Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 00:55:38 -0400
Reply-To: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: '88 headlight upgrade options?
In-Reply-To: <461D8433.3574.78044CE@vwdiesels.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
On the 88, you probably have the rectangular headlights, and the
lighting pattern (NOT the lighting wattage) is horrible on the US DOT
spec headlights.
Switching to brighter bulbs will only irritate other drivers more, it
won't really help you if you stick with the US DOT headlights.
As has been covered on the list many times, your choices come down to:
1) Switch to round headlights out of an earlier model year Vanagon.
2) Add foglights
3) Switch to Eurospec rectangular headlights (H4s)
4) Switch to a South African or (rarer) European quad round headlight
grill and set up.
Obviously adding foglights can be done with any of the other choices.
There are other things to consider. The stock Vanagon alternator puts
out relatively low voltage compared to some other vehicles. Higher
voltage can mean brighter lights. But if the headlights throw the
light in the wrong places... Same is true of higher WATTAGE lights.
The wiring on most Vanagons is pretty old now, you can put in relays
and better wiring to get less of a voltage/wattage drop to your
headlights, but really the relays are more for the purposes of
preventing burnout of your headlight switch, especially if you do use
higher wattage bulbs.
Remember, it isn't how much is there, so much as where it is going.
55 Watts is plenty of light...if it is directed in the proper places.
The above list, is probably in order of cheapest to most expensive
too. Though it depends on what foglights you end up getting. I'm
partial to the Projektzwo's which really do a good job of throwing
light in front of the vehicle right where you need it most. But the
Eurospec headlights really eliminate the need for foglights, unless
you do a lot of back country/dark forest driving.
On Apr 11, 2007, at 8:58 PM, Shawn Wright wrote:
> I don't drive our Westy much at night, but when I do, I am reminded
> how
> awful the stock low beams are. The high beams are very good, so I
> could
> just drive around like the typical SUV driver and leave them on all
> the time,
> but that's not me.
>
> What I'd like is a reasonable cost option to get more light in the
> low beam
> range, without going with a new grill, etc. Are the 80/100W 9004
> bulbs likely
> to give me this? (I'd add a relay of course). I ran these on my
> Jetta for a
> while but had problems with short bulb life and overheated connectors.
>
> Any other options out there?
>
>
> Shawn Wright
> http://members.shaw.ca/vwdiesels
> '88 Westy 1.6TD 5 speed
> '85 Jetta Diesel 1.6NA
