Headlamps: US versus Euro specs (long)
Whistling In The Dart
American headlamp design specifications have lagged behind those of
Europe and most of the rest of the driving world for decades.
A short history: In the '20s and '30s and before, headlamps were
unsealed units that used actual silver for reflectors. Anyone who has a
piece of silverware knows that it tarnishes rapidly. On a fork, it
looks bad. On a headlamp reflector, it cuts way down on the light
output--particularly when nobody ever bothered polishing their silver
headlamp reflectors.
Science to the rescue--and we have the new Sealed Beam headlamp. A
filament and reflector permanently sealed into a glass unit with a
vacuum inside. No air--no tarnish! This was the best technology
available at the time and was a big step-up from the silvered-reflector
types.
But here's where it gets interesting: In Europe, companies like Hella
and Cibie continued Research and Development on headlamps, while in
America, very rigid headlamp specifications were set and enforced:
Headlamps HAD to be sealed beams. Period. Paragraph. No exceptions.
The sealed beam headlamp HAD to have the specified wattage and
specifications, and had to have three bumps on the front lens so that
on-the-lens aimers could be used to ensure that the lamps were aimed
correctly. Of course, with such rigid specifications written into law,
research on better headlamp technology ground to a virtual halt in this
country.
Meanwhile, Europeans came up with a really neat concept--instead of
dispersing the light evenly throughout the potential coverage area of
the headlamp, why not focus it and collimate it so as to put lots of
light where it was needed--and eliminate light where it's NOT needed?
As far as the tarnished-reflectors issue, they managed to solve it by
switching from silver to Stainless Steel or Aluminum reflectors.
Problem solved, no drastic laws needed, AND they still had the
flexibility of the separate bulb/reflector system.
So we have the European asymmetrical beam. If you project one of these
lamps at a wall, it looks like this:
/
/
/
/
/
------------------------------
Everything below and to the right of the line is BRIGHT. There is a
transition (represented here by the line) from bright to semidark.
(Note, this diagram represents a single headlamp. Cars have two, of
course, side by side.) This pattern does several things:
1) puts a broad, even blanket of light on the road in front of *and* to
the sides of the car, illuminating the road and shoulders.
2) The upsweep to the right illuminates road signs FAR down the road.
3) The horizontal "cutoff" has several desireable advantages:
-It prevents oncoming drivers being blinded
-When you're driving through fog, rain, snow, etc., it keeps the
light
on the ROAD, where it belongs. The snow/rain/fog simply disappears--you
see right through it. Compare this to the "all over the place"
dispersion pattern of an American beam, which has a nasty effect of
blinding oncoming traffic AND reflecting back at you when youUre driving
in snow, rain or fog.
The European high-beam is unshielded (no cutoff) and really lights-up
the night. The two beams (low/high) are so different that thereUs no
point in driving with highbeams on in traffic (as some do in an attempt
to *see* with the miserable American beams). The low-beam is ideally
suited for low-beam situations, the high-beam for high-beam situations.
The European lamps are MUCH less offensive to oncoming traffic, but at
the same time they use higher-power bulbs than American headlamps (55/60
watt versus 35/55 watt).
(As an aside, the US DOT has recently approved the use of 55/60 watt
bulbs in American-spec headlamps. This is a disaster. You donUt have
better headlamps--you still have poorly-designed, offensive, ineffectual
headlamps, only now theyUre even MORE offensive to oncoming drivers and
even LESS effective in adverse conditions. The solution is **NOT**
brighter and brighter headlamps--the solution is intelligent use of
sensible light levels. Read on.)
The European-spec bulb (with the shield on the low-beam filament,
designed for use with headlamp lenses having European optical patterns
to produce patterns described above) is called an RH4S bulb.
Okay, so the European beam is much better. So why isnUt it legal here?
Well, it RkindaS is. And it RkindaS isnUt. See, some cars are already
using it in this country (ItUs about time--the lucky Europeans have had
this technology since 1960!)
