Brighter and Better Headlight Bulbs?

[gregoir]

After a number of eye operations and getting older, I'm finding it more difficult to drive in dark conditions. My eyes meet and exceed the DVLA requirements. I'm driving with the foglights on to  pick up ill -defined road edges, pedestrians and pot holes on dark roads. 

I know that my 2016 Octavia Mk3, standard halogen bulbs, has an odd bulb covering the dip and DRL. Have you any recommendations for  decent, legal  and brighter bulbs?  Dip and main.

Edited 14 January by gregoir
spellin

[skomaz]

I switched to osram night breaker +150 on our Kodiaq and they are an improvement but the biggest improvement was getting the lights aligned properly as they were set too low to start with.

 

I guess the alternative might be Thier +200 bulb or even trying one of the better LED drop ins that can be used in Europe but unfortunately still aren't street legal here in the UK.

Edited 14 January by skomaz

[PetrolDave]

4 hours ago, gregoir said:

I know that my 2016 Octavia Mk3, standard halogen bulbs, has an odd bulb covering the dip and DRL.

It's an H15 bulb you need, there are several options for brighter ones from e.g Osram, Philips, etc.

[gwm97e]

I share your pain, as do many others https://media.rac.co.uk/pressreleases/a-glaring-problem-rac-calls-for-action-on-headlight-glare-as-eight-in-10-drivers-affected-say-problem-is-getting-worse-3296130

 

Lighting technology has come on leaps and bounds, and its not necesarrily to the good. last night i thought a set of green traffic lights bright enough to impair my vision of everything else

[NZ100]

I had H15 and H7 LEDs in mine with no problems. 

I took them out when I sold the car recently, H7s still for sale on site. 😉

[JPC3]

Fog lights should only be used in certain conditions not for normal driving.

[NZ100]

Fog lights on all the cars I've owned, have had yellow bulbs fitted. ☁️. I just sold a set to a fellow Octavia driver that I took out of my Octavia when I sold it.

[MarkyG82]

Years back when I was tinkering at making my own bike lights there was a growing movement to include a small red light as part of the system.  Due to the high blue content of modern LEDs, the red added in massively improves the contrast and brings out the greens and browns in foliage, etc.  I'm not suggesting we all go chucking red lights on the front of the car but there is definitely a move towards brighter instead of better.

I try to keep my headlights clean and also aligned correctly.  As above, you should not be using fog lights in normal conditions.

[gregoir]

11 hours ago, JPC3 said:

Fog lights should only be used in certain conditions not for normal driving.

Well, yes, but needs must. I don't want to hit a walker on a dark verge.

[Ootohere]

@gregoir  If your eyesight is safe enough to drive and you have legal lighting on your car and need to use Front Fog Lights when you have dipped headlights or full beam on then maybe it is another optician you need to visit.

 

The Highway Code in the UK is clear enough on when Fog Lights should be used.

 

There are such things as Driving Lights (not spot or fog lights)  which cars used to have and can be added to cars.

 

Hopefully someone can help you have better dipped headlights that do not require you to be using Fog Lights when there is no Fog / Reduced Visibility.

(Visibility reduced to people with eye sight good enough to be driving in poor light.)

 

My Optician prescribed Night Driving glasses/ lenses  because my eyes adjusted slowly and these helped lots from the issue of very bright lights coming towards me and my eyes adjusting quickly afterwards.

 

Many years ago when we were behind an estate car with a sticker 'A blind man drives this car'  my partner asked in all seriousness how that could be.

Edited 15 January by Rooted

[fabdavrav]

22 hours ago, gregoir said:

After a number of eye operations and getting older, I'm finding it more difficult to drive in dark conditions. My eyes meet and exceed the DVLA requirements. I'm driving with the foglights on to  pick up ill -defined road edges, pedestrians and pot holes on dark roads. 

I know that my 2016 Octavia Mk3, standard halogen bulbs, has an odd bulb covering the dip and DRL. Have you any recommendations for  decent, legal  and brighter bulbs?  Dip and main.

 

Sounds like the Octavia suffers from the similar bad reflector design like the Roomster did.....however when everybody else has Xenons & LED lights, halogens pale (literally) by comparison.

 

In the UK for dipped & main beam you have to keep the exact bulb type for the reflector (as per lighting regs & MOT)...so your reflector is for Halogens...so you have to fit halogens...you can't fit LED (drop-ins) for those bulbs, but you can for all other external bulbs!

 

Looks like H7 for dipped & H15 for main.

