T6 headlight bulbs any tips for new brighter bulbs?

[Andya]

Hi guys no doubt it has been discussed many times before but my issue is my 2019 T6 California dipped beams are really poor at night is there a bulb upgrade anyone can suggest as I don't want to fork out over £500 for aftermarket lights, as I did read someone who had those fitted saying he was a bit underwhelmed with them. So I am confused with all of this so any advice would be much appreciated

 

[andyinluton]

On my T5.1 I used Osram Nightbreakers - about £25 for a pair of bulbs, were significantly better.
Only downsize was they didn't seem to last too long prehaps 18months or so but I was doing 20+K miles per year.

 

[Andya]

Ahh thanks for that I have heard of those bulbs, my wife Linda drove the van the other day but on the dark and she said the lights were awful she felt she was running out of light ahead of her if that makes sense I just want more light that lights more of the road ahead up.

 

[WelshGas]

Ahh thanks for that I have heard of those bulbs, my wife Linda drove the van the other day but on the dark and she said the lights were awful she felt she was running out of light ahead of her if that makes sense I just want more light that lights more of the road ahead up.

Mmmm, if she was catching up with the light then she was driving too fast.

I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to my T5.1, still running after 8 yrs and 120,000 miles.

I believe there are now Osram Nightbreakers 200%. These do have a shorter lifespan than standard, but not too bad longevity.

 

[Resfeber]

Ahh thanks for that I have heard of those bulbs, my wife Linda drove the van the other day but on the dark and she said the lights were awful she felt she was running out of light ahead of her if that makes sense I just want more light that lights more of the road ahead up.

I too fitted 4 of the 150% H7 Osram Night breakers in 2019 on my 2018 T6.
No regrets much improved dipped beam and main beam is knockout.
40000 miles later still working and about 50% of my mileage is evening and night time. I also leave the lights on the automatic setting.
DIY fitting is fiddly on the drivers side due to the air filter box.

H4 head light bulb upgrade

Evening all, I purchased a set of GE Megalight ultra 150% bulbs, these do make quite a bit of difference, I installed the same on my H4 caddy headlights and was quite impressed with the night vision. I haven’t tested the California at night yet but I do have a drivers and passenger side...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Resfeber]

Mmmm, if she was catching up with the light then she was driving too fast.

I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to my T5.1, still running after 8 yrs and 120,000 miles.

I believe there are now Osram Nightbreakers 200%. These do have a shorter lifespan than standard, but not too bad longevity.

E Bay

Pardon our interruption...

Compared to 150%

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Andya]

Mmmm, if she was catching up with the light then she was driving too fast.

I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to my T5.1, still running after 8 yrs and 120,000 miles.

I believe there are now Osram Nightbreakers 200%. These do have a shorter lifespan than standard, but not too bad longevity.

trust me she isn't a fast driver I drive faster than she does, I recently did a 105 mile night trip home on the A1 north and I was doing 70mph it just feels a bit stressful as the lights are a bit dim I was fine driving but would have liked a bit more light, so the bulbs sound perfect but no doubt I will struggle to fit them

 

[Andya]

I too fitted 4 of the 150% H7 Osram Night breakers in 2019 on my 2018 T6.
No regrets much improved dipped beam and main beam is knockout.
40000 miles later still working and about 50% of my mileage is evening and night time. I also leave the lights on the automatic setting.
DIY fitting is fiddly on the drivers side due to the air filter box.

H4 head light bulb upgrade

Evening all, I purchased a set of GE Megalight ultra 150% bulbs, these do make quite a bit of difference, I installed the same on my H4 caddy headlights and was quite impressed with the night vision. I haven’t tested the California at night yet but I do have a drivers and passenger side...

vwcaliforniaclub.com

so do the main and dipped take exactly the same bulb or are they different sizes? Do I need to buy 4 Night breakers then one thing will they light the road up a bit further than the current bulbs do or are they set in the same position so the same amount of road is lit but it's just brighter with the new bulbs.

 

[WelshGas]

so do the main and dipped take exactly the same bulb or are they different sizes? Do I need to buy 4 Night breakers then one thing will they light the road up a bit further than the current bulbs do or are they set in the same position so the same amount of road is lit but it's just brighter with the new bulbs.

They are set the same, but you should have a control on the Dashboard, R lower side on mine, that adjusts the reach of the lights to accommodate varying loads.

