New FR owner, couple of questions

[nicklaus27]

Hi guys,

my 2nd thread after my introduction, so please be nice

I've just bought a 09 plate Leon FR diesel in speed blue, and i want to change a few things, I've had a good search round the sight but tbh it's all gone over my head

I'm looking to change the ghastly yellow sidelights, dipped & main beam, for some whiter brighter bulbs....what's the best to get that wont throw up any errors? seen something on the LED sidlights but got me a bit confused as electrics and engine mods aren't my strong points!

Also want to change the silver FR mirror covers to some black one's as i'm going with a blue and black theme and the silver just looks out of place....

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in Advance...

Nick

 

[SteveTDCi]

Hi Nick, welcome to the forum, you've made a good choice in the Leon, i'm sure you will love it. With regards to upgrading the bulbs, in my A3 i uprated these to the Philips extreme ones a very worthwhile addition, you can uprgrade both dipped and main beam in the non xenon headlights. With regards to the sidelight bulbs you will only get errors if you go down the LED route, you need to make sure they have the resisitors built or wired into them. Have a look at the post further down in this forum.

Steve

 

[GainfulShrimp]

To get brighter and whiter lights without any faff and minimal cost, get Osram Nightbreakers for your dipped and main bulbs and several websites offer free sidelight bulbs with that kind of order, with blue glass so they look much whiter than the standard bulbs.

Philips X-treme Power are very good too, but IMHO the Osram Nightbreakers look a little bit whiter in the light colour they produce. These bulbs are designed to maximise light output rather than be 'white'. The 'white' bulbs with blue glass usually put out less light than standard, even if it's a nicer colour.

I've just installed some cheap (<£20) "can-bus compatible LED sidelight" thingeys in my FR and they look lovely although they were a bit of a faff to get working. Trouble is, they're perhaps a bit *too* white as they make my main bulbs look yellow.

For the whitest and brightest dipped headlights, you'll need to install a HID Xenon kit. You can buy decent (no or little glare) kits online but all of them require some installation faff (even if it's just cutting a hole in the headlight cover and finding somewhere to locate the ballasts in the engine compartment).

In summary, if you don't have OEM Bi-xenons, then getting some upgraded standard bulbs is your cheapest and easiest option.

 

[nicklaus27]

To get brighter and whiter lights without any faff and minimal cost, get Osram Nightbreakers for your dipped and main bulbs and several websites offer free sidelight bulbs with that kind of order, with blue glass so they look much whiter than the standard bulbs.

Philips X-treme Power are very good too, but IMHO the Osram Nightbreakers look a little bit whiter in the light colour they produce. These bulbs are designed to maximise light output rather than be 'white'. The 'white' bulbs with blue glass usually put out less light than standard, even if it's a nicer colour.

I've just installed some cheap (<£20) "can-bus compatible LED sidelight" thingeys in my FR and they look lovely although they were a bit of a faff to get working. Trouble is, they're perhaps a bit *too* white as they make my main bulbs look yellow.

For the whitest and brightest dipped headlights, you'll need to install a HID Xenon kit. You can buy decent (no or little glare) kits online but all of them require some installation faff (even if it's just cutting a hole in the headlight cover and finding somewhere to locate the ballasts in the engine compartment).

In summary, if you don't have OEM Bi-xenons, then getting some upgraded standard bulbs is your cheapest and easiest option.

Hi Nick, welcome to the forum, you've made a good choice in the Leon, i'm sure you will love it. With regards to upgrading the bulbs, in my A3 i uprated these to the Philips extreme ones a very worthwhile addition, you can uprgrade both dipped and main beam in the non xenon headlights. With regards to the sidelight bulbs you will only get errors if you go down the LED route, you need to make sure they have the resisitors built or wired into them. Have a look at the post further down in this forum.

