Date: Tue, 23 May 2000 20:46:50 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject: Re: Sylvania 9004 CB headlight bulbs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
If you have the rectangular headlights and it is your low beams you are
complaining about you can forget the voltage test and you can forget the
relay...
just buy some E-Code headlights with H-4 bulbs to replace your stock
high/low beams. That's most likely what you need. Even with larger wires,
relays, etc. you will not get good lighting out of the stock rectangular
headlights... the design of the reflector sucks and the 9004 bulb is the
worst on the market... Sure, you might get a few more lumens out of more
voltage but those lumens like all the rest will be wasted by the stock
reflector dispersing them in a pattern useless pattern. The E-Code
headlights put the light were you need it and not where it shin back in your
face during inclement weather. If you want to know why then you should do
some reading from the
expert: http://lighting.mbz.org/
I installed the Hella E-Codes (purchased through David Marshall) and have
great lighting now... no larger wires, no relay installed; just used the
stock wiring.
Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: "John P" <jmp@BT-PACIFIC.CO.NZ>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 4:55 PM
Subject: Re: Sylvania 9004 CB headlight bulbs
> What you need to do is measure the voltage at the headlight, make sure you
> are getting minimum 12v there.(I presume your charging system is ok, your
> alternator is outputting aprox 13v-14v).
> If not, fit a relay which will supply 12v to the headlights via a heavier
> gauge wire, just having a voltage drop of 1-2v will decrease the
efficiency
> of a Halogen bulb (any for that matter) quite significantly.
> Can supply info on type of relay required and wiring diagram if you find
> this is the problem.
> Regards
> John.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, May 23, 2000 11:03 PM
> Subject: Re: Sylvania 9004 CB headlight bulbs
>
>
> > >NO. Save your money. There is no easy solution to better vanagon
> lighting.
> > >The bulbs are not the problem; the problem is that the reflectors suck.
> The
> > >solution is to scrap your stock hi/low beams and convert to E-Code
> > >headlights.
> >
> >
> > I have heard that the problem with dim VW lights is that the charge rate
> is
> > at fault; the alternator just supposedly doesn't feed enough juice to
heat
> > up the filaments. Certainly the stock H4 lights in my Caravelle are very
> > bright, and I'm really fussy about being able to see at night, not just
> > having headlights only good enough to let others see me!
> >
> > Of course my bus doesn't have a VW alternator...
>
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