Upgrading Headlight Bulbs.

[Uncle_P]

Mornin' all.

I've been snooping around the auto bulbs website and I'm thinking about swapping my standard H4 bulbs for some osram nightbreakers (+110%). Has anybody here switched to brighter bulbs? Do they really make much difference? I've already cleaned up the plastic lenses with toothpaste and elbow grease which has made a big difference, but I'm still looking for more light.

I've seen a lot of cars with bluey coloured headlights, does this make visibility better, or is it just a style thing? The lights on my wife's VW are HID and they're great, but when I get back in the Rav, the illumination always seems a little lacking.

I could be tempted to add a pair of spotlights to the front end, but I'd rather go down the upgrade route and keep it all stock looking.

[Tech01]

Both Osram Nightbreaker and Philips Xtreme-Vision (XVS2) are excellent high-output (but standard wattage) lamps, which will improve your headlight performance considerably. Both have "UV block" technology, which helps prevent yellowing of headlight lenses; many cheaper lamps do not have this.

Moving to bluer lamps offers no advantages in visibility, and actually increases the amount of 'scatter' in poor visibility conditions (fog and mist, drizzle, snow). Keeping toward the 'warm' end of the spectrum (where halogen lamps operate) is a sensible thing to do, although not regarded as currently 'fashionable'.

HID conversions can have their merits, but it is now illegal in the UK to convert vehicles to HID (for road use) whose headlight units were not designed to have them, do not have headlight cleaning apparatus, and are not equipped with self-levelling suspension - all of which rule out such conversion on most standard vehicles, including RAV4.

It is also possible on a 4.2 to greatly increase the light output of the front foglights (if you have the twinned indicator/fog units), and retaining the original 51W lamps, by simply removing the internal metal lamp baffle (in front of the lamp), This something like triples the light output, and lets the front fogs do some useful work. [Remove the foglight, and extract the thin metal baffle, through the lamp opening, bit by bit with some pointy pliers/cutters. It is not possible to separate the reflector from the front glass, so 'extraction' must be done through the bulb opening. Bit of a fiddle, but very rewarding!]

Chris

[silly sausage]

I can recommend the night breakers, I had them in my previous 4.3, they're very good without looking 'boy racer ish'.

[voyager t180]

Mine aren't too great either,think I'll give them night breakers a whirl.

Interesting info on the HIDs Chris.

[Uncle_P]

I like the idea of removing the baffle from the fog lights, great idea! I'll order some night breakers, £30 a pair from autobulbsdirect.co.uk

[Big Kev]

Both Osram Nightbreaker and Phillips Xtreme-Vision (XVS2) are excellent high-output (but standard wattage) lamps, which will improve your headlight performance considerably. Both have "UV block" technology, which helps prevent yellowing of headlight lenses; many cheaper lamps do not have this.

Moving to bluer lamps offers no advantages in visibility, and actually increases the amount of 'scatter' in poor visibility conditions (fog and mist, drizzle, snow). Keeping toward the 'warm' end of the spectrum (where halogen lamps operate) is a sensible thing to do, although not regarded as currently 'fashionable'.

HID conversions can have their merits, but it is now illegal in the UK to convert vehicles to HID (for road use) whose headlight units were not designed to have them, do not have headlight cleaning apparatus, and are not equipped with self-levelling suspension - all of which rule out such conversion on most standard vehicles, including RAV4.

It is also possible on a 4.2 to greatly increase the light output of the front foglights (if you have the twinned indicator/fog units), and retaining the original 51W lamps, by simply removing the internal metal lamp baffle (in front of the lamp), This something like triples the light output, and lets the front fogs do some useful work. [Remove the foglight, and extract the thin metal baffle, through the lamp opening, bit by bit with some pointy pliers/cutters. It is not possible to separate the reflector from the front glass, so 'extraction' must be done through the bulb opening. Bit of a fiddle, but very rewarding!]

Chris

Chris.......uncle plod may have something to say, like he once did to me. If you take what is classed as a foglight and use it as a driving light, they have issue with that. Then actually amending the light to give off better light, good idea, but may not now focus the light as it was originally intended to do. Or are The Polis up here just nit pickers....?

Luckily I hand my handbook to hand which called mine driving lights, so they let me drive off.......with the lights off anyway in case I looked like I had "won"...........

[Hoovie]

I like the idea of removing the baffle from the fog lights, great idea! I'll order some night breakers, £30 a pair from autobulbsdirect.co.uk

I used the Philps Extreme H4s on my RAV4.2 and found them really good. Priced around £20 from Amazon currently.

[three5]

Mornin' all.

I've been snooping around the auto bulbs website and I'm thinking about swapping my standard H4 bulbs for some osram nightbreakers (+110%). Has anybody here switched to brighter bulbs? Do they really make much difference? I've already cleaned up the plastic lenses with toothpaste and elbow grease which has made a big difference, but I'm still looking for more light.

