Projector lights - any way to improve?

J77

I have a 2006 volvo s40 with standard H7 halogen projector lights. The original bulbs are fairly poor and a replacement halford's light was slightly worse.


Short of getting a HID kit is there something I could do to improve my dip lights? Would a pair of osram nightbreakers, philips x-treme vision or PIAA extreme whites be worth getting to solve the problem? The fogs aren't great either!

Thanks!

Berty

The H7 dipped beam problem is a well known problem and if you go on a Volvo discussion forum they are constantly going mad about it although considering now the car is no longer in production Volvo aren't likely going to care.

Anyway. Yes getting nighbreaker or Philips Extreme will help. I had a S40 for a short while and put HIDs into them(only because they had projectors) and they worked a treat, didn't blind anybody and really improved the light.

A good HID kit will be from €75 upwards + delivery.
A set of H7 Nightbreakers would be around €20.

Start with the H7 bulbs and if you are no happy go with HIDs.

DO NOT PUT 100W bulbs in your car!!!

langdang

J77 wrote: »

Short of getting a HID kit is there something I could do to improve my dip lights? Would a pair of osram nightbreakers, philips x-treme vision or PIAA extreme whites be worth getting to solve the problem? The fogs aren't great either!

Nightbreakers probably the handiest if you don't fancy fitting a HID kit yourself. Those PIAAs are just mad money.
The nightbreakers seem to be available in two flavours now - standard +90%, but 50% lifetime for approx 20euro, and +90% light but with approx normal bulb lifetime (nightbreaker plus I think) for more euros.

Fogs won't add much if anything to your driving experience unless it's genuine crawling speed fog. I won't say any more on that topic...

Ardennes1944

i would defo get the hids personally. if you get the nightbreakers thats possibly another 20 odd euro gone for nothing. fitting hid kits are really really easy, it really is just plug and play. i swapped my hids from my punto into my astra now and the biggest problem was that i had to get adapters for the astra's headlights. hids ftw!:)

johnos1984

I have found the projector lights terrible on my Passat since getting it however I'm slow to install a HID kit due to the lack of space.

Halfords Excellence 90% + H7s 2 for 1 at the moment so €25 for two. Noticeably better than the one I didn't replace (I replaced the blown one and wasn't too arsed about the other .............lazy, access was poor, hands were cold, stomach grumbling, natural light fading, generally depressed etc.... :pac: )

bazz26

When I had an S40 I fitted the nightbreakers straight away to it, the improvement was noticeable instantly. One thing to note though is that the dipped headlights on the S40 are also Daytime Running Lights so due to the nightbreakers shorter life it may work out quite expensive replacing them frequently.

Joe7

Op, get yourself a fUcking eyetest (or slow down).

It's true as fuCk, people that complain about the lights on their cars usually can't see for Shit anyway.

Gary ITR

Joe7 wrote: »

Op, get yourself a fUcking eyetest (or slow down).

It's true as fuCk, people that complain about the lights on their cars usually can't see for Shit anyway.

Did you read Berty's reply? If you wish to continue posting in this forum reign your attitude in. Thanks

Berty wrote: »

The H7 dipped beam problem is a well known problem and if you go on a Volvo discussion forum they are constantly going mad about it although considering now the car is no longer in production Volvo aren't likely going to care.

Joe7

Onkle wrote: »

Did you read Berty's reply? If you wish to continue posting in this forum reign your attitude in. Thanks

Yeah, I read his reply, said he couldn't see, quit blaming the car FFS.

Midnight_EG

Joe7 wrote: »

Yeah, I read his reply, said he couldn't see, quit blaming the car FFS.

Have you ever compared different strength bulbs as a matter of curiosity?



I notice a huge difference between standard bulbs and my HID's!

Joe7

Anything & everything including your average artic truck (big roof mounted lights and all).
In the dark it's your own sharpness of vision that counts; no light will make up for it.