There *is* a version of the H4 lamp that is approved by the DOT. It is
called an RHB2S or a R9003S. These three lamps (H4, HB2, 9003) are all
the very same bulb. And the optics and patterns in the lenses and
reflectors are the very same.
Some automakers, recognizing the superiority of the European system, have
recently switched to the newly-legal
HB2 (really H4) headlamps. These include new Saabs, Subaru, Toyota,
Honda,
and some models of Audi.
Still not convinced? Okay, try this: Notice how offensive the
headlamps of a full-sized Ford pickup are when one is coming towards you
(or is filling-up your rearview mirror)? See how bright those (infamous)
headlamps on a '96-'97 Chrysler minivan appear to be--UNTIL you're the one
behind the wheel, trying in vain to see anything? Now--notice how
INOFFENSIVE
the headlamps on new Subarus are? If you take a test drive in all three
vehicles, you'll find the Subaru's lights drastically more effective.
Everyone who tries the Euro beams--after about a week getting used to
being able to read road signs while keeping eyes focussed in the
"attention zone" down the road instead of having to keep refocussing
near-far-near-far--knows the European system is better, but DOT still
allows the
use of the American beams. The optics of the American beam pattern
haven't changed since 1934!! Okay, now we have replaceable-bulb
headlamps again, but they still use the cruddy "all over the place"
American beam and unshielded bulb. No big difference here.
The problem is that DOT has kinda danced-around the issue of headlamps.
Here is what we need:
1) We need legality for H4 conversions. H4 conversion lamps are readily
available (even though theyUre not legal for on road use here in the
USA) to replace all standard sealed-beam lamps (small and large, round
and rectangular). They fit right in, plug right in--no changes
necessary. But theyUre not RDOT APPROVEDS and donUt have the three
little bumps on the lens so that automotively-bassackwards states like
New Jersey and Pennsylvania can use the archaic, worthless on-the-bulb
aimers during those states' inspections.
2) We need a new headlamp code. We need to adopt the European headlamp
standard. It may have been OK to go around with cruddy lamps back in
the bad old days of 55mph, but with highway speeds and traffic density
continually rising, we need EFFECTIVE, NONOFFENSIVE lamps on all new
cars, and readily-available (and legal) retrofits for older cars. We
need to put the old-style American beams (sealed beams, and the Aero
headlamps with 9004/9005/9006/9007 bulbs) to rest at last. It is long
overdue. It is also very telling that simply by plugging two $35.99
Hella 7" round H4 headlamp assemblies into my '65 Valiant, and by plugging
four $32.00 5 3/4" round Cibie H4/H1 lamps into my '62 Lancer, these two
cars leapfrogged even the very best of today's American-spec headlamps,
producing much better on-the-road lighting than such spare-no-expense
designs as the late Mercedes and BMW products. Very telling indeed.
3) We eventually need a comprehensive review and revision of the
exterior lighting standards on US vehicles. One example: For years,
vehicles in Europe have been equipped with "repeater" lamps. The
repeater is a very small (usually about a square inch, sometimes bigger)
amber lamp situated immediately behind the front wheel well on each side
of the car. The repeater lights-up when the headlamps go on, and flash
in sympathy with the turn signals on their respective sides. Some cars
(mostly foreign ones, SAAB, Range Rover, etc.) use these in the US.
Think how useful this could be in a high-speed highway situation or a
crowded city street--sometimes, if youUre right next to a vehicle, you
canUt see the rear OR the front turn blinkers, nor can you see the
front-corner turn signals.
You know, we have all these so-called Rsafety advocatesS screaming for
this side-impact beam, that airbag, the other seatbelt, etc. These are
all nice passive safety features, but we could improve everyoneUs safety,
visibility, driving vision, and comfort with revamped automotive
lighting codes.
Whew--this has been a long message. I have done quite a bit of research
on the topic, and have converted 4 cars so far to the European system
('65 Valiant, '62 Dodge Lancer, '83 Mercedes, '91 Dodge Spirit R/T) and
there is simply no comparison. The Euro-lamps are better in every way.