 

[Resfeber]

so do the main and dipped take exactly the same bulb or are they different sizes? Do I need to buy 4 Night breakers then one thing will they light the road up a bit further than the current bulbs do or are they set in the same position so the same amount of road is lit but it's just brighter with the new bulbs.

You need to buy 4 H7 bulbs.
They are single filament bulbs 2 operate in dipped beam and all 4 on main.
The headlight has a shroud and different shaped reflector to give you a sharper cut off and a up lifted left hand edge to the dipped beam to illuminate the verge.
Hope the attached images show the difference in dipped and main.
Firstly, the light from the bulbs is whiter than the original H7 and on main is much whiter
As you can see in the image the copper beech hedge is illuminated at 40 metres away.
On main the house across the road some 70 metres away is well illuminated.

The first image of the headlight unit shows the dipped unit with shroud and the second shows the main beam (inner light unit) and the blue filter on the bulb can be seen.

Being brighter, the beam illumination is further than the original.
I also found that the left raised edge and top cut off on the dipped beam were more sharply defined, possibly due to the way the filament in the Osram bulb is set/designed.

 

[Andya]

You need to buy 4 H7 bulbs.
They are single filament bulbs 2 operate in dipped beam and all 4 on main.
The headlight has a shroud and different shaped reflector to give you a sharper cut off and a up lifted left hand edge to the dipped beam to illuminate the verge.
Hope the attached images show the difference in dipped and main.
Firstly, the light from the bulbs is whiter than the original H7 and on main is much whiter
As you can see in the image the copper beech hedge is illuminated at 40 metres away.
On main the house across the road some 70 metres away is well illuminated.

The first image of the headlight unit shows the dipped unit with shroud and the second shows the main beam (inner light unit) and the blue filter on the bulb can be seen.

Being brighter, the beam illumination is further than the original.
I also found that the left raised edge and top cut off on the dipped beam were more sharply defined, possibly due to the way the filament in the Osram bulb is set/designed.

View attachment 104653View attachment 104654View attachment 104655View attachment 104656View attachment 104657

Wow what a superb and helpful reply thanks so much, that dipped beam is so much better than mine is, so what type of H7 bulb do I get is it the Osram night breaker and where is the best place to get them and how much are they, and lastly how hard are they to put in bear in mind I don't normally do stuff to the van
I know I could buy the THQ lights but with their upgraded LED bulbs as well and fitting it's going to be around the £620 mark and if I knew they were going to blow me away I would do it but what you have done looks more than good enough

I have just googled the Osram Night Breaker there seems to be so many, any idea which one to get

 

[Resfeber]

Wow what a superb and helpful reply thanks so much, that dipped beam is so much better than mine is, so what type of H7 bulb do I get is it the Osram night breaker and where is the best place to get them and how much are they, and lastly how hard are they to put in bear in mind I don't normally do stuff to the van
I know I could buy the THQ lights but with their upgraded LED bulbs as well and fitting it's going to be around the £620 mark and if I knew they were going to blow me away I would do it but what you have done looks more than good enough

I have just googled the Osram Night Breaker there seems to be so many, any idea which one to get

My post #6 above has links to eBay for the H7 200% at £23.99 for 2, so £47.98 for 4

H7 150% at £18.94 for 2, so £36.88 for 4 which are the ones I installed in 2019.

The TQL are a replacement headlamp unit with a lens to configure the beam pattern and use a H7 in the dipped side and a H1 bulb in the main beam side.

I have no experience of these units so cannot comment other than the LED DRL does look more contemporary.

As I explained in the earlier post that I included, I was used to an Audi Q3 with Xenon lights so missed the much whiter light. The Night breakers were a good compromise, brighter on dipped than the original VW ones and it is no contest on main beam.
I don’t get any adverse flashes from other drivers and I rarely use the levelling function to bring the dipped beams down if the van rear is down due to load.

So for me just under £37 the improvement was really worth it. For £10 more for the 200% May be worth it but life will be shorter as they run hotter to emit more light.
No issues with excess heat on the headlight plastic and no discolouration in 4 years.

Would an extra £600 for the TQL be worth it for the LED DRL and projector units?

Get the Night breakers fitted and then decide would be my take. You could always recover 50% or more on e bay if you had the TQL lights demonstrated and decided you couldn’t live without them.

Regarding installation Halfords is £18 per pair (so £36) if skinned knuckles do not sound that appealing and Osram have an installer locator.

Find an OSRAM Installer

Find an OSRAM Installer

www.nightbreaker.co.uk

The Osram upgrade is an improvement on what you have.

