Lost and found at: http://web.archive.org/web/20070313080607/http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23184 cheers Mitchello

edit: also found it in the 3rd gen FAQ http://www.wermspowke.net/wiki/index.php/Lights

Pasted back in here for reference:


This FAQ is an answer to all of the questions that are asked regularly about Magna
headlamps. It is a collection of information relating to headlamp improvements, 'white/blue'
bulbs, HID kits and retrofits and legality of bulbs/modifications.

It is also a great resource to arm yourself with the knowledge to avoid spending your hard
earned money on junk - HID Kits, blue coated bulbs and the like, and spending it on worthwhile modifications.

Read the Background Information Links first, they are general headlamp articles, whereas I
will endevour to keep the FAQ as Magna-specific as possible.

I also DO NOT sell or work for anyone who makes headlamps, or bulbs or headlamp components, so these opinions are not a thinly veiled sales pitch (as some recent threads have become) which prompted the writing of this FAQ.

This information is as technically accurate as possible, with independent information from
multiple sources.


Background Information Links

These are off-site web pages that contain days worth of reading (at least) - all are technically accurate, and are very worthwhile reading.

Illegal and dangerous blue bulbs - mandatory reading for anyone looking at upgrading their headlamps. Why these bulbs mostly are marketing junk, with no real benefits.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/bad/bad.html


Legal White Bulbs - 'E' marked bulbs - relates to Crystal Vision, Diamond Vision, Silverstar and Artic Blue - ADR/Legal bulbs that meet the requirements (+/- 15%) but are not neccesarily a better than standard.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html


Why HID kits dont work in the way you hope they would

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html


An excellent article explaining (with pictures) why you DONT buy HID kits

http://www.intellexual.net/hid.html


The Headlamp FAQ - a Mecca for all people interested in headlamp upgrades/mods - bulbs, relays, HID kits (bleh!), HID retrofits (with the most comprehensive source of measurements for projectors etc around), and Hella 90mm projector info.

http://faqlight.carpassion.info/


HID Planet Forums - you need to join as a member, but this is the largest collection of people who have HID retrofitted cars on the planet.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums


And now... without furthur ado... Onto the FAQ.


Q: My headlights are not bright enough - what things should I do first?

A: Clean the front of the lens, throw those headlamp protectors away (they reduce your output by up to 15%) and fit something like the 3M self adhesive lens protectors if you
must, get them levelled properly!

If you have bulbs that are original, change them if over 50,000Klms. Inspect the reflector and lens, if the lens is badly pitted with stone chips, or the reflector is white and/or cloudy - time to get some new ones. You can buy new OEM lenses and clean reflectors.

If you are buying new headlamp assemblies, watch out for crash repair parts - some are of
very poor quality, but look OK - they are a cheap way out for smash repair places to provide
a competitive quote. There was a batch of really bad EL falcon crash repair lamps that the
lenses went almost opaque on in a year! There is a reason to buy OEM.


Q: I have heard that the bulbs should be changed every year - mine are the original bulbs
and have never blown yet - why do I need to change them?

A: You need to change your bulbs every year because their output drops over time (even though they still work. The reason why is that the halogen cycle that keeps the bulb
filament from depositing onto the glass from the heat works by causing the filament material
(tungsten) to deposit back onto the filament.

But the deposits are not uniform - they appear crystaline, and you end up with thicker and thinner filament sections that are brighter and dimmer. Look at the difference between a bulb that is old and one that is new and the difference is very visible.

Your other bulbs (tail lamps, parkers, number plate lamp etc.) go black due to the filament
material depositing on the glass - this reduces the light output both by making the glass
opaque (old bulbs go like a chrome mirror finish on the inside of the glass). These should
also be inspected from time to time.


Q: What bulbs should I buy for the best legal lighting (best output).

A: I recommend Philips Bulbs in the Vision Plus range and Osram Silverstars. The reasons for this are simple:

Correct filament geometry - the filament is in the correct place, a major issue in cheap
off-brand bulbs, messing up the beam pattern.

Higher efficiency - they use a thinner filament, at a higher temperature, in Xenon gas, which produces more light, and less heat for the same electrical input.

Completely legal - 'E' marked (E code relates to ECE, on which our ADR's are word for word -
an E mark is a capital E followed by a number, both in a circle. The number relates to the
country in which they were approved. 1 is Germany, and is very common for Hella parts.

UV Cut - Very important for polycarbonate lenses, as the UV content will cause the lens to
prematurely yellow, and reflectors don't go cloudy.

Stock wattage, so no problems with overheating the connectors and wiring.

The Philips are not much 'whiter' than the standard bulbs though, the Osrams are.


Q: What about 'overwattage' bulbs?

A: Overwattage bulbs, are as the name suggests, higher than OEM (and ADR compliant) wattages. There are Philips 80/100W H4 bulbs, Philips 100W H1 bulbs and Philips 80W H7 bulbs - These are the Philips Rally series. They are designed (as the name suggests) for offroad competition.

Their output is truly amazing compared to stock bulbs, and all aftermarket overwatt bulbs (including PIAA, Raybrig etc).

They do have a downside - if you just stick overwattage bulbs in the standard harness, they will still work, but because of the voltage drop of the stock wiring, the bulbs are
performing only at 75% of their capacity. They *must* be run with relays to get the best out of them.

Another downside is the heat that they generate - the stock headlamp connectors can only
take it for so long before they melt onto the bulbs.

These bulbs are NOT legal - no E markings. They are not recommended for polycarbonate lensed headlamps (eg. 1 piece parabolics) due to the UV created (they are not all UV cut).

Lifetime on these overwattage bulbs is short - under 100 hours.


Q: What is so bad about those Ebay overwattage/blue bulbs?

A: Filament geometry is often off (messes up your beam pattern), they also have a tendancy to just create more heat (but about 10-20% more light) than properly manufactured overwatt bulbs, EXTREMELY short life - less than 10 hours has been measured on some of these off-brand bulbs.

The coatings on the (blue) bulbs also have been known to outgas as they are heated, and fog your reflector with a coating of unremovable crap that reduces your light output. They also have been known to explode for no good reason, and it is a pain to get all of the glass
fragments out of the headlamp.


Q: I want white bulbs - what should I buy?

A: Since you have already read the articles about blue bulbs (if you haven't, I suggest you do) in the background links sections, you understand that there are a lot of very useless bulbs around.

For the best (white) bulbs around, I recommend Philips or Osram. At the lower end of
the scale, there are the Blue Vision bulbs. These are quite a bit whiter than their vision
Plus range, but they do not produce as much light (about stock output). Moving up the scale, there is the Crystal Vision, which is a white light, again, a little better than stock
brightness, and at the top of the range, Diamond Vision - about as bright as the Vision Plus. But they are quite pricey.

Osram SilverStars are also an excellent performing bulb, cheaper than the Philips, but as
good (and some say better). They are an uncoated (very big ticks for this) bulb, with a good lifetime and dependable filament geometry.

For other brands, there is the Narva Arctic blue, which is quite cheap, and is stock
brightness - but don't expect a major difference here.


Q: My white bulbs look great, but my parkers look a horrible yellow - what can I do?

A: Philips make some ADR legal 'Blue Vision' parker bulbs. Bulbs style is H6W.

Cont.
Q: But I want BLUE bulbs:

A: Go and read the background information links, ricer! Blue is bad hmmmkayy...


Q: OK - I already have Vision Plus or Osram Silverstars in my headlamps, they are aimed
properly, clean, and there are no headlamp protectors - but I want more light. What can I
do?

A: Fit relays + wiring harness - these reduce the voltage drop in your wiring, giving all of the battery voltage to the bulbs that they can get.