(I had to con my local Chrysler dealer into ordering the Euro-spec lamps
for the Spirit--told him I was taking the car to Belgium!)
Meanwhile, here are some websites you may want to peruse to see some
other info about European vs. American lamps:
http://www.webbuild.com/~toy4two/mycar/myhellas.html
(actual pictures and descriptions of Euro beam pattern--see this page,
it illustrates very well my points above!)
http://www.team.net/sol/tech/light-up.html (info on converting to Euro
lamps)
http://www.ddd-online.com/hella/flame.html
(Hella corp's very informative page on headlamp development history)
---
Daniel Stern "a 2.2T3, a 2.5, and 2 225s. Say it FAST!"
http://ursula.uoregon.edu/~dastern <---All Things Daniel and Pizza
'65 Canadian Valiant '91 Spirit R/T and the SL6 Resource Centre
Illegitimis Non Carborundum
Nihil tamquam temporis momentum ultimatum incitat.
Cogito ergo vroom
Aardwolf
Whistling In The Dart wrote:
>
> American headlamp design specifications have lagged behind those of
> Europe and most of the rest of the driving world for decades.
Right on!
Aardwolf.
Fringe Ryder
Fascinating. I was wondering why my new Audi's headlights seemed so dim
compared to other cars, and yet so effective in the dark. It really had me
confused - do these lights suck or have they discovered some new form of
light, I mused.
Still, I'd like them a bit brighter.
Whistling In The Dart (das...@ursula.uoregon.edu) wrote:
: American headlamp design specifications have lagged behind those of
Henri R Helanto
Whistling In The Dart <das...@ursula.uoregon.edu> writes:
<...>
>The European lamps are MUCH less offensive to oncoming traffic, but at
>the same time they use higher-power bulbs than American headlamps (55/60
>watt versus 35/55 watt).
>Meanwhile, here are some websites you may want to peruse to see some
>other info about European vs. American lamps:
Very informative article indeed, Daniel. I didn't know that you
_still_ use those archaic sealed-beams in the US; they're even
more horrible when you've used H4:s all your life and try to see
anything in the dark with a pair of sealed beams.
It's like driving in candlelight when you're used to driving with
two pairs of H4 low/high beams, two pairs of H3 high beams and
two pairs of H3 fog lights; still perfectly legal here if your car
is manufactured in 1979 or earlier. On newer cars you can have
one pair of each. (Of course, only one or two pairs of low beams
are used unless there's nobody in vicinity ;-)
The wattage is another thing; 55W is the maximum for low beams and
foglights and 60W for high beams, each, but 80-100W low beams and
100-200W high beams are widely used and I have yet to hear about
anyone getting caught.
-Henri
--
###### Henri Helanto ### he...@muncca.fi / hhel...@vipunen.hut.fi
##### Architecture Major #### Nissan Skyline GT-R 'Janspeed Special'
#### Net Admin ##### '71 LS-6 454 Corvette Coupe
### Sports Car Enthusiast ###### Subaru Legacy Turbo STW (my wife's car ;-)
Rich Rubel
Henri R Helanto (hhel...@cc.hut.fi) wrote:
: Very informative article indeed, Daniel. I didn't know that you
: _still_ use those archaic sealed-beams in the US; they're even
: more horrible when you've used H4:s all your life and try to see
: anything in the dark with a pair of sealed beams.
I'm a bit confused... Are these H4's the 'capsule' bulbs (9004 is the part
# I need, I think) that drop in to a lens "frame"? If so, there are a
good number of American cars that use them - any of the newer cars with
aerodynamic headlights, like most Fords, Chryslers, and some GM's. one
downside is that to replace a lens you must spend upwards of $200
(usually) instead of $5... and living in a location with a lot of road
work/cruddy roads leaving lots of gravel around, it's a problem I must
contend with. I've had to replace several lenses because when one cracks,
any water that gets in will start killing halogen capsules almost
instantly.
