Gee It's Dark Round 'ere

[Ethanedwards]

Coming home last night I noticed rather less light about.

Sure nuff my passenger headlight has gone. Now I checked Google and it said my car uses an H4 luckily I had a couple of those in my oddsnsods box in the garage. Well all the google bulb finders are rubbish. Not an H4 at all it's an HIR2 LL a singularly weird bulb,that I don't have. So I'm dropping it into Lancasters tomorrow and letting them do it while I'm at work. I bet weird equals pricey...

What I found odd was that a single filament bulb when it goes takes out your main AND dipped beam. Guess I'm used to more old fashioned set ups. Still I'd like to thank the posters here for educating me when I did a search about it last night.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Example of a Toyota dealer's eBay store cost for an HIR2 bulb - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-Toyota-IQ-Headlamp-Head-lamp-Optifit-Car-Light-Bulb-HIR2-90981-YZZAM-New-/251389195893

Amazon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Osram-9012-Headlight-Bulb/dp/B00I409JK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422486965&sr=8-1&keywords=hir2+bulb

[cuius]

Although no longer compulsory in Spain (due to the virtual impossibility in some cars of changing bulbs without disassembling half the bodywork), most dealers are still providing a set of spare bulbs, thank goodness.

[PeteB]

...What I found odd was that a single filament bulb when it goes takes out your main AND dipped beam...

gee that's a worry - anyone know why both beams should go together like that (just out of curiosity)?

My short term fix since cars had these electric levelling wheels was to switch to main beam and trim the lights to their lowest setting just to get home (although cars with LED headlights won't have this, of course) - no one ever flashed me when I did this.

[Reminds me of a long drive from Surrey to Exmoor in the dark in the early 1980s in a mk 1 Fiesta - my friends commented on the number of cars we passed with just one headlight, and when we stopped facing a wall in a pub car park after some 100 miles, we found we were one of them! (they were both working when we set off, because I'd always did an extra check before a journey like that).]

[CPN]

...What I found odd was that a single filament bulb when it goes takes out your main AND dipped beam...

gee that's a worry - anyone know why both beams should go together like that (just out of curiosity)?

As was said above, it's because it is a single filament that is the single source of both main and dipped beams. The dip being created out of a single beam by the operation of a solenoid driven shutter as far as I can tell...

[PeteB]

Sorry, I missed that bit. Time for some sleep...

[MEP's Yaris GS]

My short term fix since cars had these electric levelling wheels was to switch to main beam and trim the lights to their lowest setting just to get home (although cars with LED headlights won't have this, of course) - no one ever flashed me when I did this.

Only because you were another driver with dazzling lights ;)

Although I've noticed more starting to do this, and it really does dazzle oncoming drivers as there is do real defined beam pattern, even if pointed to the ground.

[PeteB]

Although I've noticed more starting to do this, and it really does dazzle oncoming drivers as there is do real defined beam pattern, even if pointed to the ground.

Are you sure about that Jon?

Not dazzling other drivers is something very close to my heart, and on both occasions I can remember doing this (both on Cavaliers) I weighed carefully the relative merits of of finishing a relatively short journey with one headlight against having two main beams angled down.

Facing a wall, it seemed the beams were actually quite narrow (which seems logical as they're meant to project into the distance), and at the maximum drop were focused roughly where the dipped would normally be but straight ahead instead of to the left. Of course, the main beams were slightly higher wattage, and I would be more worried about reflections had the road been wet.

I remember on one occasion checking this against a white garage door when I got home, and again seemed to confirm my beliefs that it wouldn't cause any dazzling.

Incidentally, in the Fiesta example, I replaced the bulb there and then in the pub car park from my spare bulb kit. The remainder of the journey was on roads where I would have noticed it, whereas on the M4/M5 it hadn't been at all obvious that I only had one headlight, although I have no idea at what stage during the journey it failed - may even have been just before I parked.

Changing a bulb at the roadside in the dark is not always something I'd contemplate, unless I could find somewhere safe to do it..

[MEP's Yaris GS]

obviously back in the days of refractor headlights in older cars like the Cavalier it may have been different, but I know in most modern reflector headlamp units you'll still get dazzle from main beam, even if pointed fully down.

The dazzle may not be as bad as if pointed correctly, but its still there to some extent normally.

[Birty]

Even if both working its still dark around here! Anyone aware of upgrades to fit! Halfords dont sell them!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Which car are you looking to upgrade the bulbs?

[Birty]

Hi . Sorry gen 3 prius.. Aweful headlights down in darkest Sussex!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Think yours takes H11 bulbs in low beam - Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited +110% or Ring xenon Ultima 120% are examples of upgrades :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/BREAKER-UNLIMITED-halogen-headlamp-64211NBU-01B/dp/B00FQ8AQKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422828704&sr=8-1&keywords=osram+night+breaker+unlimited+h11

http://www.amazon.co.uk/PGJ19-2-Ring-Ultima-Halogen-Headlamp/dp/B00OA5GLLI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1422828772&sr=8-8&keywords=h11+upgrade+bulbs

[stompe]

http://store.candlepower.com/mohirbuba.html might help, its easy to do,

[johalareewi]

On my Gen3 prius, I have found the nightbreaker type bulbs are brighter. But the downside is they don't last as long and they cost a lot more. And the drivers side one is a PITA to change.

Just use main beam and dip as appropriate.

[Birty]

Ok. Best to remove an old one first to check.. Pita i know! Powerbulbs.com here we go...