Best NON-HID headlamp solution ?

[b1ackb1rd]

I know this subject has been done to death, but most threads asking this question seem to get hijacked by HID posts.

 

Anyway, I have a 2007 Scout with single H7 bulbs in projector lights, I've tried 35w HID's (personally I wasn't too impressed but better than standard) however, they caused an error in the swinging headlamp feature that caused a recent MOT fail, so they are now out.

 

Standard 'supermarket' H7 bulbs are terrifying on the lanes where I live. 

 

Has anyone had any success with uprated H7 bulbs, LED bulbs?  Or even a swap back to 'normal' H4 headlamps?

 

 

 

 

[bigjohn]

18 minutes ago, b1ackb1rd said:

 

Has anyone had any success with uprated H7 bulbs, LED bulbs?  Or even a swap back to 'normal' H4 headlamps?

 

 

You can't fit H4 bulbs - they are a totally different fitment twin filament bulb (dip+main). I'm not sure if H4 headlight unit were available on the roomster. Saying that I found H4's to be awful on my old Skoda Octavia MK1.

 

LED H7 bulb replacements are illegal , some are dangerous to oncoming drivers and can throw up errors.

 

You can get +30 +50 ... legal CE marked H7 bulbs which give some improvement. I've used various over the years (Osram Silverstar etc) but the brighter bulbs also tend to suffer with a somewhat shorter life. If your bulbs are easyish to change then this is less of an issue.

 

Edited 3 October, 2020 by bigjohn

[b1ackb1rd]

1 minute ago, bigjohn said:

 

You can't fit H4's - they are a totally different fitment twin filament bulb (dip+main)

 

 

If you change the entire headlamp assembly from projectors to 'standard', they take a H4 bulb

 

I've been advised to look at Osram Nightbreakers Next Gen, anyone tried them?

[bigjohn]

41 minutes ago, b1ackb1rd said:

 

If you change the entire headlamp assembly from projectors to 'standard', they take a H4 bulb

 

I've been advised to look at Osram Nightbreakers Next Gen, anyone tried them?

 

I've found H4's to be poor in my old Octavia, especially using main beam (only one filament at a time should be illuminated).

 

The earlier Osram Nightbreakers (and earlier Silverstars) were pretty good in my superb mk I - brighter bulbs lasted about a year. Not tried the Next Gen though - I sold this car in 2015.

 

I don't know whether it's better reflectors but I've found the H7 projector headlights to be much better in my Facelift Superb mk II so I've not bothered with enhanced bulbs with this car.

 

[EDIT] PS another feature the Roomster H7 headlight units is I think there is a lever to flatten the beam if you are taking the car abroad.

 

 

Edited 3 October, 2020 by bigjohn

[J.R.]

The MK1 headlights werent up to much but the halogen projector lamps on the MK2 took useless to a whole new level, 35w HID conversion after a lot of tweaking of the level improved mine a lot but they still were not great, I believe that the voltage is dropped to extend the bulb life, they definitely give a weak yellow light on the H7 bulbs, and that it can be increased using VCDS.

 

When I saw that my Yeti had similar halogen headlights I thought I would need to upgrade but they are in fact a thousand times better than the MK2 Octavia, they really must have spent a lot of effort trying to develop such useless lights.

[b1ackb1rd]

9 hours ago, J.R. said:

The MK1 headlights werent up to much but the halogen projector lamps on the MK2 took useless to a whole new level, 35w HID conversion after a lot of tweaking of the level improved mine a lot but they still were not great, I believe that the voltage is dropped to extend the bulb life, they definitely give a weak yellow light on the H7 bulbs, and that it can be increased using VCDS.

 

When I saw that my Yeti had similar halogen headlights I thought I would need to upgrade but they are in fact a thousand times better than the MK2 Octavia, they really must have spent a lot of effort trying to develop such useless lights.

 

It's the utter lack of penetration on country lanes that's so awful, my wife was terrified when I turned off the headlamps last night but gobsmacked at how little difference it made!

 

On full beam reflective road signs are ok to look at, on the same road in my Smart 451 with full beams on, you can't look at the signs because they are so bright and dazzle. 

 

Does anyone have the details of the 'beam flattening' system, maybe the previous owner played with these settings and didn't put them back correctly?