Read more here: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/relays/relays.html

This should also be done in conjunction with fitting new, quality, glass filled Phenolic plastic headlamp connectors (they don't melt), and cleaning up all of the connections.

This also allows you (in the future, if this isn't enough) to upgrade to overwattage bulbs
if you so desire.

Q: What about these mysterious black boxes that supposedly make your headlamps 150% brighter?

A: Was once sold as a Catz Zeta (amongst other things). These are DC to DC converters, that take the 12V or so that would normally be fed into your headlamps, and convert it up to 16V. Makes the headlamps a great deal brighter and whiter but exponentially decreases their life. Can also cause overheating of your wiring and connectors.

Of marginal use (especially considering the lifetime reduction of the bulbs) causes bulbs overheat and distort (have seen bulbs get bulging 'pimples' on the sides) and even crack and explode.

You would be better off with relays.


Q: I have a 3rd Generation Executive, and I want to fit the parabolic headlamps to get
better lighting - would these help?

A: NO, NO, NO! The parabolic headlamps are a very poor design, basically designed for the
export market (they are a flat beam cutoff, so they are usable for LHD/RHD). They are
manufactured by Stanley (the standard executive headlamps are manufactured by Hella).

The parabolics also are not 'E' marked - so are technically very shady under our ADR's. They
are DOT reflectors, so the pattern is very poor, with very bright foreground lighting
(giving the illusion of better lighting, but actually reducing your long distance vision)
and giving a wide angle dispersion of light for the high beam - which also is very poor for
long distance vision.

The executive headlamps on the other hand, have excellent long distance high beams, and are ideal for highway/night driving.

The second generation parabolics are a true complex corner reflector, and are excellent. I
would be interested to know if they could be shoehorned into a 3rd gen. (Havn't tried yet).


Q: What about a HID kit?

A: Read the background information links on HID first to get some information. I can speak from personal experience with HID kits (and retrofits, which I will explain later) in 3rd
Gen headlamps.

OK - while you can get a HID capsule to work OK in a Magna Executive headlamp, it isn't as
simple as just throwing a plug and play kit into it. All of the kits I tried had insufficient shielding, and caused excessive glare to oncoming drivers (a lot of people flashed high beams)

As an experiment, I used two Philips 4300K D2S bulbs (3200 lumens), two Hella Gen 3
ballasts, some modified Casper's electronics Billet Aluminium shields (very well designed
and made) painted matt black, and fitted with a nose shield (to shield oncoming drivers from
looking at the bulb) it produced an acceptable beam pattern on the wall (no glare) and a
beam pattern with a lot of hotspots.

Properly aimed, it was not glaring to other drivers, but the amount of shielding required to
produce a safe(ish) beam meant that a lot of the output of the bulb was lost, meaning that
the increase in output was not at all worth the effort.

Apart from the colour, its output level was indistinguishable from a Philips Rally overwatt bulbs, with relay, and the beam pattern from the Philips Rally was better, not to mention the fact that you still have two
high beam filaments!

And for those with parabolic headlamps - a H7 kit does not fit. The return wire (at up to
25,000V potential) touches the glare shield. First time you power the bulbs up, you risk a
fire at worst, and blowing your $500+ HID kit at best.

Not recommended - don't waste your money, especially on a high kelvin (>5000K kit).


Q: Whats this about a HID retrofit?

A: A HID retrofit takes all of the parts out of a car with OEM xenon (in the magnas case, an Audi TT or BMW 3 Series E46) including the reflector/shield/lens assembly (a projector), bulb and ballast, and mounting it in place of the OEM magna headlamp reflector.

This is a time consuming and quite frustrating procedure, and must be done with great care
so that there is not glare produced for other drivers, and that the headlamp can still be
aimed, and is level. It can be done with 3rd generation Parabolics, either single piece
(polycarb lens) or two piece.

The result is that they are almost indistinguishable from standard headlamps when off, with
the same beam pattern and intensity as the donor vehicle when on.

They are illegal, because they remove the parking bulb and there is no headlamp washers.

Possibly the best lighting you could ever get on the magna, especially if using the Bosch Bixenon modules (which use xenon for both low and high beam, and work by using a solenoid to move the shield, thus moving the pattern).


Q: What about custom headlamps with Hella 90mm headlamp modules?

A: Costly, but doable, and possibly (depending on your RTA engineering signatory) ADR compliant. This involves creating a totally custom headlamp, keeping only the directional indicators. Even more complicated and expensive than a HID retrofit, if you are keen, it can be done.

The limitations of this are the bulbs that can be used - the low and high beam reflectors are both H7, and designed for both 12 and 24V - the highest wattage from this would be about 80W for the lowbeam (as they use a plastic housing) and 100W for the highbeam (as they use an all metal housing).

This is the best lighting you could ever fit (legally) to a Magna.

Q: What bulbs does Mitsu use and where?

A:
Standard headlamp high beam - H4 55/60W
Standard headlamp low beam - H1 55W
Driving lights - H3 55W (They are actually Foglamps)
Parking lights - H5W (5W)
Parabolic headlamp high beam - H1 55W
Parabolic headlamp low beam - H7 55W
Verada driving lights - H3 55W
Parabolic parking lights - Errr... Good question - I'll have a look. 5W

************************************************** ********

Please feel free to ask any more questions that you feel need to be added to the FAQ!

Cheers
Heath Young

(edit Tim: Updated with Globes...)

i am probably being ignorant here and completly missed the answer for my question.
but
what is the best type of Xenon Gas filled bulb for both low beam and high beam? and what would be the model number if possible?
and what type of bulb is best suited for the parker lights?

cheers
-keith

Q: What bulbs does Mitsu use and where?

A:
Standard headlamp high beam - H4 55/60W
Standard headlamp low beam - H1 55W



Feel free to delete my post if I am wrong, but shouldn't those be the other way round?
i.e.

Standard headlamp high beam - H1 55W
Standard headlamp low beam - H4 55/60W

Hey guys,
I'm a dumbass at things like this so hoping someone can help.

I'm looking at getting osram silverstars, and read in the faq that the low beam is h4, high is h1.

Do I need to get a set of silverstars for each of these different plugs?

/dumb question :P

Yes,you need 2x H4 globes and 2 x H1 globes,if you can get hold of these (Ashdown/ingram sell them) get yourself a set of Philips Extreme bulbs,they are the best standard wattage "+ style" globe on the market ATM,and they are not the crap blue coated jobbies eveyone loves and do acutally put out a heap more lumens than stock while not hurting the light reflector or headlight switch contacts

Steve

Yes,you need 2x H4 globes and 2 x H1 globes,if you can get hold of these (Ashdown/ingram sell them) get yourself a set of Philips Extreme bulbs,they are the best standard wattage "+ style" globe on the market ATM,and they are not the crap blue coated jobbies eveyone loves and do acutally put out a heap more lumens than stock while not hurting the light reflector or headlight switch contacts

Steve

Alright, thanks for that Steve.

Just wondering if someone knows what the Parking lights are.. are they H5W or H6W, both are said throughout the article..

DW, got it, W5W, or H5W.. whatever you wanna call it :P.
Unfortunately, installing my bluevision parkers, I blew a low beam :rant:.
Looking into philips extreme :D
EDIT: Philips extreme were expensive, and I needed bulbs lol, got Narva Plus 50

I have sucessfully installed HID Kits into various cars over the past few years and the philips system appears to be the best, it gives a true white light and when focused correctly using a purpose built headlight focusing machine provides an effective and safe headlight for all road users

on the magnas i would only fit a H4 HID globe as the high beam globes are not cowled
the high beams can be fitted with crystal vision globes for a more whiter 4600K appearance (as opposed to 6000K HID)
as for the park lights you need Xenon Blue globes of a 6000K temperature or it just ruins the whole effect

i have had HID's in my TJ for 8 months now and have not had any road rage incidents, flashers, or run ins with the blue line

one thing of note is that the parabolic headlights are a joke next to the standard headlight so unless you want looks over function dont bother with them. also i wouldnt fit HID to the parabolics as this does create too much glare

:swearing: I read the original post

Q: What bulbs does Mitsu use and where?

