Poor Lighting

[jsybrian]

Have had my Rav4 SR for 2 weeks now love it apart from the poor headlamps.After coming from a long line of xenon equipped cars find the projector lights weak does anone know of any upgrades.

[Mr Binks]

Have had my Rav4 SR for 2 weeks now love it apart from the poor headlamps.After coming from a long line of Xenon equipped cars find the projector lights weak does anone know of any upgrades.

I was helped with the same problem.Someone on the forum suggested these---H11 Ring xenon Max from www.AutoBulbsDirect.co.uk Part no. RXMH11 They are very good with a sharp cut off.

Excellent--enjoy

[bothwell_buyer]

What about these ???

[jsybrian]

Like the multi spots but maybe a few more.On a more serious note might try the Ring bulbs thanks.

[Mike JD]

Like the multi spots but maybe a few more.On a more serious note might try the Ring bulbs thanks.

Yup, go for the uprated bulbs - they made a noticeable difference for me too

Mike D

[blue monster]

A question on swapping the bulbs - the drivers side looks awkward to gain access to as there is the screen wash & overflow bottles in the way.

Do I need to move the bottles, get some one with tiny hands to help me or is there another easier way of doing this?

[Davrav]

A question on swapping the bulbs - the drivers side looks awkward to gain access to as there is the screen wash & overflow bottles in the way.

Do I need to move the bottles, get some one with tiny hands to help me or is there another easier way of doing this?

If you push in the centre of the plastic 'rivet' you can move the filler tube etc. out of the way. Just reset the rivet pin and re-use

[ormi]

what about a HID kit?theyre as cheap as some normal bulbs now..

[blue monster]

what about a hid kit?theyre as cheap as some normal bulbs now..

Do you need to do any thing other than swap the bulbs for a HID kit or is it simply a bulb swap?

Halfords have a BOGOF offer on their extreme brilliance bulbs at the moment & they claim to be 90% brighter than standard bulbs.

[ormi]

just buy the correct kit for the car ie bulb type and its just like fitting a bulb...

the standard wiring plugs in to the balast and the balast plugs into the bulb.... i made the jump to hids on my car now i will never go back to back to standard....

[jsybrian]

Fitted new bulbs yesterday Ring Xenonmax vast improvement over stock bulbs thanks for the recomendation.

[blue monster]

When I look on the Autobulbs website & enter the car details it states that H11 are the fog light bulb replacements and H1 are the correct bulbs for dipped headlight replacement - yet this thread is referencing fitting H11 to the dipped headlights???

What's the difference as every where I look sugests that H1 are the correct bulb replacement for the RAV4 >2006 ?

[jsybrian]

Hi can only say 2011 SR H11 is correct for dipped beam found the same as you do a quick check on your own lamps very easy access.

[local hero]

When I look on the Autobulbs website & enter the car details it states that H11 are the fog light bulb replacements and H1 are the correct bulbs for dipped headlight replacement - yet this thread is referencing fitting H11 to the dipped headlights???

What's the difference as every where I look sugests that H1 are the correct bulb replacement for the RAV4 >2006 ?

Trust me, every time i reccomend these bulbs I stress H11s the autobulbs site is incorrect, and i have told them, I also posted a complete list of all Rav 2006> bulbs.. However to double check consult your handbook which DOES list ALL replacement bulbs Stew

[Big Kev]

just buy the correct kit for the car ie bulb type and its just like fitting a bulb...

the standard wiring plugs in to the balast and the balast plugs into the bulb.... i made the jump to hids on my car now i will never go back to back to standard....

As an MOT tester, can you confirm or deny that there is to be an issue with HID Lighting kits FITTED AS AFTERMARKET kits, and may indeed cause the vehicle to fail...?

I would have changed mine by now if this issue had not cropped up on here.

Big Kev

[local hero]

HERE ONCE AGAIN IS A LIST OF ALL RAV 2006> REPLACEMENT bulbs

A number of people ask which bulbs they should buy for their 4.3s, so heres the list taken from page 437 of my handbook these are for a 2007 car, but i believe are std throughout the model range;

Headlights (high) 60w HB3

Headlights (low) 55w H11

Frt fogs 55w H11

frt turn signal 21w wedge base (amber)

parking lights 5w wedge base (clear)

side turn signal 5w wedge base (amber) (these should be replaced as an assembly )

rear turn signal 21w wedge base (clear)....Amber on 2009 models (thanks Gust)

reverse lights 16w wedge base (clear)

rear fog light 21w wedge base (clear)

number plate 5w wedge base (clear)

interior lights 8w double ended

frt personal lights 8w wedge base (clear)

vanity light 8w wedge base (clear)

boot light 5w double ended

Please always double check as they may have been altered in later models, This is obviously for UK vehicles.. Stew

[duncerduncs]

Anyone wishing to fit an after market HID kit to their car may want to read this page from the DfT

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

[Big Kev]

Anyone wishing to fit an after market HID kit to their car may want to read this page from the DfT

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps

Cheers Duncs...well clarificated.

