Brighter Headlights - Update

Just a point of note that the thumb wheel is not to raise the lights. They are statically set and usually MOT tested in the highest point. They are there to compensate for heavy loads by lowering the beam.

Rather academic in the Zed given its hard suspension and limited load carrying ability
 
srhutch said:
stuartC said:
Same issue with my halogen candles, interested to hear of a simple fix :)
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The simple fix is to raise the headlamps a couple of complete turns of the adjuster.

Just remember to lower for mot time.

I found this more than brighter bulbs fixed the issue in my old zed.
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I did this also on my old z4.
New bulbs and raised the bulbs a bit.

My God they were dim before
 
Upgrade bulbs are a complete waste of money IMHO. Adjusting aim higher will help but if you really want more light on the road you'll need a HID kit.
They are technically illegal and I don't dispute this, I'm also aware that the reflector is not designed for the HID arc.

However - in my experience (with headlamp washers) I have had no MOT issues and am not flashed by oncoming drivers - the cut-off is sharp.
 
Scooba_Steve said:
Upgrade bulbs are a complete waste of money IMHO. Adjusting aim higher will help but if you really want more light on the road you'll need a HID kit.
They are technically illegal and I don't dispute this, I'm also aware that the reflector is not designed for the HID arc.

However - in my experience (with headlamp washers) I have had no MOT issues and am not flashed by oncoming drivers - the cut-off is sharp.
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Fair assessment and summary
 
as far as im aware hids need projector lenses as opposed to regular cut flat lenses due to the bulb focusing difference between filimet and hid bulbs.always get a nice nct friendly beam cut off and no flashing/blinding other drivers with projector style lenses in my e60/s2000/avensis , tried a set in my old cossie with cut lass and was dazzle city,i know your mot can be picky on washers but no issue with our nct

PROPER upgrade filiment bulbs make a massi ve differece over cheap motorfactor replacments,no dark spots and uneven light pattern imo....

zaga
 
Can anyone recommend an upgrade bulb for the Xenons, i find my standard bulbs quite poor particularly for Xenons
 
after having a lot of hassle with this myself, i tried several options...

upgraded to phillips extreme vision bulbs - better than standard candles, but still not good enough for my liking
upgraded again to osram night breakers - seemed a tiny bit better than the phillips, but could have just been a trick of my eyes(there probs very similar)
adjusted the beam height under the bonnet - even with the cockpit wheel adjusted to its highest setting, the light cut off was still not very far up the road (i put this down to the incorrect springs being fitted at rear which makes it sit high therefore causing the beam to be closer than it was before springs were changed) - this seemed to help a fair bit as i could see further up the road, albeit with pretty dull lights (note: not so high it was in oncoming traffic, high enough to where it should have been set)
fitted HIDs - by far the best method providing your happy with the bending of legalities involved as stated above about the washers and lamp reflectors etc. ive had them fitted for a month or so and only been flashed once, but that was probably due to my beam angle being high from when i had the candle halogens... the light output is soooo much better and the colour is even better, i have 2 VERY prominent cut off lines now whereas before it was so dull i could barely see where the cut off were (this might have been affected by the complete overhall i did when i fitted HIDs i cleaned inside and out etc)


hope this helps :)

for reference this is the kit i got... also note its a 55w kit compared to the more common 35w kit people use: http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/h7-55w-d-lumina-smart-canbus-hid-xenon-conversion-kit/
 
JINGLE said:
after having a lot of hassle with this myself, i tried several options...

upgraded to phillips extreme vision bulbs - better than standard candles, but still not good enough for my liking
upgraded again to osram night breakers - seemed a tiny bit better than the phillips, but could have just been a trick of my eyes(there probs very similar)
adjusted the beam height under the bonnet - even with the cockpit wheel adjusted to its highest setting, the light cut off was still not very far up the road (i put this down to the incorrect springs being fitted at rear which makes it sit high therefore causing the beam to be closer than it was before springs were changed) - this seemed to help a fair bit as i could see further up the road, albeit with pretty dull lights (note: not so high it was in oncoming traffic, high enough to where it should have been set)
fitted HIDs - by far the best method providing your happy with the bending of legalities involved as stated above about the washers and lamp reflectors etc. ive had them fitted for a month or so and only been flashed once, but that was probably due to my beam angle being high from when i had the candle halogens... the light output is soooo much better and the colour is even better, i have 2 VERY prominent cut off lines now whereas before it was so dull i could barely see where the cut off were (this might have been affected by the complete overhall i did when i fitted HIDs i cleaned inside and out etc)


hope this helps :)

for reference this is the kit i got... also note its a 55w kit compared to the more common 35w kit people use: http://www.hids-direct.co.uk/h7-55w-d-lumina-smart-canbus-hid-xenon-conversion-kit/
Click to expand...

Cheers Jingle, I'm considering all options. BTW where exactly is the beam adjustment under the bonnet? I'm tempted to try this first with new extreme vision bulbs, simply because its an easy mod. How easy is it fitting the HID's?
 
In typical z4 style I've also played. Tried night breakers and they were a smidge better but one of the bulbs failed during the first long spell of use. In my opinion, rubbish. As stated previously they are still H7 but burn brighter so don't last as long. I went for the 35w HID kit and I'm more than impressed. Cut off is nice and clean and I can actually see the road when driving at night. If you search my posts you see a whole thread about this very topic and the kit I bought. Not too hard to fit although you do need to cut a bit of the rubber on the kit off and you will also need to bend the original metal bulb carrier to get some of the connections through. I'm one happy driver and my MOT man doesn't mind either.
 
right,

top photo is with the beam FARRRR too low and standard bulbs (note the horizontal fence beam, light level aims downwards)
middle photo is adjusted beam and upgraded phillips/osram bulbs (note the horizontal fence beam level with light beam now)
bottom photo is with HIDs installed (much brighter "cleaner" light)

all photos were taken different days/times/conditions etc so its just a guide...

 
cj10jeeper said:
I haven't used that brand but have the Osram night breakers at less than half that price in my XF as the auxiliary main and flash to pass. Can't say they give out much more light, but are certainly whiter.

One point to remember is aside all the mumbo, techno speak for this sort of bulb they are no more than a halogen bulb (although they may put another inert gas in it). If they are brighter and the wattage is the same then the temperature is higher. To do that the filament is thinner so they last a shorter time. In reality expect less than a year, depending on use. What they do is make them better as where the filament is, so more light is focussed where you are looking, so the extra light claims ought to read 'more light where you need it'
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Ditto - lights were like candles in a jamjar before - now with night breakers they are whiter candles in a jamjar! Better but not a solution. HID kits look good cheap and simple, might give them a try. Plenty of threads on fitting on here. :thumbsup:
 
I cant see much in the dark from my xenons!

Was thinking of buying new bulbs? i bought new bulbs for my e60 last year from HID direct as one failed..they costed near £90 for the pair..but came with 1 years warranty...

were is the light adjuster?
 
Must be something different though Marlon, mine came in a kit and cost £350 and are painfully bright and white....

 
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