Changing cars light bulbs for something stronger?

[AndyAndyAndy]

I have Hilux Vigo with factory lights and in the night I can't see a thing. Is there any way of upgrading it? Preferably cheap, eg changing a light bulbs (for example for LED or something?) Is there a way?

[northsouthdevide]

Do you have a dark film on your windscreen? 

 

If so, then no upgrade in lighting will improve your night vision, and will only annoy oncoming drivers. 

If you have dark film, then I suggest getting it cut off your windscreen two thirds of the way up the window, leaving a sun visor at the top. 

This will improve your vision at night dramatically. 

[AndyAndyAndy]

8 minutes ago, northsouthdevide said:

Do you have a dark film on your windscreen? 

 

If so, then no upgrade in lighting will improve your night vision, and will only annoy oncoming drivers. 

If you have dark film, then I suggest getting it cut off your windscreen two thirds of the way up the window, leaving a sun visor at the top. 

This will improve your vision at night dramatically. 

 

Yes, there is some kind of foil on the windscreen. I didn't think about that.

 

Take some straight edge and make a straight line with a cutter, then rip off bottom part, could this work?

 

Also any idea what a price of putting that foil back, in case I wouldn't like it/butchered it.

Edited April 13, 2020 by AndyAndyAndy

[stouricks]

14 minutes ago, northsouthdevide said:

Do you have a dark film on your windscreen? 

 

If so, then no upgrade in lighting will improve your night vision, and will only annoy oncoming drivers. 

If you have dark film, then I suggest getting it cut off your windscreen two thirds of the way up the window, leaving a sun visor at the top. 

This will improve your vision at night dramatically. 

And of course, on-coming drivers will annoy you a lot more.

[CharlieH]

The foil will depend on make quality etc but just the windscreen will not be expensive,. DONT try to cut that yourself is my advice, go to the shop, tell them you want that off and something less dark put back.

 

 

[fredob43]

There are lots of Light/Car Accessory shops that can upgrade your bulbs, suggest you try LED they are many times better than standard ones they start from around 2.500bht fitted. That's if you can find one open at this present moment??? I do know what your going through. I also had a Vigo and the lights on that were pore at best.

Edited April 13, 2020 by fredob43

[transam]

There is nothing wrong with Vigo headlights, film on the screen is your problem, and is not needed...

[tifino]

19 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

There are lots of Light/Car Accessory shops that can upgrade your bulbs, suggest you try LED they are many times better than standard ones they start from around 2.500bht fitted. That's if you can find one open at this present moment??? I do know what your going through. I also had a Vigo and the lights on that were pore at best.

trouble is with l.e.d. is you are taking one step fwd, 2 steps back - as far as quality of the beam cut-off is concerned. A halogen based headlight is meticulously designed for the geometry of a Halogen bulb. Turning on your new LEDs, brings out the 'ooooh' of 1000 minions  

 

but pity help the oncoming traffic,due to the spurious random splatter, of your by now compromised lights...

 

 

 

 

[wobblyjohn]

I put Xenon bulbs in our car, not as bright as led but they emit a blue light and are much brighter and shine further than standard yellow bulbs

[pineapple01]

Sometimes Cutting the outer lenses that go foggie improves the output on older vehicles. They were quite adequate as i recall for normal folk..

[VocalNeal]

What is often or more likely universally over looked is the beam pattern. The filament in a headlight bulb is at the correct point in the reflector. If you change to some whacky LED the separate diodes will be all over the place and the beam pattern will be ruined and aggravating to oncoming vehicles.

(Do they still teach new drivers not to look directly at oncoming vehicles but to look to the side?)

 

Bung some 60/55W xenon bulbs in  https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/12342RVS2/racingvision-car-headlight-bulb and be done with it. Both Phillips , Sylvania and Osram and others make replacement xenon bulbs, available most everywhere. There are confusing numbers but the K numbers like 4000 or 7000 apply basically to the colour. In general the higher the number the bluer the light. 

 

Have a good look at your headlight lenses . Depending of your mileage the lenses may have be sandblasted by dust and be in need of a polish. 

Edited April 13, 2020 by VocalNeal

[AndyAndyAndy]

Yes, checking the lights itself was first thing I did. They're crystal clear & clean.

[VocalNeal]

Some vehicles come with the tinting on the windshield/screen much too heavy. Going lighter on that will also help night vision but two DIY xenon bulbs will make a different. About 50% brighter,

[fredob43]

19 hours ago, AndyAndyAndy said:

Yes, checking the lights itself was first thing I did. They're crystal clear & clean.

My last Vigo is still up and running well, I sold it to a friend. The only thing he has changed is the lights.

One of his dipped filaments went T/ts up and he had to change his bulb. They suggested at his local shop to put in LEDs that's why I suggested them. Right do they work ??? well they are far better, some 5/60% better than the Halogen ones Toyo fitted as new. I went out with him a few months ago and they work very well. The beam on both head and dip where spot on.

 

Take off any film you have on your screen and fit LED. Tip if you do decide to go for Xenon make sure that they have both main & dip filament in one bulb, Some don't. You might also have to put boosters/starters on the Xenon set up. Not a problem as you have the room under the bonnet. 

