Headlight bulbs

[Mobilvetta]

Has anyone found an alternative exchangeable headlight bulb, that doesn't effect the canbus or electrics on a 2018 Fiat Ducato coachbuilt, that actually illuminates the road ahead, try to avoid driving at night, but had call to do so the other night and the headlight beams are rubbish. I don't want to go down the LED route as I believe it can effect the MOT. Cheers

 

[wildebus]

Has anyone found an alternative exchangeable headlight bulb, that doesn't effect the canbus or electrics on a 2018 Fiat Ducato coachbuilt, that actually illuminates the road ahead, try to avoid driving at night, but had call to do so the other night and the headlight beams are rubbish. I don't want to go down the LED route as I believe it can effect the MOT. Cheers

People seem to generally manage to get away with it ref MOT, but an LED Headlight is supposed to have automatic light levelling if I recall? might explain why so many new fancier cars have lighting systems that are so dazzling??

I can't talk about Ducatos, but on other vehicles, I have fitted the Philips Xtreme bulbs and saw a noticable improvement.
It was this version - https://amzn.to/3L1JoWz - generally used. I see they list H1 and H7 options as well, which I think is what the Ducatos use (at least the pre-facelift ones did IIRC). For H1 and H7 I have previously used Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited, but only because the Philips Xtreme didn't have that fitting option at the time. I can't imagine upgraded Halogen bulbs would have any effect on the canbus.
The upgraded bulbs supposedly have a shorter life, but I guess depends how much time you spend with the lights on? I have never had an upgraded bulb go on me, but I am a low milage driver though.

 

[Mobilvetta]

People seem to generally manage to get away with it ref MOT, but an LED Headlight is supposed to have automatic light levelling if I recall? might explain why so many new fancier cars have lighting systems that are so dazzling??

I can't talk about Ducatos, but on other vehicles, I have fitted the Philips Xtreme bulbs and saw a noticable improvement.
It was this version - https://amzn.to/3L1JoWz - generally used. I see they list H1 and H7 options as well, which I think is what the Ducatos use (at least the pre-facelift ones did IIRC). For H1 and H7 I have previously used Osram Nightbreaker Unlimited, but only because the Philips Xtreme didn't have that fitting option at the time. I can't imagine upgraded Halogen bulbs would have any effect on the canbus.
The upgraded bulbs supposedly have a shorter life, but I guess depends how much time you spend with the lights on? I have never had an upgraded bulb go on me, but I am a low milage driver though.

Thanks I will look them up.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Is it really worth it if you hardly do it? and on lit roads you might not even notice.

 

[Millie Master]

Is it really worth it if you hardly do it? and on lit roads you might not even notice.

Plain common sense as far as I am concerned.

The amount of times I drive in any conditions anywhere throughout Europe when I need to use my headlights is next to none, so for the odd few occasions when I do actually need tosee where I am going, I slow down and concentrate a whole lot more.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

If on unlit roads yes, but if you need them on lit roads I'd see specsavers first.

 

[SimonM]

I knew a car salesman whose eyesight was so bad he had to have 100w headlight bulbs (illegal) fitted to his company cars.

 

[wildebus]

Is it really worth it if you hardly do it? and on lit roads you might not even notice.

Being able too see better when possible is always worth it!!

On the VW T5, the "commercial" lights that are fitted to all but the top end models are appalling. I actually replaced the headlights on my T5 with the "Caravelle" style Projector style headlights and also upgraded the bulbs to high performance ones as well. The difference between the before and after was literally like Night and Day


And IF you do drive on unlit roads (most of the roads around me are both unlit and have wildlife running around them) having VERY bright lights available can be VERY worth it (And just in financial terms, the cost of better lighting is a lot less than the cost of repairing a vehicles front end when you meet a deer)
My VW LT headlights ....

and a slight upgrade in the lighting ....

and as you can see from these photos, it does not have to be "nighttime" to benefit from good lighting.

 

[trevskoda]

I knew a car salesman whose eyesight was so bad he had to have 100w headlight bulbs (illegal) fitted to his company cars.

I have 130w/90dip pure white, plus the spots.

 

[Vanterrier]

Thing you need to remember about the uprated bulbs is their 100% or 150% claimed improvement is over the minimum legal level so if your 2018 Ducato has decent bulbs in already as standard you might not see the huge improvement you might expect.
FWIW I always fit Osram Nightbreaker bulbs and do see improvements to both brightness and beam spread which for me is worth the relatively small cost.
Again for a 2018 model I assume your reflectors and lens are in good condition...
K

Genuine Osram H7 Night Breaker Laser High Main Full Beam Halogen Headlight Bulbs | eBay

Range: Night Breaker Laser. Type: Halogen. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. Colour / Kelvin Up to 3200K.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[trevskoda]

These set fire to hedges.