--
+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
| Rich Rubel | Happiness is an AWD Subaru! |
| rru...@umbc.edu | Turn a SNOW problem into NO problem. |
| | http://alumni.umbc.edu/~rrubel1/outback.html |
+--------------------+---------------------------------------------------+
Brian Varine
On 20 Nov 1996, Rich Rubel wrote:
> I'm a bit confused... Are these H4's the 'capsule' bulbs (9004 is the part
> # I need, I think) that drop in to a lens "frame"?
H4's are not 9004's. The 900x series are for cars in the US and the DOT
limited them to 65W for hi beam and 55W lo beam. It took a few years but
eventual;y a few companies came out with 85/100W 900x bulbs. Apparently
they are NOT DOT approved but they fit anyway (They are for "off road"
use as well;-) I have the 100W high beams and they are excellent. The
problem with the 85W lows is they seem to burn out rather quickly. I've
had a few sets and they all went out in about 4 months. For some reason
the 100W's have lasted about 3 years.
If so, there are a
> good number of American cars that use them - any of the newer cars with
> aerodynamic headlights, like most Fords, Chryslers, and some GM's. one
> downside is that to replace a lens you must spend upwards of $200
> (usually) instead of $5... and living in a location with a lot of road
> work/cruddy roads leaving lots of gravel around, it's a problem I must
> contend with. I've had to replace several lenses because when one cracks,
> any water that gets in will start killing halogen capsules almost
> instantly.
Do what I did and get a set of those clear plastic shields. They cost
about $35 but will save you in the long run. I had a rock take out the
lens assy. in my 90 Civic Si. Base cost for those is $110 (but hey, you
get 2 bulbs too!). If your not very handy, Honda will replace it for
$250. It's a real pain in the ass too, the whole front bumper has to come
off. The shields seem more flexible as well. I had a prett bick rock hit
on and all it did was put a small crack in the shield. I'm sure the lens
would have had a hole in it.
Paulo Santos - ASNG/F94
Aardwolf (se1...@itis.com) wrote:
: Whistling In The Dart wrote:
: >
: > American headlamp design specifications have lagged behind those of
: > Europe and most of the rest of the driving world for decades.
: Right on!
: Aardwolf.
Exactly!!! I'll be looking for the article that mentioned this. Was
either Automobile, Sport Compact Car, maybe Road & Track. I'll check.
Whistling In The Dart
On 20 Nov 1996, Rich Rubel wrote:
> I'm a bit confused... Are these H4's the 'capsule' bulbs (9004 is the part
> # I need, I think) that drop in to a lens "frame"?
No, the H4 is NOT the same as the 9004. They are both of the same
architecture (i.e., a bulb that is separate from, and replaceable in, a
lens/reflector assembly) but the 9004, 9005, 9006, and 9007 bulbs with
their lens/reflector assemblies utilize the same poorly-thought-out optics
as the old sealed-beam, and similar wattages, whereas the H4 (which, as I
mentioned, is also called an HB2 or a 9003) uses radically different
optics in the lens/reflector to achieve the superior beam pattern.
> contend with. I've had to replace several lenses because when one cracks,
> any water that gets in will start killing halogen capsules almost
> instantly.
This can be a problem, and there really isn't much of a 100 percent happy
solution. Until 1993, European specs said the lens had to be GLASS, which
stays optically clear for a very long time but can be more susceptible to
cracking or breaking. In 1984 or so, the US allowed the first "aero"
headlamps (the ill-thought-out 9004 design, dreamed-up by Ford for their
'84 Lincoln Mark model) and allowed them to have plastic lenses, which are
cheaper to make and which are more impact resistant, but which are
optically inferior right from the start and which get opaque and yellowed
in very short order (look at a ~5 year old Volvo 240 for an example).
Rich Rubel
Brian Varine (var...@ucs.orst.edu) wrote:
: H4's are not 9004's. The 900x series are for cars in the US and the DOT
: limited them to 65W for hi beam and 55W lo beam. It took a few years but
Can't be ALL 900x's... the article mentioned 9003's. Are just the 9004's
the "bad" ones?
