one of my main headlights has gone so ive been looking around to see what to get but i was just wondering whether getting cheap ones is worth it..
its not a fancy car… peugeot 306 so its the H7 bulbs
i dont actually own any spare bulbs so i suppose it be worth having one of those multipacks as a spare anyway but as far as the main bulbs are concerned should i replace both of them now with say these from halfords?

bulbs

cheers

pete

I just use the cheap ones, change em individually when they blow and I can see fine.
Twenty quid for a lightbulb is having a laugh if you ask me.

I initially put a set of these on my bike. They are great. I've since put them into both mine and MrsG's cars too. Highly recommended.

http://www.beal.org.uk/

http://www.beal.org.uk/electrical-products/automotive-bulbs/eb499-bulbs-halogen-12v-55w-h7-cap/prod_1459.html

Try these guys H7 £1.20

well im always open to new ideas but are they really that good, Thirty quid is a days lift pass this time of year.

£1.20 is more like it

As I mentioned… I put them in my motorbike first; I want to gain any advantage possible to make my 80mile a day commute that bit safer – see further and be seen. These made a big difference.

I've had cheaper bulbs too. They work, but like lights for nightriding, you pay your money….

Those phillips bulbs are absolutely awesome! The difference is nothing short of amazing.
Just got a second set for the missis' car, ordered through power bulbs direct ebay site. Think they were 22 quid delivered

Just double checked, they were 18 quid delivered.
Both times i've ordered, it's been next day too

The phillips lights are great. Superb on one of our cars but they blow way too frequently (3-4months longest life) on the other car which is fitted with projector headlights. Had to go back to standard bulbs for this car.

Had one bulb blow on my car driving back from Austria. Then half hour later the other one went. (this was in the small hours). Fog lights alone was not enough!

Had to buy a pair of bulbs at €17 a piece from a filling station & fit them under the forecourt lighting with the bike multi-tool I keep in the car…

Just lob some £2 bulbs in, they'll do the job perfectly well without blinding other road users and masking cyclists. The dual-optic 306 headlights actually have a really nice throw and beam pattern for standard lights. I wouldn't bother with the rest of the multi-bulb kits, it's so infrequent that you replace the others that it's just not worth bothering.

There are loads of extra bright bulbs available – even the more basic ones are 50% brighter, and it's a big difference. I'm quite happy to pay a tenner for a couple of years of seeing further ahead…

Still dazzle oncoming traffic and mask bikes more. Brighter != safer for everyone. I'm not convinced the bikelight-esque race for lumens is helpful!

Isn't dazzling oncoming traffic is about beam pattern and headlight alignment rather than a bit of extra light output?

I've used the Philips and the Osram uprated bulbs and they both make a real difference – bear in mind that when you fit them, you're comparing new and uprated with tired old bulbs that are at the end of their life and producing less light than new, so the difference seems more pronounced than it really is. Personally I'd rather spend a little more and have better illumination on the road:

Auto Express bulb test

Halfords standard rated 28

Phillips xtreme rated 172

No contest

Isn't dazzling oncoming traffic is about beam pattern and headlight alignment rather than a bit of extra light output?

Partly, but think about it – if your normal beam pattern allows a certain brightness into the opposing lane (as it must for you to be able to see them, or rather them be able to see you) then having bulbs that are 50% brighter means what they see is 50% brighter too. Which can be just as noticable as your extra vision from them. I used to have 100/130W lights in my old car but so many people flashed me when they were in normal-beam that I got tired of searing their retinas with a return of my full beam (all correctly aligned)!

Have you checked to see how easy it is to change the bulb? Sometimes (unless you have the time and patience) it is just easier to take it to a garage.

I changed the bulb on a Puma a few years ago and it took about three abortive attempts and many Googles before I managed to do it – and it still meant taking off half the grille and stuff.

There should be some kind of law compelling manufacturers make all bulb changes simple.

There should be some kind of law compelling manufacturers make all bulb changes simple.

They usually detail it in the manual, but some are a royal pain in the rear end.

Isn't dazzling oncoming traffic is about beam pattern and headlight alignment rather than a bit of extra light output?

Partly, but think about it – if your normal beam pattern allows a certain brightness into the opposing lane (as it must for you to be able to see them, or rather them be able to see you) then having bulbs that are 50% brighter means what they see is 50% brighter too. Which can be just as noticable as your extra vision from them. I used to have 100/130W lights in my old car but so many people flashed me when they were in normal-beam that I got tired of searing their retinas with a return of my full beam (all correctly aligned)!

It's all a can of worms really. HIDs put out a lot more light than even uprated halogens, but proper projectors give such a sharp cut-off, that dazzling – theoretically anyway – is less of an issue than with halogens in reflector-type headlights. Ultimately it's a kind of 'yes, but…' isn't it?

Anyway, for me at least, driving a Corrado – which is quite a low thing, so quite prone to being dazzled – the main issues are eejits using aftermarket HID kits in reflector headlights, badly adjusted lights and 4x4s with headlights that seem to be level with my head. Next to those, a little extra glare from a properly adjusted headlight with a 50%+ halogen bulb seems neither here or there.

I used to run 110/100s in my Mk2 GTI with an uprated wiring loom and very rarely got flashed despite there being a lot of light on the road in front.

There should be some kind of law compelling manufacturers make all bulb changes simple.

