Best bulbs? for white light?

[s_purs]

I changed my bulbs this afternoon. I haven't driven my car yet but on our drive, where its pitch black as we are out in the sticks, I am really impressed with the Osram bulbs so far! They seem far brighter and looked very white. I would definitely recommend them (so far) to any driver who hasn't got/doesnt want the expense or hassle of HIDs.

Tell you what though, removing the side light bulbs was a real pain! They are soo stiff in the holders and you just have to pull really hard with plyers and wiggle them for ages to get them out, whilst you feel like your going to break them!

 

[jonathan_phang]

I blew one bulb a couple of weeks back, so got a set of Nightbreakers (the newer plus versions) but I swear my beam pattern looks odd. Going to get the alignment and pattern checked out soon, but in the mean time, any chance you could do a pic of the lights heading out into the distance? Maybe its just me, and the fact that they are brighter means i can see more clearly the beam pattern. They are a lot whiter though - happy with them, apart from this nagging in the back of my head.

 

[s_purs]

That is at the 1 height setting by the lights on switch. Don't know if mine looks right or not? My light pattern seemed weird with my old bulbs

 

[jonathan_phang]

Cheers for that - will have to try and get some of mine to for comparison.

 

[Allan_84]

That is at the 1 height setting by the lights on switch. Don't know if mine looks right or not? My light pattern seemed weird with my old bulbs

looking at your picture, i think your left light is wrong, either its adjusted down into the ground or the bulb is fitted wrong in the socket.


try to park the car 2m in front of a wall, and you can see it clearly, the horizontal line has to be the same hight for both right and left.

it has to look something like this

picture i google

 

[s_purs]

Yeah that's the bit that I thought was weird with my last bulbs- left light aimed higher than the right. When I was replacing them there was something different between the left and right bulbs too- on the right (drivers side) there was a black cube that wires with a white plastic end were plugged into inside the light casing, which you had to reach found to get to the bulbs. In the left light there wasn't the black thing, just the same whites with the white connector end that wasn't plugged into anything, so it seemed to be missing? The dates that were printed inside the headlights casing were different top-level the drivers side was made in 2003 and the passenger side was 2008 (car is an 04 plate). So that light has been replaced and it looks like the black bit wasnt replaced too?

The only thing I could think the black box thing was could be the height adjusted for the lights? It had a part number on it but I don't have it to hand. Does that sound about right to people? Do I need to replace this? I'm guessing that might sort out the passenger side light beam if I do?

 

[s_purs]

The number says: 1J0941295B, then 473 underneath that

this is the black box part that is missing from the passenger headlamp. does anybody know what it is? And if it would be the reason why that headlamp isnt shining at the right angle?

also this light is missing the metal wire clip (that you can see on the left) that holds the back cover the of the light in. does anybody know if i can buy that part?

Cheers

 

[Allan_84]

the black box with part number 1J0 941 295 B is the electrical hight adjust motor on that picture.

 

[s_purs]

ah cool, so that does make sense at why the passenger light isnt at the right angle. do i just need to order that part and simply plug the cables in the top to make it work or will it need to be fitted and adjusted at a garage? do i need any other parts with it?

how did you find out what it is by the way? Is there a part number search thing on the net? Or did you just happen to know?

Cheers

 

[Allan_84]

....how did you find out what it is by the way? ....

Cheers

im a mechanic, most mechanics knows what stuff on cars is if they see it, like your picture.

 

[s_purs]

Just spoke to my dad and he said to check of the car is actually meant to come with 2 adjusters? Can someone please confirm if there meant to be one in each headlight or is there only meant to be one in the drivers side?

Thanks

 

[Drew O]

all headlights have a adjustment in them mate so yes one for each headlight aim

 

[s_purs]

they cost £40 from the dealer. Stupid car, why doesn't it have one in the passenger side!

 

[offitmassive]

That is at the 1 height setting by the lights on switch. Don't know if mine looks right or not? My light pattern seemed weird with my old bulbs

It MIGHT not be the black box, i had a similar issue with my old gttdi, the adjuster thingy is like a ball and socket joint, and when adjusted up, the ball pulls backwards pulling the top of the lens backwards, so light goes up, but if adjusted too much, you end up pulling the ball joint out the socket, so the lens just goes plop and point to the floor, try removing the bulbs, and getting the headlamp out and see if the lens is insecure in the headlight....if so, you will see the ball socket joint so pull the lens so the ball+socket joint click back into place.... the ball bit looks like this

 

[s_purs]

Hmm, but the bulbs seem perfectly horizontal and secure in the light, do you think I should still check this? I might just take it down to a garage next week and see what they say. Just wanted to make sure the height adjuster was definitely meant to be in both lights, in case they weren't sure/charged me for something I didn't need

 

[Dione J]

http://www.ultraleds.co.uk/

Best 501's by far IMO

 

[FR_Flavoured]

Be careful if you decide to go HIDs, as you should also fit headlight washers / auto-levelling.

I had a set of HID's retro-fitted to my old Mk4 Ibiza, While it did pass through MOT's without issue, they are bringing in a new law that will clamp down on aftermarket HID kits that dont confirm to new laws (ie: also with washers and auto-levelling fitted).

Also, the higher the K rating, the more Blue they will look - makes them not so White, plus dont light up the road so well....

Just getting a 'decent' set of brighter bulbs is the cheaper option, as you have done, plus will have no problems from an MOT / legal perspective.

 

[davidhunter]

Have a look at the thread I started on Osram these bulbs are the brightest much more than the nightbreakers they are not road legal though !! http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=312922

 

[Muttley]

David, if you find that Nightbreakers are little improvement over a standard bulb then you should examine your headlamps, check that the glass is clean and clear, take off any headlamp protectors and/or tint and check the reflectors are still clear and polished.

 

[davidhunter]

Cheers Muttley,

Well I probably should have said they were nightbreakers and not the nightbreaker plus which is the latest ones, also they have been in the car for 7 years before 1 blew so well old and a good advert for how long the originals lasted.

I put in a normal 55w one and it was brighter but what do you expect after 7 years.

If you look at Osrams website though standard bulb is 1500lm nightbreaker plus 1700lm and the 64217 2100lm so the figures speak for themselves. What they do not say is the light patterns are different. The nightbreakers have filters in areas to make the pattern more acceptable and prevent dazzle to oncoming driver the offroads do not. A lot of bikers use the 64217's as it gives them plenty of light when tilting on corners.

I would love to go HID which have around 3000+ lm but I hear new MOT rules are on the way that may start to fail some of the aftermarket HID kits.

If anyone can get me these bulbs for less than phoenixautobulbs drop me a link as I want to buy a few of them.

Should have said lens etc. are all pretty clean not great though but again 7 years old they are as good as the number of stones that have hit them from all the bloody stones from the potholes around Glasgow and all over the nation at the moment.

Thanks

David