I have the projector style headlamps on my Fabia, and I'm looking for new bulbs to replace two factory and two Osram Night Breaker Lasers (failed after 14 months on drivers side).

 

I know LED lamps don't pass MOTs anymore, but wondered if the inspector would be able to tell it's an LED lamp since it'd be inside the projector?

 

Are there any halogen bulbs better than the Night breakers? I prefer a whiter light but I know they typically aren't as bright. I live in an area where there's 0 street lamps so I'm looking for the brightest bulbs I can get away with!

 

Any advise would be great 👌

1 hour ago, ChalmersCameron said:

Osram Night Breaker Lasers

 

Cause they break at night...

 

I'll see myself out...

 

I've got 'Philips 12972XV+S2 X-tremeVision' Halogens on my Mk1, they're definitely better than the standard candles. 

Can you still use HID kits in the UK. I know the regs say 'conventional headlamps' are a no-no but what about for headlamps with projector lenses?
I had a HID kit on my MkII Fabia and it was a significant improvement over the halogen bulbs that were fitted. Never failed an MoT with them either.

9 minutes ago, @Lee said:

Can you still use HID kits in the UK.

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aftermarket-hid-headlamps/aftermarket-hid-headlamps

 

Maybe this will clear things up... or muddy the waters. From what I can see, it's not legal, but it is legal?

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aftermarket-hid-headlamps/aftermarket-hid-headlamps

 

Maybe this will clear things up... or muddy the waters. From what I can see, it's not legal, but it is legal?

Yeah I was just reading that myself. 

It seems if the headlight unit is marked with an ECE R99 certification, then HID's should be OK.

In that case, it's a matter of finding out if it's compatible with said certification, and if it isn't then you're looking at better halogens to replace the glow worms.

I’ll take a look at HID, and see what I can find!

 

if I went down halogen route, are there any you’d recommend apart from the Philips mentioned above?

Just now, ChalmersCameron said:

if I went down halogen route, are there any you’d recommend apart from the Philips mentioned above?

 

I've had the car since March and this is the first set of bulbs I've put in it. They've been good since fitted in October though.

 

I'm not quite sure what else I could recommend really. Perhaps have a peruse around the Philips range and see if there's anything about as they seem quite good... and don't pack in like reports of the OSRAM's, which were my original choice.

I think the best you can get and remain 100% road legal are either Philips X-Treme vision +130 or Osram Nightbreaker unlimited. 
I'm currently running the Philips in my Rapid with standard halogen lamp units. A crisp white light.

Edited 6 December, 20214 yr by @Lee

1 minute ago, @Lee said:

I'm currently running the Philips in my Rapid with standard halogen lamp units. A crisp white light.

 

Same here. Was out in the Heathfield Industrial Estate in Ayr and I was admiring the reflection of the headlights in the front window of Halfords before I set off.

+1 for the philips +130's. Got them in both dipped and main beam.

 

Obviously nothing like the white an LED can achieve but noticibly brighter and whiter than stock while keeping the proper beam pattern.

Mobile phone camera does make them look a wee bit yellower, but they're rather white. Here's the Philips +130s in a Mk1 Fabia.

 

 

I wish I had a before photograph too actually, but I do not. The headlights are a lot brighter (polished the units too) but not too bright to the extent where I'm getting flashed by other folks - that's only happened once when I went over a bump in the road.

Has anyone tried these (and the H4's) from Halfords?

 

Regards

Chris

Edited 7 December, 20214 yr by TranceElbow

Just to add to the conversation, halogen bulbs that glow brighter will tend to last a shorter time due to them heating up the element more to produce the brighter light.

 

I have original Night Breakers in my Mk1 dipped beams, need to upgrade my full beams, they don't add much.

6 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

Just to add to the conversation, halogen bulbs that glow brighter will tend to last a shorter time due to them heating up the element more to produce the brighter light.

 

I have original Night Breakers in my Mk1 dipped beams, need to upgrade my full beams, they don't add much.

Well worth mentioning as changing the bulbs on the projector headlights in the Fabia is much harder than it should be. One of the main reasosn I went for the +130% rather than the +150% or +200% as they should have more life in them due to not running as hot as the aforementioned +150% and +200%.

17 minutes ago, HeavyMetalRich said:

I have original Night Breakers in my Mk1 dipped beams, need to upgrade my full beams, they don't add much.

 

Mine is the same, I just put a set of OEM-spec OSRAM "candles" in my full beam which improved it ever so slightly over the ones already there. One of the best things you can do is polish the plastic on the light housing (or replace them), difference is night and day... pardon the pun.

Edited 8 December, 20214 yr by AnnoyingPentium

8 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

Mine is the same, I just put a set of OEM-spec OSRAM "candles" in my full beam which improved it ever so slightly over the ones already there. One of the best things you can do is polish the plastic on the light housing (or replace them), difference is night and day... pardon the pun.

 

Yeah I've polished my lenses with the Autoglym kit with an attachment that goes in a drill. T-Cut wouldn't touch them.

 

That's also a very good point @Bepis about the bulbs being difficult to change. I meant to link to this thread earlier but forgot to:

But OP has probably experienced this fact already.

 

Just now, HeavyMetalRich said:

Yeah I've polished my lenses with the Autoglym kit with an attachment that goes in a drill

 

My Grampa did mine with such a thing. Difference was night and day.

 

Just a thought, Osram have just launched (not on sale yet here in the UK?)  the first road legal (i.e. E marked) H7 LED retrofit kit

 

https://www.osram.com/ecat/NIGHT BREAKER H7-LED-LED lamps (street-legal)-Car lighting-Automotive/com/en/GPS01_3401765/

 

Price will be high and its only confirmed with the octavia currently but will surely be tested further. 

 

Any issues at the M.O.T centre, just show them the paperwork and they cant argue. They're road legal H7 bulbs that just happen to be LED. even tho

 

Just wished these were around when i had my Rapid Spaceback as the headlights on those were actually ****. I tried a lot the major players over a couple of years in that car just as a curiosity, and the nightbreaker lasers were the best in terms of light output.