 

[Azteccamper]

Mmmm, if she was catching up with the light then she was driving too fast.

I fitted Osram Nightbreakers to my T5.1, still running after 8 yrs and 120,000 miles.

I believe there are now Osram Nightbreakers 200%. These do have a shorter lifespan than standard, but not too bad longevity.

Hi. Do I need to buy 2 or 4 for my 2012 5.1? Thanks

 

[Andya]

My post #6 above has links to eBay for the H7 200% at £23.99 for 2, so £47.98 for 4

H7 150% at £18.94 for 2, so £36.88 for 4 which are the ones I installed in 2019.

The TQL are a replacement headlamp unit with a lens to configure the beam pattern and use a H7 in the dipped side and a H1 bulb in the main beam side.

I have no experience of these units so cannot comment other than the LED DRL does look more contemporary.

As I explained in the earlier post that I included, I was used to an Audi Q3 with Xenon lights so missed the much whiter light. The Night breakers were a good compromise, brighter on dipped than the original VW ones and it is no contest on main beam.
I don’t get any adverse flashes from other drivers and I rarely use the levelling function to bring the dipped beams down if the van rear is down due to load.

So for me just under £37 the improvement was really worth it. For £10 more for the 200% May be worth it but life will be shorter as they run hotter to emit more light.
No issues with excess heat on the headlight plastic and no discolouration in 4 years.

Would an extra £600 for the TQL be worth it for the LED DRL and projector units?

Get the Night breakers fitted and then decide would be my take. You could always recover 50% or more on e bay if you had the TQL lights demonstrated and decided you couldn’t live without them.

Regarding installation Halfords is £18 per pair (so £36) if skinned knuckles do not sound that appealing and Osram have an installer locator.

Find an OSRAM Installer

Find an OSRAM Installer

www.nightbreaker.co.uk

The Osram upgrade is an improvement on what you have.

Brilliant thanks so much I will order the 150% ones at £37 for 4 bulbs it isn't a lot to spend and an improvement on what I already have for just £37 sounds perfect I will have a go at fitting them myself is there a particular way to position them or is it just a case of one out and the new one in

 

[andyinluton]

Brilliant thanks so much I will order the 150% ones at £37 for 4 bulbs it isn't a lot to spend and an improvement on what I already have for just £37 sounds perfect I will have a go at fitting them myself is there a particular way to position them or is it just a case of one out and the new one in

Yes simple but awkward to fit unless you have small hands.
Important thing is to not touch the glass, if you do it will create a hot spot & the bulb will blow very quickly.

 

[Andya]

Yes simple but awkward to fit unless you have small hands.
Important thing is to not touch the glass, if you do it will create a hot spot & the bulb will blow very quickly.

Thanks for that I do have small hands so I will see if there are any how to videos on it I am quite excited about this upgrade!

 

[Resfeber]

Brilliant thanks so much I will order the 150% ones at £37 for 4 bulbs it isn't a lot to spend and an improvement on what I already have for just £37 sounds perfect I will have a go at fitting them myself is there a particular way to position them or is it just a case of one out and the new one in

Start with the ones on the passenger side as they are slightly more accessible.

As I mentioned in the linked post at #5 I found that
1) Wear plastic examination gloves to avoid grease transfer from your skin, as this will cause premature bulb failure as @andyinluton
2) I found it easier to remove the old bulb by pulling on the connector rather than removing the connector and then trying to pull the bulb out as you are working blind or with a mirror
3)The bulb has to be correctly orientated to stand a chance of fitting so hope this picture will help. (Thanks @Bajers)


The circled area is where the bulb has a cut out to help orientate and slide over the bronze holder unit and spring clip. Get it right and the new bulb just snaps into position.
Hard part is persuading the old bulb to pull out of the holder hence why I said it is easier with the terminal block still on as there is more to grip.
Once you have got one done it gets easier but there is less space on the drivers side due to the air filter box. Grazed knuckles are quite likely

 

[WelshGas]

Hi. Do I need to buy 2 or 4 for my 2012 5.1? Thanks

If you have the same headlights as I have the bulbs are slightly different.
There are 2 x H7 for the outer Dipped Beam and 2 x H15 dual filament for the DRL and Main beam.

Both are available as Night Breakers.

 

[Resfeber]

Thanks for that I do have small hands so I will see if there are any how to videos on it I am quite excited about this upgrade!

