The headlights on my new Discovery 200TDi are looking a little rusty on the inside, so I suspect we're talking replacements for the next MOT if not earlier.
I am thinking of taking the opportunity to put in some 300TDi headlight in place, because I think they're a better design, they're certainly bigger. What else will I have to change in terms of grille, headlight surround etc?
In addition, I have seen some 110W Xenon bulbs on Ebay, which would mean an upgrade from 55W standard units. I seem to remember an acquantence changing 55W bulbs in his Mk3 escort for 110W and burning out his headlight switch.
Would the Disco wiring cope?
Hugo
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Will the 200TDi loom cope with 300TDi lamps? Yes.
Will the 200TDi loom cope with 110W bulbs? No.
Will the 300TDi loom cope with 110W bulbs? No.
You'll need upgraded wiring and a suitable relay
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110W is not legal for road use.
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Hugo
Update your 200 Disco to 300 style. New grill, bumper mouldings, all 4 end caps, headlights. DIY parts kit from £295 to £520
If you live near Bradford fitting service available.
www.simmonites.co.uk
DVD
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Is that the rallying Simmonites? The sisters?`
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I wouldn't bother with higher wattage bulbs.
Try Phillips Visionplus from www.powerbulbs.com
Higher wattage bulbs don't really put more light o the road, they just have a slightly higher colour temperature which makes them look 'brighter' but because the filament is made of a thicker guage and has a greater radius of windings, the light on the road is not what one may expect, this is because light is output from the white hot SURFACE of the metal, and the larger and smaller number of windings means...
a) less surface area
b) moe filament outside of the optimum point of light source
b - means they will dazzle other people NOT because they are 'brighter', but because the dimensions of the filament are such that the beam pattern is out of spec.
Also, if your electrics are not up to scratch, a higher wattage bulb will be considerably dimmer than the 55W E bulbs, as the voltage drop across the switched and wiring maybe 1 or 2 volts which makes for a disproportionatly high fall in lumens output.
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I'm intrigued - I wonder if the headlamp beam would appear to be OK on an MOT headlamp beam tester with uprated bulbs?
Good post, joosisxyzzxxsioorffvvc
(sorry)
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Hugo,
Here goes with some miserable git stuff...
Your Discovery will benefit more from a complete transmission/dif/swivels oil change and all the other "Disco" things that count rather than "wasting" dosh on the 200-300 upgrade.
Just find a pair of minimal cost shiny used lamps from a breakers and fit Vision Plus bulbs.
Have you sorted the starter fuse yet?
M.M
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I never had any MOT headlight aim problems, on several cars with several sets of higher wattage bulbs.
I always used to get the highest wattage bulbs I could find, 100-130w typically. I used to do one side and stand in front of the car to compare, then at night, I would go out and after spending a fair bit of money, especially on 4 for the BMW I once had, I would kid myself into thinking I could see more, but I think it was just the 'snake oil' syndrome.
Then I once flicked through a big automotive engineering book and it told me what I summarised above, wattage is a measure of electricity used, not light output. You see, car bulbs and the filaments within, have to be a fixed physical size, this constrains any gains in output with increases in wattage,
There are also some headlight bulb comparison tests on the autoexpress website, but they are a bit out of date now.
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Brilliant post! You have got me thinking....
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Hugo
I would put the money in the building society to pay for the next major problem.
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"Hugo,
Here goes with some miserable git stuff...
Your Discovery will benefit more from a complete transmission/dif/swivels oil change and all the other "Disco" things that count rather than "wasting" dosh on the 200-300 upgrade.
Just find a pair of minimal cost shiny used lamps from a breakers and fit Vision Plus bulbs.
Have you sorted the starter fuse yet?
M.M"
M.M.
I think you're right
Besides, even if I can't find any lamps at a breakers, they're only £34 each from MM 4X4 - no relation to you I assume??
That starter fuse has been taken out. The FF fuse is still there though. No more problems yet... which leads me onto....
"Hugo
I would put the money in the building society to pay
for the next major problem."
LOL RF!!!
No seriously, I would like to get a few quotes for that boot floor plus a few other spots, before they grow on me!
Why did they have to put steel and aluminium in contact with one another all over the £$£$£¬ thing? O level physics would have told anyone sensible this was a bad idea!
Hugo
"Forever indebted to experience of others"
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H
Boot floor Sir?.
No problems and change from 50 notes (Even MM will tell you prices of 75 plus quoted elsewhere) Click on Catalogue and its the last but one item.
www.tinyurl.co./pzef
Really isn\'t it about time you joined the big boys at
www.lro.com
Forum - Discovery.
DVD
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Er, DVD, your tinyurl link is also duff. ;-)
www.mps4x4store.co.uk/about.htm
then, as you say, click on catalogue, and the Discovery boot floor is on special offer down at the bottom.
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Joosisiqu,
Great post, the term you are looking for is efficiency, the Wattage is the power consumed, the light output is the efficiency times the power comsumption, the useful light output is the fraction of the light that falls in the proper area of the beam.
The higher power bulbs not only can generate less light output (lower efficiency) but because of the changed geometry of the filament not matching the reflector also lose useful light on the road and gain unwanted light in parts of the beam that can dazzle other road users.
Ian L.
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