Two candle power headlights

[WelshGas]

Hmmm..

Well I’m still waiting for the delivery of my 30mm lowering springs from SMG ( as are about 7 other customers apparently) so when I get a date to get those done I might ask the dealer about headlight bulb upgrade options, get it done at the same time. Has anyone else done this via their dealer?

No doubt more expensive than an Amazon purchase and DIY fit, but... down to them should there be any issues in the future.

They'll charge you an arm and a leg for it. Easy to do and something you may have to do if you're on holiday, especially overseas.

 

[sidepod]

The cost of headlight development is astronomical. Don't ask me why but lamp manufacturers charge huge money.

Hardly surprising the lamps on your builders van base vehicle are poo.

 

[Smiffy4bikes]

They'll charge you an arm and a leg for it. Easy to do and something you may have to do if you're on holiday, especially overseas.

Good point! Amazon it is then.

Thanks WG

 

[Borris]

I popped into our local VW Commercial dealers the other day to check that putting better bulbs into our Cali wouldn't cause any issues and to see what they would recommend. They said that "I wasn't the first customer to say that the head lights were cr#p and I wouldn't be the last". Curiously the chap then said that they didn't stock upgrade bulbs. "I know Eurocarparts sell them" was his advice. He did then recommend a couple of upgrade bulbs though.

If they know that the basic headlights are poor then why haven't VW stopped fitting them? I know, silly question. And why don't their dealers stock a basic item like an upgrade headlight bulb?

So I went to Eurocarparts and after asking for my registration number the young man showed me half a dozen different upgrade bulbs that his computer had recommended for my Cali. I chose Phillips Racing Vision which according to the young man "are the nuts". So after parting with an eye watering £49.99 for two bulbs, yes £49.99, I left thinking that either these bulbs must be brilliant or they must have seen me coming.

Anyway after dismantling the aircleaner housing to get at the O/S bulb cover, impossible otherwise, I undid the clip holding it in place. This silly bit of bent wire then took it upon itself to fall off. Then followed many minutes of faffing about with a mirror and a torch trying to see how to re-attach it. As you cannot see the bulb, its retaining clip or the electrical connecter, I again needed a to use a torch and a mirror to see what's what. Having done all this and removed the old bulb I discovered that Eurowhatsits had given me the wrong bulbs, H7s. I have, over the years, been conditioned to expect this. If I had a pound for every time.............. Mind you, it usually happens on a Saturday morning after you've taken the car appart only to discover that they've given you a left handed wangle grommet instead of a right one and the motor factors are now closed until Monday.

Once I've fitted and tested the replacement H4 versions of these Phillips Racing Vision bulbs I will post a review.

 

[Stuart]

Anyway after dismantling the aircleaner housing to get at the O/S bulb cover, impossible otherwise

It's definitely not impossible - i didn't dismantle mine - but you do end up with a bruised hand squishing it into such a small space!

 

[Borris]

It's definitely not impossible - i didn't dismantle mine - but you do end up with a bruised hand squishing it into such a small space!

It's definitely not impossible - i didn't dismantle mine - but you do end up with a bruised hand squishing it into such a small space!

I am amazed that you managed it. Well done. I just felt that it was just too tight for my mitts.

 

[Amarillo]

My only justification to myself is simply the outrageous cost, £2k

I had my first substantial night-time run this evening, Stansted Airport and back from SE London. I was very impressed with my LED lights option. But it is a significant extra cost, £1584 in VW's pre-Brexit vote price list. I justified it at the time by selling five of Meg's six puppies, but didn't tell my wife what I'd exchanged the puppies for. If she knew, she'd have probably slung me out of the house like Jack's mother did when she discovered he'd sold the drying up family cow for five beans. (Jack didn't do too badly by the trade, gaining a sack of gold coins, a goose that lays golden eggs and a magic harp from Gogmagog the hapless giant, but I don't suppose that argument would have got me off the hook).

 

[woody438]

I was thinking of changing the DRL bulbs to LED's but it looks like the headlight would have to come out in order to get access to the both the DRL and turn indicator bulbs, brilliant design, not.

These are what you need for DRLs on H7 units, pretty easy fit once you have the air box out, no need to remove headlight

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D86377K/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[WelshGas]

These are what you need for DRLs on H7 units, pretty easy fit once you have the air box out, no need to remove headlight

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D86377K/?tag=eliteelect-21

Interesting that they changed the Bulb types for the T6 Halogen Headlights.
Those bulbs you mentioned are for the Side/Parking lights on the T5 SE which uses a H15 for DRL and Main Beam and H7 for Dipped.

 

[woody438]

These are for the side lights on mine, eg first position on the switch

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0088XET0S/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[briwy]

I don't find the main beam a problem but the dip is rubbish.

 

[Calincolnshire]

These are what you need for DRLs on H7 units, pretty easy fit once you have the air box out, no need to remove headlight

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D86377K/?tag=eliteelect-21

I've tried 3 different sets of led lamps for the DRLs and non of them work. The Canbus system hates them and they don't even light up irrespective of the polarity. Also the position and holes are very tight so some didn't even fit in. You think the headlights are hard to fit , the drls are worse.

 

[Borris]

Update.
On the third trip back to Euro Car Parts I managed to get the H4 Phillips Racing Vision bulbs that I had wanted in the first place. "Sorry mate they were incorrectly labelled" was their excuse.
Anyway I have just been for a quick drive down our local, very dark country lanes and the new bulbs appear to be a big improvement on the standard ones. The dipped beam is brighter and seems to have a wider spread of light but that might just be my imagination. The main beam is brighter with a greater penetration into the distance.