Just an update.
I assumed that you had an Ocean, is this correct as I know for certain that this model has 2 H7 bulbs in each headlight unit?
If you have a Beach you need to double check. This is easy to do. On dipped beam with H7 light units only the outer lamp in the unit is illuminated. Switch to main beam and the inner unit is illuminated as well.

I have also attached a photo of the H7 bulb which clearly shows the alignment cut out and the tab in the centre.
The alignment tab is under the connector block not where I originally circled (sorry memory fade) so new image with correct area circled.
The art with bulb removal is overcoming the spring pressure.
Pulling the connector at about 45 to 60 degrees rather than straight back causes one of the springs clips to slip over the edge of the bulb body. You then can feel and see that the bulb and connector are at a slight angle and then it is much easier to slip the rest of the bulb out of the lamp holder.
Once the cut out is correctly aligned the new bulb in the holder just snaps back in.

Good luck

 

[B J G]

I've had Both Osram & Philips H7 +150% bulbs bulbs in for a few years, Osram were slightly better.
Upgraded the dips to +200% bulbs and definitely an improvement.

Looking at LED's currently but the first set didn't like the push in bulb system as centre part detached, waiting for replacement type. If successful I might try their high power bulb (not cheap) in the Mainbeam instead of adding the Laser lights.

Viewed a very good test of bulbs by an Automotive Lighting Design Engineer and one of the tests showed that the Osram +200% bulbs gave similar (better in comparison to some) actual light and cut off to LED bulbs.

The +150% & +200% is misleading as a standard halogen bulb is 100%.
Bulbs are really x1,5 & x2 for brightness.

 

[Azteccamper]

Thanks. I’ll double check tomorrow.

 

[Resfeber]

Thanks. I’ll double check tomorrow.

Sorry the update was for @Andya
@WelshGas has provided you with the correct Headlamp info for a T5 as your profile says but you mention a T5.1 in your post (#13)
Again just double check that your Daytime running light (DRL) illuminates in the inner lamp unit as @WelshGas has said.

Unfortunately, all the headlamp checkers I have tested show both H7 and H4 bulbs as suitable for my T6 Ocean 2018 when I know that H7 x 4 are the only bulb type that can be fitted to my vehicle type, so they don’t really inspire confidence/provide a definitive answer.

You could always try your luck at a VW dealer

 

[sapto]

Currently I am using Philips LED Ultinon. However honestly I can not say there's a huge difference between them and the Nightbreaker.

 

[Philfox3]

If you have the same headlights as I have the bulbs are slightly different.
There are 2 x H7 for the outer Dipped Beam and 2 x H15 dual filament for the DRL and Main beam.

Both are available as Night Breakers.

If you fit the H15 bulbs the instructions in the manual are incorrect. You do need to pull up on the three terminal electrical plug to remove it then I think turn the bulb anti clockwise to remove it but the electrical connection has to go back in place before you put the bulb in. Then turn it clockwise to lock it back into the holder and make the connection with the terminals. You’ll see looking at the terminal block that the lips on the side not the top. You’ll never do it if you reverse the removal procedure and try and push the terminal block down onto the three terminals on the bulb.
I’ve swapped the H7’s bulbs x 2 dipped beam and the H15 bulbs x 2 ( main beam and sidelights) on our coast for brighter bulbs and it’s made enough difference for me to see at night.
Phil

Best car headlight bulbs 2023 | Auto Express

We reveal which light is a shining example to its rivals

www.autoexpress.co.uk

 

[Andya]

Just an update.
I assumed that you had an Ocean, is this correct as I know for certain that this model has 2 H7 bulbs in each headlight unit?
If you have a Beach you need to double check. This is easy to do. On dipped beam with H7 light units only the outer lamp in the unit is illuminated. Switch to main beam and the inner unit is illuminated as well.

I have also attached a photo of the H7 bulb which clearly shows the alignment cut out and the tab in the centre.
The alignment tab is under the connector block not where I originally circled (sorry memory fade) so new image with correct area circled.
The art with bulb removal is overcoming the spring pressure.
Pulling the connector at about 45 to 60 degrees rather than straight back causes one of the springs clips to slip over the edge of the bulb body. You then can feel and see that the bulb and connector are at a slight angle and then it is much easier to slip the rest of the bulb out of the lamp holder.
Once the cut out is correctly aligned the new bulb in the holder just snaps back in.

Good luck
View attachment 104683

View attachment 104681

Hi there yes ours is a 2019 Ocean