Replacing front headlights

sanofi

sanofi

sanofi

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Vienna
I'd like to replace my front headlights with something brighter as the current lamps just don't illuminate enough for me at night.

Can anyone recommend a bright white headlamp and where to get it? Also, is there any benefit with a blue lamp as I have heard good things about the Osram cool blue lights.
 
Phillips Xtreme Vision are what most people reccomend... gonna replace your rear headlights too? :p
 
With Halogens, you can only do so much.

What model of car is it? Is it possible to retro fit HID's?
 
Gayjin said:
With Halogens, you can only do so much.

What model of car is it? Is it possible to retro fit HID's?
Click to expand...

Which will then make his car illegal in January 2012 so not really worth it for 6 months.
Might as well buy good quality Halogens.
 
stoofa said:
Which will then make his car illegal in January 2012 so not really worth it for 6 months.
Might as well buy good quality Halogens.
Click to expand...

If he retrofits with supporting systems, then why will it be illegal?

4.1.4 Compliance with requirements:
(a) Lamp, emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
(b) Products on lens or light source which obviously reduce light intensity or change emitted colour
(c) Light source and lamp not compatible

4.1.5. Levelling devices (where mandatory):
(a) Device not operating.
(b) Manual device cannot be operated from driver’s seat.

4.1.6 Headlamp cleaning device (where mandatory):
Device not operating.
 
Gayjin said:
If he retrofits with supporting systems, then why will it be illegal?

4.1.4 Compliance with requirements:
(a) Lamp, emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements
(b) Products on lens or light source which obviously reduce light intensity or change emitted colour
(c) Light source and lamp not compatible

4.1.5. Levelling devices (where mandatory):
(a) Device not operating.
(b) Manual device cannot be operated from driver’s seat.

4.1.6 Headlamp cleaning device (where mandatory):
Device not operating.
Click to expand...

Because I doubt very much if the OP wants to spend somewhere in the region of 2k fitting a washer system and self-levelling system.

Retro-fitting of legal HID's (as of January 2012) is cost prohibitive.
 
It's a 2001 Saab 93 convertible. Also, does anyone know what fitting this car takes? Or where to find that info? I checked in the manual but couldn't find it.
 
Does your car have headlight washers? Lots of the saabs do, also you will probably have headlight level adjustment. So maybe you can fit HID's?
 
stoofa said:
Because I doubt very much if the OP wants to spend somewhere in the region of 2k fitting a washer system and self-levelling system.

Retro-fitting of legal HID's (as of January 2012) is cost prohibitive.
Click to expand...

It totally depends on the car (which we don't know). /EDIT - We do now!

Mine for instance doesn't have washers and the Evo's never did - so I think this is where the "where mandatory" creeps in.

As for the self levelling, again depending on the car - for instance on my Evo, the harness exists in the loom as Xenon's are an option on the car - I simply needed to buy the switch from a guy breaking his Evo, pull out a blanking plate and fit the switch, and plug it in to the harness. Then swap the lights and jobs a goodun.

As per cost? Again down to the car, but £2k is unrealistic unless you are silly enough to pay RRP for new ones at a dealer and of course what the marque is. Even then for me it would have "only" come to £1k.

I managed to pick up second hand Xenon headlights from an Evo 8 MR for £350 including harnesses, plugs, bulbs and ballasts.

Again, as mentioned several times, this is all dependent on what car it is, which is why I asked this in my first post.
 
Hi, from here http://www2.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafety/drs/hidheadlamps.html this is the law regarding HID's at present:

Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should:

1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component.

2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with (although no government inspection will take place).

3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned.

In practice this means:

1. The headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory.

2. Once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some expensive estate cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam.

3. The headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp.

Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal.
Chris
 
It's only "not mandatory" if the car was supplied with HIDs from the factory without washers or self-levelling.
These are very few and far between - yes there are some out there, but very few.
Anything even half modern would have had these fitted at factory and so would require them in a retro-fit situation.

£2k is not an exaggeration at all to fit a washer system and self-levellers.
 
Which is exactly what I was saying - if he is in the same situation as I was then it's not going to cost him £2k is it?

Even if it involved retrofitting the washer system I still would have looked into it, and to be honest if it isn't too much work, you can obtain the parts cheaply and you aren't the sort of person who will **** themselves at the thought of using a multimeter and/or spanner, it would be something to do at the weekend.

I have no knowledge of the ins and out of what Saab do and so can't comment specifically on the retrofitting possibilities.

All I've stated in this thread (largely whilst not knowing the make/model) is:

A.) Retrofitting may be an option.
B.) Doing so may not necessarily be prohibitively expensive or illegal.
 
Nick1881 said:
Does your car have headlight washers? Lots of the saabs do, also you will probably have headlight level adjustment. So maybe you can fit HID's?
Click to expand...

Yes the headlights do have washers and headlight level adjustment.

I'm not really interested in anything to flashy, just some goo quality, bright headlamps.

I don't know what fittings the lamps use though.
 
Last edited:
sanofi said:
Yes the headlights do have washers and headlight level adjustment.

I'm not really interested in anything to flashy, just some goo quality, bright headlamps.

I don't know what fittings the lamps use though.
Click to expand...

Looks like the Xtreme Visions are for you, however bearing in mind you have the supporting systems, an HID retrofit may be a possibility for you in the future should the Xtreme Visions not be satisfactory.
 
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