: eventual;y a few companies came out with 85/100W 900x bulbs. Apparently
: they are NOT DOT approved but they fit anyway (They are for "off road"
: use as well;-) I have the 100W high beams and they are excellent. The
: problem with the 85W lows is they seem to burn out rather quickly. I've
: had a few sets and they all went out in about 4 months. For some reason
: the 100W's have lasted about 3 years.
Heat... if your lenses weren't designed to dissipate higher amounts of
heat, the bulbs will cook themselves. My fog lights are ratecd for 55w
bulbs; they'll take 100 but would either melt the casing or kill the bulbs
quickly. How does your alternator handle the increased load?
: Do what I did and get a set of those clear plastic shields. They cost
: about $35 but will save you in the long run. I had a rock take out the
: lens assy. in my 90 Civic Si. Base cost for those is $110 (but hey, you
: get 2 bulbs too!). If your not very handy, Honda will replace it for
I'll have to look, but I'm not sure they're available for my cars.
Whistling In The Dart
On 20 Nov 1996, Rich Rubel wrote:
> Brian Varine (var...@ucs.orst.edu) wrote:
>
> : H4's are not 9004's. The 900x series are for cars in the US and the DOT
> : limited them to 65W for hi beam and 55W lo beam. It took a few years but
>
> Can't be ALL 900x's... the article mentioned 9003's. Are just the 9004's
> the "bad" ones?
Everything but the 9003 (HB2, H4--all three designations apply to the
SAME bulb) relies on the American beam pattern. So, to reiterate:
9003 = GOOD
9004, 9005, 9006, 9007 = BAD.
> : eventual;y a few companies came out with 85/100W 900x bulbs. Apparently
> : they are NOT DOT approved but they fit anyway (They are for "off road"
> Heat... if your lenses weren't designed to dissipate higher amounts of
> heat, the bulbs will cook themselves. My fog lights are ratecd for 55w
> bulbs; they'll take 100 but would either melt the casing or kill the bulbs
> quickly. How does your alternator handle the increased load?
There's more than that. The plastic lenses and housings of most US-spec
composite (replaceable bulb) headlamps using 9004/5/6/7 bulbs is very thin
and flimsy plastic, not likely able to stand the heat. Also, the
terminals in the base of the 9004/5/6/7 bulb are very, very small, and
when you start using these overwattage bulbs, this becomes a point of
tremendous resistance-->voltage drop-->heat. In addition, the wiring and
headlamp switching systems of most cars are not up to handling this kind
of load. Better hope, if you use these overwattage bulbs, that your
system is WELL-protected by fuses or circuit breakers. I also want to
reiterate that it is NOT A PROBLEM OF LACK OF BRIGHTNESS OF THE BULB, but
rather of poor design. Brighter bulbs don't make much of a difference.
Aardwolf
Fringe Ryder wrote:
>
> Fascinating. I was wondering why my new Audi's headlights seemed so dim
> compared to other cars, and yet so effective in the dark. It really had me
> confused - do these lights suck or have they discovered some new form of
> light, I mused.
>
> Still, I'd like them a bit brighter.
So get the actual Euro-spec units. Just tell the parts man you're thinking
of taking your car to Belgium with you ;-)
Aardwolf.
Aardwolf
Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> In addition, the wiring and
> headlamp switching systems of most cars are not up to handling this kind
> of load. Better hope, if you use these overwattage bulbs, that your
> system is WELL-protected by fuses or circuit breakers.
What about the US cars sold overseas? The "export" headlights meet Euro
specs, they must design the wiring/ electricals to be able to handle this.
Aardwolf.
Aardwolf
Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> Everything but the 9003 (HB2, H4--all three designations apply to the
> SAME bulb) relies on the American beam pattern. So, to reiterate:
>
> 9003 = GOOD
>
> 9004, 9005, 9006, 9007 = BAD.