 

Selection of H7 here, I only use Osram or Phillips:-

 

H7 Bulbs | Upgrade Car, Van & Motorcycle H7 Bulbs (autobulbsdirect.co.uk)

 

 

Osram Night Breaker in +100% has a 1yr warranty.....their 150%+ & 200%+ only have a 6month warranty ...all three are road legal...

 

Phillips do several bulbs...again in 100+ or 200%+

 

Powerbulbs also has them:-

Sale On Now I PowerBulbs UK

 

Ignore the LED drop ins...you'll get pulled on your next MOT as not road legal in UK for dipped/main beam...

[MarkyG82]

57 minutes ago, fabdavrav said:

 

Ignore the LED drop ins...you'll get pulled on your next MOT as not road legal in UK for dipped/main beam...

 

There have been reports on here of people getting through MOT with them fitted.  The tester probably employed by the same company as @gregoir's optician.

[varaderoguy]

The MK3 (non-FL) had okay headlights, but the standard bulbs that get shipped yellow quite badly over time.

There are definitely brighter H7's available, but you have to super careful here.  On my husband's MK3 4x4 SE, I managed to completely overload the reflectors with 150% brighter bulbs.  You can get away 120% brighter, but nothing more than that.

[fabdavrav]

4 hours ago, MarkyG82 said:

 

There have been reports on here of people getting through MOT with them fitted.  The tester probably employed by the same company as @gregoir's optician.

 

I know others where I live & on the MK7 Golf forums who have gotten away with it....& I also know some who didn't....

 

I prefer to give out the best legal advice....having recently re-read the current amended MOT rules, & the car lighting design regulations, as I swapped ALL my rear bulbs (all 9 of them) for drop in Osram LEDs & re-programmed the dimming values etc on my MK7 Golf estate...

 

I didn't do the front as I have Xenons, & everything is bright enough...I'm already (past 6yrs) running uprated nightbreakers as cornering & fogs anyway..

[gregoir]

7 hours ago, fabdavrav said:

 

Sounds like the Octavia suffers from the similar bad reflector design like the Roomster did.....however when everybody else has Xenons & LED lights, halogens pale (literally) by comparison.

 

In the UK for dipped & main beam you have to keep the exact bulb type for the reflector (as per lighting regs & MOT)...so your reflector is for Halogens...so you have to fit halogens...you can't fit LED (drop-ins) for those bulbs, but you can for all other external bulbs!

 

Looks like H7 for dipped & H15 for main.

 

Selection of H7 here, I only use Osram or Phillips:-

 

H7 Bulbs | Upgrade Car, Van & Motorcycle H7 Bulbs (autobulbsdirect.co.uk)

 

 

Osram Night Breaker in +100% has a 1yr warranty.....their 150%+ & 200%+ only have a 6month warranty ...all three are road legal...

 

Phillips do several bulbs...again in 100+ or 200%+

 

Powerbulbs also has them:-

Sale On Now I PowerBulbs UK

 

Ignore the LED drop ins...you'll get pulled on your next MOT as not road legal in UK for dipped/main beam...

Just ordered OSRAM from Power Bulbs. Those H15 are very expensive though.Thanks. My current bulbs simply do not illuminate the grass verge.

My eyes have been checked by the finest eye hospital in England.

[fabdavrav]

1 hour ago, gregoir said:

Just ordered OSRAM from Power Bulbs. Those H15 are very expensive though.Thanks. My current bulbs simply do not illuminate the grass verge.

My eyes have been checked by the finest eye hospital in England.

 

 

H7 is the dipped, & the one that gets the most usage, thats why I just suggested that...

 

 

I would also check if you have any self levelling, or dial levelling to control the headlight level..I know my old MK1 Fabia had dial levelling (dial next to dash brightness dial)....self levelling is usually on Xenons I know....as the levelling sensor can seize & the BCM just points the headlights at max "down" as a safety fault...

[gregoir]

Hi Thanks everyone. I've just had  OSRAM bulbs fitted, purchased from Powerbulbs.

Night breaker Laser +150%  H7

Cool Blue Intense Next Gen H15

Both claim to be 120% brighter.

The wider spread of the H7 is noticeable as is the increased whiteness of both beams.

And yes, I've a manual thumb wheel adjustment -hidden by the steering wheel.

 

Edited 24 January by gregoir
Omission

[Phoenixboy]

Just upgraded my h7 dipped bulbs with these, not that my original set were that bad, a bit extra won't harm. I've had a lot worse, previously owning mainly vauxhalls. 

£20 for the pair of bulbs, can't grumble. 

 

[hhcd80]

I was going to suggest the Halford's "Advanced" line as a budget alternative. I've used their HIR2 bulbs in a previous car and although they weren't Xenon bright, they did seem to have more light throw to them.