Date:         Sat, 7 Jun 2003 11:07:21 +1200
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: So... what is the answer for these poor lights?
In-Reply-To:  <5.1.0.14.2.20030605111141.03556378@harmony.he.net>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>Following the threads about the lights for the vanagons, and their
>subsequent poor illumination, which is the best way to fix it?
>
>Our low beams SUCK. Our high beams are ok! But, even our high beams don't
>get flashed by people. Living on the Oregon Coast, the blackness + wetness
>at night is so dark it sucks the light out of the air!
>
>I understand the problems as this?
>        1. Add a relay for the switch.
>        2. The glass/lenses are poorly designed.
>
>Then I hear that for the $$$ a South African (round head light) setup is a
>better way to go cuz the lenses are cheaper? $350 for rectangular lenses
>really makes me squirm.
>
>Can someone one enlighten us on what is the *true* way to have
>proper lighting?

NonQH lights give a weak yellow beam, due to having low-resistance
filaments, poor reflectors and drude lens pattern and finish. QHs
burn much hotter, giving a brighter whiter light for the same power
usage. That said, there are poor QHs available... I've had
sealed-beam units. Still far better than a US-market sealed-beam
though!

A QH (quartz-halogen) bulb is filled with a halide gas mix, which
reduces sublimation/oxidation of the filament and allows a
higher-resistance filament to be used, which glows more intensely.

With QHs you don't really need a relay, except that VW's light
switches are low-quality and don't handle the power throughput well.
A relay bypasses the switch, which then only activates the relay; the
current to the light misses the switch entirely.

You can't legally (or morally) use South African main headlights, as
the low-beam cutoff is on the wrong side for LHD countries. You could
get these cheaply in Germany, I bet (7" round lights, so-called
semisealed with separate H4 bulbs), where most cars of the late 70s
and many of the 80s would have had them as standard.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
64 (3) 473-8863
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh & VW/Toyota van nut