A:
Standard headlamp high beam - H4 55/60W
Standard headlamp low beam - H1 55W

So I went out and bought some H1 thinking they were low beam, get them home and I'm like WTF. So I reading the thread again and get to this.


Feel free to delete my post if I am wrong, but shouldn't those be the other way round?
i.e.

Standard headlamp high beam - H1 55W
Standard headlamp low beam - H4 55/60W

That's the point I felt like a ******** :doh:

just to add to this thread.. i get all my bulbs from the UK at www.powerbulbs.com pluse 10% discount if you use voucher code ZXRCX111

they have everything there and works out cheaper than buying from here since its free delivery worldwide.

my recommendations for lights at the moment are:
- Philips X-Treme +80% (Excellent Low Beam)
- Osram Nightbreaker +90% (Excellent for fog lamps and high beams)

************************************************** ***
Comparison of Philips vs Osram taken from www.hond-atech.com (http://www.hond-atech.com)
http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2139371&page=1

All pics:
Left = Osram Night Breaker
Right = Philips Xtreme

Bulb
http://i10.tinypic.com/4yezjhi.jpg

Low Beam
http://i3.tinypic.com/4vdi61w.jpg

High Beam
http://i7.tinypic.com/53q0lqe.jpg
http://i10.tinypic.com/4z00xky.jpg

************************************************** ***
And heres a comparison of Philips Blue Vision (Left) Versus the X-Tremes on the Right
http://i694.photobucket.com/albums/vv308/neo_phase/P1010889.jpg

forget the bulbs, what's in the bottles in the background?

After considerable years driving Magna's I would say the Mits headlamps would be the best "Lighting" I have ever had. Fords, Holdens, Nissins, and Toyota's are crap Headlamps. I have driven all these in outback situations and Mits is the Best. Without a doubt!

After considerable years driving Magna's I would say the Mits headlamps would be the best "Lighting" I have ever had. Fords, Holdens, Nissins, and Toyota's are crap Headlamps. I have driven all these in outback situations and Mits is the Best. Without a doubt!

Then you've driven a very limited number of cars. Nissan Silvia, Skyline, Honda Integra, Prelude, Accord Euro, Euro V6, Toyota Aurion and Camry of same years (just examples) have better lighting than even the 3rd gen parabolics. Dunno about current shape holden/fords as i've never driven one at night.

just to add to this thread.. i get all my bulbs from the UK at www.powerbulbs.com pluse 10% discount if you use voucher code ZXRCX111

they have everything there and works out cheaper than buying from here since its free delivery worldwide.

my recommendations for lights at the moment are:
- Philips X-Treme +80% (Excellent Low Beam)
- Osram Nightbreaker +90% (Excellent for fog lamps and high beams)


So I went there and typed in Philips x-treme, like you recommend, and the two following results came back:
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=81
http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=43

Which one is the one that you reckon is good?

I have sucessfully installed HID Kits into various cars over the past few years and the philips system appears to be the best, it gives a true white light and when focused correctly using a purpose built headlight focusing machine provides an effective and safe headlight for all road users

on the magnas i would only fit a H4 HID globe as the high beam globes are not cowled
the high beams can be fitted with crystal vision globes for a more whiter 4600K appearance (as opposed to 6000K HID)
as for the park lights you need Xenon Blue globes of a 6000K temperature or it just ruins the whole effect

i have had HID's in my TJ for 8 months now and have not had any road rage incidents, flashers, or run ins with the blue line

one thing of note is that the parabolic headlights are a joke next to the standard headlight so unless you want looks over function dont bother with them. also i wouldnt fit HID to the parabolics as this does create too much glare


Are these HID kits legal to fit to any Magna?

Are these HID kits legal to fit to any Magna?
If it's a proper retro fit using projector lenses, self levelling device, headlamp washers and then getting an engineering certificate for the whole lot then yes, it can be legal.
The fitting of HID bulbs to the Hella or Stanley parabolic headlamps is NOT legal.

That said, done properly as you quoted by using 4300-6000K bulbs and aiming them correctly you are unlikely to attract unwanted attention.

Then you've driven a very limited number of cars. Nissan Silvia, Skyline, Honda Integra, Prelude, Accord Euro, Euro V6, Toyota Aurion and Camry of same years (just examples) have better lighting than even the 3rd gen parabolics. Dunno about current shape holden/fords as i've never driven one at night.

I have to stop you there where you mention silvia and skyline, both of these cars have the crappiest headlights i have ever had to use, low beam only lights a small section of road ahead of you and high beam aint' much better lol.

as for the others, any holden pre-VZ/VY doesnt have very good light from what i have driven

And i also thought i would ask about headlights. I see yours ARS55 kinda look like the twin-circular headlight design which i have always loved and i would love a set for my TF Magna. Any suggestions on where to go and approximate price? Mine car looks like this:

http://www.autocoast.com.au/Pics%20Current%20cars%20for%20sale/Magna%20Blue%20small.JPG

Same colour, which i like (and its hard to describe, is it like a platinum blue or a dark metallic teal or something? lol) but mine doesn't have that red pin-stripe (phew).

They are called parabolic headlights, look in the for sale section of the forum and you should be able to pick some up under $300

They are called parabolic headlights, look in the for sale section of the forum and you should be able to pick some up under $300

Can you even get parabolic headlights for TE/TF Magnas? I didn't think so...I'm steering away from the altezza myself. Although I saw a Magna the other day with Parabolics but the border lining(if that makes sense) was metallic silver. Can't seem to find a photo though :S

You could also change the dials if yours are the rather average black ones...

TE-TJ headlights are all compatible.

Can you even get parabolic headlights for TE/TF Magnas? I didn't think so...I'm steering away from the altezza myself. Although I saw a Magna the other day with Parabolics but the border lining(if that makes sense) was metallic silver. Can't seem to find a photo though :S

You could also change the dials if yours are the rather average black ones...

Yeah you can, which is why he suggested them :) They came on the appropriate year verada. KE, KF, etc etc.

Can you even get parabolic headlights for TE/TF Magnas? I didn't think so...I'm steering away from the altezza myself. Although I saw a Magna the other day with Parabolics but the border lining(if that makes sense) was metallic silver. Can't seem to find a photo though :S

You could also change the dials if yours are the rather average black ones...

yes can get paras for the te-tj (headlights the same on all as far as im aware)

this magna with the chrome lining did it look like this (ie a second gen)
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/D-NYD/105688367SqaNJhbV.jpg

because thats a diamante grille/headlight setup only that one there in wa as far as i know. and i dont think bens moved the paperweight in a while:P

Just a pointer about converting to Parabolic Headlamps - it is NOT as simple as a "plug-n-play" swap of std lamps for parras.

Std Magna lamps run a dual-filament H4 bulb in one reflector - so that section of the lamp is lit whether lights are on low-beam or high-beam.
Parabolic Headlamps have single filament bulbs in both sections of the light (H1 and H7).

There is a fairly simple wiring mod needed if you replace standard lamps with parra's - Search these Forums for details - but if you do not do the wiring mod you will NOT have lights changing from Low-beam to High-beam correctly........

Just a pointer about converting to Parabolic Headlamps - it is NOT as simple as a "plug-n-play" swap of std lamps for parras.

Std Magna lamps run a dual-filament H4 bulb in one reflector - so that section of the lamp is lit whether lights are on low-beam or high-beam.
Parabolic Headlamps have single filament bulbs in both sections of the light (H1 and H7).

