Jonny's shite guide to headlight bulbs

[jonny69]

I present to you, a short but shite guide to headlight bulbs!

This thread has been in the making for over 3 years and has involved literally two purchases of uprated headlight bulbs and maybe an hour of eBay searching and a wander round Halfords. Why? Headlights have been getting steadily brighter over the last few decades. It's now getting way out of hand and we shiters are caught in an arms race of ridiculous brightness. DO NOT GET LEFT BEHIND, COMRADES. Your weak headlights will compromise you. We are driving cars with shit old headlights, but they can be better!

This will be obvious to many but it wasn't to me, so let me scribble down some musings in case it's of any use to anyone. I'm going to talk about foggy headlight lenses and then do a brief bit about uprated bulbs based on my extensive research on eBay and what I've read on more than one other forum. Please add your bits too.

Step 1, starting point - foggy plastic headlight lenses

Plastic headlight lenses degrade with age. From new they have a UV coating to protect the plastic from oxidising, which eventually breaks down and the plastic turns foggy on the outside. I absolutely recommend doing this and you'll be surprised what a difference it makes by polishing this off. Above, on the Mongda I've used a cloth and G3 rubbing compound and the difference is marked. By doing this you will immediately see more light coming out and your beam pattern will be restored. With the restored beam pattern, there is far less light scatter as it goes where it should do and I find I get fewer oncoming drivers flash me afterwards.

Unfortunately, once the original coating has gone, you'll have to maintain the lens by polishing it every couple of months. You can use dedicated products with UV protection which may be better but you will still have to look after them periodically. I've only ever used G3 and car wax and I re-do them maybe twice a year.

Step 2, uprated bulbs

There are some basics here:

1. The filaments in your bulbs are in a specific position so that the light reflects out to a specific place with a specific pattern. The more accurately the filaments are positioned inside your bulbs, the better the light quality will be. Cheap Chinese bulbs will have the filaments chucked in and the light will go all over the shop. For good light, pay a bit more and stick with good quality bulbs.
2. Filaments degrade with age. If you compare an old bulb with a new one, you'll see the older filament is covered with spiky bits and melted looking bits. Just having a new bulb makes a difference.
3. There is a standard minimum light output for bulbs. This is what the +100%, +130% figures refer to.

Based on the above. Avoid cheap bulbs. Anything claiming +ONE MILLION PERCENT ULTRA ZENON BLUE LEGAL FOR USE IN UK ECT for £3.67 for 5 delivered is going to be a shit bulb and the light will be bright blue and go everywhere. It'll probably be worse than your original bulb. Slightly related to this, because the filament position is so critical, it's difficult to see how an LED replacement bulb with an array of LEDS is going be able to emit the light output in the correct place. My personal opinion is these products aren't ready yet as a direct bulb replacement.

There are an array of good quality branded uprated bulbs. Philips, GE and Osram are some examples. These currently range from +100% to +150% light output and, using a 60/55W H4 bulb as an example, cost is around £15-£25 per pair delivered online. They are far cheaper online than in Halfords, where the markup is massive. Uprated bulbs are whiter in colour, but should not be blue. The light colour should be a good quality white. This is something to watch out for, because the colour range (temperature) is regulated and too blue is illegal in the UK. For example, the Philips Diamond Vision are too blue/white (colour temperature is 5000K) and do not comply with the regulations - but this is clearly stated so that you won't get caught out. 

My reviews

Upgrade 1: Autumn 2016. The car had standard H4 halogen bulbs when I got it and the light output was very dim and orange. This was a couple of years ago now, I didn't know what I was looking at so I went for some basic Halfords +100% uprated bulbs. A good quality looking bulb with a slight blue tint around the glass, as they all seem to have. These were noticeably brighter than the originals and the light output whiter and looked clearer on the road. They made a big difference on unlit lanes compared to the originals. They lasted nearly 3 winters over 40K miles in daily use, which I thought was fair. Overall: would recommend if you can't get access to buy anything online. Price: £15.90 each so they work out quite expensive compared to buying online.

