Halogen To Xenon Bulb Change

[Timbo343]

Hi All

I'm a new user so sorry if this is a duplicate topic.

Basically, i have got a 2003 53Plate Ford Fiesta (I think its the MK6) and i have currently got the standard halogen bulbs installed. I have seen the upgrade Xenon bulbs for sale on a number of sites (autobulbsdirect.co.uk, carbulbs.com and powerbulbs.com) and I am looking at buying the Philips X-Treme Power +80%, Osram Night Breaker H4 or Ring XENON MAX +100% bulbs to replace the standard halogen bulbs.

I have done a lot of looking around on the net and have found that some users are saying that these upgrade lights are illegal or are the HID Kits illegal? Can someone please clarify if the Philips Philips X-Treme Power +80%, Osram Night Breaker H4 or Ring XENON MAX +100% bulbs are road legal or not and why are some users stating that these types of bulbs are illegal? I have heard that if they show the E mark then I should be fine.

Also, in your own opinion, which bulb is the better one to buy?

Thanks in advanced

Tim

[DONFRAMAC]

Hi All

I'm a new user so sorry if this is a duplicate topic.

Basically, i have got a 2003 53Plate Ford Fiesta (I think its the MK6) and i have currently got the standard halogen bulbs installed. I have seen the upgrade Xenon bulbs for sale on a number of sites (autobulbsdirect.co.uk, carbulbs.com and powerbulbs.com) and I am looking at buying the Philips X-Treme Power +80%, Osram Night Breaker H4 or Ring XENON MAX +100% bulbs to replace the standard halogen bulbs.

I have done a lot of looking around on the net and have found that some users are saying that these upgrade lights are illegal or are the HID Kits illegal? Can someone please clarify if the Philips Philips X-Treme Power +80%, Osram Night Breaker H4 or Ring XENON MAX +100% bulbs are road legal or not and why are some users stating that these types of bulbs are illegal? I have heard that if they show the E mark then I should be fine.

Also, in your own opinion, which bulb is the better one to buy?

Thanks in advanced

Tim

These are all uprated filament bulbs, using the standard 60/55 watt power, but enhance the light output to less than 2/3rds the output of HID's at 35 watts. the Hid's are not clearly allowed in the UK as aftermarket fitment, and the DofT interpret the EU guidelines as requiring the headlamp shells/self-levelling system/popup washers to be as per original fitment on EU market cars. The MoT testers are not empowered to quibble about this, so long as the beam pattern/alignment is OK, but the high wattage 55W versions of XENON discharge bulbs often have poor pattern and enough flare to fail the MoT, and the brightness is OTT. Police will ntice the bluer versions, and haul you over, and likely have you remove them, and report to a police station after. U.K. law gives clear guidance on colour ;-- WHITE only for front facing loghts. They have a clear objection to BLUE, as it is reserved for the emergency services. The EU legal bulbs are only 4300 deg kelvin in colour temperature, which gets rid of yellow, and 6000 deg kelvin is only slightly bluer than sunlight, by 250 deg.K.

People who risk it are very unlikely to attract no attention with these colours, and 35 watt burners, set up on MoT gear. plenty of people have them. There hasn't yet been a test case in a court.

Your original question;-- those 3 bulbs are legal, and Philips won the Autoexpress test, with Osram 2nd. Ring are a bit iffy on production quality.

Halfords and others often do BOGOF deals, which is the only economic deal, as you lose 40% of bulb life. For ~£50 PIAA do more uprated ones I.E. 110/100W light output from legal watts, tungsten filament, with a special gas mix /high pressure/hot burning short filaments, with only 3 months warranty. (extreme white plus range). They also still do the illegal over-wattage ones, for rallying, or spot-lights/main beam-- it is only the dip that has to be 55 Watts, filament. Using a HID burner in the main beam prevents flashing,-- the ballast unit is slow to deliver its 23000 volts. (P.S.,my supplier doesn't stock >8000 deg K burners.)

My BI-XENON H4's with solenoid movement of the burner to change focus, flicks instantly between, but I need to use sidelights on to get rapid use of fogs for a "flash", in daytime.