Big Kev

[blue monster]

Right, bought a pack of Ring xenon Max H11 bulbs, should have them in a few days

Has any one upgraded their HB3 headlight bulbs to the new xenon max or is it not worth bothering with due to the small amount of time you spend on high beam?

Cheers

Martin

[local hero]

Right, bought a pack of Ring Xenon Max H11 bulbs, should have them in a few days

Has any one upgraded their HB3 headlight bulbs to the new Xenon max or is it not worth bothering with due to the small amount of time you spend on high beam?

Cheers

Martin

Yes I have upgraded mine but as you rightly say unless you do a lot of driving on dark country roads they are hardly used. you can also upgrade your sidelight bulbs by fitting whiter LEDs, which are quite cheap in fact autobulbs used to send you a pair free with each order..Stew

[ormi]

just buy the correct kit for the car ie bulb type and its just like fitting a bulb...

the standard wiring plugs in to the balast and the balast plugs into the bulb.... i made the jump to hids on my car now i will never go back to back to standard....

As an MOT tester, can you confirm or deny that there is to be an issue with HID Lighting kits FITTED AS AFTERMARKET kits, and may indeed cause the vehicle to fail...?

I would have changed mine by now if this issue had not cropped up on here.

Big Kev

theirs nothing in force yet mate and they dont know when its going to come in as they dont know how to bring it into the test yet...

also if you fit them correctly you wont have any issues

[Big Kev]

Right, bought a pack of Ring Xenon Max H11 bulbs, should have them in a few days

Has any one upgraded their HB3 headlight bulbs to the new Xenon max or is it not worth bothering with due to the small amount of time you spend on high beam?

Cheers

Martin

Yes I have upgraded mine but as you rightly say unless you do a lot of driving on dark country roads they are hardly used. you can also upgrade your sidelight bulbs by fitting whiter LEDs, which are quite cheap in fact autobulbs used to send you a pair free with each order..Stew

.....and I have witnessed Stewpot's upgraded bulbs on full beam at firsthand...OMG...they are brighter than Dan Dare's Ray Gun (Just letting Mike JD know there ARE other mature people hereon....)

I have thus far refrained from doing the full beam bulbs as very seldom used for any length of time / distance.

Big Kev

[Mike JD]

(Just letting Mike JD know there ARE other mature people hereon....)

Where? By mature did you just mean old? If so, guilty m'lud. You are supposed to be only as old as the woman you feel. Hmm - that just gains me a few months :!Removed!:

I did upgrade the main beams as I do a lot of the country lane bit. For me it wasn't a luxury. The new bulbs cost (per pair) me less than half a tank of juice so I reckon it is worth doing it anyway. I went for the Rings on both the RAV and its successor. The GV's stock HIDs are brilliant (arf arf) so with standard bulbs the main beams hardly added anything. Once upgraded to Rings I can see errant livestock while it is still around the corner. (Well, the instrument panel has a button that says ESP )

Mike D

[Zele]

The new bulbs cost (per pair) me less than half a tank of juice so I reckon it is worth doing it anyway. I went for the Rings on both the RAV and its successor.

Mike D

And what about longevity? It is not the bulb cost that bothers me, but how often I'll have to replace them. :)

[Mike JD]

And what about longevity? It is not the bulb cost that bothers me, but how often I'll have to replace them. :)

Fair question. Can't really help there. Her ladyship's Pug 206 did pop a sidelight bulb the other day after 5 years and 70000 miles but the RAV and GV didn't/hasn't blown anything. Other than that one I have not changed a bulb in anger for years. I may be lucky, I may just rarely do less than half an hour at a time under lights so that the bulbs get properly warm but I am constantly amazed by the number of cars I see with a head-, rear- or brake-light out. What about the car you see coming towards you with just one headlight and the foglights on. Tell me the driver doesn't know.....

As to Rings or the Osram or Phillips equivalents I too would be interested to know if anyone has experience of their lifespan. In any event I will continue to use them. I would rather build in a budget for good bulbs than run over anything I had not seen on a bad weather night. After all it might be somebody's child. Sorry folks. A heavyweight reply rather than my usual buffoonery.

Mike D