Any Tips for brighter headlights

[joby 0]

Mot Time again :( Last time they moaned about the beam on my headlights not being strong enough and was wondering if anyone has used some higher quality bulbs or higher watage, Just a quick fix really before buying a better loom.. Any ideas :)

[Phil K 0]

The loom is the heart of the problem so would be the very first place to start tbh... if you want to go brighter after that then uprated lamps or an HID kit would be the way to go!

 

There are varying opinions on HID's and the law is unclear (although others will say it's black and white) and this often ends up in an already well documented debate about legalities...

 

I have them on my LCR and they are superb - very very bright and I haven't had any trouble with the BIB or anyone flashing me when driving towards them!

 

Would deffo get the loom right before starting on anything else though 8)

[coreyj031.8t 0]

Lol. Just turn your and leave your highbeams on. that is what i do. :)

[joby 0]

Thanks! Know what you mean about the loom, but just looking for quick fix before saturday to get through the Mot

[DEL VR6 0]

dont know about quick fix, but defo get yourself a better loom. and dont get a cheapo one, use someone from here is he is still around. H100VW i think was his name. Gav? or something like that.

[coopersam 0]

Is anyone still making quality uprated looms? I would definately like to get one, but dont fancy the risk of setting fire to my car by doing it myself :?

[DEL VR6 0]

Is anyone still making quality uprated looms? I would definately like to get one, but dont fancy the risk of setting fire to my car by doing it myself :?

no idea. i bought mine such a long time ago and at the time everyone was upgrading / already had done it. I dont use the forum regularly enough to know who's around and is still doing them. i wouldnt have risked doing it myself either.

[BigTartanJudge 0]

You can still buy uprated looms on eBay. I had one fitted though and it ended up screwing up the electrics on the car so I ripped it out. I have angel-eyes fitted and they seem brighter than standard rado lights. I also have an HID kit waiting to be fitted. However, I am not going to be using an uprated loom with them as it is really not needed. If staying close to standard I would get uprated loom if well made and can be installed correctly and well and uprated bulbs. If wanting "night and day" difference then get and fit HID kit and fit and forget :grin:

[vwdeviant 0]

Quick and cheap...

 

Halfords do a 50% brighter bulb

Phillips do a 70% brigher bulb...

 

Both are still 55/whatever so stay legal, just clever bulb-jiggery-pokery means they run brighter!

 

Have Halfords ones in mine for over a year and while the difference isn't massive in-car they are a lot brighter from outside!

[Neil VR6 0]

I got an HID kit and I've never looked back. Infinitely clearer vision, you can actually drive the car at night properly now

[fla 9]

Just wired in a loom relay to mine - dipped beam is leagues better, problem is the full beam is worse than dipped!

[Yandards 0]

Philips xtreme power bulbs, gay name, great bulb.

 

Well worth doing, you get white light without the issues of uprated looms.

[vwdeviant 0]

Philips xtreme power bulbs, gay name, great bulb.

 

Well worth doing, you get white light without the issues of uprated looms.

 

That's the bugger! They're the 70% ones aren't they?

[marshole82 0]

so some go for looms, some for just bulbs....can you fit the HID bulbs without a loom change? is it better just to fork out for the phillips bulbs and replace rather than looms?

 

i know you all have different opinions, but surely there is a cost-effective and "1-spanner-job" for the dunces (like me)?

[davidwort 0]

well, swapping the bulbs to brighter higher light output ones like the Phillips is pretty easy, but the voltage drop through the original VW loom is so much that relaying up standard bulbs helps no end, so both relayed (at least dip beam) and the better bulbs together gives you even more improvement.

 

Using relays is all about the attention to installation, the better you protect the relays and connectors the longer they will last, I fitted my self built relay loom over 8 years ago, installed the relays in a protective box and everything is like the day I fitted it.

self-tap a relay to the inner wing and leave everything exposed and you're asking for trouble (as soon as it rains)

[BigTartanJudge 0]

You don't need an uprated loom to fit the HID's and they are much better / brighter / draw less than any other plain uprated bulbs. You are about £30 for a pair of uprated bulbs (unless on special offer) and my Bosche HID's cost about £100 for a kit.

[Phil K 0]

Shop around and you can get HID's a lot cheeper than £100... I paid £45 for mine on ebay! thnk the seller was called 'dianeshop' or something along those lines and they were shipped from hong kong! Been using them for the best part of a year with no problems at all...

[joby 0]

Thanks all for the tips, Will try the bulbs and go from there! Wish me luck with the mot,

[Critical_Mass 10]

What are they like to fit? Do they come with fiting instructions, or do you need to be in the know?

[BigTartanJudge 0]

Which, replacement bulbs or the HID kit ? If it's the HID kit you are referring to, the kit is easily fitted in 1-2 hrs and I would imagine comes with clear fitting instructions, well mine did anyways. I got a Bosch HID kit which seems very good quality and I paid about £110 delivered.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Which, replacement bulbs or the HID kit ? If it's the HID kit you are referring to, the kit is easily fitted in 1-2 hrs and I would imagine comes with clear fitting instructions, well mine did anyways. I got a Bosch HID kit which seems very good quality and I paid about £110 delivered.

 

Yeah sorry, the HiD kits. 1-2 hours, not as long as i though. Going to consider the HiDs kit, where did you get the Bosch kit from Tartan?

[BigTartanJudge 0]

Bought the kit off eBay and unfortunately don't have the link anymore :( Just do a search for Bosche HID kits, and make sure the ones you look at have the correct bulb-type and bob's your father's brother.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Cheers mate! :D

 

Is it a 1-2 hour job for a average DIY'er. Im not 100% confident with working with electrics.

[Lufbramatt 0]

afraid Bosch have never made any aftermarket HID kits, the ones that say Bosch on the are chinese fakes that are the same as the unbranded ones . . .

[BigTartanJudge 0]

Funny, the bulbs are marked with a Bosche part number ?? Whatever, anyways, they are better than standard bulbs and are reasonably cheap for such a vast improvement. I fitted one to my mates Alfa over 2 years ago and it's still perfect.

 

They are pretty easy to fit, the ballasts just need mounting securely in the engine bay somewhere. The wiring it easy too, as the wires just plug into the ballasts with special fittings on thge ends of the loom. The bulbs just clip into the headlights the same way replacement bulbs would.