Headlight improvement

[Aron]

I've gone through the threads, searched on the forums....for those who have made changes - HID's/Ecodes/etc.. (there has been much debate over using stock housings with HID's)

What's the best "value" for improved headlight lighting?
Looking to keep the bill < $300 and the less DIY work the better

Suggestions?

 

[Joe_Meehan]

"What's the best "value" for improved headlight lighting? "

What does "Improved headlight lighting" mean to you?

Best in this case can mean different things to different people. You eyes my be the eyes of a 20 year old, my eyes are a lot older. Your driving conditions (rain, snow, fog etc.) country roads, interstates style etc all can mean what is best or improved is a rather personal thing.

Personally I hate HID's. I don't like to have drivers coming my direction with them and I don't see as well with them as with standard lamps. (HID's tend to give a bright line spectrum of light and can distort colors more than standard lamps. Your eyes and driving conditions are likely different than mine.

I also dislike the cost of HID's. I would end up paying more for a light that provides less desirable lighting (for me).

For me the best value was using E-code sealed beam lamps on my Miata. Every other car I have been in has had second rate lighting as far as I am concerned.

 

[johnboy00]

You can get a set of HID's for the Pasasat for around $50.00. There is not too much debate about the Hids with the Passats. The Passat uses projector lenses so the beam doesn't blind oncoming traffic like a reflector headlight set up will.

http://www.passatworld.com/forums/5...ces-vvme-hid-41-00-usd-shipped-your-door.html

I find them far better than anything else I've used. I found that Silverstars or other high brightness halogens burn out so fast that they are not worth the money.

But like Joe says above, your results/preferences may vary.

 

[aja8888]

I agree with John's post above. I have had a $50 set of 4600 K HID's in my Passat low beam projectors for two years now and there is no going back. Took all of one hour to install them myself.

 

[whitevanman]

What I tend to do is polish my front headlights with G10, put the car against the garage, put tape on the lines of the beam, adjust the beam with a screwdriver about 3 inches up. this really helps. Also depending on what you want to do, replace your bulbs with osram night breakers. This gives out a white light and is quite good. HID's are real dodgy if you dont have projectors and makes on coming traffic blind. Trust me I know how it feels!

 

[johnboy00]

HID's are real dodgy if you dont have projectors and makes on coming traffic blind. Trust me I know how it feels!

We all have projectors lenses in our Passats in the US. I take it you do not?

 

[whitevanman]

We all have projectors lenses in our Passats in the US. I take it you do not?

On the b5's its very rare only the high spec v6 ones have projectors. The b5.5s all have projectors

 

[johnboy00]

Thanks for the info. We have only 2004-2005 B5.5s TDIs in the US and I tend to "forget" that other B5 TDIs exist elsewhere in the world.

 

[1854sailor]

I agree with John's post above. I have had a $50 set of 4600 K HID's in my Passat low beam projectors for two years now and there is no going back. Took all of one hour to install them myself.

Where did you get your HIDs? Can you get them for both high and low beams?

 

[thundershorts]

forget using hid's on your high beams. use the osram night breakers. if you want good lighting on back roads, get the clear lens fogs and the halogens work fine to fill in light on sides of the road. the clear lens fogs work great. 30 each on ebay new.

 

[vwztips]

I have a set of FK halo or angel eye lights. Much better light dispersion than stock and they look much better too.

 

[Scubanero]

Where did you get your HIDs? Can you get them for both high and low beams?

Only the lows have projector housings. I put 65W Osrams in my highs and they give good light. You have to be a real jerk to put HIDs in a regular housing.

 

[Sprocket]

I've tried both the 35w HID's and the 55w HID's. The 55w's are the better setup by far! I'm using the 5000K bulb color and it's just right in my opinion.

 

[1854sailor]

Only the lows have projector housings. I put 65W Osrams in my highs and they give good light. You have to be a real jerk to put HIDs in a regular housing.

Thanks for the info. I definitely wouldn't want to be considered a jerk.

 

[thundershorts]

after going through the normal stuff, hid conversion on lows, night breakers on highs, clear lens fogs, Finally made the ultimate upgrade, got my cataracts removed. its like someone just doubled the lighting power.

 

[Sloppy Snood]

Four months into my $55 VVME "Chinesium" 6000K Digital Slim H7 HID Conversion Kit (Click Here) and I am very pleased with them in my 2005 B5.5 Passat (projector low beam housings). The 6000K temperature bulbs are much more "white" in color to my aging eyes and DEFINITELY better than OEM H7 halogens (if not, get your cataracts removed like thundershorts did ). The Ultra-Slim ballasts are nice for finding suitable mounting locations in the engine bay.


