I know quite a few people add blue or even pink tints to their headlights, often see them on the boy and girl racers around McDonalds.

I've already added yellow bulbs to my fog lights which I actually quite like and I'd now like to add yellow bulbs for the full beam lights, has anyone else experimented with this? If so was it any better? The reason behind this is A, I like the continental look, quite a few European countries have yellow spots etc. and B, a while back we had an input into yellow lensed shooting glasses and how they help the eye pick up on details so I'm curious if they'll do the same with full beam.

Which European countries use them for their normal headlights?

Which European countries use them for their normal headlights?

None!   Until 1993, it was mandatory to have yellow headlamps in France and the AA shops and Halfords used to do a roaring trade selling yellow headlamp paint to the "non-mounseers" going on their happy hols!   The yellow paint was a sod to get off when you got back home again too - you had to scrub furiously with methylated spirits and you would still see little yellow splashes on your headlamp lens a couple of months later!

I never quite knew why the mounseers found yellow headlamps so intriguing - maybe it was to hide the nicotine stains from those bally awful "Gitanes" and "Gauloises" they smoked!

By the way, I would be a bit careful placing other coloured lights on your car.   Check with the Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 first, as some colours are reserved for the use of emergency services:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989/1796/contents/made

 

Edited 23 September, 201411 yr by bealine

Why?

 

The thing about "yellow penetrates fog better" is an urban myth, and if you put a coloured filter on your lights all you actually do is reduce their output.

Why?

 

The thing about "yellow penetrates fog better" is an urban myth, and if you put a coloured filter on your lights all you actually do is reduce their output.

In fact, yellow lighting used to make visibility worse in fog as anyone driving along the M1/M5/M6 around Birmingham would be able to testify before 1980 when the old yellow highway lamps were replaced!

In fact, yellow lighting used to make visibility worse in fog as anyone driving along the M1/M5/M6 around Birmingham would be able to testify before 1980 when the old yellow highway lamps were replaced!

I presume that you're talking about "sodium vapour" street lights, not about yellow tinting on tungsten or quartz-halogen (iodine or xenon) bulbs? If so, I agree despite not having been on those roads before the early 1990s.

Yellow lights are in fact more visible in the fog. That is, an oncoming car with yellow lights is more visible from a distance in the fog than a car with white or blue lights of the same output.  However, yellow lights typically have smaller output than stock colour, with the exception of some HIDs (I might have some 2500K HID burners in the garage, rated at 3200lm).

 

All these advantages are countered by the fact that yellow light causes more eye fatigue and makes discerning road features harder, just like blue/purple light in fact.  For the driver, it is much better to have white fog lights, correctly aimed and located as close to the ground as possible/legally allowed (there are regs for it) for minimum backscatter and best fog penetration.

 

Between the 2 points above (your car's visibility vs. what you see),  the best colour for fogs is a compromise.  In my opinion, standard halogens at 3400K are best for fogs, especially on a car already equipped with much whiter HID low beams.

 

For full beam however, it is range what matters most, so best colour is again somewhere between halogen's 3300K yellowish white and HID's 5000K day white or so. Even if you find yellowed bulbs with full output (OSRAM made them I think), you will lose on your ability to recognize terrain.

 

Remember, people have been around far longer than the cars, so our eyes work best with sunlight during the day, and moonlight during the night.

Moonlight colour temperature is 4100K, horizon sunlight is 5000K, direct sunlight is about 5500K, you only get higher colour temps on a cloudy day and lower colour temperatures from artificial lighting (fire is also artificial lighting).

 

For me, 4100K-4300K works best at night for dipped beam, ~3800K (overdriven halogens) in high beams are good too, and anything between 3500K - 5000K does not tire my eyes on a 12hr+ journey.

Edited 23 September, 201411 yr by dieselV6

I think everyone else is in agreement; yellow-tinted headlights are a bad idea!

I think everyone else is in agreement; yellow-tinted headlights are a bad idea!

I think you're probably right, I was just bored on rest days googling and came across a few citroens and BMWs with yellow spots and thought they looked nice. Maybe if my car had separate spots for full beam I'd give it a go but I think it may look daft when it's all in one unit. I'll have to see what else I can think of doing to fill some time.

