Bulb upgrade?

[Bendolfc]

Originally Posted by VenomS40

I cant believe that people are going out there and adjusting their own headlight beams on the drive way....... You know the annoying driver that sometimes comes up behind you and the one headlight is brighter than the other and dazzles you...yes?

Less annoying though with hallogens than retena burning HIDS without self leveling and fully legal if done corectly?

[VenomS40]

jepho - Thanks for the link, I was looking for something like this before going to the test centre. I know it sounds as if I was going back on what I was saying but was just confirming that it is an easy process to do and can be done at home.

As to where the beam cut off it is set, I'm working from what I noticed when driving behind a Corsa C. It was sitting just below the back screen where as before it was more down towards the number plate of the same car. However there is at least 3-5 inches of body work until the back glass so there is room for improvement. But the way mine are set now I'm happy with and lights up the road far better than they did before I had them adjusted.

[TEZ-1]

What did people use to clean the projector lenses?

[jaygee]

Originally Posted by TEZ-1

What did people use to clean the projector lenses?

Glass cleaner. Make sure when you are unscrewing that you hold it above your head so any plastic shaving that are bound to come out don't get into the unit.

[TEZ-1]

Originally Posted by jaygee

Glass cleaner. Make sure when you are unscrewing that you hold it above your head so any plastic shaving that are bound to come out don't get into the unit.

When you say glass cleaner do you mean like the blue autoglym stuff?

[jaygee]

Originally Posted by TEZ-1

When you say glass cleaner do you mean like the blue autoglym stuff?

Yeah, if you have it. Any automotive glass cleaner will do the trick though.

Just to add - Volvo projectors aren't that good. There are people on here who have changed the lenses to better known ones, such as Lexus projectors.

[swisstony]

Can anyone recommend better projectors to replace the stock ones fitted?

[jaygee]

Originally Posted by swisstony

Can anyone recommend better projectors to replace the stock ones fitted?

I can't answer your question but I know where you can find out.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums

Just so you don't get too excited the last time someone asked this question the end cost of doing it was close to £1500.

[jepho]

Originally Posted by VenomS40

jepho - Thanks for the link, I was looking for something like this before going to the test centre. I know it sounds as if I was going back on what I was saying but was just confirming that it is an easy process to do and can be done at home.

OK. I understand that now.
Two useful links follow:

MOT Testers manual section 1.7 (headlamps) This clears up the confusion concerning the fitting of HID lamps and the need to have working wash and self-levelling kit. This does not apply to cars which have never had the self-levelling device and headlamp washer fitted. On that basis, I see no problem with fitting HID lamps as long as they are correctly aimed.


Headlamp aim guidelines from section 1.8 of the current MOT testers manual The description and illustrations are definitive for the UK so this is good information too.

I suspect that the reason that my projector lamps are so dire is the design has no choice but to lessen the light output. Photons in a beam (light from the headlamp) will be diffused by anything inserted into the path of the beam and the relevant optical law is the inverse square law. This states that a doubling of distance from the source requires a concomitant fourfold diminution of the light output.

Inverse square law illustrated

This is not enough on its own to produce the dire lighting I am experiencing but... it is an optical law which is always present. I suspect that the projector envelope is too thick for the quantity of light which is output from a standard H7 bulb and reduces the available light by too much. I will measure the light output from the dip and the main beam with an accurate exposure meter and report back. I would be very surprised if the projector lamps light output were not significantly reduced.

Originally Posted by VenomS40

As to where the beam cut off it is set, I'm working from what I noticed when driving behind a Corsa C. It was sitting just below the back screen where as before it was more down towards the number plate of the same car. However there is at least 3-5 inches of body work until the back glass so there is room for improvement. But the way mine are set now I'm happy with and lights up the road far better than they did before I had them adjusted.

I will adjust my own lamps to get the beams somewhere reasonable and then I will fit an HID kit. There may be an alternative if Volvo make a similarly specified headlamp assembly with HID lamps, that will just slot into the existing aperture for the complete lamp housing. This is much more likely to be a very expensive solution.

[Volvorforlife]

Originally Posted by jaygee

I can't answer your question but I know where you can find out.

http://www.hidplanet.com/forums

Just so you don't get too excited the last time someone asked this question the end cost of doing it was close to £1500.

That was me and worth it in my opinion but only because I knew I would be buying another C30 that I could use the same lights in.