Headlight Bulb Upgrade

[Alfa Male]

When I had my tri bar DRLs installed I also had the headlight bulbs (yes I know bulbs grow in the ground and they should be called lamps but I prefer bulbs) upgraded to 6000k colour as well. Annoyingly one of the bulbs has failed already so I need to get it sorted, and speaking to the guy who did the work at present on this

Notwithstanding that the performance of the standard 25w xenon bulbs is shocking. I found myself a few times having to check the lights are on when driving in the dark.

Has anyone upgraded their lamps to the following aftermarket kit ;

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.aliexpress.com/item/32840108511.html

Any other options available ?

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[Chappers]

When I had my tri bar DRLs installed I also had the headlight bulbs (yes I know bulbs grow in the ground and they should be called lamps but I prefer bulbs) upgraded to 6000k colour as well. Annoyingly one of the bulbs has failed already so I need to get it sorted, and speaking to the guy who did the work at present on this

Notwithstanding that the performance of the standard 25w xenon bulbs is shocking. I found myself a few times having to check the lights are on when driving in the dark.

Has anyone upgraded their lamps to the following aftermarket kit ;

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.aliexpress.com/item/32840108511.html

Any other options available ?

I've upgraded to stock 35w which makes a big difference,

If you do a search on eBay for osram ballast and bulbs you just swap the circuit boards over into the mustang ballast, I've not got 6000k but a jaguar 35w 4300k set up when the bulbs blow I'll replace with 6000k but 6000k is actually dimmer than 4300k it's just a colour change

Similar to this... https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/323768558336

You have to make sure you have the cables with the bulbs as the cables are different. You can do this on the car but it's really difficult to get access to the ballast.

Note the mustang has a 4 bolt base plate not the 3 bolt plate but the inner circuit board is the same just higher output

 

[V8_MOTOR]

I have been thinking about replacing mine with these but not sure if the loom is capable of supplying the power

 

[V8_MOTOR]

I've upgraded to stock 35w which makes a big difference,

If you do a search on eBay for osram ballast and bulbs you just swap the circuit boards over into the mustang ballast, I've not got 6000k but a jaguar 35w 4300k set up when the bulbs blow I'll replace with 6000k but 6000k is actually dimmer than 4300k it's just a colour change

Similar to this... https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/323768558336

You have to make sure you have the cables with the bulbs as the cables are different. You can do this on the car but it's really difficult to get access to the ballast.

Note the mustang has a 4 bolt base plate not the 3 bolt plate but the inner circuit board is the same just higher output

How long ago did you do this and is the electrical loom up to it

 

[Gregs24]

I've upgraded to stock 35w which makes a big difference,

If you do a search on eBay for osram ballast and bulbs you just swap the circuit boards over into the mustang ballast, I've not got 6000k but a jaguar 35w 4300k set up when the bulbs blow I'll replace with 6000k but 6000k is actually dimmer than 4300k it's just a colour change

Similar to this... https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/323768558336

You have to make sure you have the cables with the bulbs as the cables are different. You can do this on the car but it's really difficult to get access to the ballast.

Note the mustang has a 4 bolt base plate not the 3 bolt plate but the inner circuit board is the same just higher output

You would want to clean off and replace the heat sink compound or you risk premature failure

 

[Alfa Male]

I swapped out the failed “upgraded” bulbs at the weekend and fitted a pair of D8S 35W 5000k bulbs. These work fine with the 25W ballasts.

Much brighter output and colour wise ties in perfectly with tribar light colour too. I’m genuinely surprised how much more light these emit than the 6000k candles fitted.

It’s a pig of a job to do but you can reach the bulbs through the wheel arch, particularly painful if you have big hands like me !

I’ll run this for a while to see if I need to upgrade ballast to 35W as well to further increase output.

 

[Gregs24]

Has anybody tried fitting the LED lights from the 2018+ cars ?

 

[maddog1982]

I swapped out the failed “upgraded” bulbs at the weekend and fitted a pair of D8S 35W 5000k bulbs. These work fine with the 25W ballasts.