I think everyone else is in agreement; yellow-tinted headlights are a bad idea!

They do look cool on the right car though

They do look cool on the right car though

yeah, something like an old Citroen DS

Or a Citroen H or 2CV van. To be honest most classic French cars don't look right without 'em.

A ha! A subject about which I feel qualified to wax lyrical! The earlier post about yellow lamps being mandatory in France up to 1993 was correct and as a result post 1993 French garages and shops had millions of them that they sold off cheaply (I know, I bought quite a lot of them!) I fitted these to loads of cars and I sold many pairs to owners who liked the distinctive look they gave their cars. If you use them in France now (I always do!) the French drivers will hoot at you in appreciation! It's a sort-of anti E.U. thing!   

 

Why are they better? Let's dispel one rumour straightaway-yellow headlights ARE legal in the United Kingdom & you won't fail the MOT for having them, but they must be a particular yellow colour though, defined as "selective" yellow. If you have 4 headlights it's permissible to have matched pairs of lights (two outer bulbs coloured yellow and 2 inner bulbs white.) I slipped glass "selective" yellow covers over the H4 halogen bulbs in many of my cars. 

 

When driving in an urban environment one's headlights are on to be seen, as opposed to needing to see, so if you have yellow lights you may be more likely to be noticed than if you look like all the other cars. As to driving in rural situations, I've used them for years & find the roadsigns reflect more when yellow light catches them. In foggy conditions you really can see the yellow beam slicing through the mist!

 

More important than the colour of the beam is to ensure the beams are properly aligned-badly adjusted headlights are a menace and cause more problems for other drivers!

I saw a Xantia today for the first time in years. I still like the look (though not the thought of expense) of them.

 

 

Now that is cool 

I saw a Xantia today for the first time in years. I still like the look (though not the thought of expense) of them.

 

 

Now that is cool 

"If you want to know what owning a Citroën is like, try staying up all night burning £20 notes; the sensation is much the same." Not quite true, as mine does over 35 MPG, which for a "M" reg 2 litre automatic doesn't seem too bad! It's as strong as an ox, the suspension's FAB & it cruises at 100 (when that's legal) so I reckon Citroën made a winner there!

"If you want to know what owning a Citroën is like, try staying up all night burning £20 notes; the sensation is much the same." Not quite true, as mine does over 35 MPG, which for a "M" reg 2 litre automatic doesn't seem too bad! It's as strong as an ox, the suspension's FAB & it cruises at 100 (when that's legal) so I reckon Citroën made a winner there!

 

 

 Don't get me wrong, there are some good uns. But the thought of the potential bills with them would terrify me

Don't get me wrong, there are some good uns. But the thought of the potential bills with them would terrify me

I've had a Xantia and a C5 and both were fantastic and never cost me a penny other than oil, breaks and tyres.

In fact my Xantia was bought because I joined the police so needed a car to travel 700 miles per week for training, it cost me £900 and in the end I did 13,000 miles in 19 weeks and all it cost was a service and two tyres. I sold it after a couple of months after I finished my training for £700.

Edited 23 September, 201411 yr by mdon

I think you're probably right, I was just bored on rest days googling and came across a few citroens and BMWs with yellow spots and thought they looked nice. Maybe if my car had separate spots for full beam I'd give it a go but I think it may look daft when it's all in one unit. I'll have to see what else I can think of doing to fill some time.

"Citroen with yellow spots" makes me think of a DS, probably a pre-1966 Pallas.

Yellow fogs are cool. Id do that if i had fogs on my car. I wouldnt do yellow headlights though. Itd just look silly imo.

Yellow fogs are cool. Id do that if i had fogs on my car. I wouldnt do yellow headlights though. Itd just look silly imo.

Make it look French :(

Make it look French :(

Not a cool look imo haha.

Not a cool look imo haha.

If you like the back of a recovery truck look then do it

yellow works on round headlight / fog lenses. Looks a bit poundland on square/ rectangular ones. Imo...

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