H1 = Main

H7 = Dip

Correct?

I cannot understand why the Philips Xtreme H1s are still pointing about 2 ft in front of the car, despite being checked twice that they are fitted correctly!

I've not done it myself - are they handed in any way? They are notched to obviously there is a correct way to fit them.

You have the correct bulbs there. What car do you have?

I've just put the Phillips bulbs in myself on my Octy FL and I agree they don't go far enough down the road even with the leveller put in its highest position.

The standard bulbs I got with a brand new car were shocking but the main beam was outstanding!!!!!

2006 vRS TFSI.

The original main beam was fine, the replacement Halfords extreme brilliance dipped beam is fine.

I seem to remember on the pre FL there is a groove for the tang on the base plate of the bulb so you shouldn't be able to get it wrong. The FL has a different set up which is not as good as the pre.

I'm using the H7 Phillips extreme in my FL and they are no way near as good as the same bulbs in my pre FL!!!

Fitz

They're bright, for sure; but the aim is wrong. The beam is aimed ab\out 10ft in front of the car, so lower than dip!

how were they checked?

you need to take it to a garage and get them to put the car infront of a light box. You might have knocked the allignment out when changing them

I've swapped bulbs in many many cars over the years and I haven't yet seen a headlamp where it was possible to "knock the alignment out of place" just like that. Now if the bulb isn't seated correctly in the back of the reflector, that's another thing.

oh certainly, my first point of call would be bulb positioning.

It is possible to knock the allignment out, I did it many times in my civic

Except main beam is not adjustable, so unless the whole lamp unit mounting is pushed out of alignment after a collision for example, then I don't see how this is possible?

Except main beam is not adjustable, so unless the whole lamp unit mounting is pushed out of alignment after a collision for example, then I don't see how this is possible?

It is adjustable as you can move it up and down in the pre-fl.

Worth taking it to an MOT centre and perhaps getting them to adjust it. It can make a huge huge difference.

Before you take it for checking at an MOT station make sure the height adjustment is on zero inside the car

It's now been checked for a third time, this time by capitaol skoda in Newport who appear to be above average IME. They confimr the alignment is fine, and it's possibly because of the bulbs. Remember, the original bulbs are fine, as is dipped beam.

I thought main beam was not adjustable. It certainly doesn't appear to move up and down when you move the level adjustment wheel on the dashboard, whereas the dip beam is obviously moving

The new H1 bulbs seem to have been fitted wrongly.Don't be insulted please. Try turning them around 180 degrees in the bulb holder. However I seem to remember that the H1 main is easier to fit than the H7 dip. The main beams are separately adjustable at the rear of the headlight unit. My main beams were pointing up in the tree tops, from new, but are still fine even after I replaced the bulbs.

The new H1 bulbs seem to have been fitted wrongly.Don't be insulted please. Try turning them around 180 degrees in the bulb holder. However I seem to remember that the H1 main is easier to fit than the H7 dip. The main beams are separately adjustable at the rear of the headlight unit. My main beams were pointing up in the tree tops, from new, but are still fine even after I replaced the bulbs.

I'm not insulted, I didn't fit them! (and it's a Skoda workshops that checked them today)

But, the bulbs have a section cut out of the metal support ring in order to locate them correctly. It's impossible to fit them 180 degrees opposite. The only thing I can think is that I could try swapping L to R and vice versa, but if the mount is identically orientated I can't see how this will change anything...

After falling out with a deer my offside head light was changed by the repairer (crappy Lot) . I noticed once when washing it that the bulb holder was not sitting centrally in the headlight. It turned out the headlamp had not been fitted right and had missed the mounting lugs at the rear ot the plastic mounting and they also broke the stud for the nylon nut.(They had tried to superglue it back in place.) I refitted it and had to adjust them as the beam adjustment was fully adjusted to the right. Possible that your h/lights similar ?

Not yet looked myself, but since I'm about 80% sure I'm going to trading it in for a new VRs I'm not getting too worried any more.

The adjustment wheel inside the car by the light switch only operates motors on the dipped beam reflectors. It does not alter any main beam height.

It sounds to me as if the bulbs you have put in are of faulty manufacture, and not producing the correct beam pattern. I've had bulbs myself where the position of the filament in the bulb itself has been wrong, resulting in the headlight beam totally wrong.

Mike

Agree Mike, this is my conclusion also.

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Maybe I'm being thick, but:

You say you've had the alignment checked and its fine? Surely that means either:

1) it's fine

or

2) the alignment isn't right after all.

What I mean is, even if the bulb was seated incorrectly, upside down, etc, if it is correct per beam alignment (possibly due to over adjustment on the mechanism compensating for incorrect installation) then it is pointing where it should. If it isn't, then surely you point this out to the garage who did it.

Perhaps they alligned the dipped and misunderstood your query so didnt look at main beam?

To be clear, yes the main beam is aimed low, but it's not because the lamp unit is faulty; And yes, both garages understood the issue was with main and not dipped beam. The original garage came to the conclusion that the new bulbs were the cause.

The bulbs are also correctly fitted.

The only adjustment possible (inside and on the unit) is dipped beam, after all this has the MoT regulation to avoid dazzling oncoming drivers. Since you don't use main beam when facing oncoming traffic, there is no regulation where the aim is (hence no adjustment).

The original bulbs are fine.

Conclusion, the replacement bulbs are "faulty" or at least have an odd alignment. I won't be buying them again that's for sure....

same really as the xtreme vision's are one of the best halogen bulbs you can buy

They're definitely bright, I'll give them that.

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