SR33 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 Hi all. Recently bought a 2014 Titanium X. Delighted overall with the car but completely underwhelmed by the poor range of the dipped headlamp beam. So poor in fact that I opted for a xenon conversion kit with 55W 5000k bulbs thinking this would cure the worst of the problem. Alas no. The light emitted is certainly much brighter / whiter.....but again the beam projection is disappointing...which would clearly suggest that the reflector housing itself is the source of the actual problem. (all other adjustable part have been checked over by an auto electrician ) Is anybody else out there experiencing the same problem ? Is there a cure ?? Grateful for any suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 is this the mk5 with LED adaptive lights, or is this a MK4? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MONDEO TXS 2.2 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 No issues with mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatix Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I'm not impressed with the dipped or main beam on my 2008 mk4 much better on my mk3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StevenST13 Posted March 11, 2015 Share Posted March 11, 2015 I feel your pain with this as the mk7.5 fiesta st I have is a little poor even with the upgraded bulbs I've put in and the projector style lenses. But I most say upgrading the bulbs is far better than the stock ones ford put in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatix Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I'm running upgrade bulbs, but the problem is beam shape it awful and main beam just seems to add more light but not distance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_TDCI Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Being a Titanium X which doesn't have factory Xenons it's obviously fitted with the halogen projector headlamps so as opposed to the reflector halogen units? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatix Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 In my case they are the reflector type Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_TDCI Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Ok firstly I would make sure that the bulbs are installed correctly in the housing...if they are even off angle very slightly it will have a massive effect on the beam pattern. I would then go inside the car and make sure that the headlight level adjuster by the light switch is set to 0 as it it's up around 4 or 5 it will dramatically decrease the length of the beam pattern. Might be worth checking the headlamp aswell for any build up of dirt on them or condensation. Go to any garage to get the headlights properly aimed (will only take a minute and cost roughly €10, some even do it for free). One thing to remember is with HID's installed the light will definitely be brighter but the actual beam pattern won't be correct as the reflector in the headlamp is built around a H7 halogen bulb. A pair of Osram Nightbreakers are ment to give way more length to the beam and a better spread. If problem still persists after this I would get the voltage going to the headlights checked as if there is even a 5% drop in voltage it will cause a 15% drop it brightness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR33 Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 My first port of call was to upgrade the existing halogens. They were certainly brighter than the factory fits but again the light just seems to 'fall out' of the front of the car ... i.e. its a bit like driving with super duper fog lights...... the beam really does appear to be that close to the car !! Can anyone advise if its possible / worthwhile / cost effective to try and source a pair of projector headlamps ?....... I really am p****d off with these ones !!! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SR33 Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Thanks Dave. I've done all of the stuff you've suggested.....but to no avail. The xenon upgrades were fitted by an auto electrician although I might take your advice and go back and get him to re-check the alignment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave_TDCI Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 It sounds like an alignment issue to me...it could be possible that the headlamps are just aimed far too low...that would explain having good light in front of you but not throwing it far. I installed a HID Kit on my Mondeo only yesterday and although they're in a reflector headlamp there not as good as factory fitted HIDs but there is still a very good spread of light of them...further than the stock halogens were in fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pragmatix Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Also done all the suggestions and checked the alignment, spent hours making sure the bulb where seated right, just have to put up with them I guess Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throathit Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 My first post on this forum and Hello everyone.. My Mk 4 has the basic reflector headlights and the dipped beam is dangerous it is so poor. I was always dubious of Christmas tree type car headlights (shiny plastic crap that are form over function) I have also tried bulb upgrades. Most of the so called 100 watt h 7 I tried were less than 50 watts. The best I could find were lucas Rally booster the box said 100 watt off road intense blue xenon. The light was more of a standard yellow however the wattage was a measured 74.5 watt at 13.8v. Even with an extra 14 watts over my existing standard bulbs the dipped beam is dangerously low. I will be upgrading to projector headlamps ASAP and hope this fixes the issue. The main beam is much better than my mk 2 mondy and a basic headlamp bulb works best for me. I have tried some of the blue coated ones but that ruined the high beam in my case. I have to say be careful when buying any upgrade bulbs. The quality will never match the cost and some of the claimed wattages are just not true. The best of the 100 watt upgrades are only ever 75 watts and most standard 55 watt rated bulbs are greater than 55 watts any how. So gains in light output are minimal for the cost involved. Equipment used in my tests: palstar 50 amp 13.8v regulated psu and Fluke true rms 175 multimeter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Good post there throat hit Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
throathit Posted December 2, 2015 Share Posted December 2, 2015 I have just tested some Ring automotive rallysport h1 bulbs rated at 130 watts. The claim is extreme white light. On test at 13.8 Volts they produce 101 watts and draw 7.3 Amps. The bulb is well constructed and the filament is square to the jacket and base. Light output is indeed very bright and a white yellow. The jacket has no colour filter but is claimed to have a UV filter to protect plastic headlamps. At this level of output and current draw you need to be careful on all fronts. The Mondeo mk 4 has a main beam fuse of 15 amps. This rating like all modern blade fuses is a continuous rating so two bulbs at 7.3 Amps is 14.6 Amps. The fuse will hold I'm sure but it is not good practice to exceed 75% of the circuits capacity. The wires used to supply the headlamps and the internal headlamp wires are both thin and the latter extremely so. This would in my opinion, but not yet tested cause a volt drop at the bulb. This would lead to less light, more current and potential for fire or blown fuses. The second worry I would have is the heat generated by the bulb. Somewhere around 90 watts I believe as filament lamps are not very efficient at turning electricity to light and most of the energy is given off as..... you guessed it, heat. I would be keeping a careful eye on the bulb wires and fitting/reflector. less of an issue in December weather in the UK but come summer more so. Third on my list but keen not to get stuck on is legality. The bulbs are not legal for highway use and the light they produce would blind passing cars without a doubt. However for offroad use I can't wait for a test run. My initial idea for rigging them up to the Mondeo is to use a new circuit controlled by the existing one. A fused feed from battery positive switched through a sturdy relay of 25 Amps or so. The control side through the relay coil coming from the original lamp feed. It is simple, easy and inexpensive, well used by many drivers already. The issue that may well arise is the car uses the excellent CAN Bus system to detect bulb failure. So removing the load or strain off the cars original wires by using my relay also removes the load the CAN Bus uses for it's bulb test. You may have seen LED replacement lamps that state CAN Bus error free or including load resistors etc etc which avoid this exact issue. To overcome this problem I need to convince the Bus that the bulb is still in place. As of yet I have not experimented with fitting or fixing the errors I predict. Come my next days off I will have a go, I have no garage so all repairs are roadside or local layby jobs and this adds an extra dimension to things. Due to the problems of reflector overheat and headlamp modification for uprated supply cables I may well get some extra headlights. A little bit crap as I just spent a small fortune buying the car but I am fussy when it comes to motors and want this one to be just right. Any how I'm going off topic and into my waffle. I will post again when I have some more real info as regards Mk 4 Mondeo standard halogen headlamp upgrades. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeebowhite Posted December 3, 2015 Share Posted December 3, 2015 Looking forward to the outcome! Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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