Replacement Had Light Bulbs

[Tysonator]

Hello,

I am hopping to put fit some white Main / dipped beam front head light effect bulbs in my 2014 Astra GTC.
There are HIP Xenon replacement kits at apx £60-£80 each or put in filament replacement white effect bulbs.
Halford offer there own range at a very cheap price, however after reading some reviews it appears they can be unreliable and tend to blow often. Even though they my be cheaper than bosh or Ring the cost will soon mount up !

Any suggestions on reliable makes please ?

 

[Ricochet J]

Don't fit a HID replacement kit. They're illegal, mostly installed incorrectly, and once installed usually don't have the correct ballasts to auto level the headlamps so you end up ****ing other road users off, and usually they don't include the jet washers to wash the headlamps.

If you want xenons, buy a car with xenons.

 

[Dandle]

Osram Silver stars are very good. Nice white light and last along time unlike night breakers.

 

[[TW]Fox]

Don't fit a HID replacement kit. They're illegal, mostly installed incorrectly, and once installed usually don't have the correct ballasts to auto level the headlamps so you end up ****ing other road users off, and usually they don't include the jet washers to wash the headlamps.

If you want xenons, buy a car with xenons.

Even new cars don't have washers quite often these days and ballasts have nothing to do with auto levelling.

 

[skaif]

Don't fit a HID replacement kit. They're illegal, mostly installed incorrectly, and once installed usually don't have the correct ballasts to auto level the headlamps so you end up ****ing other road users off, and usually they don't include the jet washers to wash the headlamps.

If you want xenons, buy a car with xenons.

Not agreeing with this - how do you install them incorrectly? The bulb replacement is just a bulb replacement. Hardly rocket science.

Also the normal 5k ones (or even 4300k) are perfectly fine and don't blind every one in a reflector.

As has been mentioned, ballasts have nothing to do with auto levelling. Every car I have fitted HID's to this has been unaffected.

As long as you get a decent kit with metal light base / ballasts and dip the beams it should be fine - yes there is light scatter and yes if you point them upwards it can be annoying to other users, but install them properly and it should be fine.

I have never once been pulled over or fined due to my lights or failed an MOT.

 

[Ricochet J]

ballasts have nothing to do with auto levelling.

Off course they don't

 

[Lopéz]

Don't fit a HID replacement kit. They're illegal,

Debatable

mostly installed incorrectly

Of no concern to the OP

, and once installed usually don't have the correct ballasts to auto level the headlamps so you end up ****ing other road users off,

That isn't what the auto levelling does (it's not what the ballasts do either) - auto levelling is for when you have loaded the boot full of gear, which happens just as badly in halogen equipped cars as it does HID ones.

and usually they don't include the jet washers to wash the headlamps.

Neither do lots of OEM ones

 

[[TW]Fox]

Off course they don't

They really don't, they are part of the electrical supply to the bulbs.

Self levelling adjusts for loading in the car because the consequences of the driver being a half-wit who can't use the adjuster wheel when he fills his car with luggage are more serious with brighter lights.

 

[Lopéz]

They really don't, they are part of the electrical supply to the bulbs.

Self levelling adjusts for loading in the car because the consequences of the driver being a half-wit who can't use the adjuster wheel when he fills his car with luggage are more serious with brighter lights.

So many people think the self levelling literally reacts to every bump and undulation in the road surface. That would need one almighty servo set up... I wonder if you could implement a "floating" headlamp like a Steadicam system?