The great headlight debate...

[nncoolg]

Well, perhaps not as big of a debate as asking a commodore owner what is the best engine oil but...

I want to replace my headlights and am faced with 2 options:

(1)

(2)

my wondering is this...number 1 has a nice, tidy lens, but has no bulb cover/reflector cap, number 2 has the cap, but has 3 gay lines across the middle of the lens, so...

Do you think the cap is necessary? I think it is but I wanted some feedback first, they certainly should work better than the old sealed beams

[Alex]

number 1.

with hi/lo HIDs ohhh yeh :P

alex

[El_Freddo]

What type of vehicle are we talking about? And are these driving lights (auxiliary) or stock replacement lights?

HIDs - plain dangerous without the proper adjusting head lights (stock units).

Blue lights should be out lawed too!

Cheers

Bennie

[nncoolg]

Just to replace the headlights in the vortex, I just want opinions on the bulb cover, I reckon they should have them, like number 2, but maybe it doesnt matter...
I mean, the wife's GF8 has crystal headlights and they have the cover, that's really all Im going off!

[El_Freddo]

By Australian law the stock lights on your car should have a cover over the globe so that the on coming traffic aren't looking into a globe directly... I dunno what the difference is because the modern lights on new vehicles seem to be getting brighter and brighter!

This lines in no2 will help disperse the light for a particular light pattern I believe - but I'm no expert either!

Cheers

Bennie

[Gannon]

I may be well off here, but being a vortex, when the headlights are off, the covers are closed and the lights cant be seen. With the lights on, the covers are open, but will you be able to see the 3 lines if the lights are on?

[guyph_01]

You got a point there mate:)

[mud_king91]

Number 2 they work heaps better then add some 6000K bulbs

[nncoolg]

Yeah Gannon, but you can open them for sexy iphone wallpaper shots when off

[steptoe]

to me, those lines, won't 'see' them after a whle, surely?

Sealed beams in the Vortex or H4's? thought the latter was in them.

I'd be going them purely for that bounce back reflector thnking it may do a better job.

Got a link for them and how much?

May need to add rellays to your circuits to unload the light switch

[nncoolg]

they are just a universal 5x7 light, same as a brumby or sportswagon, mine has 1 H4, 1 sealed.

[steptoe]

Think I read the H$s are factory upgrade over the L Series stuff, arr but L Series did not have sealed beams did they? Never had to rplace my Brumby sealed beams in 13 years, they last OK.

[pitrack_1]

Hmm, you need to make sure the units meet the appropriate ADRs (and ECEs? Oz is a signatory) for your vehicle's compliance date.

ADR= Aust Design Rule
ECE= Economic Commission for Europe
SAE= Society of Automotive Engineers

Do they meet SAE (USA) or ECE (rest of world basically) regulations? This determines glare, illumination levels and positions. SAE and ECE basically exclude each other in each other's spheres of influence. Oz is ECE. SAE regs led to the 'dual headlight' configs so prevalent in the USA.

Are they for left or right-sided driving? This determines the upswept portion of the beam which illuminates the roadside (eg signage). Before fluted lenses were superseded, the fluting generating the upswept portion of the beam had to be blocked (eg with tape) when driving 'on the other side' e.g. UK to Europe and vice versa. Whilst the ECE suppresses upward directed glare, the SAE requires that some light shine upwards, to illuminate the overhead signs on USA interstates. See e.g. ECE R112.

A headlamp unit cannot meet both the SAE and ECE regulations simultaneously.

So I think you need 'em to meet ECE regs for RHD (i.e. left side of road like Oz) in Oz for the year of your compliance.

There are limits to the bulbs, too. If e.g. you have H4 bulbs, you use 60/55W on road. The 90W uprated bulbs are illegal on-road (too much glare, may melt your light units too). However, the Plus30/Plus50 types tend to be OK. The blue/yellow bulbs can be illegal too as their emission spectrum may not conform to specifications (CIE trichromatic values in R37). See ECE R37.

Wikipedia "Headlamp" seems a good article with links onwards, e.g. to FMVSS 108 and ECE regs (e.g. look at ECE R112 and R37 and associated docs.)

[Gannon]

Wow, this guy ^ knows his lights.
Some very good info there and a good point on pattern, as what you want to want to achieve is this

but for RHD

[steptoe]

"non compliant lighting" is a favourite of some roadside NSWRTA inspectors. Good diagram gannon

[last celtic warrior]

I'm glad somebody could shine a light on this dilema. Hopefully all's sorted now the path has been well lit. Sorry, just some "light" hearted humour...

[nncoolg]

I had a look at some cars at work today, the yaris has no cover over its bulb, the focus has, so perhaps what mr autobarn told me yesterday (round lights need them, as the light reflects back on the bulb, square ones don't) was somewhat true...

[Alex]

ive had HIDs in every single car ive ever owned.

Two of the three have had yellow stickers for other things and each have passed with the pits with HID lighting.

I have them aligned properly and have never been flashed in either of them cars from people getting annoyed with them.

HIDs are great and the people that complain about them are generally old men. Once you go HID youll never go halogen.

none of the cars ive installed them in have had bulb covers either (except for maybe my l-series)

i just took custody of my latest 6k HIDs for the new car which i will installing on the weekend.

alex

[nncoolg]

so covers...probably not needed then!

the HID thing, they need a conversion or something don't they?

[steptoe]

Seen these mounted in an old Festi too. They just small box each side and end up leaving it possible to convert back to std H4's quickly, I think. $300 ball park ??