Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Hi, I've got a Golf Estate Mk4 and the headlamps have dip beam bulbs, main
beam bulbs and fog light bulbs,. They are the originals that VW put in at
manufacture in 2002.

Can anyone recommend some lightbulbs to replace all six that give a better
quality of light, remains road legal and does not cost the earth?

Stephen.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

On Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 23:37:27h +0000, Stephen asked:

Can anyone recommend some lightbulbs to replace all six that give a
better quality of light, remains road legal and does not cost the earth?

Have you tried asking in rec.auto.vw and rec.autos.vw, or even
uk.rec.cars.vw?

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

I have now, I accidentally posted to the wrong NG....

apologies,

Stephen

"J G Miller" wrote in message
...
On Friday, November 19th, 2010 at 23:37:27h +0000, Stephen asked:

Can anyone recommend some lightbulbs to replace all six that give a
better quality of light, remains road legal and does not cost the earth?

Have you tried asking in rec.auto.vw and rec.autos.vw, or even
uk.rec.cars.vw?

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Stephen wrote:
I have now, I accidentally posted to the wrong NG....

It doesn't matter. We have enough know-alls here to answer any question.

Bill

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Bill Wright" wrote in message
...
Stephen wrote:
I have now, I accidentally posted to the wrong NG....

It doesn't matter. We have enough know-alls here to answer any question.

Bill

or maybe throw some light on the problem......

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
I've fitted LED clusters replacing tail/stop and indicator bulbs bought
from eBay dealers

Great in headlamps. ;-)

--
*They call it PMS because Mad Cow Disease was already taken.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
I've fitted LED clusters replacing tail/stop and indicator bulbs bought
from eBay dealers

Great in headlamps. ;-)
Dave Plowman


Now that's what I call selective trimming!

Steve Terry
--
Quidco cashback Sign-up Bonus of £1.25 when you signup at:
http://www.quidco.com/user/613515/55307

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
I've fitted LED clusters replacing tail/stop and indicator bulbs
bought from eBay dealers

Great in headlamps. ;-)


Now that's what I call selective trimming!

;-)

As a matter of interest, are your LED replacements 'E' marked? Last time I
looked at using some (indicators) to replace a normal 19 watt tungsten,
they didn't give anywhere near as much light. Which could be a problem on
a bright sunny day.

--
*Remember, no-one is listening until you fart.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

If he relies on folks here, he'll be strapping a really, really bright
plasma set to his radiator grill with cable ties before he knows it.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
I've fitted LED clusters replacing tail/stop and indicator bulbs
bought from eBay dealers

Great in headlamps. ;-)

Now that's what I call selective trimming!

;-)

As a matter of interest, are your LED replacements 'E' marked? Last time I
looked at using some (indicators) to replace a normal 19 watt tungsten,
they didn't give anywhere near as much light. Which could be a problem on
a bright sunny day.


Donno?
I have to admit that they aren't as bright as a 6/21w tungsten, but they
have
the advantage that i can now leave my parking lights on all night without
flattening the battery. (I've change my front parking lights for white LED
too)

Steve Terry
--
Quidco cashback Sign-up Bonus of £1.25 when you signup at:
http://www.quidco.com/user/613515/55307

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Steve Terry
wrote

Should last the life of the vehicle


The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

On 20/11/2010 18:01, Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(


I thought that was a design feature. Several manufacturers seem to be
arranging the tail lights by rapidly flashing the brake LEDs to make
them dimmer. It's obviously a cost reducing measure, and is most
obvious on such cheap cars as Audi and Bentley.

Andy
--
If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Which could be a problem on
a bright sunny day.

Illegal, too.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Andy Champ
wrote
On 20/11/2010 18:01, Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(


I thought that was a design feature. Several manufacturers seem to be
arranging the tail lights by rapidly flashing the brake LEDs to make
them dimmer. It's obviously a cost reducing measure, and is most
obvious on such cheap cars as Audi and Bentley.

I suggest that it is the "cheap" switched mode power supply that fails.
It's not changing the mark:space ratio to dim the lights that's the
problem but the failure mechanism that causes them to flash on/off on a
1 to 2 second interval.

