T25 Headlights TOO bright

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 03 Oct 2007, 19:05

You, I know what you're thinking, how can T25 lights be described as too bright. Problem is, like many Type VW owners, the headlights are rarely all they might be and some time ago I bought some uprated (silverstar I think) bulbs to compensate for my aging eyes. Didn't make much difference but today I fitted a 'headlight booster' - basically a ballast unit and additional relays shipped from China for £35 and cheaper than an HID kit. Anyway, wired it all up and I just went out while its dark to see what difference it made. CRIPES, bright???

I tell you what, theres NO way I'm going out on the road like that. Even on dipped its like full beam - only three times brighter. First thing tomorrow i'm swapping for lower power bulbs!

Moral of story: You can improve your lighting but you can go TOO far....

Post by **Cruz** » 03 Oct 2007, 20:36

I fitted my own relays and just use the standard wattage bulbs but the 70% extra brightness type or whatever they are called.

Better than my old candles

Post by **VWlewis** » 03 Oct 2007, 21:42

Just fitted relays to mine (Hella 4 rectangular headlamps) and 70% higher output bulbs .... very impressed with the results and well worth the effort!

... about to add Fog lights via a relay too..

Website · Post by **CovKid** » 04 Oct 2007, 00:56

Mine uses relays too (came with it) but it also has a huge finned ballast unit to ensure the lights get full whack on the voltage. I guess its an HID kit of sorts but only has the one unit rather than two. Weird set up.

Either way, they're DEFINATELY too bright. It would be bad enough in a car but sitting up on a van they're like nazi searchlights. Never seen lights that bright in my life. I stood in front of the van and it cast a dark ominius shadow right to the end of the street - on dipped!

I actually got a neighbour out for a second opinion and his eyebrows went up. Nuff said....

Post by **toomanytoys** » 04 Oct 2007, 06:39

Er, would seem a bit daft going to "crappy" bulbs when you have bought a bit of kit that drives them harder..
I would just do the relay mod with the silverstars... makes a hell of a difference.. check the numbers with a volt meter...

I was getting 11.4v through the switch etc.. headlights were well down on power.. fitted relays with own power supply from battery, got 13.6 ish at the bulbs.. great now...
Halogen bulbs are very sensetive to voltage.. that 1 or 2 volts makes a massive difference..

The "ballast device" is prob jacking them up to 15 or 16v (or higher).. they wont last long..

Phillips or Osram bulbs have the best technology and always come out on top in testing..

Website · Post by **syncrosimon** » 04 Oct 2007, 09:04

Speaking of lights, but a bit off the point. I saw the other day a bay window camper with 'Angel Eye' style headlamps. They looked amazing, on closer inspection I saw that the angel eye effect came from a ring of led's around the inside of the lens. I was driving so unable to examine closer. I cant find any reference to these on the web, dont know if they were home made, but they looked amazing in the twilight hour that I saw them.
simon.

Post by **v-lux** » 04 Oct 2007, 10:27

Sure i saw some golf headlights just like you're explaining on ebay a while back.

mk1 or mk2, ...cant quite remember

Post by **poshbuggers** » 04 Oct 2007, 11:35

Yeah, you use Mk1 Golf angel eyes (about £90 IIRC) and make a small modification to part of the original light backings.

Easy mod really.