Any suggestions for a Halogen Bulb upgrade for my Kodiaq

[vRS 170TDi Cork]

Hi All,

 

Any suggestions for a Halogen Bulb upgrade on my 1.4 Tsi 125bhp Kodiaq. 

Mid level trim..

 

Wondering if anyone tested these?

Philips’ RacingVision

 

Cheers..

[ZacDaMan72]

Just go LED like the Philips ones. Can recommend the Philips XtremeUltinon

[Yogi-Bear]

7 hours ago, ZacDaMan72 said:

Just go LED like the Philips ones. Can recommend the Philips XtremeUltinon

 

I think it’s worth pointing out at this stage that those bulbs are both very expensive and also not road legal (it even says so on the box!). The conversion of halogen headlights to HIDs or LEDs is a very grey area when it comes to the law.

 

I mention this because on most cars, you can get away with it if you really want to... however, on an SUV where the headlights are higher up, it’s entirely possible that the beam pattern and height really won’t be suitable.

 

Edit: not road legal in the UK. NZ may be different, of course!

Edited 16 December, 2018 by WiggosSideburns

[linni]

7 hours ago, ZacDaMan72 said:

Just go LED like the Philips ones. Can recommend the Philips XtremeUltinon

 

Those ones and any other aftermarket LEDs are not street legal in Europe.

For offroad purposes only.

Edited 16 December, 2018 by linni

[silver1011]

As with aftermarket HID / xenon headlight kits, they aren't compatible with most VAG cars that run a CANBUS based bulb monitoring system.

 

The car can be coded, and some LED bulbs have built in resistors, but I'd be wary. These can affect the car's BCM / CECM and cause numerous electrical issues.

 

As it happens I've just removed my 35W 4,300K HID kit from my Superb, and fitted the Philips RacingVision halogen H7's. They are very good.

 

The only issue is, the extra brightness comes at a price, and quite a steep price on the RacingVision's - life.

 

Philip's claim "up to 200 hours", which for me is around 13 weeks! I fitted them last night so will see how long they last.

 

The only other difference compared to the HID kit is their colour. The RacingVision's are only 3,500K, so more akin to halogen yellow than xenon/LED blue.

 

One of the reasons why I wouldn't have gone as low as an SE, spec wise, was that when we bought the Kodiaq the LED headlights were a must-have. I've spent many years messing around with VAG lighting systems and almost always ended up reverting back to factory standard.

 

 

 

 

 

The Superb has projector headlights, the Kodiaq has reflector headlights, this might actually mean the bulbs are better suited to the Kodiaq so you might see even better results than me...

 

 

I bought mine from Amazon, £20 delivered.

 

Edited 16 December, 2018 by silver1011

[vRS 170TDi Cork]

Thanks for all the info folks.

[C2atb]

Unfortunately I thought mine had LED headlamps when ordering , I didnt even think halogen would of been a option as never seen them in the brochure. I was also told when I found out that adding them as a option is not possible . I was really disappointed felt like I had gone back in time not even projectors . Un lot motorway driving was terrible ! I used on aftermarket LED kit and to be honest the beam cut off is pretty clean . I did the same with high beam and led indicators . I usually have them on low setting .

 

i would stay way clear or HID 

[silver1011]

Any pictures? I'm assuming the H7 LED bulbs you've used for the dipped headlight function have their own in-built resistors to prevent the blown-bulb warning on the dash?

 

Here in the UK there are no road legal LED headlight bulbs currently on sale.

 

Whilst the HID kits also bring their issues in terms of legality (headlight wash and self-levelling functions) their bulbs are more akin to regular halogen bulbs so controlling their light output and preventing light scatter can be easier.

[C2atb]

No pics sorry , new chip style led LED . I did have to correct the left hand headlamp beam for some reason as it seemed to pointing over to the right from factory . 

While yes not strictly legal in UK with the setting of the beam relatively low power and a less scatter chip led and beam adjusted  . I’ve never been flashed at also friends in front have advised no glare . 

No bulb warnings on either high or low beam 

 

[silver1011]

Sounds good, where did you source them? Can you remember what brand they are?