It's much the same as LED lights sold for household applications. With
higher power LEDs they may last 100,000 hours if you can keep the
junction temperature at 20C but no-one can and the life expectancy drops
to maybe a few thousands hours if you fit them in the average domestic
light fitting.
--
Alan
news2009 {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Alan wrote:
In message , Steve Terry
wrote

Should last the life of the vehicle


The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

The replacement ones I looked at - for low wattage side lights etc - had
merely resistors.

--
*Letting a cat out of the bag is easier than putting it back in *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

Surely the cheap after-market ones don't use electronics, do they? I'd
have thought they use resistors. Mind you, I'm happy to be proved
wrong - you live and learn.

My main concern is that you've no idea at all about how bright they
will be or whether they comply with the requirements for angle-of-view.

In fact, I'll bet my hat they don't. I reckon fitting LED replacements
for tungsten bulbs will render the car illegal. The compliant LED
light fittings used on modern cars have a totally different
construction.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Thackery wrote:
Alan wrote:

The LEDs last, the control electronics don't. The LEDs will start
flashing rapidly after six months :(

Surely the cheap after-market ones don't use electronics, do they? I'd
have thought they use resistors. Mind you, I'm happy to be proved
wrong - you live and learn.

My main concern is that you've no idea at all about how bright they
will be or whether they comply with the requirements for angle-of-view.

In fact, I'll bet my hat they don't. I reckon fitting LED replacements
for tungsten bulbs will render the car illegal. The compliant LED
light fittings used on modern cars have a totally different
construction.

In one. Tungsten bulbs emit a near 360 degree light. LEDs have a lens to
focus them - usually into quite a narrow beam.

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across an
LED drop in replacement that does the same.

--
*Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd
be on sale in Halfords.

SteveT

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

Steve Terry
--
Quidco cashback Sign-up Bonus of £1.25 when you signup at:
http://www.quidco.com/user/613515/55307

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Steve Terry
writes
"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

I don't know about Beetles, but my 1954 '6 volt' Ford Prefect had
excellent lights.
--
Ian

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Steve Terry
writes
"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
.. .
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to
produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

I don't know about Beetles, but my 1954 '6 volt' Ford Prefect had
excellent lights.
--
Ian

had being the relative word...yes, in 1954

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In message , Jumbo Jack
writes

"Ian Jackson" wrote in message
...
In message , Steve Terry
writes
"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
. ..
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to
produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

I don't know about Beetles, but my 1954 '6 volt' Ford Prefect had
excellent lights.
--
Ian

had being the relative word...yes, in 1954

I had it from 1961 to 1965. The lights were just as good as on many a
'modern' 12 volt 1960s car. There was even enough spare electricity for
me to run 10W on 160 metres!
--
Ian

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , Steve Terry
writes
"Steve Thackery" wrote in message
...
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to
produce
a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to come across
an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again
you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd be
on sale in Halfords.
SteveT


LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

So for practical use it's all relative

I don't know about Beetles, but my 1954 '6 volt' Ford Prefect had
excellent lights.
The voltage is irrelevant of course. The only problem with 6V electrics
was that the wires had to have twice the cross-sectional area.

Bill

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Thackery wrote:
Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Lamp units designed for tungsten have a reflector and diffuser to
produce a large area of light at the correct intensity. I've yet to
come across an LED drop in replacement that does the same.

I have seen some with a cluster of LEDs, a bit like a pineapple, but
again you've just no idea how they work compared with a tungsten bulb.

Nothing like as well. I bought some for 'flasher' use. Claimed to be a
direct replacement. Useless.

As far as I know, there are no legal LED replacements for the tungsten
bulbs used in vehicles. If there were, you could be damn sure they'd
be on sale in Halfords.

Yup. I'm not saying it can't be done as there are some pretty decent LEDs
out there for red or amber, etc. Just not at a price anyone will pay.

--
*It's lonely at the top, but you eat better.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Can anyone recommend some half decent lightbulbs?
 

In article ,
Steve Terry wrote:
LED replacements may not be legal, but there's legal old cars on the
road with 6v electrics like old VW beetles who's tail lights can't be
seen 10 feet away!

Why would 6 volt electrics make any difference? Of course on an old car
the reflectors could have failed or the lens gone opaque. But this should
be picked up at MOT time.

--
*If God dropped acid, would he see people?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.