 

[wildebus]

Thing you need to remember about the uprated bulbs is their 100% or 150% claimed improvement is over the minimum legal level so if your 2018 Ducato has decent bulbs in already as standard you might not see the huge improvement you might expect.

Are you saying that on the light level, or the wattage level? The best upgraded bulbs are within the legal power and legal to use on the road but are better designed and made from better base materials.

FWIW I always fit Osram Nightbreaker bulbs and do see improvements to both brightness and beam spread which for me is worth the relatively small cost.
Again for a 2018 model I assume your reflectors and lens are in good condition...
K

Genuine Osram H7 Night Breaker Laser High Main Full Beam Halogen Headlight Bulbs | eBay

Range: Night Breaker Laser. Type: Halogen. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. Colour / Kelvin Up to 3200K.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[wildebus]

I was looking at upgrading the bulbs in my van again a few days ago (was going to replace the bulbs whilst I had the headlight removed but couldn't find the ones I thought I had ).
Just did another search and this website looks handy ... https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/fiat-ducato-van-2007-2008-57.html
Put in the reg and it will tell you all the bulbs you need (the link above is for MY van. update reg to get yours) and the prices are very good as well

 

[Vanterrier]

Are you saying that on the light level, or the wattage level? The best upgraded bulbs are within the legal power and legal to use on the road but are better designed and made from better base materials.

Take a look at image #5 on the eBay listing at the +150% claim.
I suppose they need to set a benchmark as they cannot claim +150% of everyone's existing bulbs, not knowing what each of us has.
K

 

[Vanterrier]

These set fire to hedges.View attachment 66792

Great for driving off road in the dark in Norn Iron but illegal here in the UK
K

 

[wildebus]

Take a look at image #5 on the eBay listing at the +150% claim.
I suppose they need to set a benchmark as they cannot claim +150% of everyone's existing bulbs, not knowing what each of us has.
K

yup. better than the MINIMUM legal standard - which is both pretty low AND pretty standard - so chances are you WILL improve on the lighting significantly. and THAT is the target, not reaching a 150% improvement on good lighting. as if you already have good lighting, you wouldn't be looking to improve it. And you have to have a standard benchmark as well of course
But as the OP says ".... and the headlight beams are rubbish". So they can expect a significant improvement.

And as you say, you always fit Osram nightbreakers, so you know it is a worthwhile thing to do anyway.
For me, I prefer the Philips Xtreme and as it happens, I ordered a pair for Dipped and a pair for Main Beam last night

 

[wildebus]

These set fire to hedges.View attachment 66792

Ignoring any legal aspect of using these on the road - and they state "off-road" anyway, so that is of course only where people will use them - if you were to fit bulbs like these in replacement for standard headlight bulbs, it is quite likely you would overload the standard wiring, so need to be pretty careful!
I took this photo a few days ago of the headlight wiring of my own Ducato as I was a little surprised how thin the wiring is....

Lighting Wiring by David, on Flickr
The headlight and main beam cables are NOT the thicker ones either - it is the Green/Black and Grey/Black. I would not like to double the current on those!
some vans wiring (VW T4s for example) are so poor, the voltage by the time it gets to the bulb is down to 10V! Fitting an upgraded headlight loom is not uncommon at all even to get the lights working to a basic level

 

[trevskoda]

Ignoring any legal aspect of using these on the road - and they state "off-road" anyway, so that is of course only where people will use them - if you were to fit bulbs like these in replacement for standard headlight bulbs, it is quite likely you would overload the standard wiring, so need to be pretty careful!
I took this photo a few days ago of the headlight wiring of my own Ducato as I was a little surprised how thin the wiring is....

Lighting Wiring by David, on Flickr
The headlight and main beam cables are NOT the thicker ones either - it is the Green/Black and Grey/Black. I would not like to double the current on those!
some vans wiring (VW T4s for example) are so poor, the voltage by the time it gets to the bulb is down to 10V! Fitting an upgraded headlight loom is not uncommon at all even to get the lights working to a basic level

Correct, you must run through a 200ah relay to each bulb, an easy job.

 

[Vanterrier]

Thats what I used to do on the BFO Hellas with100W bulbs on my 4x4's.

Osram, Philips Extreme and even Halfrauds uprated bulbs are comparable I reckon. An advantage with the Halfrauds ones as well as being cheaper, if one failed, they would replace both bulbs bought at same time if you still had the receipt.
K

 

[Exwindsurfer]

I was looking at upgrading the bulbs in my van again a few days ago (was going to replace the bulbs whilst I had the headlight removed but couldn't find the ones I thought I had ).
Just did another search and this website looks handy ... https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/fiat-ducato-van-2007-2008-57.html
Put in the reg and it will tell you all the bulbs you need (the link above is for MY van. update reg to get yours) and the prices are very good as well

I've just had a look on the site David and I didn't realise that I had two head light bulb in each light is that correct and they say both mine are H4