[RicardoM]

On 15/12/2018 at 23:41, vRS 170TDi Cork said:

Hi All,

 

Any suggestions for a Halogen Bulb upgrade on my 1.4 Tsi 125bhp Kodiaq. 

Mid level trim..

 

Wondering if anyone tested these?

Philips’ RacingVision

 

Cheers..

Don't bother. Any such "upgrade" on the market is marketing BS. Plus they last a very short time.

As  for the LEDs / HIDs regulations, there are clear EU (sigh) regulations. In short you need: clear lens, headlight washers, and self leveling headlights.

[silver1011]

Whilst some of the manufacturers claims are exaggerated, the RacingVision bulbs from Philip's offer an obvious advantage over the factory bulbs.

 

It's early days for me, so it'll  be interesting to see if they get close to the claimed 200 hours life.

 

Whilst not legal, it is possible to pass an MOT with LED's or a HID kit, if fitted, aligned and operated responsibly. The kit in my Superb passed several MOT's over the years at three different MOT test stations.

 

Some of the latest LED bulbs are very bright though, so I'd be surprised if they aren't overly bright, especially when fitted in-front of a reflector rather than projector lens.

[C2atb]

I got them from eBay , can’t find exact ones but MCK  brand with cut off notch . I got the indicator bulbs from them also mainly because of warranty and being uk based 

[silver1011]

Could they be these ones?

 

 

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/H7-White-6000k-LED-Bulbs-Canbus-Dipped-Main-Beam-Replacement-Resistors-No-Errors/253350746048?hash=item3afce197c0:g:L3AAAOSw1IVbv08H

[C2atb]

Something very similar if not the same it was over a year ago I bought them before the car arrived . 

If you do go ahead I would get the headlamps adjusted after fitting . 

 

One last thing is its is it’s very cramped when fitting unless you have tiny hands .

especially with the bulb adapters you need . I had to fit the h7 bases of the the led with the metal Adapters first then the new bulb just twists in just make sure the chips are in the same position of the halogen reflectors when installed . Have a look before you remove the old bulb if unsure . 

[MrTrilby]

5 hours ago, silver1011 said:

 

Whilst not legal, it is possible to pass an MOT with LED's or a HID kit, if fitted, aligned and operated responsibly. The kit in my Superb passed several MOT's over the years at three different MOT test stations.

 

 

The MOT is a static test. As soon as you drive out on a bumpy or undulating road you will be blinding oncoming traffic - particularly drivers in cars much lower than the Kodiaq. That is dangerous and selfish. The law requiring self levelling headlights and washers is there for a reason, even if it is poorly enforced. 

[silver1011]

SUV's with factory fitted LED headlights regularly dazzle. Even halogens on the crest of a hill will dazzle, it's an unfortunate consequence of driving at night. I was flashed by a particularly unhappy Citroen C3 driver last night on an unlit undulating coastal road in the LED-equipped Kodiaq. To assume all aftermarket headlight set-ups, legal or not, blind other drivers simply isn't true.

 

Driving a low car, such as a Mazda MX-5 means glare from other road users will always be an issue, regardless of the set-up.

 

Whilst the rules are there for good reason, a properly fitted and adjusted HID kit fitted behind a projector lens is unlikely to be anymore of an issue than what is already on the road. The self-levelling systems struggle to react fast enough in certain conditions, such as speed humps. Similarly the wash system struggles with HID's as they still run at quite high temperatures meaning any dirt on the headlights quickly dry and require more than high pressure water and screen wash to clean.

 

On my Superb I was careful to choose a 35W kit, to limit the power output, the colour, 4300K to exactly match the OEM colour, and had the headlights properly aligned and adjusted after fitting them. I was also sure to choose a reputable source for the kit, had the car properly coded (rather than using resistors) and would manually adjust them if carrying passengers or loads in the boot. I ran the kit for close to 6 years / 130,000 miles without ever being flashed.

 

LED's in a reflector type headlight could well be a different story, one I've yet to see / experience, hence my curiosity with C2atb's set-up.

 

Edited 31 December, 2018 by silver1011

[MrTrilby]

Justify it to yourself how you like, but I strongly disagree. My vision at night is routinely affected by cars where people have upgraded their headlight bulbs, rarely by proper HID or LED lights. 