Much brighter output and colour wise ties in perfectly with tribar light colour too. I’m genuinely surprised how much more light these emit than the 6000k candles fitted.

It’s a pig of a job to do but you can reach the bulbs through the wheel arch, particularly painful if you have big hands like me !

I’ll run this for a while to see if I need to upgrade ballast to 35W as well to further increase output.

So you just swapped the bulbs, nothing else? Quite interested as I drove mine in the dark for the first time and the lights are not a patch on the Mark 7 golfs

Where did you buy from?

 

[Alfa Male]

So you just swapped the bulbs, nothing else? Quite interested as I drove mine in the dark for the first time and the lights are not a patch on the Mark 7 golfs

Where did you buy from?

The bulbs were off eBay search “D8S xenon” and you’ll find loads ! 35w bulbs work fine too on the 25w ballasts.

To be clear the performance difference is not so much from swapping the bulbs but from going back from 6000k to 5000k which has a higher out put. The oem 4300k colour believe it or not has the highest light output !!!

Whether it’s the placebo effect or not I don’t know but they def seem brighter ! I’ve read also the headlights are also set up too low and adjusting the level up manually at back of housing makes a big difference.

 

[Supersolo]

Possibly not so much a placebo effect, but just how your eyes react to different light temperatures.

Light temperature is independant of how much actual light is being emitted.
One unit of light measurement is lumens.
The amount of lumens emitted by a light source is independant of light temperature.
Some people seem prefer the lower light temperatures at night & in wet conditions.
Others feel they get better performance from higher in the Kelvin range.

 

[Alfa Male]

Has anybody tried fitting the LED lights from the 2018+ cars ?

I’d be keen to know this too.

I’ve found it useful in the past to have headlights that actually enable you to see where you’re going in the dark. I’m finding it unnerving having to use ‘the force’ at present !

 

[maddog1982]

So I'm off to the states tomorrow. Am I able to buy the 35w bulbs direct from there? Or wont our uk cars be able ulto use these

 

[Alfa Male]

So I'm off to the states tomorrow. Am I able to buy the 35w bulbs direct from there? Or wont our uk cars be able ulto use these

As above really you need the 35W ballasts too for these to work correctly / full potential

 

[maddog1982]

The bulbs were off eBay search “D8S xenon” and you’ll find loads ! 35w bulbs work fine too on the 25w ballasts.

To be clear the performance difference is not so much from swapping the bulbs but from going back from 6000k to 5000k which has a higher out put. The oem 4300k colour believe it or not has the highest light output !!!

Whether it’s the placebo effect or not I don’t know but they def seem brighter ! I’ve read also the headlights are also set up too low and adjusting the level up manually at back of housing makes a big difference.

How are the new bulbs? I really want to try a new set along with raising them up a bit too. Were these the ones in 5000k https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-LIGHT...e&pageci=d65aa5c7-f23a-40e3-9d64-d4ab7faa033e

 

[Alfa Male]

How are the new bulbs? I really want to try a new set along with raising them up a bit too. Were these the ones in 5000k https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-LIGHTEC-UK-D8S-HID-XENON-BULBS-OEM-DIRECT-REPLACEMENT-HEADLIGHT-LAMP-66548/333179711533?_mwBanner=1&ul_ref=https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F333179711533&rvr_id=0&rvr_ts=cb800db916d0ac3db4202157fff95b5f&ul_noapp=true&pageci=d65aa5c7-f23a-40e3-9d64-d4ab7faa033e

Those are the exact same ones I ordered. Def much brighter and it’s not the placebo effect either, but bear in mind I went from 6000k lamps so in theory these will put out more lumens.

Now the darker nights are drawing in it is def more noticeable in terms of light out put and it’s not because they are whiter either.

I haven’t raised mine yet it’s on the to do list !

Worst case scenario you’ll have wasted £25 and have a few cuts on your hands !

Let me know how you get on

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