9003 huh? So what are the high/low wattage specs for the Euro-spec
bulbs?
Aardwolf.
Whistling In The Dart
On Wed, 20 Nov 1996, Aardwolf wrote:
> Whistling In The Dart wrote:
>
Stock Euro bulbs are only 55/60 watt, which the US electrical systems will
normally handle OK.
Whistling In The Dart
On Wed, 20 Nov 1996, Aardwolf wrote:
> Whistling In The Dart wrote:
>
> > Everything but the 9003 (HB2, H4--all three designations apply to the
> > SAME bulb) relies on the American beam pattern. So, to reiterate:
> >
> > 9003 = GOOD
> >
> > 9004, 9005, 9006, 9007 = BAD.
>
> 9003 huh? So what are the high/low wattage specs for the Euro-spec
> bulbs?
The 9003/H4/HB2 (same bulb) is available in many different wattages, but
the stock (legal) wattage here and in Europe on these bulbs is 55 low, 60
high. They are available in all different wattages (55/60, 55/100,
80/100, 100/100, 90/130, 130/130) and three different colors
(clear/normal, silicon/titanium coated (looks purple, produces strong
yellow light) and clear with a larger yellow glass "envelope" around the
bulb to produce yellow light.)
Rich Rubel
Whistling In The Dart (das...@ursula.uoregon.edu) wrote:
: The 9003/H4/HB2 (same bulb) is available in many different wattages, but
: the stock (legal) wattage here and in Europe on these bulbs is 55 low, 60
: high. They are available in all different wattages (55/60, 55/100,
: 80/100, 100/100, 90/130, 130/130) and three different colors
: (clear/normal, silicon/titanium coated (looks purple, produces strong
: yellow light) and clear with a larger yellow glass "envelope" around the
: bulb to produce yellow light.)
Me again... a quick look in my owner's manual tells me that my headlamps
are H4 (12v-60/55w) and my fog lights are 9006. Fog lights for a different
model are H3 - I think that's the "projector" type lamp. Where does it fall?
The light my lamps throw off doesn't look much different from any other car,
either when looking at the lens or at the road. Might I do better with the
silicon/titanium-coated bulbs?
Side topic - how do the newer "gas-discharge" lights such as in the newer
Caddies compare? Aside from price, which is ridiculously high.
Whistling In The Dart
On 21 Nov 1996, Rich Rubel wrote:
> Whistling In The Dart (das...@ursula.uoregon.edu) wrote:
>
>
> : The 9003/H4/HB2 (same bulb) is available in many different wattages, but
> : the stock (legal) wattage here and in Europe on these bulbs is 55 low, 60
> : high.
> Me again... a quick look in my owner's manual tells me that my headlamps
> are H4 (12v-60/55w)
Let's see, your .sig talks about an AWD Subaru. If it is about a '92 or
newer, it has the H4 lamps, but in this country they're called HB2. (Says
so right on the lens.) If you're VERY careful when you walk into the
parts store, and look around and make sure the light police aren't
watching you, and wear dark glasses and a hat so nobody can ID you, you
can buy the $4.97 "H4" bulb instead of the identical--but $8.97--"HB2" or
"9003" bulb. I won't tell ;-)
> Fog lights for a different
> model are H3 - I think that's the "projector" type lamp. Where does it fall?
The H3s are kinda nice, because there are a LOT of options when it comes
time to replace the bulbs. All different wattages and two different
colors (yellow or white light). I suppose that given careful Research
and Development, a good fog lamp could be built around the 9006. But it's
easier with an H3.
> The light my lamps throw off doesn't look much different from any other car,
> either when looking at the lens or at the road.
Look at the lens again. See how there's a pattern of optical lines that
kinda slants down and to the right, on the right-hand half of each
headlamp lens? Now shine the headlamps at i.e. a garage door or wall.
See how there's an even "wash" of light, the top surface of which slants
upward and to the right? That's your H4 pattern. If it were an American
beam, you'd have a vaguely-defined "blotch" of light in front of each
headlamp.
