Date: Fri, 07 Mar 1997 17:48:05 -0500
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: David Katsuki <katsuki@bbn.com>
Subject: Re: '86 Headlight replacment?
When my reflectors and lenses got "shot" - coated with crud (inside) - a
few years back, I actually cleaned the reflector and inside of the lens
with a piece of cloth wrapped around a piece of stiff wire. It's a bit
tricky to get the wire and cloth in through the bulb hole and around the
metal shield, and you have to bend it funny ways to get the reflector, but
it is possible (and also slow going). It was dramatically cheaper than
the alternative. Taking the lens/mirror off the car is MUCH easier,
since youwill spend a lot of time with it in your lap, trying to get the
wire bent into funny positions. I didn't notice any scratching of the
reflector, but even if it is scratched, it's much better than being dirty.
I forget whether I did it dry, or with a little alcohol. Try it dry first.
Dave
At 11:08 PM 3/5/97 -0600, Mark McCulley wrote:
>If your reflectors are shot, then new bulbs and heavy wiring/relays won't
>help much. There aren't any upgrades for the rectangular reflectors and
>unfortunately replacements are quite costly.
>
>For about $200 you can retrofit to pre-86 round headlights and use Hella
>reflectors and H4 bulbs. That's what I did on my '87 and the headlights are
>much much better. See 1986 archives for details.
>
>-Mark McCulley
>
>At 08:34 PM 3/5/97 -0600, Ed McLean wrote:
>>A short while back someone posted a report of the replacement of vanagon
>>headlights with a non-DOT approved bulb (I think this was a Hella 550 but
>>I'm not sure). I believe this was a '85 or earlier vanagon with round
>>headlights.
>>
>>Has anyone replaced a '86 or newer vanagon's high/low headlights with a
>>better performing rectangular reflector/bulb combination? My reflectors
>>are in bad shape because of moisture and some 80/100 watt bulbs that
>>exploded (But that's another story.).
>>
>>I checked the voltage on the high beams of the outer lamps at the bulb. It
>>was 9.8 volts...
>>And this is with the inner high beam lights running on a separate relay. I
>>guess relays all around are a next project.
>
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