Too right! In France you have to carry a spare bulb by law – fat use that'd be!

Even on my crappy old Fiesta you have to remove the grill and use a Torx bit to replace a bulb.

It's all a can of worms really. HIDs put out a lot more light than even uprated halogens, but proper projectors give such a sharp cut-off, that dazzling – theoretically anyway – is less of an issue than with halogens in reflector-type headlights. Ultimately it's a kind of 'yes, but…' isn't it?

Most modern headlights are a nightmare, HID/projector types, especially over bumpy surfaces where it's like being in an 80 disco driving in front of them. The thing is that there's just no need, it's very hard to out-pace my stopping distance with standard headlights without driving like an absolute idiot. It's an arms race though, in order for bikes to be seen when cars with mega-bright lights are about they need to have mentally bright lights etc.

Bear in mind that people not flashing doesn't mean you're not dazzling them, most people are just trying to keep there eyes on what bit of road they can still see so they don't hit things until you pass. It's one of those things that I've sort of grown out of I think! I used to think I needed the brightest lights I could get, then I realised that unless my car has really poor headlights as standard, I get along just fine at normal speeds. My old celica has aweful headlights, it NEEDS 100/130s for normal driving TBH!

I bought some really bright 'super' bulbs for my Ibiza from Halfords, made sure I didn't touch them while installing them (even wore latex gloves that I 'borrowed' from work) and while they were brighter, they weren't loads brighter & one of them failed in a few months.
Halfords were unwilling to replace it as it was a bulb, so I bought another one.
That too failed in a few months so I went back to using the Halfords cheap twin packs of H7s.

That too failed in a few months so I went back to using the Halfords cheap twin packs of H7s.

Yup, they burn brighter and hotter, and so last less time. But it's not always that short, that's a bit mad!

Too right! In France you have to carry a spare bulb by law – fat use that'd be!

Which is doubly ironic as it seems that most Frenchie cars are amongst the worst – isn't it the last Megane that takes an experienced mechanic about 30 minutes to change a bulb?

As for replacing bulbs – ha ha. The Ibiza is a nightmare with the diesel engine, as it takes up loads of the engine bay. I have quite small hands so can just about manage it, but some people reckon it's quicker for them to take the bumper off!!

I seem to recall the manual recommends taking the car to a dealer for bulb replacement!

We have one car that has xenon lights and the other has standard glass headlights. The xenon ones whilst a good light are not as bright as the others. The problem i have with the projector ones is that they have such a cut off line to tham that they really catch you eye when they do flick up and motorbikes with them mounted in the fairing are even worse as they bounce around. You shouldn't blind anyone if your lights are set up right unless you have odd overspill.

coffeeking – Member

Yup, they burn brighter and hotter, and so last less time. But it's not always that short, that's a bit mad!

My Philips X-tremes have been on the bike for nearly two years and I do 28k a year – plus I always ride with them on. No blown bulbs here.

Good old-fashioned cars, mine just pop up with a specific switch, unscrew 2 screws, unscrew another pair of screws, pop out headlight unit, replace, re-insert, pop down lights 🙂

My Philips X-tremes have been on the bike for nearly two years and I do 28k a year – plus I always ride with them on. No blown bulbs here.

Indeed, but single datapoints are pointless when considering a group of items. My fathers car still has its original exhaust (tip to manifold) after 21 years, but not many do.

You shouldn't even need a screwdriver to replace them – there should simply be a waterproof housing to unclip – and space for an average male adult hand to get in without it being ripped to shreds.

m_f – while nice, you can't expect to get all the stuff you get on and in cars without needing SOME level of complexity to replace things that tend to go wrong once every few years. That's like expecting the brakes to be replacable without needing tools.

coffee king. Agreed over 2yrs on one car and less than 4months (too many fails to warrant going back to them) on our other car. I just felt that like the other poster for the projector headlights car the risk of both bulbs blowing (happened once within 1 day of each other) far out weighed the advantages of the extra light. Great when they work.

tend to go wrong once every few years.

A bulb could blow on a brand new vehicle straight out of a showroom.

That's like expecting the brakes to be replacable without needing tools.

Totally disagree – having a spare bulb kit is compulsory in many countries so you should have the ability to change the bulb without tools.

A bulb could blow on a brand new vehicle straight out of a showroom.

It can, yes. But it's not likely statistically.

Totally disagree – having a spare bulb kit is compulsory in many countries so you should have the ability to change the bulb without tools.

Or have those tools available in the car. As many cars do. It doesn't take a full snapon toolkit and a dealers knowledge.

It can, yes. But it's not likely statistically.

So very different to a worn out brake disk which you will be advised about at services/MOTs well in advance.

It doesn't take a full snapon toolkit and a dealers knowledge.

But very often it is still well beyond many adults' ability, certainly at a roadside in the dark.

So very different to a worn out brake disk which you will be advised about at services/MOTs well in advance.

About as likely as a faulty brake pad or disc bent at the factory, I'd say.

But very often it is still well beyond many adults' ability, certainly at a roadside in the dark.

I fear for the species if that's the case.

Whatever coffeking, you will just continue to argue with anything else I add so I won't bother.

Have a nice day.

Whatever coffeking, you will just continue to argue with anything else I add so I won't bother.

I only argue my point of view just as you do. Same to you!

(Shakes hand, gives a smile, and continues on my way)…