Upgrade 2: Winter 2019. One of those burned out a few weeks ago and I went online this time. I wanted to give one of the increased output bulbs a go this time. Obviously had already eliminated the Philips Diamond Vision due to colour. Toss up between the Osram Night Breaker Laser, the slightly more expensive Osram Night Breaker Laser Next Generation, GE Megalight Ultra and Philips Xtreme Vision. There really didn't look like much between these, the specs and prices were so similar it was difficult to choose. I went for the slightly more expensive Osram Night Breaker Laser Next Generation, which had a little more brightness than the other Osram bulb and without the illegal colour penalty of the Philips Diamond Vision. £20.25 delivered for the pair. I've got to say I'm very impressed. The beam pattern is absolutely sharp as a knife, which I was not expecting. Light output is definitely increased on the road in front and improved on the left hand side, so the bank on an unlit lane is far more visible. Colour is a full rich white. Again, I did not expect this and assumed it would be much bluer in colour but it is not. High beam is good, though I don't tend to use it much, but a lot of light remains on the road and not up in the trees and sky, which is a good thing. Overall: at this point, definitely recommend. Only thing I can't comment on at this point is longevity. I would expect the trade-off is that the bulb is not going to last as long. It's burning hotter and is probably more fragile as a result. Only time will tell and I'll check back in when one pops.

[spartacus]

Nice write up, it'll be useful in future I'm sure, cheers.

apologies for the weird text but I don't know how to turn it off.:-(

[vulgalour]

Many shiter cars have glass lenses so they don't have that modern car issue of foggy plastic.  That said, just cleaning headlight lenses makes such a huge difference to light output, unsuprisingly, so even if you cba washing the whole car, at least do the headlights.  Osram Nightbreakers are a really nice light to drive by and I can concur cheap bulbs are a false economy.  Cheaper bulbs definitely last longer but it's at the expensive of light quality and if you're lights are already sub-par to begin with, those cheap bulbs are going to make life so much more miserable.  Stick the best you can afford in and keep the lenses clean and you should be good to go.

As for LED lights, I'm yet to see any that work as well as incandescent ones in light units designed for incandescent bulbs, and cheap LED bulbs are borderline dangerous in this regard for rear lights especially which can be so dim they might so well not be on.  There's probably very scientific reasons for this to do with light patterns and such.

[beko1987]

Might treat myself, my bulbs are proper orange... Plus as vulg says, glass lenses ftw! Mine are spotless, might treat them to a glass polish and wax when I do the bulbs though. 

Job for next month, thanks! 

[MikeR]

I think some lights are getting far too bright and also out of adjustment , and speed bumps etc dont help , one quick flash of high intensity light and your might vision is gone .

then the fat arse load in the car pointing head  lights skywards .  nothing worse than having some high set headlights following you !!

that aside I have found a good set of new branded bulbs does help in the light output dept !!!

[DVee8]

I fitted Osram Night Breaker  to my previous x-trail. A load of shit lasted 3 months.Mrs V8 was helping at a ride for disabled stable on a farm out in the sticks,one dark evening  we were leaving started the car,no lights both bulbs went pop.

Luckily i had the old bulbs in the boot,so swapped them back over. I went to Halfords the next day and had the Halfords bulbs fitted. These lasted till i sold the car.

I spoke to Osrams tech department as i wasn't happy with the performance of there bulbs but they wanted the bulbs back but Halfords disposed of them..

May have just been a one off as others have had good performance from their bulbs..

[DVee8]

5 minutes ago, MikeR said:

I think some lights are getting far too bright and also out of adjustment , and speed bumps etc dont help , one quick flash of high intensity light and your might vision is gone .

then the fat arse load in the car pointing head  lights skywards .  nothing worse than having some high set headlights following you !!

that aside I have found a good set of new branded bulbs does help in the light output dept !!!