Midnight_EG

Joe7 wrote: »

Anything & everything including your average artic truck (big roof mounted lights and all).
In the dark it's your own sharpness of vision that counts; no light will make up for it.

So you're saying I can drive without lights at night, as long as I have my wits about me?


I love the fact that my HID's provide me with near day-time light...allows me to see just as if it was day, no arguments there.

challengemaster

Midnight_EG wrote: »

So you're saying I can drive without lights at night, as long as I have my wits about me?


I love the fact that my HID's provide me with near day-time light...allows me to see just as if it was day, no arguments there.

No no, he's obviously right. If you've got true 20-20 vision you should easily be able to see everything in complete darkness. It's all a scam sure, all you need is some carrots! :rolleyes:

Joe7

20/20 vision, I wish!
Seriously, I have nowhere near that but I'm not too vain to wear glasses.
There are people on our roads who 'can't see for Shit' (to quote an earlier post) & don't care.

doOh

Joe7 wrote: »

Op, get yourself a fUcking eyetest (or slow down).

It's true as fuCk, people that complain about the lights on their cars usually can't see for Shit anyway.

Right ... Try to compare Mazda 323F (94-98) lights with actly plenty of other car lights ... they are ****ty as hell, its not always about driver

OldmanMondeo

Joe7 wrote: »

Anything & everything including your average artic truck (big roof mounted lights and all).
In the dark it's your own sharpness of vision that counts; no light will make up for it.

Right, So when I changed my OE fitted bulbs in my Mondeo to Phillips 30% extra light, the difference was because I suddenly was able to see better cause my vision improved? I drive plenty of non lit roads, old N4, Kilcock to Kinnegad for example and I find the new bulbs give me much better illumonation (sp) than the OE bulbs.

doOh

And i fitter ultra ice something 100w lowered lights a little bit so they dont blind and i see way better :P My eyes are healed lol

johnos1984

Joe7 wrote: »

Seriously, I have nowhere near that but I'm not too vain to wear glasses.
There are people on our roads who 'can't see for Shit' (to quote an earlier post) & don't care.

Which bridge do you live under?

My eye sight is fine, everyone who has been in my car has asked if I have a blown bulb. Its certainly the car and not my vision.

Add to that I keep a bag of carrots in the glovebox for consumption during every trip at night. Never had an issue

J77

Joe7 wrote: »

Op, get yourself a fUcking eyetest (or slow down).

It's true as fuCk, people that complain about the lights on their cars usually can't see for Shit anyway.

A truly enlightening suggestion Joe, I'll be sure to take your expert advice on board. Perhaps you might also offer me some debating lessons to go with your advice? I'm just so impressed by you're brilliantly constructed argument, how can I possibly argue when you've so intuitively stated that "It's true as ****."

Seriously lad? Unless you're a failing optician hoping that this conspiracy will generate some income I really don't see what business you have giving such an opinion.



Cheers for the genuine replies guys! Might just go ahead with getting a HID kit if it will offer the results. I'm thinking of getting it done by icetronix. They give a warranty if they fit it as well.

https://www.icetronix.com/index.aspx?page=product&id=3712

What do ye think?

Berty

€150 squid.

You're mad. Buy one from HID's Direct.co.uk.

Make sure you get a Canbus Friendly one or no errors one and heck I'll even help you fit it FOR FREE.(dependant on your location of course). It's piss easy especially with a Volvo because you can literally remove the unit from the car to work on it.

I did it to my own Volvo and 2 friends Volvos. 5000k lights are the best(my opinion). Ensure you also get a 501 T10 White LED off Fleabay or something as well.

Sersiouly, buy one on the net and fit it yourself. I guarantee I could fit the thing in 15minutes or less(without drilling - 30 minutes with drilling) and you'd still have your warranty from HIDs direct.

You're mad going to Icetronix who probably bought the unit cost price from China for €25.