There is a fairly simple wiring mod needed if you replace standard lamps with parra's - Search these Forums for details - but if you do not do the wiring mod you will NOT have lights changing from Low-beam to High-beam correctly........

Which raises the reverse question... if the car came with parabolics (as my TJ2 AWD did) and better light is considered more desirable than cool looks, what's involved in retrofitting the standard headlights (apart from acquiring the lights and the indicators)?

Andy

After considerable years driving Magna's I would say the Mits headlamps would be the best "Lighting" I have ever had. Fords, Holdens, Nissins, and Toyota's are crap Headlamps. I have driven all these in outback situations and Mits is the Best. Without a doubt!

Really? My TE has the worst headlights out of the Toyota Corona, and the EB Falcon i have owned. What i did with my Falcon was when i wanted better light i got Narva Blue Power Globes and then when i wasnt happy with how much more light they put out i raised the adjustment a bit and WOW best lights i had seen. Some people i would drive behind would tell me that they are crazy bright (due to height of the light) but i only got flashed about 10 times in the period of a year. But for some reason i try to adjust me headlights but nothing happens.

@Andy.....

Too late tonight for me!! If you can access the 'workshop manual" thread - the PDF file Mitsi Workshop manual includes wiring diagrams, which specify the differences from Magna to Verada headlamps.

Also, if you search the threads in here which detail how to upgrade from Magna (look daggy but better light beam) to Verada/Parra (so fashionably cool, but light pattern = crap)..... then give a bit of thought about how to reverse the process?

Your Verada loom will have only 2 wires connecting to the fitting at the back of the "low beam" headlamp position. A Magna loom will have 3 wires to that spot - hi/lo/earth. The Verada/Parra's keep the low-beam bulb lit when the Hi-Beam is selected, but that Lo-Beam bulb doesn't change from lo-beam to hi-beam filament like the dual-filament bulbs in the Magna's (H4) bulbs do. Hope that makes sense (sooo tired here).

@Mezzi - the Parra's with the Silver behind the clear one-piece lens were some rare (probably imported) version. A member in here (IH8HSV = Brendan) used to have a set in his tasty vehicle, but an errant 'roo cleaned-up one light. They were sought-after and admired by Magna-nerds like me!!

had a bit of a read - not sure if this is a dumb question or not;


Are there any alternatives that someone could point out - to get those 'halo ring/glow' type lights? (yeh i know, ricey, etc...) and can you get the full headlamp that suits these type of lights?

I've been looking to modify the headlights (covers have been sanded down already - but still doesnt give that "new look") - anyway, I saw a few modified headlamps/lights for other model vehicles that give that "bmw halo" ring around with the projector in the middle? (I'm not sure if I said that right)...... I hope I've described the picture right anyway.

Just wondering if there are alternative headlights than the OEM ones?

They are called "angel eyes" and can be done in the para headlights (look pimp too)
Apart from that, there is no real aftermarket or "alternative" in regards to magna headlights

;1246634']They are called "angel eyes" and can be done in the para headlights (look pimp too)
Apart from that, there is no real aftermarket or "alternative" in regards to magna headlights
Awesome, just searched for 'angel eyes' and found the thread on it. Thanks.

ive got what seems like a dumb question but im after new headlights and admittedly im only looking at supercheap auto but the only ones they have are their calibre ones are they any good ? and no not the blue performance ones they just look crap


and their sta or what ever that brand is?

I have Calibres - Extra Vision Blue (+50's) on all 4 sockets and they beat the crapola out of stock bulbs. The light produced is voluminous and white and it is a pleasure driving at night. Plus too you get peoples' attention when u beam em for being dipsticks :p

I used Narva Blue Power 80% More Light and 20% Whiter Light, i think they are just rebranded "Night Breaker" globes and they do the trick. I personally wouldnt go to SCA for globes !

where is a good place to go for globes?

Autobarn, i think Sprints Autoparts sells Narva and Phillips aswell !

Can you put AM bulbs (Looking at silverstars) onto Para's or would that going cause a world of trouble?

Narva Ultra Blue or Ultra Whites have great light output, and look freaken sexy.
(Blue aren't Roadworthy though)

The OP mentions installing relays to counter-act the voltage drop in the factory wiring. Has anyone investigated how substantial the drop is on the factory wiring and whether or not it would be worthwhile to install relays?

Head lights should already have a relay install also same would go for the high beam lights as well. So added another relay would be pointless :)

Alright I though about more about my answer to voltage drop. The big thing about added more load (ie higher watt lamps in front head light) to electrical system the worst it get. The cables might get over heated or melt the insulation.

The way company get around this by adding a relay. This ok on the standar load. When you add more load you may need to increase your cable size to deal with the larger load. So adding another relay is not the right answer. It to increase the size of your cables going from your load to your battery.

Company have a good size conductor going to most load in a car. There would be safety marging when dealing with head lights, so you increase your lamp size to a certain size. But if you want to go bigger you might want to think about your cables :)

I used Narva Blue Power 80% More Light and 20% Whiter Light, i think they are just rebranded "Night Breaker" globes and they do the trick. I personally wouldnt go to SCA for globes !

The Narva Blue Power is ADR approved with a slight hint of blue (hence 20% whiter light) and are rebranded Osram Night Breakers. I think SCA are having a sale of them at the moment. They are hell expensive at Autobarn and Repco.

Hi guys im new to this but hav shoe horned as you call it the parabolics into my excecutive. Yes they look cool and also give off good light. Have to modify wiring but hav wiring diagram and being a sparky helped. Found i had to lossen panel bolts to fit in, tight fit. Also dont recomend higher wattage lamps just the % brighter ones. But make sure you adjust headlights correctly to not cause problems. The parobolics you can adjust dip separatly to high beam.

As said, if you increase wattage, you will burn out the wiring. if you want to run 100W globes you will need another relay and 6mm twin core wiring to be on the safe side. The 80%+ 60/55W globes actually put out just as much light as the 100W globes these days so upgrading to 100W's is almost pointless.

I'm not planning on running over-wattage bulbs - I already have Philips +50% bulbs and might buy a +80% set. I was more curious as to the claim in the OP that upgrading factory wiring would make a noticeable difference even with stock wattage bulbs.

If you have a good look at the wire sizes going into the headlamp main bulb connectors you will find that they are really quite thin.
The reason for this is that for cost and weight reasons the car manufacturers started squeezing the conductor cross sectional area down as simultaneously they reduced the thickness of the insulation.

Headlamp relays were added to vehicles in the 70's because of increasing problems with headlamp switch burnouts.
For example the change from the MKII Cortina to the MKIII in Ford of Europe in 1973.
This way the headlamp could be become reliable because it was only switching a signal voltage to the relays.
The relay then was usually placed in the engine compartment to achieve shorter wiring lengths that were carrying the heavier current.

I had a Capri 2.8i in the 80's and changed the 4 headlamp setup to Cibie's from Hellas, 100 w bulbs, outer lamps with high power H4s and changed the relay to switch the outer lights from the dip element to the high beam element as well as switching the inner high beam lights on.
I then wired this lot up with 4mm2 wire.
Flash someone hogging the overtaking lane on a motorway at night and apart from illuminating their brain through the back of their head, also got them to actually react and pull into the middle lane that was empty.


The FAQ advice to install relays and decent thicker wiring to reduce the voltage drop is dead correct. Even more so if you are running higher power globes.

I will get the multimeter out over the weekend and report on the actual voltage being delivered at the bulb connector.
Gerry

Update :-
Voltage drop is 1.45V.

