Headlight adjustment

[Andy Beats]

Seeing as bulbs replacement is so very easy on the Polo, I put in some legal bulbs just now.
Osram 'cool blue intense'
But they're only 55W 4200K instead of the 100W 5000K I had in before.
Quite frankly, they suck ....back to being much yellower than the LED DRLs, whereas the 5000K (but illegal) bulbs were a perfect match and a lovely white.
So what I really need is legal 5000K bulbs......but I can't find any.....

[Adam_013]

You got a link to the 'illegal' bulbs which you have? I've only found some 80w ones - which is guess would be fine. It's unlikely you'll be pulled over when people still run with LED or those dodgy HiD kits.

Plus you've got 3 years till it's due an MoT.

Seeing as bulbs replacement is so very easy on the Polo, I put in some legal bulbs just now.
Osram 'cool blue intense'
But they're only 55W 4200K instead of the 100W 5000K I had in before.
Quite frankly, they suck ....back to being much yellower than the LED DRLs, whereas the 5000K (but illegal) bulbs were a perfect match and a lovely white.
So what I really need is legal 5000K bulbs......but I can't find any.....

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Andy Beats]

You got a link to the 'illegal' bulbs which you have? I've only found some 80w ones - which is guess would be fine. It's unlikely you'll be pulled over when people still run with LED or those dodgy HiD kits.
Plus you've got 3 years till it's due an MoT.

Sure, here you go
Sorry, they are 80W - I thought they were 100W
Can any electrical boffins in here say how much this adds to the electrical system over a 55/60W bulb?
If it's really not an issue I'm putting them back in, I can't stand the yellow light of less than 5000K.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XXGGQ8J/ ... th=1&psc=1

[Adam_013]

Cheers mate.

A 60w bulb would equate to 5Amps
An 80w bulb would be 6.6Amps.

Obviously that's for a single bulb, double it for your dip beams. And then again for main, depending on the bulbs you've got.

You got a link to the 'illegal' bulbs which you have? I've only found some 80w ones - which is guess would be fine. It's unlikely you'll be pulled over when people still run with LED or those dodgy HiD kits.
Plus you've got 3 years till it's due an MoT.

Sure, here you go
Sorry, they are 80W - I thought they were 100W
Can any electrical boffins in here say how much this adds to the electrical system over a 55/60W bulb?
If it's really not an issue I'm putting them back in, I can't stand the yellow light of less than 5000K.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XXGGQ8J/ ... th=1&psc=1

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Andy Beats]

Cheers mate.

A 60w bulb would equate to 5Amps
An 80w bulb would be 6.6Amps.

Obviously that's for a single bulb, double it for your dip beams. And then again for main, depending on the bulbs you've got.

Is that a problem, do you think?
Obviously I don't want melted looms and stuff.

[Muldoon]

If I get my maths right that equals as standard 4 X 55W bulbs for dip and main, equal to 4.58 Amps each or 18.3 for all bulbs.
The 100W would be 8.33 each or 33 Amps current if all 4 on at once. Assume you are replacing dipped and main with 100W bulbs?
I don't know if the main and dip circuits run on the same wiring at some stage or have different fuses for each circuit?
Might be worth checking the fuse rating for headlamps - is it 20A or 30A? You could put in a bigger fuse but no way of telling if the wiring is cooking with the current unless you can identify the separate circuits. Also would the relays work properly - assume there is one for the main beam?

[Andy Beats]

If I get my maths right that equals as standard 4 X 55W bulbs for dip and main, equal to 4.58 Amps each or 18.3 for all bulbs.
The 100W would be 8.33 each or 33 Amps current if all 4 on at once. Assume you are replacing dipped and main with 100W bulbs?
I don't know if the main and dip circuits run on the same wiring at some stage or have different fuses for each circuit?
Might be worth checking the fuse rating for headlamps - is it 20A or 30A? You could put in a bigger fuse but no way of telling if the wiring is cooking with the current unless you can identify the separate circuits. Also would the relays work properly - assume there is one for the main beam?

So for 80W bulbs, you're looking at 6.67 amps per bulb.
I've no clue what the fuse rating is.
80W seems to be the minimum wattage to get the 5000K white light I want.
I'm currently running some 55W bulbs with 4200K I had lying around and while they're better than the horribly yellow standard bulbs, they're still nowhere near white.

