Headlight wattage

[Gldfishing Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gldfishing]

Does anyone know what the highest watt globe the headlight wiring would take. Put 100/65 watt in a car once and was better than using driving lights.
Don't want HID just improvement over standard.
May have to upgrade the wiring loom or other option is an alternative globe that say Phillips have.
GLD

[cfryback Find all posts View Profile Close cfryback]

I think the standard legal that you can run with is 60/55W.

Though I put in the Narva Blue 90 into SWMBO's Subaru Outback - and those have a very good output.

There are 130/55W and 100/55W - but I have mostly seen those in the rally cars from the club that I am in.

I was with a mate who installed 75W HID's into his 100 Series LC, and they are just too bright at night, road signs become unreadable due to the glare.

[MickL Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close MickL]

Speaking from experience and legalities aside, I think you should re-consider HID.
The higher wattage halogen globes will degrade your reflectors after time.
The heat makes the reflective coating crack and delaminate from the plastic backing around the globe area.

You can get HID kits starting at a cost not much more than the Phillips Plus series of globes.

Having said all that I run the Phillips Plus 50's and have adjust my lights up from the factory (which is too low, imo) and have had very good result.

Mick

[Cityslicker Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cityslicker]

There is a difference between higher efficiency and higher wattage. You can get bulbs which put out more light for the same watts (up to 100% more light and/or whiter) from most of the major brands (eg Philips) or you can get higher wattage bulbs. The problem with more watts is that you may run into trouble with the polycarbonate lenses or reflectors. I know in a Falcon I had you could melt the lens cover if you put a 100w/55 bulb in place of a 60/55W. I would just go for a higher tech bulb with the same wattage.

Good article here:

http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars...ets/headlights

[Jus10 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jus10]

Problems with upping the wattage in a standard QH bulb are: Wiring that wasn't made to handle higher amperage, Fuses that are too low in Amp rating, scorched lens and reflector, and last but not least - the legality. If you have an accident at night and the other driver says anything at all about being dazzled by your headlamps, they will check the wattages to see if it was an alignment problem or the bulbs were too bright. Anything bigger than 55watt low beam and 60watt high beam is not legal, and after the cops deem you to be at fault your insurance company will also wipe you for modifying the car away from ADR. All bulbs larger than 60/55w will say "off road use only'.
However, because of newer technology the standard QH (quartz Halogen) bulbs are being taken over by different gas mixtures such as Xenon and so on. Still a standard bulb, still has a 55watt output, but as Cityslicker said above, up to 50-100% brighter output. The down side is the bulb only has half the lifespan of a standard QH.
On the subject of HID conversions, your car must either have had them as a factory fit OR the headlamp system must be auto levelling for them to be legal.
I have been involved in automotive lighting for 25 years and used heaps of different technologies - even the very short lived IPF made in the early 90's that were a 245 watt H4 - yes, two hundred and forty five watt bulb. The only lamp that would take the heat was a massive heat sink and they could only be used at 60kmph or above for airflow cooling.

[dixitr Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close dixitr]

I was in supercheap auto just yesterday, and saw some narwa "blue" and high-efficiency globes. I could not work out whether this are xenon globes or some other better technology globes.

am i correct in assuming that these narwa globes are NOT HID globes but are just better quality stuff and i can simply take out old globes and put these ones in.

given these are approx $30 each - am I going to ge significantly better lighting by putting these globes. (I am not interested in white lights - just whatever give better illumination than standard globes)

[Cityslicker Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Cityslicker]

These would be a higher tech "conventional" bulb - straight replacement for your current bulbs. HID bulbs come with extra electronics (ballasts etc) and, as you will see from the RACV article I point to above, to be legal you need to use them with an automatic headlight leveling system. The confusion comes because some of the "conventional" bulbs use xenon gas as a filler to get their high efficiency.

[dixitr Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close dixitr]

I have a 2004 Grande. It does have pneumatic rear suspension. does it mean it is auto levelling ? or does auto levelling refers to some mechanism in the headlight system itself which keeps the headlights at correct angle or level ?

I presume that the cheapest & easiest way to improve the lighting would be to buy either Narva or Philips (as mentioned in other threads in this forum pointing to powerbulb website) globes in normal/yellow light and simple replace the OEM.

One thing about OEM though - my Prado is now 9 years old and I don't remember ever replacing the globes !!! Hell, my battery lasted approx 8 years !!

[raydes Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close raydes]

These make a BIG difference to the standard globes, no wiring or anything to change ,just change them over. http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product...r-unlimited-h4

[RanJ Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close RanJ]

Problems with upping the wattage in a standard QH bulb are: Wiring that wasn't made to handle higher amperage, Fuses that are too low in Amp rating, scorched lens and reflector, and last but not least - the legality. If you have an accident at night and the other driver says anything at all about being dazzled by your headlamps, they will check the wattages to see if it was an alignment problem or the bulbs were too bright. Anything bigger than 55watt low beam and 60watt high beam is not legal, and after the cops deem you to be at fault your insurance company will also wipe you for modifying the car away from ADR. All bulbs larger than 60/55w will say "off road use only'.
However, because of newer technology the standard QH (quartz Halogen) bulbs are being taken over by different gas mixtures such as Xenon and so on. Still a standard bulb, still has a 55watt output, but as Cityslicker said above, up to 50-100% brighter output. The down side is the bulb only has half the lifespan of a standard QH.
On the subject of HID conversions, your car must either have had them as a factory fit OR the headlamp system must be auto levelling for them to be legal.
I have been involved in automotive lighting for 25 years and used heaps of different technologies - even the very short lived IPF made in the early 90's that were a 245 watt H4 - yes, two hundred and forty five watt bulb. The only lamp that would take the heat was a massive heat sink and they could only be used at 60kmph or above for airflow cooling.

245W H4? Shut up and take my money!!!!!!!

[ratsack Member Find all posts View Profile Close ratsack]

These make a BIG difference to the standard globes, no wiring or anything to change ,just change them over. http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product...r-unlimited-h4

Just ordered them. $35 including postage with the 20% code. I hope you're right! I currently have +120% bulbs. Will be good to see how these compare.

[dixitr Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close dixitr]

Ordered a Philips Vision plus H4 form powerbulbs. I have decided for this one as whilst it has more light than OEM, it is supposed to have longer life than othe high powred bubls. so let us see how this one goes.

[shodown Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close shodown]

These make a BIG difference to the standard globes, no wiring or anything to change ,just change them over. http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product...r-unlimited-h4

Hi Guys,

Just beware, I put the Osram nightbreakers in my 150. I was rather happy with the globe, except it has managed to melt my lense a little. I think this might have been when the dealership "tried" to de-wire the mining spec lights on with ignition....

It may not have happened if the vehicle where moving and had adequate air flow. I did report it to powerbulbs, who in turn reported it to Osram. They were keen to get hold of the bulb, for testing etc, but would not replace it up front so I could send it back or cover postage / pay for replacement light - It never got any worse.... so just lived with it.

The same globe failed only days ago after only being in for a year. Given the first 3 months it spent its life with the lights always on and you generally dont get as good a life out of these "super" globes, I am not complaining. For the $$ I spent compared to local H11 globes, I will be buying another set via powerbulbs.

Kevin

EDIT: FYI Guys, the right also just blew. Good thing I have another set on the way. Rather disappointing life span, but given the car was previously was previous mining spec (lights on) I guess they did get alot of additional use. Time will tell on the next set.

If I don't get more than 12 months I might look at other brands.....