Chris Oshea
Registered User
last night was the first time i had been out in pitch black, so the headlights arent that great especially the throw im sure i was about 10-12 foot plus there very yellow, so any tecomendations would be great
What upgrade bulbs gor halogen headlights
- Thread starter Chris Oshea
- Start date
My Audi was my first car without halogens (I have xenon plus headlights) and I would never go back to halogen now.
If you have a few hundred spare then it’s definitely worth the upgrade, looks a lot better aswell.
Chris Oshea
Registered User
Yeah i had xenons in my old 02 reg vectra 10 year ago yet audi are still producing halogens, i guess thats how they get us i may hold out till next year then as ive a few other bits to come first , cheers
I feel your pain, we bought one of the first 8p A3 in Sept 2004 and that had Halogens which were, and still are fine , followed by an A4 and another A3 all of which had no problems with the halogen lights. When we specced our latest 8V A3 I never bothered with the upgrades for headlights. Biggest mistake I made, I really thought the halogen lights were defective and took it back for the checks etc. Audi simply say that's why they offer the upgrades.
I also bought a five year warranty so really did not want to have any retro work that may cause warranty problems .
My solution was to try all of the performance bulbs such as nightbreaker , ring and so on and eventually settle for the Philips silver light racing vision +150 which in my opinion gave me the best combination of throw and light.
Well worth the £20 odd for them but need small hands to change them from under the bonnet!
I also bought a five year warranty so really did not want to have any retro work that may cause warranty problems .
My solution was to try all of the performance bulbs such as nightbreaker , ring and so on and eventually settle for the Philips silver light racing vision +150 which in my opinion gave me the best combination of throw and light.
Well worth the £20 odd for them but need small hands to change them from under the bonnet!
Chris Oshea
Registered User
Excellent,my only worry was that the actual headlight reflectors were the issue , i will give them a go thanks
Obviously can't recommend them due to legal issues but I had these on my previous CRV and they worked really well. I was never pulled over or flashed for being too bright. Not sure about MOT time as mine hadn't got there yet.
https://www.hids4u.co.uk/H7-HIDS4U-Stealth-55W-Xenon-HID-Conversion-Kit.html
https://www.hids4u.co.uk/H7-HIDS4U-Stealth-55W-Xenon-HID-Conversion-Kit.html
Chris Oshea
Registered User
I had some on my mk6 golf, not worth the hassle imo. Do you have front fog lights?
Chris Oshea
Registered User
So i found the dipped beam h7 philips vision 150+, but cant see anything for the main beam/drl h15
Chris Oshea
Registered User
Just get more powerful halogen headlamps and side lights and fog lamps for now then (5000k)
HID kits are a total pain to other road users, no doubt badly fitted Xenons are the same. I wish the police would do more about these.
On Halogens, I had success in MINIs with Night breaker extreme bulbs.
On Halogens, I had success in MINIs with Night breaker extreme bulbs.
Sorry, was a few years ago.
After looking on line it was osram night breaker unlimited I had.
https://www.osram.com/am/ecat/NIGHT...01_1090035/PP_EUROPE_Europe_eCat/ZMP_1080591/
Make sure you get the right fitment h4, h7 etc. Not sure what you need for an A3.
Chris Oshea
Registered User
H15 Fog Light Lens Bulbs Headlight Xenon White 80W 16 CREE Chips For Daytime Running Lights 2Pcs Amazon product
I have heard this but not sure if its is factually correct, really don't know if I have reached the 200 hr mark or not but certainly seems they have been in the car for at least 18 months. (probably blow tonight now!) The auto Express review does comment on the lifetime
As the 2016 AutoExpress Best Buy winners, Philips RacingVision car bulbs are the perfect choice for passionate drivers. With an incredible performance of up to 150% more brightness, you’ll be able to react faster for a safer, more exciting driving experience.
The Philips racing vision bulbs are designed for optimum performance, as mentioned in AutoExpress they noticed a "Bright hot spot, close to the tricky-to-reach 75-metre mark" Although the price for this performance is a shorter lifetime, close to half of the Philips X-tremeVision +130, AutoExpress put this on par with similar rivals quoting "If only the best will do, this is the bulb to buy"
Bulb life is on the back of the Philips packet .
2nd place in that 2016 Auto Express test was Ring Xenon 130 .
1. Philips RacingVision
2. Ring Xenon130
3. GE Megalight Ultra +130
4. Bosch Gigalight Plus 120
5. Osram Night Breaker Unlimited
6. Philips X-tremeVision +130
7. Twenty20 daylight120
8. Osram Night Breaker Laser
9. M-tech Powertec Platinum
And since in 2017 have produced a 150 version , these might be the best bet as bulb life is 350 hrs .
2nd place in that 2016 Auto Express test was Ring Xenon 130 .
1. Philips RacingVision
2. Ring Xenon130
3. GE Megalight Ultra +130
4. Bosch Gigalight Plus 120
5. Osram Night Breaker Unlimited
6. Philips X-tremeVision +130
7. Twenty20 daylight120
8. Osram Night Breaker Laser
9. M-tech Powertec Platinum
And since in 2017 have produced a 150 version , these might be the best bet as bulb life is 350 hrs .
gazwould, good work and goes to show how the halogens are moving on all the time. I must admit that when I tried the rings they were only +130 and I did not rate them at all. All very subjective though as I recall not liking the nightbreaker brand at that time even though many recommended them an said best on the market etc .
I suspect that Chris Oshea is going to have to try out the different types and see what fits best for him.
I suspect that Chris Oshea is going to have to try out the different types and see what fits best for him.
I wouldn't say halogens were moving on as they've reached the end of the technology .
LED would be the technology moving forward but with so many products on offer which one ?
LED would be the technology moving forward but with so many products on offer which one ?
Are you asking which is the best LED replacement lamps for Halogens?
I agree that factory fitted LED is the way forward but I'm not sure they will ever get hold of the aftermarket for halogens. Too many problems with reflectors, projectors and light dispersal in my opinion. They might get a small market for those that want the look rather than the function but not sure it will be enough for the development costs to get the better off road ones legal.
Out of interest which of the ones on your list did you go for and are you happy with them?
I agree that factory fitted LED is the way forward but I'm not sure they will ever get hold of the aftermarket for halogens. Too many problems with reflectors, projectors and light dispersal in my opinion. They might get a small market for those that want the look rather than the function but not sure it will be enough for the development costs to get the better off road ones legal.
Out of interest which of the ones on your list did you go for and are you happy with them?
None of those , I don't do alot of night driving .
LED or HID are a big no no in reflector housings .
I went for a Kelvin fix
( no more yellow )
Ultra 5000k power bulbs .
LED or HID are a big no no in reflector housings .
I went for a Kelvin fix
( no more yellow )
Ultra 5000k power bulbs .
looked at those but even more mixed reviews regarding performance but definitely one of the whiter ones it seems!