Ummm, last winter I was driving home after late shift around 11.30pm coming off the slip road to join the A1 to come off the next slip road.A very small car possibly a cit C1 or pug. Was along side on the A1,i was on the slip she had 2 empty lanes next to her but wouldn't move over to let me join,so i ended braking and joining  behind her.

I'm in a Nissan X-Trail,my headlight were direct  height with her rear view mirror,that must have been uncomfortable till i overtook her..

[skattrd]

Nice write up Jonny.

I've used Osram Nightbreaker and Phillips whatever in the past and I have no complaints about either, but the ones I used will probably be a couple of generations older than the current ones.
I read about the GE megalight wotsit somewhere last year and thought I'd give them a try. I was definitely impressed, I can't say they're better than the current rivals but I'd definitely recommend them and use them again.

Anyone with an older car and weak headlights, check the voltage at the bulb, even a 0.5v drop can make a noticeable difference in light brightness.
I've now got ebay relay harnesses on a couple of my cars now to make sure the headlights get full voltage … like these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1pc-Car-12V-H4-Headlight-Lamp-Bulb-Relay-Wiring-Harness-Kit-Socket-Plug-Wire-ra/312693549106

[loserone]

That's a good call, better than melting the harness

[jonny69]

27 minutes ago, DVee8 said:

Luckily i had the old bulbs in the boot,so swapped them back over.

I should point out I've also got the original bulbs in the glove box in case of emergency. Quite a lot of my driving is on unlit roads. One bulb going isn't so bad, but losing both is a disaster.

Something I've noticed is my OH's 59 plate Peugeot eats bulbs. I think it's the automatic headlights constantly switching them on and off which puts a lot of stress on the bulb. Mine are manual so they only go on when I put them on. I think even if you set auto headlights to always on, it would still significantly prolong the life of the bulb because they're not switching on/off all the time.

[sutty2006]

I got fed up with the candles in the manta, never could compete with modern cars, especially on unlit roads. I went from 55w to 100w bulbs. Illegal I know, but made a very little improvement and driving on unlit roads is still a challenge. I might upgrade the bulbs in the carlton as they aren’t much better either. 

[leafsprung]

Isn't the 'quality' of the light as much to do with the quality of the optics of the headlight lens itself? I've posted before about Osrams which made not the slightest difference to the shit headlights in my old V50 which illuminated 20 feet in front of the car in glaring brightness and plunged everything else into pitch dark.  

Great fun* when you're on unlit roads. Borderline suicidal in rain, mist or fog. 

The Osrams burned out in a couple of months anyway and I went back to boggo standard bulbs and I still wont pay stupid money for 'premium', 'upgrade', cornea burners to this day.

When you live in the arse end of nowhere and spend a lot of time on dark, windy and narrow roads the moderns headlight arms race does make you realise just how far you end up driving literally blind.   Even bloody brake lights are painful when lazy sorts sit at traffic lights with their foot on the pedal.  

[jonny69]

Huh, not sounding promising for these Osrams so far...

[scdan4]

Osrams are great. They do not last forever, but I’ll use them for 2 winters then replace for the 3rd. Get real ones from Osram not oooo they’re cheap osrams from China. I’m a complete convert, everything used at night gets them. It’s nice being able to see where you are going.

Not mentioned above is check the voltage that the bulb sees. Tiny voltage drops result in large lumen losses. All those connections with corrosion growing will be stealing light.

