME WHITE PLUS BULBS

H291E: H4 12V 60/55=110/100W ANTI-VIBRATION BULB

CHROME MIRROR WHITE BULBS

H352: H4 60/55=130/120W

POWER SPORT BULBS

H292E: H4 60/55=110/100W ANTI VIBRATION 4000K

I have checked the PIAA.co.uk website, and confirmed that your bulbs are under the "halogen" group, and are priced, and listed as "E-marked" for road use in the EU. The power consumption is only 60/55 Watts, and the light output is 135/90 watts, and the fitting is quoted as H4 P43T.

There are two H4 bulbs in the Platinum White range, the HE268, and a 4-pack called HE270. From the same power they emit 110/100 watts, at 3800 deg kelvin, and are "E-marked".

At a higher price there are 2 H4 bulbs in the Xtreme White Plus range, the H291E, anti-vibration, and the HE303, both "E-marked", consume the same 60/55 watts, and emit the same 110/100 watts, but at a more penetrating colour temperature of 4000 deg kelvin.

The ultimate road approved H4 is the HE303, xtreme white plus, at £57.98p inc Vat and post, from www.fasteronline.co.uk.

Other "E-marked" main lamps, in the H3,H1, and H7 types are listed in these "platinum white" and "xtreme white plus" ranges.

The H4 bulb in the "Chrome Mirror" range has not been "E-rated", perhaps due to being too blue, as it runs at 4150 deg kelvin, or its actual light output may be glaring/too powerful on dip/poor pattern.

The "powersports" range has "E-marked" approval for their H292 H4 anti-vibration, the HE306SE H3, the HE308SE H1, and HE310SE H7

The PIAA HID conversion kits give a colour temperature of 6200 deg kelvin, and UK law is at the moment strictly against blue headlights, but my LED H520 side-lamps (501 T10 W5W wedge plug fitting), run at 6000 deg kelvin, and in day-time, they look only slightly blue-er than full daylight, but more-so in the dark. I know for a fact that the human eye has much higher resolution at the blue end of the spectrum, such that high-power microscopy, examining metals, uses mercury vapour discharge lamps, just as you may find illuminating some streets, although red sodium lamps are more common, and safer.

None of the LED side-lights are yet clearly approved, but I expect that is just an oversight due to the rapid obsolescence of any particular bulb.

[edli83]

hmmm its just blown a fuse..... not sure if its the bulbs or just a coincidence!!!!

[alfiejts]

I hate to differ - but I can't find any reference on the PIAA web site to say tha tthe 135/90 bulbs are really 65/60.

To the contrary - every other H4 bulb on the PIAA website quotes both the "actual wattage (65/60) and an equals sign showing the effective wattage to equate to the extra brightness.

The 135/90's don't say that and say that they have a ceramic base ot aid cooling - which suggests that they really are running to the higher wattage quioted....

Where did you find that they said that the 135/90s were really 65/60s? Its evading me....

[DONFRAMAC]

I hate to differ - but I can't find any reference on the PIAA web site to say tha tthe 135/90 bulbs are really 65/60.

To the contrary - every other H4 bulb on the PIAA website quotes both the "actual wattage (65/60) and an equals sign showing the effective wattage to equate to the extra brightness.

The 135/90's don't say that and say that they have a ceramic base ot aid cooling - which suggests that they really are running to the higher wattage quioted....

Where did you find that they said that the 135/90s were really 65/60s? Its evading me....

The true info eluded me last night,for hours, until I found out that the 80 series drive lamps with H4 bulb and cover, comes "E-marked", complete with the 135/ 90 H4 bulb, for £100.05p inc VaT, for the 198 mm dia size, lens 180 mm dia, depth 135 mm. Relay harness extra, and they get switched between filaments in use. These driving lamps are for RoadRallying, Stage, and Off-road etc, and can be set-up for fog/drive/spot beam angle options. They are built the traditional way, and won't melt. Sets of these are sold for bonnet-mounting on several popular fast cars.

I couldn't find a seller of the 135/90 bulbs, but the PIAA site does state that they are "E-marked", but as they are true power figures, and the light output is likely ~ twice normal for that wattage, modern plastic headlamp shells will just melt.

Other bulbs in the Halogen part of the price list, are 80W, or 80/80, and give out ~150 Watts light.

By the way, the PIAA full HID conversion kit draws only 35 watts per bulb, and runs at 6200 deg kelvin, but some other brands run at such high "temps" that the UV output has to be filtered out, as REAL extreme blue embrittles plastics. (A lot of blue bulbs are a kid-on, with just a coating on the glass to create a blue "effect", but the real UV range bulbs have filter coatings to remove the damaging invisible UV.)

The price-list part of the PIAA website clearly lists, in a panel, 14 of their bulbs which are "E-marked", and the H4X13590 P43T, does not appear there, although, elsewhere, in the price listings, it IS listed, with "E-marked" endorsement" symbol, in the "halogen" section, as "E-marked", despite being omitted from the panel of approved bulbs.

P.S., even my PIAA H520 501 T10 fitting led sidelight bulbs have a lot of heatisink, at the emitters, and along the outer body, to enhance bulb-life, which was once abysmal with early LED bulbs. These PIAA bulbs are made in Japan, using SMD emitters, which the elite brand "LUXEON", also use,which probably explains the price, and high reputation.

eBay ones, at 99p, often need solder added to the plug contacts, as they are not wedge shaped, and the emitters are not protected from finger contact, and very little heatsinking is visible, so don't expect a lifetime of use.