> Might I do better with the
> silicon/titanium-coated bulbs?
I run these. They produce light with a strong yellow tint, but without
any loss of candlepower. I find the yellow light makes night driving MUCH
easier, as it enhances color contrast and cuts through rain, fog, snow,
etc. As for legality, I've driven my car with illegal H4 headlamps
carrying these bulbs for two years in eleven states and NEVER had a
problem, even driving right past cops.
> Side topic - how do the newer "gas-discharge" lights such as in the newer
> Caddies compare? Aside from price, which is ridiculously high.
It boils down to what optical pattern they're using. Sure, these lamps
produce more light on less power, but early reports indicate that--with
the American-spec beam pattern being used (here we go with the 1930s
technology on our 1990s cars again!), the light is blotchy and uneven. In
addition, the colour of the light produced by these--hyped as being "close
to sunlight", which means it has more of a blue/purple cast to it
than
incandescent or halogen light, is said to wash-out colours and decrease
visible contrast. (This makes sense given my observations on the effect
of yellow-tinted light produced by the coated bulbs. Yellow is, of
course, the opposite of purple/blue...
Henri R Helanto
rru...@umbc.edu (Rich Rubel) writes:
>Heat... if your lenses weren't designed to dissipate higher amounts of
>heat, the bulbs will cook themselves. My fog lights are ratecd for 55w
>bulbs; they'll take 100 but would either melt the casing or kill the bulbs
>quickly.
Stock reflectors can stand the heat of 100-165W bulbs easily,
depending on the size and ventilation of the 'casings'. If
you have similar projector foglights as my wife's Legacy Turbo
installing 120W bulbs is still safe, headlights (providing
that they're H4) can take 165/100W bulbs, and the additional
high beams in the center of the mask are doing fine with
120W H3:s.
>How does your alternator handle the increased load?
A 90A alternator, for example, can handle ~50A load from the
lights (meaning ~600W; 2x165 + 2x120 high beams are still ok).
When I had ~2.5kW of lights on a Range Rover I used two truck
alternators, 150A apiece, but that was a _bit_ overkill ;-)
Rally cars usually have 6x200W for high beams and they have
150-200A alternators which suffices nicely.
>: Do what I did and get a set of those clear plastic shields. They cost
<...>
>I'll have to look, but I'm not sure they're available for my cars.
Outback? Sure they are, you can even choose between a few
differend brands :)
Rich Rubel
: depending on the size and ventilation of the 'casings'. If
That was my point - if you're burning up bulbs quickly, chances are
there's not enough ventilation.
: >I'll have to look, but I'm not sure they're available for my cars.
: Outback? Sure they are, you can even choose between a few
: differend brands :)
Any chance you can provide some company names/addresses? Most places
around here, when you say "Subaru" they look at you funny. We have a
severe lack of aftermarket parts (esp. performance enhancements) - the one
shortcoming that I can see to owning a car from a smaller company.
Aardwolf
Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> The 9003/H4/HB2 (same bulb) is available in many different wattages, but
> the stock (legal) wattage here and in Europe on these bulbs is 55 low, 60
> 80/100, 100/100, 90/130, 130/130) and three different colors
> (clear/normal, silicon/titanium coated (looks purple, produces strong
> yellow light) and clear with a larger yellow glass "envelope" around the
> bulb to produce yellow light.)
Okay--howabout Euro fog light bulbs? And are the newly-legal
replacement halogen bulbs in the US just like their Euro counterparts or
still inferior?
Aardwolf.
Aardwolf
Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> newer, it has the H4 lamps, but in this country they're called HB2. (Says
> so right on the lens.) If you're VERY careful when you walk into the
> parts store, and look around and make sure the light police aren't
> watching you, and wear dark glasses and a hat so nobody can ID you, you
> can buy the $4.97 "H4" bulb instead of the identical--but $8.97--"HB2" or
> "9003" bulb. I won't tell ;-)
Waitaminute--I thought you said the 9003/HB2 was the same thing as the
H4? The Euro bulbs are still better? Will the Euro H4's still work with
US reflectors, or is it the reflector that makes the difference? Now I'm
confused...
