Main Beam Bulb Change

[WaveyDavey]

I'm thinking of upgrading the main beam bulbs to Night Breaker Unlimited bulbs as I can get a pair delivered for £19.56 and wanted to check that they were easy enough to swap out on the Superb. Knowing how bad the bulbs are to change on the Mrs' mk1 Fabia vRS I wanted to check first before buying them.

It's an elegance so has the bi-xenons but that doesn't make any difference to the halogen main beam bulb removal does it?

[williamshatnerspants]

Yes its very easy. Its described in the owner's manual (which I don't have to hand). I tried Bosch Xenon blue H3 high beam bulbs and they were yellow! So, avoid these and try the Osrams...

[WaveyDavey]

Cheers..... I did look in the manual (The online version on the Skoda Manual App) but couldn't see anything about changing the bulb.

[psycholist]

If you have the bixenons the light for main beam and the full beam are on the same gas discharge bulb. The dipped beam is a shutter that blocks part of the full beam rather than there being any light turning on or off. A halogen bulb won't work in the bixenon system. There is a halogen bulb in the headlight that the car uses when you want to flash your lights, but it's not on with the main beam. The xenon system is a high voltage gas discharge light, which gives a lot more light for a given amount of power and is already more than likely brighter than the nightbreakers while using less energy.

Edited 29 September, 2015 by psycholist

[Superb170]

If you have the bixenons the light for main beam and the full beam are on the same gas discharge bulb. The dipped beam is a shutter that blocks part of the full beam rather than there being any light turning on or off. A halogen bulb won't work in the bixenon system. There is a halogen bulb in the headlight that the car uses when you want to flash your lights, but it's not on with the main beam. The xenon system is a high voltage gas discharge light, which gives a lot more light for a given amount of power and is already more than likely brighter than the nightbreakers while using less energy.

I'm not so sure about that??   Yes, the halogen is used for flashing your lights however when I engage my high beams, the beam pattern of the bi-xenons lifts (i.e. the shutter opens) as well as the halogen bulb lighting up and the halogen is used to assist the bi-xenons.  Personally I don't like that set up, as the low output yellow from the halogen crosses the xenon beam pattern and I can't see the point of the halogen but its definitely on with high beams.  I have a FL model BTW but this was also the case with my pre-FL.

[psycholist]

Interesting - must go and check the next time I'm driving at night.

[WaveyDavey]

If you have the bixenons the light for main beam and the full beam are on the same gas discharge bulb. The dipped beam is a shutter that blocks part of the full beam rather than there being any light turning on or off. A halogen bulb won't work in the bixenon system. There is a halogen bulb in the headlight that the car uses when you want to flash your lights, but it's not on with the main beam. The xenon system is a high voltage gas discharge light, which gives a lot more light for a given amount of power and is already more than likely brighter than the nightbreakers while using less energy.

I think you'll find the car uses the xenon mainbeam and the pair of halogen main beam bulbs too.

When the headlights aren't on the halogen ones work on their own and when you flash the mainbeam when the headlights are on both the xenon and halogen mainbeam work together.

[Superb170]

I also noticed that on my old pre-FL, the main beam halogens were also lit (very dimly) even when the dipped beams were on and acted as parking lights also. On my current FL model, the same halogens are only lit when flashing beams and when the high beams are on.

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[Superb170]

Interesting - must go and check the next time I'm driving at night.

To be fair it's probably only when you drive in front of something reflective that you will really notice it. I park facing into a window on my driveway and that's how I noticed it.

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[LasseTheDude]

On my 2014 FL the halogens help the bixenon very much. I installed philips x-tremevision +130 H7 and that made a huge improvement. Its also good for melting ice and snow.

If u change some bits in VCDS u can disable this halogen light. And if u flash on the day the xenon are used for this.

I know that the pre-FL has the same setup. Don't know if the halogen bulb is the same tough.

[silver1011]

I also noticed that on my old pre-FL, the main beam halogens were also lit (very dimly) even when the dipped beams were on and acted as parking lights also. On my current FL model, the same halogens are only lit when flashing beams and when the high beams are on.

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That sounds weird, are you sure there wasn't a fault?

 

My pre-FL uses the 5W side lights for the parking light function, and at no point have I seen the main beam bulbs lit up at reduced intensity?

 

I do believe that the very first UK spec MkII Superbs used the dipped headlights as DRL's with reduced brightness, they then moved to no DRL's and then finally the dedicated DRL's down next to the front fog lights.

[Superb170]

That sounds weird, are you sure there wasn't a fault?

 

My pre-FL uses the 5W side lights for the parking light function, and at no point have I seen the main beam bulbs lit up at reduced intensity?

 

I do believe that the very first UK spec MkII Superbs used the dipped headlights as DRL's with reduced brightness, they then moved to no DRL's and then finally the dedicated DRL's down next to the front fog lights.

I think you're right there now that I think about it!  I know what it was - I had both the 5W and main halogen bulb in the outer housing of the cluster on the pre FL but they dropped the 5W on the FL as the LED DRLs now act as parking lights.  How could I forget those stupid 5W parking lights!?  They caused me endless hassle with bulb warnings on the dash as they were very temperamental.  Had to have them replaced several times and to add to it the garage put the wrong ones in more than once!

[williamshatnerspants]

 

[*murph*]

In mine I've got installed philips x-tremevision +130 H7 and ok they are better thank stock bulbs but I'm going to be looking for a set of xenons & get the fitted properly with levellers & washers as I'm planning to keep the car for a few more years.

[WaveyDavey]

I fitted the night breaker unlimited bulbs on Friday. Took about five minutes per side.

[LasseTheDude]

I see the light... :p

[williamshatnerspants]

I fitted the night breaker unlimited bulbs on Friday. Took about five minutes per side.

 Would like to see some photos if possible, I presume they are nice and white/blue?

[WaveyDavey]

Would like to see some photos if possible, I presume they are nice and white/blue?

They are whiter than the oem bulbs but still obviously look yellow next to the xenons.

I'll try and get some pics if I can get some to come out ok etc.....