improve headlamps?

Chat about your MKI or MKII Polo (86 and 86F)
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Mk2Adam
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improve headlamps?

Post by Mk2Adam »

one of my dipped beam bulbs seems to have died on me, and i've still got the old house bulb style.

does anyone know if i could swap the bulb fitment with a mk2 with the H4 style that would work?

i thought as i'm replacing the bulb anyway then maybe i could give it an uprated loom to get some more power through there as well as treat it to some phillips vision bulbs. but i can't do either of these without the H4 bulb fitment :roll:

anyone think it can be done or am i missing something? :?:
omicron
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Post by omicron »

Halogen bulb type H4 is a direct replacement for the standard fit R2 regular incandescents.

While you're at it, renew the multiplugs on the back of the lights and clean your earths where they find the chassis.

Might be worth looking at the condition of your reflector dishes, and if they're over tarnished, a brand new pair of headlmap units isn't silly miney.

Other things to think about are a spotlight grill, and one of the uprated headlamp looms (can't remember who makes them, but he posts on www.clubpolo.co.uk)
Mk2Adam
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Post by Mk2Adam »

ahhh nice one mate, assumed they would have a different fitment as they look so different....cool, i'll start collecting the parts to do the uprated loom, steve-o makes them but he also provided a guide on how to do it yourself :wink: then i'll buy the phillips power bulbs thingys too.

love it when a plan actually works 8)
omicron
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Post by omicron »

Yeah, it was steve-o I was thinking of.
Gareth_GT_Hatch
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Post by Gareth_GT_Hatch »

All polo headlight bulbs are H4, but the old tungsten filament ones usually have a different base to "standard" halgen versions.

Standard Type
Image

Old Type
Image

As you can see, its possible to get halogens with the correct base, but I would rather convert the headlights themselves to halogen ones and use the more modern bulb fitment.
Mk2Adam
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Post by Mk2Adam »

i'll probably buy the phillips bulbs and see if they fit without probs and if they do then i'll have to convert the connectors etc to the newer type, would it litterally be a case of swapping the connectors or would i need to replace the metal fixings that hold the bulb to the lamps?

cheers guys, i know i'm being a pain :lol:
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SpikeyG40
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Post by SpikeyG40 »

early mk2's used the old tuncstan style bulbs, very dim! changed them for halogen bulbs which made it better and later on changed the units out of a later mk2 which had H4's! made it even better!

also i'd adivse some philips bulbs, they are a decent bulb! :wink:
Mk2Adam
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Post by Mk2Adam »

SpikeyG40 wrote:early mk2's used the old tuncstan style bulbs, very dim! changed them for halogen bulbs which made it better and later on changed the units out of a later mk2 which had H4's! made it even better!

also i'd adivse some philips bulbs, they are a decent bulb! :wink:
doug, my bulbs have old toungston style bulbs...is it a straight swap for the phillips H4's or do i need to use the light units from a newer polo. or do i need to get some halogen bulbs? (if the halogen can you explain what 1's i'd need) :? soooo many bulb types and fitments :oops:

my car seems abit odd really, it was one of the last mk2's and yet its got the crappy house bulb headlights and it's got factory green tints when it's only a C?
Mk2Adam
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Post by Mk2Adam »

got my new powerbulbs through today and they look just like this fitment...
Image
any ideas if they'll fit or do i need to get hold of some newer style frames?
ste mk1lx
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Post by ste mk1lx »

you'l need newer type headlights to fit the H4 bulbs, shouldn't cost much from a decent scrappie :)
Mk2Adam
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Post by Mk2Adam »

i tried the bulbs today and they don't quite fit, only problem being the clip which holds the bulb into the lamp...i'm thinking of maybe bodging some sort of clip to hold it rather than try and track down a H4 lamp from somewhere :wink: i'll have a looky on monday and see what i can come up with...also gonna take a trip to maplins and pick up the parts i need to uprate my loom :D

p.s i also fitted some clear indicators on today, looks cool to me, probably barely noticable to anyone else though, only cost £10 though. :wink:
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