Aardwolf.
Henri R Helanto
rru...@umbc.edu (Rich Rubel) writes:
>That was my point - if you're burning up bulbs quickly, chances are
>there's not enough ventilation.
The size of the casing is crucial as well. Legacy has very large
casings which helps high-wattage bulbs last very well. When I
had 165/100W H4's in my Escort RS Cosworth they tended to burn
out in about two or three months, because the lamps were very
small and had virtually no ventilation. (For rallying they use
four or six 7" lamps, mounted in a fiberglass frame on the hood)
>Any chance you can provide some company names/addresses? Most places
>around here, when you say "Subaru" they look at you funny. We have a
>severe lack of aftermarket parts (esp. performance enhancements) - the one
>shortcoming that I can see to owning a car from a smaller company.
Sube Sports, located somewhere in California, has just about
everything you'll need. They advertise in Turbo Magazine every
now and then. If you want to go _really_ wild, contact
Prodrive; they run the Subaru factory WRC team and they're
my #1 Subaru parts source. I don't have contact information
here right now but I can dig it up for you.
Whistling In The Dart
On Sat, 23 Nov 1996, Aardwolf wrote:
> Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> > The 9003/H4/HB2 (same bulb) is available in many different wattages, but
> > the stock (legal) wattage here and in Europe on these bulbs is 55 low, 60
> > high.
> Okay--howabout Euro fog light bulbs?
H1, H2, H3? Available off-the-shelf in stock 55 watts, and available from
specialty companies in numerous other wattages.
> And are the newly-legal
> replacement halogen bulbs in the US just like their Euro counterparts or
> still inferior?
Which "newly legal replacement halogen bulbs" do you refer to?
Whistling In The Dart
On Sat, 23 Nov 1996, Aardwolf wrote:
> Whistling In The Dart wrote:
> > newer, it has the H4 lamps, but in this country they're called HB2.
> > you can buy the $4.97 "H4" bulb instead of the identical--but
> > $8.97--"HB2" or "9003" bulb. I won't tell ;-)
>
> Waitaminute--I thought you said the 9003/HB2 was the same thing as the
> H4?
That is correct.
> The Euro bulbs are still better?
Only because, in stock wattages, they are about half the price, for the
selfsame bulb from the selfsame manufacturer.
> Will the Euro H4's still work with
> US reflectors, or is it the reflector that makes the difference? Now I'm
> confused...
ARRRGH!!! I'll say it again:
THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER between bulbs designated "H4", lamps
designated "HB2", and lamps designated "9003". THEY ARE THE SAME BULB!
THE VERY SAME! You can use a bulb called "HB2" in a headlamp from which
you've removed a dead "H4", and vice-versa. They're the same!
And since they're the same, the headlamp assemblies (lenses, reflectors)
that use H4 lamps are the same design as those that use HB2s. They're the
SAME!
Note that the 900x numbers are industry sales numbers in the USA, while
HBx numbers are DOT design spec numbers.
HB1 = 9004
HB2 = 9003 = H4
HB3 = 9005
HB4 = 9006
HB5 = 9007
You can interchange bulbs horizontally in the chart above, but not
vertical. So, a bulb sold as a 9007 is also sometimes designated as an
HB5. An H4 is sometimes designated an HB2 is sometimes designated a 9003.
An HB1 is sometimes designated a 9004.
Now, to add to the confusion, we have the rest of the European Hx numbers.
Except for the H4 = HB2 = 9003 situation described above, these Hx numbers
are these lamps' ONLY designation.
H1 = H1
H2 = H2
H3 = H3
H4 = HB2 = 9003.
Unless you see an equals sign (=) between two designations in the two
charts above, you cannot interchange bulbs. An H3 won't fit an H1, H2,
HB1, HB2, HB3, HB4, or HB5 lamp, and so on. Does this help clear things
up?