hi guys

my replacement headlights have turned up but the bulb i am using in my old headlight is sort of yellow and seems quite dim too and dont really want to put them in my replacement headlights. I wouldnt mind something that gives out bit of a white colour. had a quick look around and saw these:

https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/12972WVUSM/whitevision-ultra-car-headlight-bulb#see-all-benefits

these seems ok, gives out white and dont think its too bright, dont want bulbs thats really bright.

if the bulbs in my link isnt that great, could anyone recommend any that is road legal please?

also my mot is due next month so will need some that will pass.

also i am guessing i would need to get some h1 bulbs too for the high beam?

many thanks guys 🙂 

I fitted Osram Nightbreaker H1 bulbs when I replaced my headlamps a few years back. Mine are HIDs so the H1 is supplementary to the Xenon lamp but found my old headlamp set up was brighter. This used Ultra Power H1 bulbs so worth a look I’d say

Will note I’ve not gone to the trouble of digging my old lamps out and swapping the H1’s to see the difference

many thanks, will look into them.

I did read on here that the bright white bulbs generally don't last as long as the standard type.

They are also more expensive than the regular type.

I would say avoid the Lucas ones in the green boxes. I fitted these in late 2022 to replace blown bulbs. Both sides failed again in little over a year. My usual parts supplier now charges £8 each for these. They have doubled in price over the last few years.

thank you but i have decided on the philips ones, when they fail then i may go back to standards.

i have just fitted the philips ones to my headlight but does anyone know if i would need to change the fog light too?

As far as I know, the front fog lights are not tested for the MOT.

Their actual usefulness is limited, they are mainly there for styling.

 

Ok, thank you.

I just thought the fog lights are meant to be nearly as bright as the main beam but as it sits now, the fog lights are dull.

5 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

I just thought the fog lights are meant to be nearly as bright as the main beam but as it sits now, the fog lights are dull.

Bright light in fog, actually makes visibility much worse as it reflects back.

In some European countries fogs were actually yellow but as light designs have improved I don't think any still have the yellow fog lights.

21 minutes ago, unofix said:

Bright light in fog, actually makes visibility much worse as it reflects back.

In some European countries fogs were actually yellow but as light designs have improved I don't think any still have the yellow fog lights.

so do you suggest i get some of the philips h11 for my fog lights? that way i have all the same kind of bulbs.

Just now, froggy8 said:

some of the philips h11 for my fog lights?

Really doesn't matter one way or the other. If you would like them to be all the same make then change them, but it won't change how they look

thank you @unofix

anyone know if i would need to align the headlights? read somewhere that if you have changed your bulbs then alignment will need doing. i have changed the headlight and bulbs so guessing i will need to.

i have just come back from 3 garages and they are all busy so wondering if its possible to do it myself? problem is its been really sunny and it doesnt get dark till around 10 pm, same time as i go to bed.

25 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

anyone know if i would need to align the headlights?

Have you removed the headlight from the car, or only just changed the bulb ?

If you only changed the bulb then there should be no need to do a headlight alignment.

8 minutes ago, unofix said:

If you only changed the bulb then there should be no need to do a headlight alignment.

Or, if you're hyper like me, I would get the alignment checked. A couple of years back after a bulb change my car failed the MOT, though my garage when I brought car to them told me there was nothing wrong with the alignment, and on resubmitting the car for an MOT retest, it passed with no intervention whatsoever!  (I gave up appealing the initial decision after 6 months, government bureaucracy just wore me out)

many thanks guys

yes, i have changed the headlights and bulbs.

i have never done the headlight alignment when i have only changed the bulb.

It's not urgent this time of year.  If you get flashed for them then just use the internal adjuster to lower the beam angle until you can get it into a garage.

It is technically easy to do at home (in the dark), but using an MOT beam tester makes sure it's perfect.

ok cheers tom. i will just leave it for now 🙂 

6 hours ago, unofix said:

Have you removed the headlight from the car, or only just changed the bulb ?

If you only changed the bulb then there should be no need to do a headlight alignment.

The Mk2 owner's manual says to remove the headlamp unit to change a bulb.

There is no way to access the bulb holders otherwise.

1 hour ago, AntonovAN12 said:

The Mk2 owner's manual says to remove the headlamp unit to change a bulb.

There is no way to access the bulb holders otherwise.

When I first learned that on mine, thought it would be a right faff, but surprisingly, Ford have made this exceptionally easy with the use of undoing one single screw!

Removing and replacing the headlamps I’ve never gone to the trouble of having the alignment checked but if you’ve got headlamps from another car then I’d say it’s worth having it done. 
 

When I bought new lamps for my ST I’d tried to mark the beam kick points of the old lamps shining onto a car park fence but they were that bad you couldn’t even see where they were pointing. HID lamps but the reflectors were seriously degraded 🙁

Update guys 

Went to kwik fit to sort the headlights out and they told me the driver side needed a bulb labour, no idea what that means but it's all done now 😊

33 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

... they told me the driver side needed a bulb labour...

WTF is that?? And how much did they charge for that??

I did ask them when I went back to get my car. Basically they told me that I put the bulb in an wrong so the light was going a different angle so they had to take the whole headlight out and refit the bulb. They only charged me 9 pound for that.

22 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

I did ask them when I went back to get my car. Basically they told me that I put the bulb in an wrong so the light was going a different angle so they had to take the whole headlight out and refit the bulb. They only charged me 9 pound for that.

Aahhh, you put it in upside down, easy done, I have myself in the past LOL

I thought there is only 1 way the bulb goes in as there is a rectangle shape that sticks out at the bottom of the bulb and that rectangle part goes in the cut in the headlight.

14 minutes ago, froggy8 said:

I thought there is only 1 way the bulb goes in as there is a rectangle shape that sticks out at the bottom of the bulb and that rectangle part goes in the cut in the headlight.

You'd think it was 'fool' proof, but both you & I have proved that it is possible as I confessed to below 🤣 (last post)