stevebennett

What is the maximum rating for the main and dipped beam on road cars.

Have been looking around to find what i can use but cant really find anything.

Currently have OEM H4 60/55W installed in the main headlights, what would be the difference if i installed H4 130/90W would this be a dramatic incrase in wattage?? and what do the inital and secondary numbers break down to mean??

and would i get stopped by the plod for the increased brightness.

Steve

jaytc2003

iTrader: (1)

cant help with the legaility of the bulbs, but as long as they are road legal bulbs then the plod cannot do anything (assuming correct alignment etc). However if you use them, make sure your wiring is upto the job

PICKLE

The biggest thing that would happen is that your wiring will probably all melt!!!!

Don't put higher wattage bulbs in, do a search as there are numerous views into this, in the past

stevebennett

I am going to use the existing wiring only to control the relay. I am going to create a seperate wiring loom to draw power from fused supply form the battery, i do not want to get into a position where the wiring will melt. I will also be carrying around replacement stadards bulb just incase it does go pop.

I am doing an increased amount of night driving, last week was an exception ata around 1000 miles in the dark/twilight and 400 during the day. with the nuights drawing in i want to shed a bit more light on to the road.

Group N

why not get a set of PIAA (or equivalent) that are 100w / 110w but only draw 55w from the electrical system - no need to upgrade your wiring then.

Do you have foglights in the bumper opposed to driving lights - i'm assuming you have an Impreza.

H4 is the bulb type
60w/55w is the rating for main beam / dipped beam

Yes this is the maximum, anything that is more powefull will be 'for competition use only' but I think if plod checked your bulbs for legality you'd be very very unlucky.

Good Luck
Rob

StickyMicky

we tried 100 watt jobbies in 3 different cars

MY00 Classic Uk car
MY97 Classic Uk car
MY97 Classix WRX import

all fitted around the same time, first one to go was the 97 uk car, wires started melting around the back of the headlights, the plugs on the back of the MY00 Uk car headlights started melting.

the 97 import is still going strong (1.5 years)
owner of the 97 uk car has told me that the wireing on my import looks to be thicker then the uk wireing?

could be worth looking into TBH!!

Francis K

I used 100/90w H4s (for off road purposes only!) with relays and BIG wiring for years in Golfs and my MY96 Classic. I wouldn't put them in a car with plastic headlight reflectors as they could well melt. Never tried 130/100ws but reckon they would also be good. If I recall lots of bad reports about those horribly expensive PIAAs not lasting very long. If I were you I'd stick to the ordinary high wattage types which I think are now available from Halfrauds.

Oh and make quite sure the beams are set correctly.

Francis K

360ste

iTrader: (1)

Legally your headlight bulbs should be 60/55 watts. Putting higher wattage bulbs in plastic headlights is not a good idea, you wouldn't cook with a plastic tub in a conventional oven. I agree that it is nice to have better lighting when driving at night as I have to travel the A9 from Inverness to Perth occasionally. No street lights most of the way. The only negative comment I have is if you fit higher wattage lamps to your car, the effect this has on oncoming traffic due to the brighter lights at SHORT range. We have all been dazzled by someone who has forgotten to dip their main beam and know how off putting that is. My view is if you need extra lighting fit a set of spot lights instead of your driving lights and wire them in so that they will only work on full beam via a switch. Having done this to my bugeye a word of caution my driving lights also come on when I switch down to sidelights, a querk of scooby wiring.

stevebennett

Have decided to upgrade the fog lights to PIAA 80XT pro. from waht i have seen so far have a dipped beam and a highbeam.

These are rated for a 100/130Watt H4 bulbs. the kit comes with a loom, for £250 but i will probably make my own loom for confidence and utilise the foglamp switch to allow full control so not to use them driving through built up areas and only use them when needed.

So the fog light will give control over the main power feeding the lights 2 secondary relays will be used 1 for the dipped, 1 for the high beam linked to the existing dipped and main beam switch.

this will give me a few options

normal dipped beam
normal dipped beam + Main Beam
normal dipped beam + PIAA Dipped
normal dipped beam + Main Beam + PIAA dipped + PIAA Main

I will be creating my own brackets for this but should be ok doing this.

Total cost should be around £270 for everything plus a few hours of time and should hopefull give a better system than what i have.

If anyone is interested i can create a wiring diagram and component list

Steve

stevebennett

A Final option would to to upgrade the main beam lamp to 130 watt and leave the 55watt for the dipped beam.

But i have faith in the PIAA system doing what i want to do

360ste

iTrader: (1)

Steve, would the heat generated in the PIAA's when using dipped and main beam not be too hot? As their design parameters would before only one of the lamp filaments to be in use at any one time. Also I think you would have problems with the bulbs blowing due to the heat being outside the design criteria.

stevebennett

The kit is sold with the 100/130watts bulbs. I am waiting for the full spec sheet to be sent to me.

So what you are saying is that when the main beam is on i should disable the dipped beam on the PIAA to reduce the heat buildup

360ste

iTrader: (1)

I am just thinking that the units are designed to run with dipped beam then main beam not dipped and main beam. vehicle headlight swap over from dipped to main usin the column switch so surley operating both dipped and main together is not within the design parameters. I suppose it would be like setting your car engine to fire cylinders 1 and 4 together to get more power when running a 1342 firing order. If I seem to be going a bit wayward the whiskey is starting to kick in but the logic is still there (I hope )

stevebennett

bugger just checking final measurements of light dimensions newage are 130mm dia not 180. so tht plans is now scrapped..

the only 130mm dia lamps i an find are PIAA SMR for £280 seem to be very near the subaru price for the official PIAA kit.

stevebennett

BTTT.

Any one know where i an get hold of some 130mm driving or spot lamp? for reasonable money