LINK: 6000K Digital Slim H7 HID Conversion Kit (Click Here)


Previously, I spent more in one year on two sets of Sylvania SuperStar halogens than I did on this kit. If they last even one year, money saved.

For B5.5s in the United States, the "blinding the oncoming driver" is somewhat reduced since these particular housings automatically adjust 10° up and 10° down from horizontal by means of a small electric motor (pretty sure this is the amount). Aim the housings properly and this is a non-issue (I have been "flashed" one time over a hilltop, that's it). I would upgrade to Xenon HID H7s if you have projector lens housings.

 

[1854sailor]

after going through the normal stuff, hid conversion on lows, night breakers on highs, clear lens fogs, Finally made the ultimate upgrade, got my cataracts removed. its like someone just doubled the lighting power.

Cataracts? Why are we discussing Cataracts on a Volkswagen forum??

 

[aja8888]

Cataracts? Why are we discussing Cataracts on a Volkswagen forum??

Some of us actually come out of the closet and indicate our age group.....

 

[Sloppy Snood]

Some of us actually come out of the closet and indicate our age group.....

You are only as old as you feel buddy!

....and you are not that old Tony.

 

[aja8888]

You are only as old as you feel buddy!

....and you are not that old Tony.

Scott, you made my day!

 

[abctdi]

For B5.5s in the United States, the "blinding the oncoming driver" is somewhat reduced since these particular housings automatically adjust 10° up and 10° down from horizontal by means of a small electric motor (pretty sure this is the amount). Aim the housings properly and this is a non-issue (I have been "flashed" one time over a hilltop, that's it). I would upgrade to Xenon HID H7s if you have projector lens housings.

I wasn't aware of this feature. How does it work?

 

[vwztips]

Use vagcom to access it

 

[abctdi]

But I asked how it works, not how to work it.
I don't have that tool anyway.

 

[Sloppy Snood]

But I asked how it works, not how to work it.
I don't have that tool anyway.

My previous post is a little misleading....by "housings" I should have said the projector lens housing inside the main headlight housing. The projector lens housings on each low beam projector has a Range Control Adjustment Motor (ETKA part # 3B7 941 295) that is attached to the back on the low beam projectors.

Somewhere in the B5.5 Passat is some device (electrical or mechanical I do not know) that tells the Passat's ECU whether the car is level (horizontal) or not. When the ECU decides the car is going up or down an incline or decline or transition over the crest of a hill or valley between two uneven surfaces, a logic is activated that actuates these electric Range Control Adjustment Motors to adjust the projector lens (inside the main headlamp housing) to actuate up and down.

Adaptive headlamp-leveling is required for most all other countries outside North Amercia per ECE Regulation 48 (Click Here) but it is not formally required by U.S. Regulations.

This may not be a 100% accurate description but it is what I can discern from the ETKA 941-20 illustration, the Bentley manual, and looking at the hardware. Anyone can feel free to correct any incorrect info within my armchair philosopher description of this mechanism.

 

[johnboy00]

Really? Are you sure we have this? I have never heard mention of this feature before.

 

[vw4life]

nope, not standard on TDI's with halogen projectors. I installed Hella HIDs and retrofitted manual leveling motors and controls to my 2005 passat.

 

[LoneLIPumpeDuse]

Most lumens from a H7

The most lumens you can get from a H7 (high beams) without melting something......"65W Osram Ultra High Output (2100 lumen, H9 burner on H7 base)
I agree with the adjustment comment, both up and my left needed to go right a bit, to line up the sign cut off( _/ )together. I don't have cataracts....yet, but I'm definitly more sensative to light blinding these days. Too many knuckle heads running SUV's with HID's in a reflector. Very easy to test, put your brights on and see if they can flash you....running HID in place of a single Hi/Lo bulb removes the ability to adjust from Hi/Lo, very annoying

 

[gotsoot]

just put in a set of osram`s "Ralley" H-7`s 65W,not dark yet!.first time changing bulbs,not the best experience.!

 

[50harleyrider]

after going through the normal stuff, hid conversion on lows, night breakers on highs, clear lens fogs, Finally made the ultimate upgrade, got my cataracts removed. its like someone just doubled the lighting power.

Got a good source for the clear lens fogs?

 

[Snosport]

I just picked up a 2004 Passat TDI and am not at all satisfied with the headlights. Before making any changes, I just want to get them adjusted properly. They seem to just shine down on the road in front of the car. Too many deer around here to drive with bad headlights. On the top of the headlight it says to see the owner's manual for adjustment information. I couldn't find anything in the manual.

There are 2 plastic adjusters on each headlight that I can turn with an allen wrench. Can anyone tell me what each of the adjusters are for? Are the highs and lows adjusted separately? or is one for vertical and one for horizontal adjustment?

Thanks again for the help.