Went out in the car the other evening, and wasn't that impressed by the light output from the vRS headlights. Loads of rainbow colours at the edge of the beam patterns with lens type.

Any good upgrade bulbs that folks have tried ? (I havn't even looked up the bulb type yet :| )

Online research has come up with ...

H1 for the dipped lights

H7 for the main beams.

I'll check the handbook when I get time.

Edited 24 January, 201115 yr by marcusfordus

Been covered in this thread link

Fitted the new Philips H7 bulbs on the dipped beam. I went for the Crystal Vision 4300K versions which make them the same colour now as the DRL's

The standard ones look like candles compared to the new version.

Or you could install a HID kit?

Fitted the new Philips H7 bulbs on the dipped beam. I went for the Crystal Vision 4300K versions which make them the same colour now as the DRL'sThe standard ones look like candles compared to the new version.

Do you have any pictures please mate?

Or you could install a HID kit?

Is this legal? If so, do you have a link to a suitable HID kit?

Thanks

Do you have any pictures please mate?

Is this legal? If so, do you have a link to a suitable HID kit?

Thanks

I had a reply from the seller of the bulbs when I ordered a set of 5000K, he told me to be legal it should be no more than 4000K, so I took his advice and downgraded a touch, I really don't see how you could know if they were illegal bulbs as they look just the same as the DRL's.

http://

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Edited 29 January, 201115 yr by marcusfordus

Dip and Main are both H7 BTW

This is how the DRL's look in daylight

They actually look really bright

How long did it take you to fit them and where did you buy them from mate?

They actually look really bright

How long did it take you to fit them and where did you buy them from mate?

Less than 10 minutes for the pair because the blister pack was awkward to open

They might be expensive for what you get in the packet, but I went out and tested them last night on local un-lit roads where the standard bulbs didn't define the grass verge edge of the road.

These now do, without the need of going full HID conversions.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300447988607&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Edited 29 January, 201115 yr by marcusfordus

The HID's are legal as long as they have self leveling (ie. rocker dial, 0,1,2,3,4) and washers (not sure about the fine details but i have a nipple that dribbles onto them so technically, they have a washer on them), i have 8000k in mine

I'm after ordering replacement bulbs too as the standard ones are so poor they're dangerous.

Having been used to the true Xenon's we have on the Octavia, anything looks like a candle next to them. The problem is there's such a myriad of decent quality bulbs out there with no clear answer as to which one to go for. So far I've worked out that the choice is:

Philips Crystal View - 4300k

Philips Diamond View - 5000k

Philips Xtreme Vision

Osram Night Breaker

Osram Night Breaker Plus

Basically I want something that looks like a Xenon like I'm used to but also puts out the maximum brightness. I'm not a fan of yellow light in any form - the light must be a mix of White with a hint of blue, just like the Xenons.

Am I asking the possible? Otherwise it's so difficult to find a recommendation for any of the above!

I presume I'll only need 2 x H7 bulbs or otherwise what will I need to replace dip beam, main beam and sidelights?

Main beam is actually OK, so I think the problem for dipped is the projector lens it passes through. Candle in the wind as standard.

If you look at the 1st picture I posted with only the DRL's on, you can see how blue the bulb coating is on dipped beam as it's been magnified through that lens. Driving at night they are a very blue/white light not unlike HID's, just not as powerful.

Main beam is actually OK, so I think the problem for dipped is the projector lens it passes through. Candle in the wind as standard.

If you look at the 1st picture I posted with only the DRL's on, you can see how blue the bulb coating is on dipped beam as it's been magnified through that lens. Driving at night they are a very blue/white light not unlike HID's, just not as powerful.

They are a very good colour actually.

Just torn between them and xtremepower bulbs now.

Just fitted some new bulbs to the dipped beam which was a bit of a pain because the metal clips seem to be really difficult to twist out managed to do both sides though not convinced the passenger side is back in properly. The only issue is that I turned the bulbs on to check they were working and tried to twist the passenger side holder to check it was in right but it made a noise like I used the height adjuster :S so don't know if this will have caused an issue now. Just have to wait till its dark to see if its any better or if i've moved the bulb out of level.

