Higher wattage headlamp bulbs?

[hudsonjrwt]

Regarding a 2000 Jetta, Bentleys shows the headlamp bulb as an H4 (60/55 watts) (don't waste your time looking for bulb numbers in the owners manual!). I see aftermarket offers H4's in 110/55w, 100/80w, and 130/90w versions. Obviously these are "illegal" in the US as they lack the "DOT approval". Has anyone any experience with installing higher wattage bulbs? Concerns are:
a) blinding oncoming traffic
b) headlamp wiring/switches/relays/fusing heavy enough to carry twice the current
c) higher operating temps damaging the bulb holder/reflector/lens

Otherwise, has anyone tried the bulbs with the xenon gas mixture, claims a more brilliant beam that is "noticeably brighter and sharper", "approaches brilliance of HID systems"?

 

[dparnell]

In my Golf I have gone from 55/55 watt H-7s to 70/100 watt---put in a relay @ Fred's suggestion for the 100 watters. No problems with blinding drivers @ low beam---haven't been flashed much. I drive mountainous roads and like to BOLO for deer. One unexpected benefit is that the DRLs are brighter and people tend to pull over more

. My Pathfinder has 80/85 watt lights that are supposed to be equivalent to 90/130 watts---these are truely incredible and may get me into trouble

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[Hohenwald TDI]

I can't imagine needing any higher wattage bulbs. My 99 Jetta's bulbs are already so bright, nearly every car I pass thinks I'm running with high beams. I have to keep one hand on the dimmer switch so when they give me a blast of their high beams I can show them what real high beams look like. If my headlights were any brighter I'd be a menace to highway safety.

 

[Alek]

This I need to comment. There exist more moderate light bulbs rated at ca. 70W. Some have light blue tint on it. These I'd use.
There is additional issue regarding 100W (H4, H1, H7...): they (most of them) are rated to last 100 hrs at 13.2 V. This means in real driving conditions some 500 hrs of operation.
OEM bulbs are rated ca. 350 hrs (at 13.2V) and can last up to several thousand hrs in real conditions.
Upgrading Bora/Jetta to 100W is fairly safe as regards temperature resistance of parabola or bulb holder (I can assure you). It is the transparent plastic front cover (for U.S. only; in EU it is glass) that will suffer first. The plastic front cover is temperature resistant up to 130C. Parabola holds up to 180C. It is also possible to expect white haze marks at the bezel as a sign of temperature failure at lights of Golf and Bora/Jetta. Bezels despite aluminum coated are much less temperature resistant than parabola. They too can live only up to 130C.
Golf lights are much more sensitive to upgrade with powerful bulbs because long and short beam are used simultaneously.

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