I've seen a lot of cars with bluey coloured headlights, does this make visibility better, or is it just a style thing? The lights on my wife's VW are HID and they're great, but when I get back in the Rav, the illumination always seems a little lacking.

I could be tempted to add a pair of spotlights to the front end, but I'd rather go down the upgrade route and keep it all stock looking.

Hi Bill,

I've got Nightbreakers on my 4.3 now. I'm on my second set as one of the first pair gave up after about 2 years. The original bulbs seemed to give very poor illumination compared with my previous Vitara so my first try was an HID conversion. The light was phenomenal but as the first MOT approached my nerve gave out and I went back to the best conventional bulbs I could find at the time which was the Nightbreakers. It was one of our members who hasn't been about for a bit who convinced me to give them a try. Where are you Stew?

[LeeADAB]

I changed mine a while back for "osram silverstars 2.0"

They are definitely a brighter whiter light. No blue tinge.

Pleased with them and great to replace the yellowing ones that were still working after over 9years service without any failures.

[graunch]

Nightbreaker unlimited H4 for £15.99 a pair on eBay at the moment with free delivery, will be fitting some to my own 4.2 soon.

[GreyRacer]

This the the light output with all four uprated bulbs on my last RAV. Halfords Ultimate +110 I think.

Will be changing the new RAV's dipped to those.

[Tech01]

Hi David,

Well - what more could you ask for? Superb light distribution (near-to, distance, and kerbside), and good colour rendition! Just shows what some decent halogens can do.

Brilliant.

Chris

[glorydad]

Hi All,

please note that Halfords (no connection) are doing a BOGOF on their range of headlight bulbs at the moment...seems very good value for uprated bulbs.

Andy

[GreyRacer]

Just bought two of their Ultra Brilliance +120s for the dipped beam. You can clearly see the colour signature difference between the eom and the uprated bulb. Eom drivers side.

[Uncle_P]

Ordered myself a pair of nightbreakers from Amazon. A bargain at 12 quid for the pair.. And that includes a pair of sidelight bulbs too! Not sure I'll bother with them though until the current ones fail. Thanks for all your input on this thread everyone, as always your knowledge and experiences have helped enormously.

Edited to add: Nice looking motor grey racer!

[Tony Barnsley]

Eurocarparts have a 25% sale on Headlight bulbs for the next 72 Hours OSRAM Nightbreakers available for 27 Quid using the Code UNLIMITED25

[Hoovie]

Eurocarparts have a 25% sale on Headlight bulbs for the next 72 Hours OSRAM Nightbreakers available for 27 Quid using the Code UNLIMITED25

Hi Tony,

What bulbs are they actually selling for that price? From Amazon, I bought a set of H7 Nightbreakers for £10.70 and a set of H1 Nightbreakers for £10.47, so the full set for £21.17 with free postage.

Ah, the "unlimited" version. A bit pricier (but Amazon still beats them at £18.32 v £26.24 :) )

[Tech01]

Don't the "Limited" versions just have 'gold' caps (which you won't normally see...), but are actually just the same lamp?

[davef2901]

I've some Bosch bulbs in mine, brilliant. Didn't realise how good until 1 blew, !Removed! hell! They were only +90% too! So I'd recommend, but stick to brands-Philips, Osram, Ring, Bosch.

[Tech01]

Interesting to wonder just who has actually made the lamp you are buying in someone's packet. The major lamp manufacturers do, so far as I know, manufacture for each other (otherwise they'd all have to produce every type of lamp). Sometimes looking at the Made in ______ gives a clue.

And, despite the labels, do Bosch actually make vehicle batteries?

Chris

[glorydad]

Anybody know who makes Halfords branded bulbs?

[Tech01]

Anybody know who makes Halfords branded bulbs?

I guess, like supermarkets, they swing their supplier contracts around.

'Made in Holland' used to indicate Philips

'Made in Germany' used to indicate Wotan (Osram) or Ring

'Made in USA' indicated GE/Sylvania

All now anyone's guess. Probably China.

[Raistlin]

My Mrs uses these on her Rav, Philips BlueVision Ultra HB3 9005

http://www.powerbulbs.com/product/philips-blue-vision-hb3-9005-hid-car-headlight-bulbs

Not the cheapest but they do give an excellent coverage, the bright white light is the closest to natural daylight making for a much easier and safer driving experience at night.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Anybody know who makes Halfords branded bulbs?

It is a company called Alite - who also make some, if not all, of the bulbs for Ring Automotive. Pretty sure they're Chinese.

[Hoovie]

Ring seems to be one of those companies that doesn't actually make anything, but buys kit in to their required specs. Osram and Philips more involved in the whole end to end process (well, just my perception, anyway :) )