 

Any decent light shop will put a new bulb in one of your lights to see how they work prior to fitting both. You can then compare the difference. LED will be a strait swap over with your existing fitments you have now, that's if you get the correct ones for your model. Hope this helps.  

Edited April 14, 2020 by fredob43

[fredob43]

20 hours ago, transam said:

There is nothing wrong with Vigo headlights, film on the screen is your problem, and is not needed...

I agree with you about the screen. Sorry to say that the lights are at best rubbish if you compare them with LED or Xenon. Well they were on my Vigo. One of the reasons I sold it in the first place, that and the ride, with it's rear leaf springs. The back used to tramp about all over the place at speed unless loaded. 

[transam]

10 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

My last Vigo is still up and running well, I sold it to a friend. The only thing he has changed is the lights.

One of his dipped filaments went T/ts up and he had to change his bulb. They suggested at his local shop to put in LEDs that's why I suggested them. Right do they work ??? well they are far better, some 5/60% better than the Halogen ones Toyo fitted as new. I went out with him a few months ago and they work very well. The beam on both head and dip where spot on.

 

Take off any film you have on your screen and fit LED. Tip if you do decide to go for Xenon make sure that they have both main & dip filament in one bulb, Some don't. You might also have to put boosters/starters on the Xenon set up. Not a problem as you have the room under the bonnet. 

 

Any decent light shop will put a new bulb in one of your lights to see how they work prior to fitting both. You can then compare the difference. LED will be a strait swap over with your existing fitments you have now, that's if you get the correct ones for your model. Hope this helps.  

"The local shop suggested fit LED's"............Is that shop in business to sell stuff....?  ????

 

Strange how for a zillion years, all round the world, we have all driven on Halogen lights, even with limited street lighting, with no real problem....Strange that...

[transam]

4 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

I agree with you about the screen. Sorry to say that the lights are at best rubbish if you compare them with LED or Xenon. Well they were on my Vigo. One of the reasons I sold it in the first place, that and the ride, with it's rear leaf springs. The back used to tramp about all over the place at speed unless loaded. 

You should check your own tyre pressures....

As for lights, of course brighter is better, but I think we can all see OK with Halogen if there is no film on the screen.

Toyota didn't think their bulb/reflector combo was a problem.

[Don Mega]

[fredob43]

2 minutes ago, transam said:

You should check your own tyre pressures....

As for lights, of course brighter is better, but I think we can all see OK with Halogen if there is no film on the screen.

Toyota didn't think their bulb/reflector combo was a problem.

Well they do now as they fit LEDs to all the better class motors. The cheaper models still have halogen ones and they are at best rubbish, compared to LED/Xenon. Suggest you go try a motor that has upgraded lights you might educate yourself.   

[fredob43]

4 minutes ago, Don Mega said:

That might be a tad over the top.

[transam]

2 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

Well they do now as they fit LEDs to all the better class motors. The cheaper models still have halogen ones and they are at best rubbish, compared to LED/Xenon. Suggest you go try a motor that has upgraded lights you might educate yourself.   

I have, very nice, but I can see perfectly well with Halogen, if you can't, then that is a different matter...

[Don Mega]

3 minutes ago, fredob43 said:

That might be a tad over the top.

Hahahahaha, literally !!

 

I saw a jacked up Ranger last week with the same/similar light bar mounted on the bonnet !!

[The Word]

22 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

Bung some 60/55W xenon bulbs in  https://www.philips.co.uk/c-p/12342RVS2/racingvision-car-headlight-bulb and be done with it. Both Phillips , Sylvania and Osram and others make replacement xenon bulbs, available most everywhere. There are confusing numbers but the K numbers like 4000 or 7000 apply basically to the colour. In general the higher the number the bluer the light. 

Those are halogen bulbs, not xenon.

[transam]

4 minutes ago, The Word said:

Those are halogen bulbs, not xenon.

Yes, with a very short life.....????

[tifino]

2 hours ago, fredob43 said:

2 hours ago, Don Mega said:

That might be a tad over the top.

. and wouldn't be in the least surprised the Minion hasn't also installed a rear facing BlinderBar -to catch out the poor blighters behind him too...

[pineapple01]

11 minutes ago, tifino said:

. and wouldn't be in the least surprised the Minion hasn't also installed a rear facing BlinderBar -to catch out the poor blighters behind him too...

 

11 minutes ago, tifino said:

. and wouldn't be in the least surprised the Minion hasn't also installed a rear facing BlinderBar -to catch out the poor blighters behind him too...

Well, it is on a Fortuna.!. Anyone supprised.

[tifino]

7 minutes ago, pineapple01 said:

 

Well, it is on a Fortuna.!. Anyone supprised.

the poor Hilux owner wouldn't like to hear his ride has been demoted... a Fortuner simply uses the chassis of the Hilux

 

vs

 

[transam]

10 minutes ago, pineapple01 said:

 

Well, it is on a Fortuna.!. Anyone supprised.

Is it.....?

[Don Mega]

26 minutes ago, pineapple01 said:

 

Well, it is on a Fortuna.!. Anyone supprised.

do they make a hilux fortuna ?

[pineapple01]

1 minute ago, Don Mega said:

do they make a hilux fortuna ?

The pic looks like one to most non picky folk. Even i can tell its not a Porche SUV or anything worth much.