BTW. I have a brand new HID kit in my car which I got from Poland. I'll let you know how I get on when somebody on Vagdrivers gets back to me about how to fit fat hands into a VW Passat engine bay to fit them.

johnos1984

Berty wrote: »

BTW. I have a brand new HID kit in my car which I got from Poland. I'll let you know how I get on when somebody on Vagdrivers gets back to me about how to fit fat hands into a VW Passat engine bay to fit them.

Thats why I've not fitted them to the Passat

sean1141

have to say hids in the projector lights are great.. i would stick with 4300k or 5000k. imo anything after that looks too blueish. i got mine of german ebay for 44 euro i think. they were not can-bus ones do..

what passats are ye fitting them in lads? is it the b6 model??

johnos1984

Mines a B6, tight is not the word

sean1141

ya probaly would have the bumper off and lights out quicker than it would take trying to wiggle the bulb into a tight space.. is it on the two sides its tight or just one?

johnos1984

Tight on both sides but the drivers side also has the fuel filter which makes it worse

Berty

sean1141 wrote: »

what passats are ye fitting them in lads? is it the b6 model??

johnos1984 wrote: »

Mines a B6, tight is not the word

Nah I can get my hand in there. I managed to get my fat hand all the way over and removed the sidelights but the LEDs I had wouldn't fit in the base. Waiting on more to arrive from Fleabay.

Anyway I can get the H7 out and can manage to get the HIDs into the adaptor and get the bulb through the hole but I cannot manage to get the adaptor to sit where it should. Why? I cannot see what I am doing. I'm going to have to take a picture of the back of the unit and just figure it out from there.

Unless you have any advice. This is what I'm using(also stealing thread)

johnos1984

The headlight bulb has to go in a certain way. There is a certain catch for them to sit in IIRC

You'll need a mirror to see otherwise you will just scratch them and make a mess of it all.

My fat hands couldn't reach the side light

Berty

johnos1984 wrote: »

My fat hands couldn't reach the side light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DtbPOXFk00

johnos1984

I've gone one better and complained to the g/f who has taken it upon herself to kindly remind me ever time i look at food

vectra

sean1141 wrote: »

have to say hids in the projector lights are great.. i would stick with 4300k or 5000k. imo anything after that looks too blueish. i got mine of german ebay for 44 euro i think. they were not can-bus ones do..

what passats are ye fitting them in lads? is it the b6 model??

Non canbus?
H7?
Slim ballast??
Link please.

J77

Threw a pair of nightbreaker plus bulbs in. Big difference. Will still be considering a HID conversion kit for the future though.

RoverJames

RoverJames wrote: »

Halfords Excellence 90% + H7s 2 for 1 at the moment so €25 for two. Noticeably better than the one I didn't replace (I replaced the blown one and wasn't too arsed about the other .............lazy, access was poor, hands were cold, stomach grumbling, natural light fading, generally depressed etc.... :pac: )

Four and a half months later and bulb gone :rolleyes:

vectra

RoverJames wrote: »

Four and a half months later and bulb gone :rolleyes:

Go for HID kit this time

_Kaiser_

Berty wrote: »

BTW. I have a brand new HID kit in my car which I got from Poland. I'll let you know how I get on when somebody on Vagdrivers gets back to me about how to fit fat hands into a VW Passat engine bay to fit them.

johnos1984 wrote: »

Thats why I've not fitted them to the Passat

I had a HID kit in my B6 Passat that I removed pending installation of a better set from hids.co.uk

Yes it's very tight on the driver's side particularly (damn water bottle is right behind the headlights) but it can be done with patience and a lot of cursing!

It can also depend on what headlight assembly is in the car - there's 3 that I know of: a simple clip-in type, a similar clip-and-twist arrangement, and the one I have - with a bulb holder that screws onto the back of the light assembly itself. This is probably the best one for keeping them in place but it does mean cutting and reconnecting the bulb cabling (as they won't fit through the holder)

Anyone wanna fit them for me? (Dublin - Cavan area )

Incidentally I tried all the Nightbreakers and Osrams and Halfords options first and the difference was marginal really - HIDs are the way to go with this car.