Test 1.
Engine OFF.
Voltage at battery under load = 12.03 V
Voltage at LH High Beam bulb holder = 10.57 V
Difference = 1.46 V

Test 2.
Engine IDLING.
Voltage at battery under load = 14.07 V
Voltage at LH High Beam bulb holder = 12.61 V
Difference = 1.46 V

Had a look at the wiring to remind myself just how thin it is!!
Looks like a trip to get 4 relays, 4 bulb connectors and some nice thick wire!

Here is the table from the Daniel Stern site.

10.5V : 510 lumens
11.0V : 597 lumens
11.5V : 695 lumens
12.0V : 803 lumens
12.5V : 923 lumens
12.8V : 1000 lumens ←Rated output voltage
13.0V : 1054 lumens
13.5V : 1198 lumens
14.0V : 1356 lumens ←Rated life voltage
14.5V : 1528 lumens


The Europeans take a slightly more realistic with their voltage ratings; they consider output at 13.2v to be "100%".
The loss curve is the same, though.
When operating voltage drops to 95 percent (12.54v), headlamp bulbs produce only 83 percent of their rated light output.
When voltage drops to 90 percent (11.88v), bulb output is only 67 percent of what it should be.
And when voltage drops to 85 percent (11.22v), bulb output is a paltry 53 percent of normal!
It is much more common than you might think for factory headlamp wiring/switch setups to produce this kind of voltage drop, especially once they're no longer brand new and the connections have accumulated some corrosion and dirt.

See the effect of the voltage drop when the engine is running from 14.07 to 12.61 Volts. This reduces the potential light output from 1356 lumens to 803 lumens, a 553 lumens drop.

Gerry

You should do a write up on installing relays and thicker wiring, it would be something i would like to try !

i have a quick question, went to replace my h1`s in my 3rd gen on the weekend as 1 of mine is blown with a set i bought off eBay last week, when they arrived the were h1`s as stated with a single rear prong, pulled mine out of my headlights and mine a have a twin rear prong, are there any particular h1`s i need to purchase for my headlights?

i have a quick question, went to replace my h1`s in my 3rd gen on the weekend as 1 of mine is blown with a set i bought off eBay last week, when they arrived the were h1`s as stated with a single rear prong, pulled mine out of my headlights and mine a have a twin rear prong, are there any particular h1`s i need to purchase for my headlights?

Are you sure your's is not a H7 as in the following pic (http://db.hella.com.au/cgi-bin/catalogue.pl?flcmd=preview&flmaint=3191).
AFAIK H7 is the only one with two prongs, excluding the bent casing ones.

Theres (meant to be) a little plastic adaptor in there, I thought it was factory-fitted.

I had to replace a blown one this past weekend and it was a single prong H1, but there was an adaptor that mounts to the globe, to connect to the headlight wiring.

ill take some pics tonight and upload to show you guys

Can anyone tell me what H_ ? globe is used in the parabolic indicator and what is the clear indicator globe that flashes amber ?
Getting one piece parras put in tomoz and want clearness

Should be a standard BA21s reverse/indicator globe. if you want clear ones I'm pretty sure they are the only bulb you can get in the clear variety, super cheap/autobarn will have em.

Someone correct me if I am wrong though but never seen a magna with a diff indicator globe!

One piece paras actually have an orange reflector in the headlight assembly, so unless you've taken it out (there's guides on the forums on how to) you're going to have an orange tinge no matter what bulb you put in :(

Sweet, gunna go to autobarn and check it out... wonder if my mechanic will take out the orange reflector for me *wishfull thinking*

i am probably being ignorant here and completly missed the answer for my question.
but
what is the best type of Xenon Gas filled bulb for both low beam and high beam? and what would be the model number if possible?
and what type of bulb is best suited for the parker lights?

cheers
-keith

Philips Extreme globe are very very good. It give you the extend range of illumination without being illegal. It's the one with orange colour box. Other blue looking bulbs are +50 illumination and it's useless during stormy and foggy condition due to the colour of the light. The Philips Extreme is +80 illumination range. Once it's installed you will notice the road signs can be illuminated from far away! Good bulbs! It also work extremely well with headlights that have diffused lens.

Sweet, gunna go to autobarn and check it out... wonder if my mechanic will take out the orange reflector for me *wishfull thinking*

With the 2 piece paras, I opened up an orange verada set of corner indicators, and an egg yolk style set of regular 3rd gen corner indicators, and switched the inside plastic pieces to get a set with orange inner and outer lenses and a set with clear inner and outer lenses.

Used my Google-fu and found this website:
http://www.philipslighting.com.au/ (it re-directs so don't worry)

Go down and select Vehicle Applications- it loads a pop window-(click link below) so you can select your model Magna:
(http://www.invisionsales.com/lighting/application/)

Very handy! Tells which globes are ADR approved.
Even found a stockist in Hobart, literally half a block from work.
Reckon I will get the Philips X-Treme Power fitted shortly.

Also found this website overseas:
Philips Globes
http://www.powerbulbs.com/philips-xtreme-extreme-vision.asp?cat1=37&cat2=83

Osram globes:
http://www.powerbulbs.com/osram-nightbreaker.asp?cat1=44&cat2=74

Hope this helps :)

Used my Google-fu and found this website:
http://www.philipslighting.com.au/ (it re-directs so don't worry)

Go down and select Vehicle Applications- it loads a pop window-(click link below) so you can select your model Magna:
(http://www.invisionsales.com/lighting/application/)

Very handy! Tells which globes are ADR approved.
Even found a stockist in Hobart, literally half a block from work.
Reckon I will get the Philips X-Treme Power fitted shortly.

Also found this website overseas:
Philips Globes
http://www.powerbulbs.com/philips-xtreme-extreme-vision.asp?cat1=37&cat2=83

Osram globes:
http://www.powerbulbs.com/osram-nightbreaker.asp?cat1=44&cat2=74

Hope this helps :)

As mentioned before, the osram nightbreaker is marketed as Narva bluepower here in Oz which is what I have in mine.

My local AutoOne has a range of Narva bulbs on the wall. In my TJ Advance, my highbeams are fine but my low beams are dreadful.

I know I need H4, but what from the Narva range is going to give me decent headlight vision? I don't care about how they look from the outside, as long as they through out decent light for me to see with!

My local AutoOne has a range of Narva bulbs on the wall. In my TJ Advance, my highbeams are fine but my low beams are dreadful.

I know I need H4, but what from the Narva range is going to give me decent headlight vision? I don't care about how they look from the outside, as long as they through out decent light for me to see with!
blue power 80% brighter 20% whiter

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Narva-Blue-Power-H4-12V-60-55W-Globes-FREE-SHIPPING-/280561557298?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4152c59f32

Just like these? Also about $30 cheaper than AutoOne!

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Narva-Blue-Power-H4-12V-60-55W-Globes-FREE-SHIPPING-/280561557298?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4152c59f32

Just like these? Also about $30 cheaper than AutoOne!

I have been looking at the PIAA lighting website latley. I have a Tf with the standard lights and run phillips extra bulbs in the low beam which i am not impressed with even after fitting a high quality CIBIE relay plug and play system into them and disconnected the high beam H1's to run my PIAA driving lights ( are a 130 low beam 180 high beam H4 bulb as i do alot of night high way driving they are awesome. Looking through the site i notice a lot of different extra bright bulbs that appear to be a very well maintained light at a decent price. The PIAA driving lights i have are out of this world almost 2 kilometers of light up the road and 250meter wide spread. Have a look at what bulbs they have in PIAA's website before spending money here it may be worth it as i know they are very high quality. Has any one else here had a look or use them for low/high beam at all???