Edit.

cant read, skatrd did it first 

[Noel Tidybeard]

can't see any mention of 5k colour

(Regulations 18 and 20)
SCHEDULE 4
PART IRequirements relating to obligatory dipped-beam headlamps and to optional dipped-beam headlamps to the extent specified in part ii

1.  Number–

(a) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (e):
    Two

(b) A solo motor bicycle and a motor bicycle combination:
    One

(c) A motor vehicle with three wheels, other than a motor bicycle combination, first used before 1st January 1972:
    One

(d) A motor vehicle with three wheels, other than a motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st January 1972 and which has an unladen weight of not more than 400 kg and an overall width of not more than 1300 mm:
    One

(e) A bus first used before 1st October 1969:
    One

2.  Position–

(a) Longitudinal:
    No requirement

(b) Lateral–

(i)Where two dipped-beam headlamps are required to be fitted–

(A)Maximum distance from the side of the vehicle–

(1)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (2) or (3):
    400 mm

(2)A vehicle first used before 1st January 1972:
    No requirement

(3)An agricultural vehicle, engineering plant and an industrial tractor:
    No requirement

(B)Minimum separation distance between a pair of dipped-beam headlamps:
    No requirement

(ii)Where one dipped-beam headlamp is required to be fitted–

(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B):
    

(i)On the centre-line of the motor vehicle (disregarding any sidecar forming part of a motor bicycle combination), or

(ii)At any distance from the side of the motor vehicle (disregarding any sidecar forming part of amotor bicycle combination) provided that a duplicate lamp is fitted on the other side so that together they form a matched pair. In such a case, both lamps shall be regarded as obligatory lamps.

(B)A bus first used before 1st October 1969:
    No requirement

(c) Vertical–

(i)Maximum height above the ground–

(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B):
    1200 mm

(B)A vehicle first used before 1st Janary 1952, an agricultural vehicle, a road clearance vehicle, an aerodrome fire tender, an aerodrome runway sweeper, an industrial tractor, engineering plant and a home forces' vehicle:
    No requirement

(ii)Minimum height above the ground–

(A)Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (B):
    500 mm

(B)A vehicle first used before 1st January 1956:
    No requirement

3.  Angles of visibility:
    No requirement

4.  Alignment–

When a vehicle is at its kerbside weight and has a weight of 75 kg on the driver’s seat, and any manual headlamp levelling device control is set to the stop position, the alignment of every dipped-beam headlamp shall, as near as practicable, be as follows:

(a) In the case of a vehicle having a maximum speed exceeding 25 mph–

(i)If the dipped-beam headlamp bears an approval mark its aim shall be set so that the horizontal part of the cut-off of the beam pattern is inclined downwards as indicated by the vehicle manufacturer in a marking on the vehicle, as mentioned in sub-paragraph 12(b) or, where no such marking is provided–

(A)1.3 per cent if the height of the centre of the headlamp is not more than 850 mm above the ground, or

(B)2 per cent if the height of the centre of the headlamp is more than 850 mm above the ground;

(ii)If the dipped-beam headlamp does not bear an approval mark and the headlamp can also be used as a main-beam headlamp its aim shall be set so that the centre of the main-beam pattern is horizontal or inclined slightly below the horizontal;

(iii)If the dipped-beam headlamp does not bear an approval mark and the headlamp cannot also be used as a main-beam headlamp its aim shall be set so as not to cause undue dazzle or discomfort to other persons using the road;

(b) In the case of a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph–

(i)If the dipped-beam headlamp bears an approval mark or not and the headlamp can also be used as a main-beam headlamp its aim shall be set so that the centre of the mean-beam pattern is horizontal or inclined slightly below the horizontal;

(ii)If the dipped-beam headlamp bears an approval mark or not and the headlamp cannot also be used as a main-beam headlamp its aim shall be set so as not to cause undue dazzle or discomfort to other persons using the road.

