Which Headlight Bulbs?

[hellmett]

Re

Who do you think you are calling an idiot?

[da SLUG man]

anyone coming the other way blinding me with illegal headlight bulbs... or wit foglights on in the rain.

[hellmett]

Re

I don't think Halfords and Roughtrax would be selling them if they were "illegal", do you?

[Morr]

I don't think Halfords and Roughtrax would be selling them if they were "illegal", do you?

The clue there is in your own statement

....(you may have to ask politely for them and say they are for "off roading").....

They can be sold legally, it is the use to which they may be put which may be illegal. Using them off-road is fine, but the legal maximum for road use is the normal 55/60W bulbs.


That said I've previously used such bulbs on the road myself

You may wish to consider upgrading the headlamp wiring (as discussed here on prior threads) to ensure there is no danger of the increased current draw causing a meltdown of the existing wiring which is known to be rather weak in the headlamp area.
Actually just upgrading the wiring alone leads to a great increase in light output with standard bulbs, and legally too.

[da SLUG man]

also check they don't melt the reflectors

[hellmett]

Re

I cannot understand why!

Halfords also sell such bulbs for other vehicles that do not go "off road"!

The 80/100 are "just" and I mean "just" adequate for the Surf!

When I see the brilliant blue beams that are cast by some of the newer motors on the roads today, in comparison, these "so called" illegal bulbs are like candles!

I have seen even smaller cars like the Yaris light up the roads like they had floodlights!

The standard 60/55 are pathetic and useless, as many, many threads on this forum would concur.

The 100/80 are probably what the 60/55 should be or were intended to be, barely!

BTW even 60/55 can be deemed dangerous if the headlamps are not adjusted correctly!

A set of 100/80 watt bulbs in a Surf that are adjusted correctly and used properly are fine in my humble opinion and not at all dangerous to oncoming vehicles.

I, personally, would like to see where I am going at night!

Maybe the normal lights are so bad because of the loom, maybe it "bleeds" a lot of vital power, I don't know!

All I know is that when I tried 60/55 watt bulbs in my surf it was awful and I could not see at all!

Gary

[Gizmo]

It is illegal to use above 55w or 60w as driving lights. Spot Lights having this 80w/100w and above are fine as they are to be used off-road....the bright lights on most modern cars are now using xenon gas in the lightbulb which gives a brighter glow from the wiringn [possibly tungsten] which burns out at a hotter temperature

[BUSHWHACKER]

This is what you need, bit pricey though!

http://www.hids4u.co.uk/product_details.asp?id=20

[Morr]

I cannot understand why!

err, coz they could potentially dazzle other road users

Halfords also sell such bulbs for other vehicles that do not go "off road"!

Of the hundreds of vehicle types around, there are relatively few bulb types, so each type could potentially (and probably do) have an application in an off-road vehicle or in a spotlight assy with could also be used off-road.

The standard 60/55 are pathetic and useless, as many, many threads on this forum would concur.

Due largely to the inadequate wiring rather than the bulbs

BTW even 60/55 can be deemed dangerous if the headlamps are not adjusted correctly!

Indisputably

Maybe the normal lights are so bad because of the loom, maybe it "bleeds" a lot of vital power, I don't know!

Precisely as discussed on prior threads, with loads more info to be found at the excellent www.4crawler.com



A loom upgrade will give any bulb the output it is designed to have and actually increase the life of the bulb (as explained by Roger Brown on the above site).

Many US & UK owners have found that this loom upgrade negates the need to fit higher wattage bulbs and the potential problems they may bring.

[hellmett]

Re

Damn, I'm a wee bit confused!

What Morr said here:-

http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=9024&page=1&pp=10&highlight=bulbs

I would reccomend upgrading the wiring first, as the Toyota headlamp wiring loom is not the heavest and may well have difficulty with the extra load, Use the existing feeds to the bulbs to switch new relays to supply current direct from the batterys via some heaver than stock wiring.
This mod is reputed to give increased light output on many vehicles with stock bulbs including the Surfs, and is a must with uprated bulbs. I learned this the hard way many years back when after about half an hours drivin on my newly installed 120w (think they were 120's, over 100 anyway) main beams the lighting stalk in my Fuego burnt out, had to drive over 50 miles on unlit roads with 1 sidelight and a mate holding a 2 D-Cell torch, not fun.
Since that I've always fitted the relays and new wiring anytime I've uprated the bulbs and never had another problem

This, I read several times, regarding the fitting of 100/80 bulbs and it didn't mention ANY legal aspects at all!

In fact, the thread seemed to give very sound advice on how to improve the existing loom to cater for the upgraded bulbs by replacing the current wiring!

The whole thread did not mention this:-

err, coz they could potentially dazzle other road users

Is it just me?

Have I missed something?

Is it ok for some to use upgraded bulbs and not others?

Maybe it's because I'm relatively new to the forum!

I don't seem to understand the "banter"!

So, either I can fit upgraded bulbs, which is illegal!

Or, I can fit a new wiring loom to make the current pathetic bulbs work as they are supposed to!

Or, according to Morr on the other thread, I can put the upgraded loom AND the upgraded bulbs in the vehicle!

But, it is illegal for me, and a mod to others!

The mind boggles!

[Morr]

The prior thread as you correctly point out does not mention legality, it dealt only with the upgrading of the loom in response to the issue of using higher wattage bulbs.

The simple fact is that anything above a 55/60 is illegal. So are lots of other things many people (ourselves included) do their vehicles. As I have previously stated, I've used such bulbs myself, so I'm hardly in a position to tell anyone else not to use them, indeed nowhere have I said that.
It is however reasonable to assume that there is some underling reason why there is a legal limit set, this is as I have stated, because there is a potential to dazzle others. Note I did not say it will dazzle and therefore do not use, I merely state what seems obvious to me (and others) that the potential is certainly there, yet still you did not see me condemn your use of them.

Any comments on legality were in response to your suggestion that vendors would not sell them if they were illegal, whilst in fact they can sell them as it is up to the purchaser to use them in a legal manner.

To infer that anyone here has suggested that its OK for others but not for you is simply not true.

As you have surmised, you can fit the uprated bulbs and/or the loom as you see fit.

I did suggest performing the wiring upgrade to protect yourself from any potential damage following the upgrade you have already performed, and commented on how the wiring alone is reputed to give a great enhancement using stock bulbs.

I offered the advice on the loom in the spirit of assisting you, not admonishing you. It is regrettable that you seem to feel this was an attack on you, but at no point did I condemn your actions, I only sought to offer advice, how you take it is of course up to you.

[FlySurfer - Edy.]

At Morr et al.

Hey Morr - I appreciate your advise and could do with more !

My healights just went out - I got 1 side light on and 1 headlight off on left....1 headlight on and 1 side light off on the right !

Any ideas ? Bulb or earth/elec fault ?

Many thanks.

Ron.