Main list of H4 bulbs
http://piaa.com/Bulbs/Bulbs-H4.html

These bulbs are on special on i would imagine mtch or out perform in quality and light output for most of the stuff you get here especially at the sale price

http://www.shopatron.com/products/productdetail/H4+StarWhite+Bulb%2C+Single/part_number=70416/353.0.1.1.103629.0.0.0.0?pp=8&

I can't remember who, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere on AMC recently about someone complaining about how crap the high-performance PIAA bulbs were compared to the Narva/Philips bulbs. If you already have a set of Philips Xtremepower +80s with relays, I couldn't imagine your lighting getting much better.

from memory i am sure they are not the extreme power +80's they are due to be changed as they are almost 18months old now though so i am just looking for a better replacement

I haven't heard anything about them but Philips now make a Xtreme-Vision +100 (http://www.powerbulbs.com/product_detail.asp?prod=191) bulb. Might be worth a go.

Damn changing the globes is a prick of a job in the TJ.....battery out on the passenger side and washer bottle out on the drivers side. :(

If you have two bulbs on each side,

The high beam is served by two bulbs .
Low beam is served by one bulb


The low beam is run by the bulb with two powers, three contacts, 2 filaments .. the low beam filament is shrouded, the high beam is not.



H4 55W/60W for low beam and half of high beam

H1 55W for the other half of high beam

What are the best priced projectors for quality H.I.D. retro-fit into my one piece parra's

What are the best priced projectors for quality H.I.D. retro-fit into my one piece parra's

Have to do some research and find out which ones will work best for you. I love my FX-R but you may not

was wondering on what sizes they come in and how big and how they mount with out any or very little amount of modification is the big question on my mind so i don't waste money on something that wont fit or is unusable

Once again they very in sizes and mounts, too many to choose from lol Most take a fair bit of work so not an easy feat if you are doing it yourself. Alot more goes into them then just mounting the projector

Brothers and sisters, I am in progress of changing my TL with Philips xtreme +100 globes. I will keep you guys updated and see how good they are. I fitted the +80 globe into my Suzuki and bloody hell that is really bright!

I also just purchased some +100 bulbs, I will take some pics of bog stock old lights and some with new lights. Hope they aren't silly bright, and I hope I can adjust them enough so that I'm not getting flashed or anything of that nature.

One of my TL headlights is out.

I was looking at getting some more, I assume I am after the H1 55W?

Was gonna get these >>> http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product/philips-xtreme-vision-h1-car-headlight-bulbs. Thoughts or suggestions?

Has anyone got a link to replacing the headlight globes in a TL, it looks like an absolute pain in the arse to change the one on the left side, i dont even know where to begin.

One of my TL headlights is out.

I was looking at getting some more, I assume I am after the H1 55W?

Was gonna get these >>> http://www.powerbulbs.com/au/product/philips-xtreme-vision-h1-car-headlight-bulbs. Thoughts or suggestions?

Has anyone got a link to replacing the headlight globes in a TL, it looks like an absolute pain in the arse to change the one on the left side, i dont even know where to begin.

Do a search. I posted it several times on how to change the lhs ones. Basically relocate battery and fuse box. You also need h4 for the low beams.

H1 is for high beams. H4 is 60/55 w combo.

So just to confirm, my normal headlights (not high beam or parkers) for TL are h4? (eg. turning the headlights on all the way)

Also can you please link me, i just searched but didn't really show up anything (although i did see as post by you to remove batterybox and fusebox)

So just to confirm, my normal headlights (not high beam or parkers) for TL are h4? (eg. turning the headlights on all the way)

Also can you please link me, i just searched but didn't really show up anything (although i did see as post by you to remove batterybox and fusebox)

Here is the thread (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90841&page=1).

cheers, I will attempt once they arrive! :S

I read the following in one of the links (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html) in the OP.
The material seems to be authoritative with many articles and links to other related material. Well worth reading.


The most dangerous part of the attempt to "retrofit" Xenon headlamps is that sometimes you get a deceptive and illusory "improvement" in the performance of the headlamp. The performance of the headlamp is perceived to be "better" because of the much higher level of foreground lighting (on the road immediately in front of the car). However, the beam patterns produced by this kind of "conversion" virtually always give less distance light, and often an alarming lack of light where there's meant to be a relative maximum in light intensity. The result is the illusion that you can see better than you actually can, and that's not safe.

It's tricky to judge headlamp beam performance without a lot of knowledge, a lot of training and a lot of special equipment, because subjective perceptions are very misleading. Having a lot of strong light in the foreground, that is on the road close to the car and out to the sides, is very comforting and reliably produces a strong impression of "good headlights". The problem is that not only is foreground lighting of decidedly secondary importance when travelling much above 30 mph, but having a very strong pool of light close to the car causes your pupils to close down, worsening your distance vision...all the while giving you this false sense of security. This is to say nothing of the massive amounts of glare to other road users and backdazzle to you, the driver, that results from these "retrofits".

HID headlamps also require careful weatherproofing and electrical shielding because of the high voltages involved. These unsafe "retrofits" make it physically possible to insert an HID bulb where a halogen bulb belongs, but this practice is illegal and dangerous, regardless of claims by these marketers that their systems are "beam pattern corrected" or the fraudulent use of established brand names to try to trick you into thinking the product is legitimate. In order to work correctly and safely, HID headlamps must be designed from the start as HID headlamps.

What about the law, what does it have to say on the matter? In virtually every first-world country, HID "retrofits" into halogen headlamps are illegal. They're illegal clear across Europe and in all of the many countries that use European ECE headlight regulations. They're illegal in the US and Canada. Some people dismiss this because North American regulations, in particular, are written in such a manner as to reject a great many genuinely good headlamps. Nevertheless, on the particular count of HID "retrofits" into halogen headlamps, the world's regulators and engineers all say DON'T!

The only safe and legitimate HID retrofit is one that replaces the entire headlamp—that is lens, reflector, bulb...the whole system—with optics designed for HID usage. In the aftermarket, it is possible to get clever with the growing number of available products, such as Hella's modular projectors available in HID or halogen, and fabricate your own brackets and bezels.

Installing HID optics (such as projectors designed to accept an HID bulb) in halogen headlamp housings can be done, but it is a great deal more complicated and difficult to do correctly than is commonly understood. Typically the process involves baking the headlight assembly to loosen the adhesive, removing the lens, cutting the reflector, mounting the HID projector, and using silicone to reseal the lens. Sounds simple? Sure, but there are significant and substantial issues and challenges. The projector has to be mounted very precisely with respect to its centre of gravity; if not, it will shake out of alignment (and eventually off its mounts). Many sealants, adhesives, and paints produce gases that attack and fog lamp optics. The low beam projector has to be aimed correctly relative to the high beam or else the finished headlamp will be aimable so the lows or the highs are pointed in the correct direction, but not both. Once the headlamp has been opened, it is very challenging to get a good and durable seal against moisture and dirt ingress. None of these challenges is insurmountable, and there are outfits specialising in this kind of optical transplant. Shop very carefully if you are in the market, pay careful attention to the guarantee offered on the work, and be aware that even if the transplanted optics come from a legal headlamp, the end result—the modified headlamp—is no longer compliant with the applicable regulations.

