Headlights, not so bright?

Loadmaster · #1 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 12:29 AM

OK, here goes. What is the best headlights to use? The ones that came with me LS 427 were bottom shelf stuff and I replaced them with the best I could find at the local AutoZone. I think they are Cool Blue, or something like that. The alternator is doing its job just fine, but the lights are still not very bright. I have to keep them on hi-beam and adjust them down to drive at night. Any suggestion???????????

Renegade · #2 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 12:54 AM

Hella. They make H-4 conversion kits for every car known to man. They also make either DOT USA or European beam patterns and bulbs all the way up to 100/130. I am blind as a bat and won't build a car without them. Look them up on the net.

Cobra20646 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 04:37 AM

I don't know how LS or the builder installed the electrics, but if the wiring to the headlamps is too small gauge, you can cause a voltage drop to your headlights. That reduces the amount of voltage that reaches the lights and the result is a dimmer than normal lamp. If you install other lamps that may demand more current (higher wattage bulb) the voltage drop will be more, and that brighter light you were expecting to see may actually be dimmer than what you started with!

To get some sort of idea of what your voltage drop is, start the engine, turn on the lights, and measure the voltage at the battery posts.

Then move your meter leads to one of the head lamps and measure the voltage there. It will always be less than what you measured at the battery, but more than one volt difference might be cause to investigate further.

- Jim -

COBRAGAR · #4 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 04:43 AM

make sure you have a good ground to those headlights

Roscoe · #5 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 08:05 AM

I'm using a tri-bar clone from Speedway Motors. They have H-4 bulbs, clear lenses and are flat.

Roscoe

Jack21 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 01:20 PM

The Hella U.S. DOT approved are knicknamed "Vision Minus". Best is Cibie European spec lights. Use the 55/100, or 85/100 H4 bulbs. Look around the net and you can find them.

That being said, these lights need a lot of juice and need relays, 1 for the lows, and 1 for the highs. Wire dimmer switch to relay, pull lights power direct from battery. Headlight power wire needs to be at least 14 ga, and preferably 12 ga.

Len Hurlburt · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 08:52 PM

First, I would get rid of headlight bulbs with any kind of tint to them. They may look a little brighter from the outside but actually throw out less light. It sounds as though you may have already came to that conclusion. HID's are great but very $$$. Sylvania markets a -xv (extra vision) bulb which is relatively inexpensive and are among the brightest dot legal bulbs available. Be cautious about using higher powered bulbs so you don't inadvertanly dazzle oncoming drivers. For some great reading on automotive lights and lighting systems see this website:

http://lighting.mbz.org/home.html

SCOBRAC · #8 (**permalink**) 09-20-2003, 10:20 PM

Hella H-4. 100/130 The thing about DOT "legal" headlights like you might buy at a typical parts house is they have no control over the refractive nature of the beam... Hella and Cibie are engineed to focus 100 or 130 w into an area NOT in the face of an oncoming driver and thus are even brighter that you might imagine. Well worth the $$.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2433478425