 

[Richard Teale]

Beware some of the various aftermarket LED bulbs that are available on Amazon, eBay and the like. The standard halogen headlight's reflector is designed to have the small point light source at its focal point (the filament in a typical halogen bulb is usually pretty small). The problem with many LED bulbs is that they use multiple diodes and the effect is rather like putting a string of Christmas lights into a goldfish bowl. They look ok by day but at night they spit out light in all sorts of weird angles and are all but useless. Nightbreaker type halogen bulbs kick out more light but the beam pattern of the standard reflectors is the limiting factor (at least in my humble opinion). For my T5 I opted for an aftermarket pair of headlamp units that use standard halogens (H1) and shark eye type lenses. These give a much better beam pattern and light up the road very well. About £300, but a bumper off job to fit them. They also have LEDS light bars for DRLs and look really cool. Each to their own


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Fast Freddie]

It's definitely not impossible - i didn't dismantle mine - but you do end up with a bruised hand squishing it into such a small space!

I too managed it without the air cleaner being removed - is does tend to bruise you hands - it is a right pain in the A to fit them and I'd strongly advise having one of those mirrors on a stick to see what you are doing as I would have found it difficult without.

Not tested them at night yet but hopeful of a big improvement as others have found.

 

[woody438]

I've tried 3 different sets of led lamps for the DRLs and non of them work. The Canbus system hates them and they don't even light up irrespective of the polarity. Also the position and holes are very tight so some didn't even fit in. You think the headlights are hard to fit , the drls are worse.

Ill take some photos for you and do a VAGCOM scan to check all is ok.... but i think these are good in all respects - fingers crossed!

 

[Calincolnshire]

Ill take some photos for you and do a VAGCOM scan to check all is ok.... but i think these are good in all respects - fingers crossed!

So I take it you have fitted the DRLs and they work. I'll be interested to see the pictures .

 

[B J G]

These are what you need for DRLs on H7 units, pretty easy fit once you have the air box out, no need to remove headlight

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D86377K/?tag=eliteelect-21

It was the passenger side that I couldn't see an access method, or is a battery out job?

 

[woody438]

It was the passenger side that I couldn't see an access method, or is a battery out job?

Battery out it is, much easier and not a biggy to do

I promise I'll get all the info everyone is asking this week with photos too

I'll stick an original lamp back in so you can see the difference too

Thx all

 

[hirsty]

Thanks all for the shared wisdom / experience - we've talked about it before but this made me pull my finger out & a pair of Phillips H4 (Beach) are coming today from Amazon for twenty quid.

 

[Richy]

I too have the "POOR" t6 beach headlights,
I actually took my beach to a local garage as I wasn't sure that the headlights actually worked !

I ended up with H4 Osram night breakers(laser), which make a slight difference but nothing spectacular,
I also changed the other lamps with LEDs, 1 set from Halfords and another from eBay, no faults on the dash.

 

[Loz]

The good news is....








The clocks go forward on Sunday

 

[hirsty]

I changed my bulbs in the standard headlights on my T6 Beach yesterday to Philips RacingVision 150% H4 - they're 'a bit' better, and probably worthwhile at £20-odd, but not miraculous.

I now second the above tip on using a mirror-on-a-stick to understand how the inner bulb holder clips work, it's very difficult to work it all out by touch without having seen the assembly. First one took 15-minutes of cussing, second one took 3-mins & now glad I've done it at home first rather than out on a bleak mountain pass in the rain.

I think my hands are standard sized & it's tight, so if you've got big mitts you'll likely struggle. The vital part is to disconnect the loom plug whilst the bulb is still secured into the lamp housing, as you can't pull the bulb out past the clip whilst the plug is still connected & then you've got no leverage - the wiring also feels quite delicate & I was worried about pulling the flimsy leads off the plug ...

- unhook outer clip holding on the black plastic outer cover & put out of the way
- pull off the loom 'plug' which attaches to the bulb prongs
- push the inner clip left toward offside of the van & 'lay down' toward bulkhead
- pull out old bulb

- reinsert new bulb with 'flat edge' of circle downwards (align it looking through the lamp glass)
- resecure bulb in place with inner clip holder
- refit loom plug back onto bulb prongs
- refit black plastic outer cover making sure wires out the way - two lugs at bottom fit into two slots
- rehook the outer steel clip (which will probably have popped out of one or both mounting holes)

 

[California Dreamin]

@Richy, which other lamps did you change and which LEDs did you use?

 

[woody438]

Hi all

As promised here are some photos of the before and after of my LED DRL upgrade, no faults in VAGCOM either

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01D86377K/?tag=eliteelect-21

Before, with original DRLs



After the battery or airbox is out then remove the cap on the back of the light



Twist and pull out the DRL holder, looks like the tail end of an aeroplane, its located quite low down (watch for cabling)



Once its out this is what its like



Insert the LED lamp instead of the old bulb - NOTE, LED lamps are polarity sensitive which is super annoying on the battery side as you cant test it unless you put the battery back in. Needless to say the first time i did it it was the wrong way round and i had to remove the battery again and swap the lamp round the other way!

Refit in reverse order (note be patient, they are not the easiest to get back in with the LED lamp in the holder)

And voila...



No errors on VAGCOM so far!

Hope this helps

;-)