Scrutiny of the effect on safety of "HID kits" has tended to focus on the dangerous damage to headlamp safety performance (seeing and glare alike) caused by the installation of HID bulbs in headlamps meant to use halogen bulbs. But that's not the extent of the problem. There's a new and very serious threat to vehicle safety posed by "HID kits": Drivers are reporting that electromagnetic and radio-frequency interference from "HID kits" is causing malfunctions in their vehicles' electronic systems including tire pressure monitoring, electric power steering, traction control, electronic stability control, windshield wipers, brake system fault warning, FM radio, and others. For examples, please see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

dont you hate it when you bust one of those stupid little spring clips off the back and then you cant put the brand new globes in the actual light?
been driving around with one high beam for ages

anyhoo
what are those lights like off ebay
any feedback on these
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130521059345?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
or these
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/260662524771?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649
or can someone recommended a better one?
my lights are dull and crappy
looking at getting two new ones, have globes ready to go and then adjust them up a wee bit
thye are adjustable arent they?
cheers guys and girls :D

Time to get paras and fit HIDs. A few people on here can do it. as for dull and crapoy existing ones, have you tried things like headlight restoration kits. do a search on here on threads about restoring the headlights. The main culprit is yellowing due to UV damage. I used plastic restoration (back to black) to restore my wife's old festiva's yellow headligts to crystal clear.

cheers for a reply
the reason i was going to buy a new set was the gold colored clips that click the globes in are shot, one has completely snapped off
i went to mitsubishi spare parts and enquired and they told me i cant buy the clips seperate
have to buy a complete new headlight
seemed odd at the time and i thought this peanut just wants me to buy new lights instead of a $2 clip to hold the globe in
i searched about the net but couldnt find the clips
so im guessing the parts guy was right? you need a whole new light?

Have you tried wreckers, especially the u-pull-it types?

Pearl, i have a full set of spares if your interested....

ok update time
so rush has sent me a couple of clips i was missing as i busted one on the highbeams drivers side, and ill check my p.o.box today and grab them
thanks rush :)
i adjusted the normal lights last night as they were actually wound completely down from the previous owner
my god what a diff
i wound them all the way back up in the car park at work around midnight as we were leaving
followed a guy from my shift home who lives in the same suburb and could see the back of his head in his older ford ranger lol
asked him the next day how bright my lights were and he said he thought i had my highbeams on

so the next night i wound them down a bit more and followed another guy home who goes the same way and who actually hates bright headlights and will pull over and let you pass just so he doesnt have to see them behind him
asked him the next day and he said they were fine, i asked him if they were level and he said they looked level in his rear view mirror
so it seems a simple adjustment of the screws under the hood has fixed this along with some decent globes
so now all i need to do is pout the new clip on from rush and buy some new highbeam globes
i bought some when i bought normal headlight globes, put one highbeam one in and then snapped the spring on the other one
i then proceeded to put the globe that wouldnt fit due to the busted clip in a safe place
too safe its turned out, ive turned the whole house and shed upside down and cant for the life of me find this globe
so its back to supercheap auto tomorrow on the way to pic up engagement rings and look at another car
and sorry in advance coz its another ford lol
but cheers guys
gotta have decent headlights on country roads at night time

Just a thought, you should start a new post in the technical section on future light questions. This one is a FAQ and should only contain FAQs to do with lights.

Also, your manual or the net should have instructions on how the lights should be aimed (note if looking on US sites to mirror image the instructions). They can be adjusted for up/down as well as left/right. Your drivers side lights should be a little lower than the passenger side lights. Also, for better visibility, you can either get the Philips extreme or the Narva Blue Power (rebadged OSRAM NightBreakers as OSRAM don't sell car lights in Australia). These are 80% brighter than normal and 20% whiter than normal without affecting oncoming drivers and are completely 100% ADR approved as opposed to most blue ones.

I've read this thread before (and others) - but I had a '99 Executive at the time with bog standard 55/65 headlights - which were rubbish - so I Changed to 90/100 watt (Maybe Narva "daylight?" lights - it was a long time ago) and the result was dramatic so stopped reading...

I now have a 2001 Sportswagon with the Verada type projector headlights (which look cool turned off) and I have to say they are way WORSE than the Executive lights BEFORE I upgraded the bulbs, there seems to be randomly scattered light out front but I need a white stick to see anything outside the regimented - here is low beam area...

So should I do the same and buy bigger bulbs for existing lights or get a guide dog?

Don't put the bigger bulbs in as that will create problems like over heating the plastics instead go for some thing like the Narva 100+ or ultra blue, you can also put the Phillips range as well it mainly comes down to personal choice. But by putting the higher wattage bulb in like the 90/135 will only cause you problems. Also to help with the lights look into upgrading the wiring perhaps with a aftermarket wiring loom which will just plug & play into the existing one

Overwattage globes, draw too much current, you will risk heating something up too much.

If you can still get Osram Nightbreakers they are the cheapest way to get decent light.

Overwattage globes, draw too much current, you will risk heating something up too much.

If you can still get Osram Nightbreakers they are the cheapest way to get decent light.

Osram night breakers are the same as the Narva's

Yep, Tania is right. Osram in Europe is marketed as Narva here in terms of automotive lights.

Osram night breakers are the same as the Narva's

Yes I know, but normally can be had cheaper under the Osram brand.

The Verada fogs produce the needed side light. I find that once I hit the poorly lit suburbs, I turn my fogs on so I can see around the corner - such as when turning at a junction.
I completely understand what you are saying about side fill

tlmitf, hence my stalled project to use the fogs for side fill when indicating/turning. Each side is triggered by their respective indicator (using capacitors to prevent the blinking). Will have to get that back on track, time permitting.

Will try a Narva upgrade - I have been pleased with their results in the past

I now have a 2001 Sportswagon with the Verada type projector headlights (which look cool turned off) and I have to say they are way WORSE than the Executive lights BEFORE I upgraded the bulbs, there seems to be randomly scattered light out front but I need a white stick to see anything outside the regimented - here is low beam area...

So should I do the same and buy bigger bulbs for existing lights or get a guide dog?
I would seriously looking at a projector retrofit with HIDs if you are unhappy with your parabolic headlights. Good bulbs make a difference, but there's only so much you can do with crappy reflectors. On my old TJ I had standard bulbs, Philips +50 bulbs, HIDs in the reflectors then a projector retrofit with HIDs. There's no question as to what option gave the best results.

Yep I got the better bulbs and the scattered reflections are brighter but still terrible. Have resorted to joining the Hyundai Excel owners and drive with fog lamps on all the time the H3 daylight bulbs work better than the headlamps!

I was advised by an old bloke at a Wreckers(no not mal ..... not that old LoL) to get some cutting compound and hit the headlights.

I tried this a few weeks ago and I'm impressed by my first effort, I'll be honest by using the electric polisher I might have a couple of scuff marks from being a little overly enthusiastic while not really knowing what I was doing but the lights are much clearer. They're not new looking but they are much better at night and look better during the day.

I was advised by an old bloke at a Wreckers(no not mal ..... not that old LoL) to get some cutting compound and hit the headlights.

I tried this a few weeks ago and I'm impressed by my first effort, I'll be honest by using the electric polisher I might have a couple of scuff marks from being a little overly enthusiastic while not really knowing what I was doing but the lights are much clearer. They're not new looking but they are much better at night and look better during the day.

You can also rub them back with ultra fine and then buff them and polish them. Basically what they do to old "fogged up" head lights that look shitty and opaque :)

I was told Toothpaste is the best headlight polish, haven't tried it but assured it works.

Yep I got the better bulbs and the scattered reflections are brighter but still terrible.
One word (again): projectors lol Happy to show you my car if you ever consider going down that path.


I was told Toothpaste is the best headlight polish, haven't tried it but assured it works.
Toothpaste is an abrasive so yeah it would work, but I would stick to something like Meguiars PlastX - I used it back when I had plastic paras and it made a good difference.

Angel Eyes.... Seen a lot of posts with Angel eyes fitted to the verada/sports/vrx style lights - what are they and how do you do it?

The glow ring as parkers or DRLs as seen on BMWs headlights. Use a pice of clear acrylic rod, bend with heat and then knick the outer edge to refract light. Fit a small LED on one end to parkers line and fit in the headlight unit. You will need to bake the unit in the oven to soften the glue in order to take the headlight apart to get at the internals.

Angel Eyes.... Seen a lot of posts with Angel eyes fitted to the verada/sports/vrx style lights - what are they and how do you do it?

