XC70: Electrical XC70 Dipped Beam Performance - Downright Dangerous

[Shooter69]

Thought I was the only one with crap headlights

What I found is... Xenon lights are only good for approx 3500 hours my 2011 car has done in excess of 140k miles so with an average speed of 40mph is 3500 hours so went to Volvo to get some new lamps when I was quoted £130 per bulb I went to halfords and paid £60 per bulb anyway lights are now much brighter although I think they are set very low

[tt82]

Originally Posted by CTCNetwork

Hi,

It could also be that the height adjustment is off?
Or the control wheel has been turned down fully?

Des. . .

Active bending Xenon for me Des. They go all over the place but I don't have any control over them!

[Sasha94]

The xenon lights are set too low IMO. My car has the boggo lights and I've fitted Osram Cool Blue Intense bulbs which are 4200k and are bright white. I've had xenon lights in cars before and they are good but I found the V70's I drove with xenon's fitted were good and I'm sure the main beams are much better than mine due to them being Bi-Xenon lights but I find my boggo ones are no worse than other cars I've had.

The way they move up and down on start up is very cool though

[GrantA]

Originally Posted by Sasha94

The way they move up and down on start up is very cool though

At 70k miles my (non-bendy) xenons are great - bright and shiny and IMO not too low. I particularly like the way the dipped lights (xenons) come up to the same level as the headlights when you switch to main beam. As Sasha says "cool" or what

[RM955I]

I found this thread the other week when searching how to manually raise the headlights. I have to say, the halogens seem set ridiculously low as standard so I took the advice and gave then 2 &1/2 turns anti-clockwise which has made an improvement, along with a set of Nightbreakers.

[Sasha94]

Re Headlight aim, mine were set just fine then I noticed since the start of the year other motorists consistently flashing their lights at me in the dark and I really didn't know why until something random made me look up the cars MoT history and I found something unexpected; when I took the car for MoT at my local main dealers they told me it had passed and handed me the pass sheet with only the normal engine undertray fitted advisories. When I went online I found it actually failed!! Buggers never told me they failed it on headlight aim and they've adjusted them way up at ursa minor, tracking satellites instead of the road. A turn down on the adjuster and it's much better now.

I hear you asking why I didn't notice the aim was higher before now but one of the Cool Blue Intense bulbs blew and I put the old Nightbreakers in while I waited for new ones to arrive and they just aren't as good IMO

[Tatsfield]

But you need to know that my previous car was a Peugeot 406 Coupe which have old fashioned halogen bulbs befitting their late 90's vintage and providing about as much light as a pair of candles! Like many other owners of these cars I fitted an "illegal" HID system which provided great safe lighting and my XC70 with factory fit HID illumination is no worse than that.

[luggsey]

I think it's possible that some people adjust the headlights when they are in daylight running mode, not realising they are pointed low in daylight running mode and rising up for dipped headlights when the switch is on position two.
Mine had a main beam looking up to the moon!

[Bulleidboy]

Having just read this thread and driven my 2010 XC70 in the dark for the first time tonight (I've only had the car ten days), I thought the dipped beams could be better. Sitting about five car lengths behind the car in front, my dips did not illuminate the number plate of the car in front! Not being too familiar with all the replacement bulbs that are available, I watched volvosweden's youtube on replacing his H11 (55w) headlamp bulbs with H9's (65w) - would this be allowed in the UK? Luckily nowadays I don't do to much night driving.

[Clan]

Originally Posted by Bulleidboy

Having just read this thread and driven my 2010 XC70 in the dark for the first time tonight (I've only had the car ten days), I thought the dipped beams could be better. Sitting about five car lengths behind the car in front, my dips did not illuminate the number plate of the car in front! Not being too familiar with all the replacement bulbs that are available, I watched volvosweden's youtube on replacing his H11 (55w) headlamp bulbs with H9's (65w) - would this be allowed in the UK? Luckily nowadays I don't do to much night driving.

Just get the lights adjusted up to the max limit .. The main beams you talk about are pretty good , It is the H7 dip people are talking about . The wiring is only just up to coping with the bulbs you have , any more current draw could overheat wiring and damage the very expensive CEM .