The HID's are legal as long as they have self leveling (ie. rocker dial, 0,1,2,3,4) and washers (not sure about the fine details but i have a nipple that dribbles onto them so technically, they have a washer on them), i have 8000k in mine

How can you have (automatic) self levelling with a manual dial switch? Self levelling means it does it itself.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300447988607&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Just ordered a pair of these bad boys today so I hope it makes a big difference. The standard bulbs are just so poor they're dangerous.

After driving the Octy again last night with the proper Xenon setup on it, I decided enough was enough and ordered these for the Furby.

Just ordered a pair of these bad boys today so I hope it makes a big difference. The standard bulbs are just so poor they're dangerous.

After driving the Octy again last night with the proper Xenon setup on it, I decided enough was enough and ordered these for the Furby.

Nice one Scott, it'll be better than it was, but never as good as the Octy set-up. I think half the problem is the distance the beams cast their light. Even turned full height I can't see where I'm looking, goodness only knows where they would point if you fitted a set of Eibach lowering springs which dip the front of the car.

I had exactly the same problem with two Triumph Sprint M/Cycles who used projector headlights, neither shone where you were looking as a factory setting. I adjusted the lights upwards and went full HID on them both.

Do you have any pictures please mate?Is this legal? If so, do you have a link to a suitable HID kit?Thanks

I think this would do the job, and because they're projector lights there shouldn't be a problem with other drivers flashing you because of glare.

http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/H7-HIDS4U-Ultimate-35W-HID-Conversion-Kit.html

VAG halogen projectors all seem to be quite poor, the Fabia 2 seems to have very similar output to my Passat ie Crap.

The Fabia 1 had one of the best headlight units of any car I've driven and I've owned 32 cars and driven countless pool and hire cars.

Both my Passat and Fabia 1 have Osram nightbreaker H7's fitted in the dip beam but the Passat's projectors are barely acceptable the Fabia's reflector headlights are great, the difference is like night and day.

When I took the Fabia 2 out for a test drive at night I was dissapointed to find they were the same dismal lights with a hard cut off that the Passat has.

No need for projectors when big headlight unts are fitted.

Cheers

Lee

headlights. Loads of rainbow colours at the edge of the beam patterns with lens type.

The colour fringing is a direct result of using a lens in the headlamp unit - perhaps you remember science lessons at school where white light is split into colours by a prism? This is just the same, but in the case of lenses is called chromatic aberration, and it is something that lens makers, (for cameras, binoculars, telescopes), have fought hard to eradicate over the years. The solutions generally require compound lens which increases the cost, so it is easy to see why headlamp makes don't do this, but clearly some are much better than others.

The colour fringing is a direct result of using a lens in the headlamp unit - perhaps you remember science lessons at school where white light is split into colours by a prism? This is just the same, but in the case of lenses is called chromatic aberration, and it is something that lens makers, (for cameras, binoculars, telescopes), have fought hard to eradicate over the years. The solutions generally require compound lens which increases the cost, so it is easy to see why headlamp makes don't do this, but clearly some are much better than others.

What I don't understand is why car manufacturers are moving towards these 'fish eye' lenses when the age-old reflector ones were much better at lighting up the road?

From an external point of view, visually the fish eye lenses look classier I suppose but in terms of doing a job they're far more inferior to the reflector type in my experience.

I don't understand is why car manufacturers are moving towards these 'fish eye' lenses

It's all an attempt to fit lights into smaller volumes and put them in places where it would be inconvenient to mount a decent sized reflector unit.

It's all an attempt to fit lights into smaller volumes and put them in places where it would be inconvenient to mount a decent sized reflector unit.

Really? I can't see much space being saved by using the new type lenses. If anything they seem to waste space by putting a small fish eye lens in a relatively large light cluster. Even fitting a reflector type lamp in the same space that's being used for the fish eye would yield a broader light source I'd have thought?

Either way I'm not a fan unless the car has true xenon headlights. I've yet to drive a car that has ordinary halogen lamps with the new fish eye lens that puts out a decent light source. The car we've just got rid of was terrible - a new shape Renault Clio with fish eye lenses but halogen lamps. The size of the light cluster on the car was a fair bit larger than the Fabia too so it's not like they couldn't put in reflector units in this particular case?