They are a led ring installed into the headlight and mounted on the reflector. Commonly called angel eyes, they are also known as daytime running lights, The magna /verada para lights use the BMW e46 style of rings, they are 131mm. It includes removing the headlight, opening them up, installing them, closing them up and wiring them into a circuit that allows them to come on with the ignition, but, then are turned off once the lights are activated

Alternatively if you go down the projector path at the same time, you can mount the angel eyes directly to the projector shroud.

Also, you can use them either as daytime running lights, or parkers - it just depends on how you wire them in. I installed angel eyes and used them as parkers on my TJ as my projectors blocked the factory parker bulb.

Alternatively if you go down the projector path at the same time, you can mount the angel eyes directly to the projector shroud.

Also, you can use them either as daytime running lights, or parkers - it just depends on how you wire them in. I installed angel eyes and used them as parkers on my TJ as my projectors blocked the factory parker bulb.

BMW 131MM COB LED RINGS

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/IMAG1016_zpsumq5p52n.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/IMAG1016_zpsumq5p52n.jpg.html)

Quad projectors with LED drl..

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/IMAG0862_zps26aiig5p.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/IMAG0862_zps26aiig5p.jpg.html)

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x112/micpea/IMAG0552_zpsxzllxocf.jpg (http://s184.photobucket.com/user/micpea/media/IMAG0552_zpsxzllxocf.jpg.html)

Cool - thanks for the info, and the great pictures, Have BMW nutty mate so I'm sure I can get the BMW parts, may as well make those useless headlights look good!

Hi All, blew the drivers side low beam globe in my TF exec the other day and used the opportunity to order a set of Philips X-Treme Vision H4's which arrived today. Drivers side replacement looks pretty straight forward by removing the washer bottle, but the passenger side is going to be a bit more complicated, as by reading back a few pages on this thread (also confirmed by a quick look under the bonnet), the battery and fuse box need to come out.

My concern is the last time I replaced the battery myself, I left in disconnected too long and the engine management computer re-set itself and had to go to Mitsi's to get it set up again along with a throttle body clean, which I want to avoid doing again.

My question is, what's the best method to maintain voltage to the computer, whilst removing the battery to change the headlight globe?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Hi All, blew the drivers side low beam globe in my TF exec the other day and used the opportunity to order a set of Philips X-Treme Vision H4's which arrived today. Drivers side replacement looks pretty straight forward by removing the washer bottle, but the passenger side is going to be a bit more complicated, as by reading back a few pages on this thread (also confirmed by a quick look under the bonnet), the battery and fuse box need to come out.

My concern is the last time I replaced the battery myself, I left in disconnected too long and the engine management computer re-set itself and had to go to Mitsi's to get it set up again along with a throttle body clean, which I want to avoid doing again.

My question is, what's the best method to maintain voltage to the computer, whilst removing the battery to change the headlight globe?

Thanks for any help you can provide.


I did mine by moving the fuse box out of the way and disconnecting the battery. Should only take a few minutes. Can always use a spare battery to run to the cables. That is, connect +ve from spare battery to the +ve lead in the car and connect the -ve from the spare battery either to the -ve lead in the car or engine block. You then disconnect and remove the battery. If you don't have a spare 12V battery then two 6V batteries in series (ones used for lanterns) will do.

Cheers for that Vlad. Good advice. Just got to see if my jumper leads will reach across from the missus' car.

No worries. Learnt the moving of the fuse box and battery from another member as the L and W series instructions to change the passenger side bulbs is to jack the car up, remove wheel, splash guard etc to access the bulbs.

My concern is the last time I replaced the battery myself, I left in disconnected too long and the engine management computer re-set itself and had to go to Mitsi's to get it set up again along with a throttle body clean, which I want to avoid doing again.
You can perform the learning procedure yourself. The guide is here (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86194).

Otherwise, your automatic transmission will resume usual shifting after a week or two's worth of driving. You'll get an ocassional flared gear change but nothing to worry about.

At the end of the day though there's no need to go back to the dealer for it.

I've got the 5 speed manual trans in mine. The problem I had after the battery disconnect, was engine simple wouldn't idle. Drove it to work and back (hour each way in heavy traffic) next day and went nearly insane where it would stall nearly every time I had to stop. Never did get the hang of heal and toe manoeuvre :hmm:

I guess if I persisted and drove it for long enough, it would self learn.

Hi All, blew the drivers side low beam globe in my TF exec the other day and used the opportunity to order a set of Philips X-Treme Vision H4's which arrived today. Drivers side replacement looks pretty straight forward by removing the washer bottle, but the passenger side is going to be a bit more complicated, as by reading back a few pages on this thread (also confirmed by a quick look under the bonnet), the battery and fuse box need to come out.

My concern is the last time I replaced the battery myself, I left in disconnected too long and the engine management computer re-set itself and had to go to Mitsi's to get it set up again along with a throttle body clean, which I want to avoid doing again.

My question is, what's the best method to maintain voltage to the computer, whilst removing the battery to change the headlight globe?

Thanks for any help you can provide.
Couldn't you access the lamp via the wheel bay? Removing the plastic guard thing?

Read through this thread and decided to replace the low beams on the KH since they're 14 years old.
I'm looking to get the Philips X-tremeVision +100% H7's. These are 55W which (correct me if i'm wrong) are the standard wattage.
Has anyone used these? Are they worth it?

My dad and my brother run the Xtremevision +100s in their cars (Ford Territory and Holden Jackaroo respectively) and both were satisfied with the upgrade they gave over standard bulbs.

I was looking at them for my car but the Osram equivalent was significantly cheaper on Powerbulbs, so I went with them instead - again, very happy with the upgrade they offered.

At the end of the day they (either the Xtremevisions or their Osram equivalent) are the best you can get out of your headlights without either going to overwattage bulbs and a wiring upgrade or HIDs and projectors - so they are definitely worth it.

My dad and my brother run the Xtremevision +100s in their cars (Ford Territory and Holden Jackaroo respectively) and both were satisfied with the upgrade they gave over standard bulbs.

I was looking at them for my car but the Osram equivalent was significantly cheaper on Powerbulbs, so I went with them instead - again, very happy with the upgrade they offered.

At the end of the day they (either the Xtremevisions or their Osram equivalent) are the best you can get out of your headlights without either going to overwattage bulbs and a wiring upgrade or HIDs and projectors - so they are definitely worth it.
Thanks Red. I might put a set in the KL too then.

Okay...I'm confused. In a standard TJ headlight assembly is there only an H4 bulb or an H4 and H1?

Okay...I'm confused. In a standard TJ headlight assembly is there only an H4 bulb or an H4 and H1?

In a standard one there is a H4 on the outer side and a H1 on the inner side of the light. But if you have the Parrabolic lights that are on the Verada, VRX, Sports and some others then they use a H7 for the outer and a H1 for the inner

And to confuse you further, T/KL and T/KW series use H4 and H1 and they are all parabolics.

Okay...thanks. I have two standard TJ cars so ...H4 and H1. Hokey Dokey! :)

Fitted H7R HID bulbs to my TJ Sports Wagon today - had to make a spacer from some large metal washers to pad out the thickness of the base to match the H7-H4 adapter that the factory lights use, must say it just about removes all the shadows that I had encountered with the verada style reflector and doing the alignment as per the workshop manual there doesn't seem to be any bad shine above the cutoff line, also the ballasts fit beautifully inside the wings just behind the headlights. These were only 35W version too, much improved, now the fog lights look yellow.... and high beam is errr - yellow....

And to confuse you further, T/KL and T/KW series use H4 and H1 and they are all parabolics.

I'm in a bit of a state of confusion myself about this...

Bought myself a set of H4 and H1 Narva Plus 100s today for my TL VR-X and, following the obligatory washer bottle removal, discovered that the high beam bulb in there is a H7.