[RUM4MO]

Have you tried the "best of the best" higher performance 55W bulbs yet, some of them must be clear of any yellow I'd hope - check powerbulbs.com I've used them many times in the past for Phillips uprated headlight bulbs, they also supply Osram and PIAA so something in there should fit your needs without resorting to moving on to illegal 80Watt bulbs.

[silverhairs]

The guy to ask about fuses for the headlights is "iichel" he was trying to get all information about VW fuse boxes, he should be able to help you out?

Are the 80w bulbs road legal? Did you purchase your car new? If you like the 5000K lighting, might have been a better proposition if you had added LED lights to the extra's list in the first place? What is the life span of the 80w bulbs?

What ever you do don't fit higher rated fuses.

Ask "iichel" first

[Andy Beats]

The guy to ask about fuses for the headlights is "iichel" he was trying to get all information about VW fuse boxes, he should be able to help you out?

Are the 80w bulbs road legal? Did you purchase your car new? If you like the 5000K lighting, might have been a better proposition if you had added LED lights to the extra's list in the first place? What is the life span of the 80w bulbs?

What ever you do don't fit higher rated fuses.

Ask "iichel" first

No, 80W bulbs aren't technically legal (the box is marked offroad use).
It was a car in stock, I don't wait for cars.
I'm really not that bothered about cars that I'd wait for any specific one, if VW hadn't had this car in stock I'd have simply moved onto Nissan or Citroen until I found an in-stock car.

[Andy Beats]

Have you tried the "best of the best" higher performance 55W bulbs yet, some of them must be clear of any yellow I'd hope - check powerbulbs.com I've used them many times in the past for Phillips uprated headlight bulbs, they also supply Osram and PIAA so something in there should fit your needs without resorting to moving on to illegal 80Watt bulbs.

It's invariably powerbulbs or the likes I use.
Osram can't get 5000K without going to 80W
I don't think anyone can, it seems to be an impossibility.

[silverhairs]

When I was specking my car, the cost of the LED headlights were about £1000. As we very rarely go out when it's dark, I thought that was not an option, but I do like the DRL with the LED lights.
So I'll go for the Osram H7 cool blue intense 4200K 55w. I've emailed Osram and asked if they are whiter than their Osram nightbreaker Lazer and they said "yes"
When you changed your bulbs, did you completely remove the whole headlight unit, or fit them with the units in still in the car?

[Adam_013]

You'd do well to change the bulbs without taking the units out... It's fairly well crammed in there. It's only two T30s holding them in place.

When I was specking my car, the cost of the LED headlights were about £1000. As we very rarely go out when it's dark, I thought that was not an option, but I do like the DRL with the LED lights.
So I'll go for the Osram H7 cool blue intense 4200K 55w. I've emailed Osram and asked if they are whiter than their Osram nightbreaker Lazer and they said "yes"
When you changed your bulbs, did you completely remove the whole headlight unit, or fit them with the units in still in the car?

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Andy Beats]

When I was specking my car, the cost of the LED headlights were about £1000. As we very rarely go out when it's dark, I thought that was not an option, but I do like the DRL with the LED lights.
So I'll go for the Osram H7 cool blue intense 4200K 55w. I've emailed Osram and asked if they are whiter than their Osram nightbreaker Lazer and they said "yes"
When you changed your bulbs, did you completely remove the whole headlight unit, or fit them with the units in still in the car?

With the headlights in situ, it's too hard.
Unscrew the two hex-head bolts, give them a thump from behind and they'll pop right out.
Don't need a socket set, they're not that tight, hex-head screwdriver is fine.
You've then got a choice of fitting the bulbs with the headlight dangling on the connector block, or just disconnect altogether and take the headlight into your nice warm house.
When putting them back in, make sure you slide the plastic tangs at the bottom of the headlight into the clips in the car (it's all very obvious).
First time I did it, I missed a clip and the headlight was wobbly.

[silverhairs]

Do you have to disconnect the wires from the bulbs before removing the unit, or are the wires long enough to disconnect when unit is free?