5.  Markings–

(a) Any vehicle not covered by sub-paragraph (b), (c) or (d):
    An approval mark or a British Standard mark

(b) A motor vehicle first used before 1st April 1986:
    No requirement

(c) A three-wheeled motor vehicle, not being a motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st April 1986 and having a maximum speed not exceeding 50 mph:
    No requirement

(d) A solo motor bicycle and a motor bicycle combination:
    No requirement

6.  Size of illuminated area:
    No requirement

7.  Colour:
    White or yellow

8.  Wattage–

(a) A motor vehicle with four or more wheels first used on or after 1st April 1986:
    No requirement

(b) A three-wheeled motor vehicle, not being a motor bicycle combination, first used on or after 1st April 1986–

(i)having a maximum speed not exceeding 50 mph:
    15 watts minimum

(ii)having a maximum speed exceeding 50 mph:
    No requirement

(c) A motor vehicle with four or more wheels first used before 1st April 1986:
    30 watts minimum

(d) A three-wheeled motor vehicle, not being a motor bicycle combination, first used before 1st April 1986:
    24 watts minimum

(e) A solo motor bicycle and a motor bicycle combination–

(i)having an engine not exceeding 250 cc and a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph:
    10 watts minimum

(ii)having an engine not exceeding 250 cc and a maximum speed exceeding 25 mph:
    15 watts minimum

(iii)having an engine exceeding 250 cc:
    24 watts minimum

9.  Intensity:
    No requirement

10.  Electrical connections–

Where a matched pair of dipped-beam headlamps is fitted they shall be capable of being switched on and off simultaneously and not otherwise.

11.  Tell-tale:
    No requirement

12.  Other requirements–

(a) Every dipped-beam headlamp shall be so constructed that the direction of the beam of light emitted therefrom can be adjusted whilst the vehicle is stationary.

(b) Every vehicle which–

(i)is fitted with dipped-beam headlamps bearing an approval mark,

(ii)has a maximum speed exceeding 25 mph, and

(iii)is first used on or after 1st April 1991

shall be marked with a clearly legible and indelible marking, as illustrated in Schedule 23, close to either the headlamps or the manufacturer’s plate showing the setting recommended by the manufacturer for the downward inclination of the horizontal part of the cut-off of the beam pattern of the dipped-beam headlamps when the vehicle is at its kerbside weight and has a weight of 75 kg on the driver’s seat. That setting shall be a single figure–

(A)between 1 and 1.5 per cent if the height of the centre of the headlamp is not more than 850 mm above the ground, and

(B)between 1 and 2 per cent if the height of the centre of the headlamp is more than 850 mm above the ground.

(c) Every dipped-beam headlamp fitted to a vehicle first used on or after 1st April 1986 in accordance with this part of this Schedule shall be designed for a vehicle which is intended to be driven on the left-hand side of the road.

(d) Where two dipped-beam headlamps are required to be fitted they shall form a matched pair.

13.  Definitions–

    In this Schedule–

    “approval mark” means either–
    (a)

    a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 5 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 12 or 13 or 14 or 16 or, in the case of a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph, 27 or 28 of Schedule 4 to those Regulations, or
    (b)

    a marking designated as an approval mark by regulation 4 of the Designation of Approval Marks Regulations and shown at item 1A or 1B or 1C or 1E or 5A or 5B or 5C or 5E or 8C or 8D or 8E or 8F or 8G or 8H or 8K or 8L or 20C or 20D or 20E or 20F or 20G or 20H or 20K or 20L or 31A or 31C or, in the case of a vehicle having a maximum speed not exceeding 25 mph, 1H or 1I or 5H or 5I of Schedule 2 to those Regulations; and

    “British Standard mark” means the specification for sealed beam headlamps published by the British Standards Institution under the reference BS AU 40: Part 4a: 1966 as amended by Amendment AMD 2188 published in December 1976, namely “B.S. AU40”.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

standard hid bulbs are 4300k- 4800k & leds more like 5000- 6000k

[PhilA]

My experience is that if Plod doesn't think they are "too blue" then generally any color from yellow through to bluish-white is acceptable.

 

Also very much vouch for decent wiring, particularly in older cars. The bulbs in my Chieftain are 50W dip and 65W high beam, both were fed with a single piece of thin wire with 2 switches (on/off and dip/bright) and 3 connector points along the way. Cleaning up switches and upgrading the gauge of the wire made a very noticeable difference to the brightness of the lights. They went from terrible to acceptable.

 

--Phil