[Immelmann]

Well it’s surprised me that people find the Roomster headlamps to be poor. Mine is a 2015 with projector headlamps and actually seem great, bulbs do seem to be lasting a long time but have got a pair of Osram Night Breaker Next Gen in the boot ready for when I have a bulb fail. Had the car from new so know the headlamps are standard.

previously I’ve owned Nissan Terrano’s with round headlamps and they were so popped a pair of Night Breakers in which made some difference though still not as good as the Roomsters. I’ve also got a VW T6 and believe me those are shockingly poor, people on the forums refer to them as Ikea Tealights. As that is still in warranty I’m not changing those yet, several options with that including redesigned after market lamps with LED bulbs.

So I guess basically what I’m trying to say is my experience of the Roomster headlamps is great. You do have to be careful with bulbs and replacements as they can be illegal but also dazzling to other road users..

 

Has anyone tried fitting extra lighting such as LED light bars, granted will only supplement high beam but probably advantageous for country lanes etc.

 

[b1ackb1rd]

10 hours ago, Immelmann said:

Well it’s surprised me that people find the Roomster headlamps to be poor.

 

 

Roomster and Fabia 2 headlamps are notoriously bad, HID's are the frequently trotted out remedy - but they give errors in the swinging headlamp system. 

 

Our Roomster currently has a set of ECP xenon blue h7s fitted, they are due to be changed for a set of 150% xenons 

[650katman]

I fitted London colour hid's in my2007 roomster's projector headlights some years ago. No errors and pass MOT. I tried all sorts of upgraded bulbs including  Nightbreakers and although an improvement still not as good as the HID kit I have but they are still nowhere near as good as our Daihatsu Sirion with bog standard H4 bulbs. Someone at skoda or Volkswagen should have got a severe beating for those headlights

[Urmas]

Philips and a Ukrainian firm manufacture high quality LEDs that have correct placement and work really good (better than HIDs). Philips is helluwa expensive, somwhere in the region of 200 Eur, the Ukr ones are about 60 ish.

 

I suspect that the problem with projector headlights like my Scout has is similar to what i've seen with BMW projector headlights - hot bulb in a small confined space heats the tiny mirror up and it fogs up / starts to burn out:

 

[img]http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/attachment.php?s=15d217d0e9dd01d10a851f5decdb5dfd&attachmentid=4738&d=1340939312[/img]

 

thread: http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?7459-E90-ZKW-projector-bowl-retrofit-My-progression

 

But then again, its just a theory, I haven't taken my headlights apart yet. But, having just switched to my Scout from a Golf MkII, and that had noticeably more light spite being a 1989 car with 30 year old headlights...

[Roomax]

Hello everybody,

so it's not just me that found those headlight absolutely disappointing!

 

Well, I studied a lot and then I found an LED-bulbs-based solution that to me it's quite satisfying.

Just tell me if I'm allowed to link here the thread I created for this subject in the Italian forum of Skoda owners...

 

 

I'll be happy to translate for those interested, but pictures are pretty self explanatory yet...

[J.R.]

I have never experienced such crap headlights as the MK2 Octavia projector lights, worse even than my VW split screen campervan with 6 volt electrics, poor earths and a slipping dynamo belt.

 

Please post a link to your solution.

[b1ackb1rd]

Our Roomie Scout is MUCH improved after the headlamps were polished and fitted with Nightbreakers

[WAUOla]

Any upgrade to the wiring side then @b1ackb1rd?

[b1ackb1rd]

Why would I need up upgrade the wiring when fitting Nightbteakers?

[26DIPP]

On 30/12/2020 at 17:52, b1ackb1rd said:

Our Roomie Scout is MUCH improved after the headlamps were polished and fitted with Nightbreakers

Which part of the light did you polish?

[b1ackb1rd]

13 minutes ago, 26DIPP said:

Which part of the light did you polish?

 

The headlamp lens, I used Armor All wipes.

Made a huge difference

[26DIPP]

I have never looked at taking the light apart. Looking at their website, the wipes are cleaning wipes rather than abrasive car polish products.

How did you get to the lens?

[b1ackb1rd]

1 hour ago, 26DIPP said:

I have never looked at taking the light apart. Looking at their website, the wipes are cleaning wipes rather than abrasive car polish products.