Steve

thanks for the quick reply guys, think i'm going to go down the phillips or osram route then, can pick them up pretty cheap on ebay...and yeh i'm loving the car already....esp the looks it get with full bodykit on and the custom palette speed blue colour...really is a head turner!

what about the mirror covers? any advice on those?

thanks, Nick

 

[alx_chung]

Speak to Dave at Sere Motors (he has his own section in the traders bit) He can get you the black wing mirror covers for you otherwise you can check on Ebay to see if there are any on sale.
Alex

 

[Jedimaster65]

Hey Nicklaus, welcome !

That Speed blue is such a nice colour...

You can buy Black mirror covers from your local SEAT "Stealer" for about £8.50 each including VAT.


Just be wary that I did this and the first two that SEAT delivered to my local dealer were badly scratched and I refused to accept. the reason is they don't wrap them properly and they rub together in transit=nasty scratches.

Be sure to examine them before handing over your hard earned...

 

[Jedimaster65]

Nicklaus,

Forgot to say:

The part number for the mirror covers is :
1P0857537 041

Cheers JM

 

[SteveTDCi]

oh and I think autobulbs have a special offer on the Osrams, i thought they were half price

 

[nicklaus27]

Hey Nicklaus, welcome !

That Speed blue is such a nice colour...

You can buy Black mirror covers from your local SEAT "Stealer" for about £8.50 each including VAT.


Just be wary that I did this and the first two that SEAT delivered to my local dealer were badly scratched and I refused to accept. the reason is they don't wrap them properly and they rub together in transit=nasty scratches.

Be sure to examine them before handing over your hard earned...

thanks mate, i love the colour too! lol and thanks for the part number! you not fancy them on yours? think they'd look the mutts nutts with your car being white being white!

 

[Jedimaster65]

Yeah, I actually have both white and black covers, - love them both !

I rotatate them every so often...but the white ones look great as the mirror casing is black anyway, so with the black/white contrast they look quite cool !

 

[Bedlam]

Nicklaus,

Forgot to say:

The part number for the mirror covers is :
1P0857537 041

Cheers JM

Was just checking this for myself and I think the part number above is for a left and that 1P0857538 041 would be for a right - just to avoid anyone buying two "left handers"

Any idea how "black" they are as my Leon is Black Magic
i.e. do they match the lower mirror housing or are they "shiny painty"

 

[chrisboyle999]

glossy, ala cupra.

 

[red line fun]

welcome, you have definitely bought thee best colour

 

[Jedimaster65]

Bedlam,

I never thought of that, - I only had one of the part bags left...two left mirrors could prove tricky !

They are non metallic black (Ebony, I think) not a match for black magic, but would look OK, I think.

 

[Bedlam]

OK thanks, you can buy them primed finish too.....so may think about that as an option

 

[Jedimaster65]

I bought my mirror covers in just the primer finish and had the local Stealer spray them white for me.
They did a really nice paint job on them (better than the pre-painted black ones which are a bit orange - peel finish) but they charged me £80 in total ! (Faint !)

 

[SteveTDCi]

£80 .. i've been quoted that to spray a spoiler ! ouch

 

[AZZ]

fancy seeing you here nick LOL

 

[robdf2]

Hi guys,

my 2nd thread after my introduction, so please be nice

I've just bought a 09 plate Leon FR diesel in speed blue, and i want to change a few things, I've had a good search round the sight but tbh it's all gone over my head

I'm looking to change the ghastly yellow sidelights, dipped & main beam, for some whiter brighter bulbs....what's the best to get that wont throw up any errors? seen something on the LED sidlights but got me a bit confused as electrics and engine mods aren't my strong points!

Also want to change the silver FR mirror covers to some black one's as i'm going with a blue and black theme and the silver just looks out of place....

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks in Advance...

Nick

if you have the budget , fitting hids is the way to go.
but for a small outlay then the bulb suggestions already mentioned will be up to the job.

 

[nicklaus27]

fancy seeing you here nick LOL

Oh bloody hell what you doing here! lol

I cant get rid of you anywhere i go!

but this just proves you want a Leon FR like mine!! wait till AON here about this!