 

Self levelling is not instant, but there’s a huge difference between a quick blink as a car crests a hill and the self levellers react, and a car driving towards you with upgraded bulbs glaring at you constantly. 

 

Plus where the self levellers do work really well is compensating for different loads in the car. How many people with manual adjustment honestly adjust the beam for every single drive when passengers or luggage loads change, rather than just enjoy the extra range of their headlights?

[silver1011]

How do you know what you're seeing is an aftermarket or "proper" HID set-up?

 

They could be a poorly adjusted or accident damaged factory set-up.

 

They could be a set of the very many non-approved incandescent halogen bulbs readily available.

 

They could be an aftermarket, poor quality replacement headlight cluster.

 

They could just be bright factory standard halogen, xenon, or LED lights.

 

They could be bright factory standard halogen, xenon, or LED lights with a faulty levelling system.

 

They could be a bright but dirty factory standard set-up.

 

The reality is the likelihood of what you're seeing is not as a result of a properly fitted HID kit.

[MrTrilby]

Scroll back up. This thread is not about properly fitted HID kits. It’s a request for recommendations for aftermarket replacement bulbs for the factory headlights. In my experience, it’s exceptionally easy to spot those, as they do glare.  

 

My recommendation if the headlights  aren’t bright enough is to do what I had to do in my previous car and drive more slowly, so you can still stop in the distance that you can see. Getting better legal headlights was one of the big draws for buying the Kodiaq, after 10 years with halogens. 

[silver1011]

Threads move on. You specifically chose to quote a reference about the HID kit on my Superb.

 

If your issue isn't about me, and instead is about the OP's question perhaps you'd have been better to choose a more appropriate or relevant quote?

[MrTrilby]

I quoted your comment suggesting that passing an MOT proves headlights are safe or legal, because it’s not true. Regardless of whether your headlights are OEM HIDs, aftermarket HIDs, or a set of super bright aftermarket bulbs you fitted yourself. 

 

At the end of the day like with everything else, it’s simply a case of being sensible and considerate of others. 

[linni]

Self levelling is not the only point here.

 

If you install aftermarket HID / LED kit, I suppose you should change the whole headlights. Halogen headlight low / high beam works way differently (separate bulbs or bulb sections) then HID / LED one (shutters).

 

You can recognize aftermarket ones miles away, specially LED-s, when first comes a huge dazzeling cloud of light, pointed in every possible direction, and a while after that car itself.

[silver1011]

7 hours ago, MrTrilby said:

I quoted your comment suggesting that passing an MOT proves headlights are safe or legal, because it’s not true.

 

No I didn't.

 

I said it was possible to pass an MOT with an aftermarket HID kit fitted.

 

I also specifically said they aren't legal, and also provided detail as to why they're not legal.

 

A lot of people assume that when they're dazzled at night it is purely down to aftermarket HID kits, they then come on internet forums and berate those who use them without knowing exactly why it is they're being dazzled.

 

The most common reasons I've noticed discomfort from oncoming vehicles at night...

 

1) Main beam being left on / not turned off before coming into view.

2) One or more misaligned halogen headlight.

3) Factory fitted LED dipped headlights on higher vehicles, such as those on your Kodiaq.

4) Improper use of front fog lights at night or on wet road surfaces.

5) High Beam Assist features that don't react in time.

6) Following vehicles driving too close.

7) Rural roads with undulating surfaces, potholes, extreme cambers and brows.

 

The list is long, and inconsiderate use of aftermarket HID kits, non road legal halogen bulbs are on there, but there are a lot of other more common issues at play.

 

You're confusing people who alter their headlights with no regard for others with those who do their research and take proper precautions to ensure their lights don't unduly dazzle.

 

The reality is, the high mounted LED headlights and LED cornering fog lights on your Kodiaq are far brighter and are likely to cause more discomfort to other road users than the HID kit was on my Superb.

 

Edited 31 December, 2018 by silver1011

[C2atb]

I’ll just keep them low and as I do I can put them even lower in headlamp menu if need be too if carrying heavy cargo . I tried getting wiring info for a proper conversion and had no luck what so ever and also won’t be keeping car too long either