How did you get to the lens?

 

By lens, I mean the headlamp glass (perspex) rather than the silvered reflecting lens. 

 

The kit was a tenner from ECP and I thought I'd give it a whirl, results were very good and I would recommend anyone to try it before trying a more heavy duty treatment. 

[WAUOla]

On 04/02/2021 at 09:46, b1ackb1rd said:

Why would I need up upgrade the wiring when fitting Nightbteakers?

You would need to, but you could as a lot of VAG cars isn't exactly overspec'ed on the OE wiring, thus increasing the voltage fed to the bulbs.

[26DIPP]

The night breakers have the same power consumption as the OE bulbs. So there is no need to get thicker wires in. If you used 100W bulbs it might be different, but some people are not recommending this because of the excess heat and risk to melt the lamp rather than melt the wire.

[cheezemonkhai]

So coming late to the game......

 

Define better, becuase with the same power consumption something has to give between cost, life and brightness...

 

Generally in my experience:

 

- The +30% bulbs have a decent extra chunk of light at an only slightly reduced life

- The +50% bulbs had a bit more light again, but at a noticably shorter life and higher cost

- The + 80% bulbs really didn't seem any brigher than the +50, but were definately very short on the life vs standard bulbs.

- The long life bulbs were the same or marginally brigher, but did last a very long time.

 

Cheap bulbs were generally naff, as the filaments had been build to a price, but OEM quality bulbs were fine.

 

H7 are definely brighter than H4 in my book, as you have two dedicated bulbs not 1.

Keeping the lenses clean is important too.

 

On the MK2 OCty I found them excellent, then had an issue after some work, but took them to be properly adjusted and made sure the height adjustment motors worked. After that they were great again. Still I ended up with a Xenon equiped headlight set on the next car (Factory fitted not aftermarket).

 

I used to like the osram silverstar and the phillips vision+, but that is going back a few years.

 

 

 

 

[dieselV6]

First and foremost, always make sure your lights are aligned correctly, some workshops seem intent on pointing them into the ground at all times and no light source will help this.

 

I also, until recently, have used 50W HID kit in my wife's 2012 Roomster until new MOT requirements made it impossible.

 

So, after some searching, I found OSRAM Super H7 lamps at Aliexpress (the last of the lamps shown in the ad).

Note there are other sellers on Aliexpress and probably elsewhere, I'm just showing the one I repeatedly ordered from). 

 

These are smaller and slightly more powerful 65W H9 capsules put onto H7 base, and produce 2100lm instead of stock 1500lm. They are made by Osram factory in China for Asian and American markets.

At ~6 quid per pair and standard longevity these are excellent bargain, though after HIDs you will find their colour a tad yellow at standard Roomster voltage of 12.5V at the lamp with the engine running.

Nevertheless, even without wiring upgrade or voltage booster these produce significantly more light.   

 

On my wife's car, I also have a voltage booster and run both low and high beams at 14.5V at the lamp (with ~1.2A glow current to prevent initial switch on shock), but that requires substantially more work than just changing the bulb. I used to have the booster only on high beams for the last 8 years, so now after the HIDs went out it was just just a matter of adapting and reconnecting it for both low and high beams.

 

Frankly, after putting the work in, I do not miss the HIDs anymore, though I did order quite a few H7 65W spare bulbs as will probably have to change them once a year, unlike the HIDs.

 

Edit: My wife's Roomster has dual headlights, for the single headlights in early Roomsters I would probably just put in the Osram H7 Super as shown above and a fused relay and a set of chunky wires straight to the battery clamps. or a diode and a relay at each lamp, it would make for a softer start. HTH

 

 

Edited 6 March, 2021 by dieselV6

[dieselV6]

(deleted)

 

Edited 6 March, 2021 by dieselV6

[J.R.]

Those bulbs would have been a good solution to the rubbish halogen projector lamps on my MK2 Octavia, they were rubbish even with brand new Hella OEM LHD units, I did an HID conversion but they would have been better.

 

I had not realised that the voltage to the bulbs was reduced, in hindsight the yellow glow should have alerted me, nor that it could have been increased using VCDS which I think would have made a big difference.

 

I have no problem at all with the standard non projector halogen headlights on my Yeti, they are superb by comparison.