My headlights suck. RJ was nice enough to look at them using facetime about a year ago. They are the square front lens, old Ford Pickup headlights. Two birthday candles would work better, but I wanted to keep the "old look" and I'm afraid I may have pushed RJ off a bit because I didn't want to change them. I just won't drive at night (I told myself).
Coming home from Nappanee with DTCerrato in my rear view mirror we ran out of day about an hour from the Cablela's we planned to overnight. Only because our walkie talkie set ran out of juice - could I not ask him to come around and lead for the last 20 miles. It was scarey for me.
I'm over it. Ready for halogen, piped sunlight, something mucho better.
I asked RJ offline if I can talk to him again since I got smarter, about my options.
Anyone else is welcome to offer ideas. I can take a picture of the back of my lights if it helps. Those who know headlights (not me) may have a plan, Afraid to have any not bus guy tell me "just do this". We all know buses are different and old ones don't like change.
Thanks
Ted
Go with LED don't waste your time on the Cubie Halogen,Van can tell you what to buy for a Prevost to keep from blinding oncoming traffic
Are you sure the wiring is all intact and the grounds are solid.
My lights are really bad and I just don't drive at night until I sort it out fully. If grounds are poor then not enough current can flow to power the lights enough.
You might end up with new lights that are dim too if the wiring has issues.
I have the 4 bulb set up on mine and same here could'nt see sqwat. I was not to convinced about led till I seen Jerry Chael's set up on his Eagle. The cut off line on these are nice, they light up the road like daytime without blinding traffic. They also have a white and amber led perimeter thaat is also purposed for DRL and turn signal. I haven't look at the 2 bulb system, bout ours on Amazon.
Ted -
Nah, you didn't push me off, the timing just wasn't right! ;D But now it is, eh?
Don -
I don't remember - do you have the 5" round headlamps, or the gawd-awful 4"x6" rectangular units? Also, are yours still 24vdc, or has your coach been rewired with MCIs' funky solution to allow the use of 12vdc headlights?
My coach used '89-'91(?) Ford F150/Bronco rectangular plastic lamps that were not much better than a single AA-battery flashlight. I replaced them with the kit from Matthew Valentine, a fellow Prevost owner that runs a fabrication company. It's an extremely well-engineered kit that when installed, is equal to or better than Prevost quality. He's not on this forum, but can be found on Facebook's Prevost pages. He's also interested in developing adaptations for other makes/models - I can put you in touch with him if you're interested.
The kit uses JW Speaker LED headlights (I opted for the heated versions) which are made in WI, and, after doing some research, at the time they were the only ones that were DOT compliant, unlike the majority of less-expensive imported lamps. Like Van said, the difference is astounding (especially once you get them adjusted properly), it's almost like driving in daylight on low beams alone!
Here's a link to one of their 5" round lamps - note that they operate on 12-24vdc, too! https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/
And here's a link to their 4"x6" rectangular lights:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/heated-4x6-led-headlights-model-8800-evolution-2/
These aren't cheap, but what price SAFETY??
FWIW & HTH. . . ;)
RJ
Ted I may have been wrong in my reply to you on BGM!
It may have been RJ I was thinking of, not Bob Glines.
For some reason I still think I remember Bob having found a solution for his old Prevost, but I could be wrong it might have been RJ and I just got confused. (seems to happen a lot lately, shoot I can't remember what I had for lunch today! .... OH wait it's only 8:30 in the morning I haven't had lunch yet. Now what was I talking about?...... OH yeah uh..... hmmm...... OH crap I think I'm getting Bidenidis!)
:D BK :D
Quote from: RJ on October 17, 2022, 09:53:35 PM
Don -
I don't remember - do you have the 5" round headlamps, or the gawd-awful 4"x6" rectangular units? Also, are yours still 24vdc, or has your coach been rewired with MCIs' funky solution to allow the use of 12vdc headlights?
My coach used '89-'91(?) Ford F150/Bronco rectangular plastic lamps that were not much better than a single AA-battery flashlight. I replaced them with the kit from Matthew Valentine, a fellow Prevost owner that runs a fabrication company. It's an extremely well-engineered kit that when installed, is equal to or better than Prevost quality. He's not on this forum, but can be found on Facebook's Prevost pages. He's also interested in developing adaptations for other makes/models - I can put you in touch with him if you're interested.
The kit uses JW Speaker LED headlights (I opted for the heated versions) which are made in WI, and, after doing some research, at the time they were the only ones that were DOT compliant, unlike the majority of less-expensive imported lamps. Like Van said, the difference is astounding (especially once you get them adjusted properly), it's almost like driving in daylight on low beams alone!
Here's a link to one of their 5" round lamps - note that they operate on 12-24vdc, too! https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/ (https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/)
FWIW & HTH. . . ;)
RJ
Yes, I go the dual round ones and it does have the 24 to 12 conversion. This thread is valuable to me as it indicates the lighting is a fairly common issue.
Even though the 12v conversion may be a bit quirky, is it poor enough to put back to 24 or mod it to work better at 12v? I am definately going to look into some LED if they work like the new ones are cars which are blindingly amazing and very focused.
Calm down BK.
You are just undercaffeinated. Sip slowly. Remember to breath. Have another cup. You are one of my bus hero's. Worry not.
I called a lifeline last week (Bob Glines) and he talked me through taking out my worn out ignition switch so I wouldn't electrocute myself. RJ is the lights guy from what I know about him. I just came home from the barn to get my 35 mil to take pictures of the lights, wires etc for the NASA lights guy (RJ) and forgot the camera is still in the bus from taking it to the meet. (denial is the first sign of needing memory care)
I need to use that camera so RJ doesn't have to turn his laptop sideways to look at the pictures.
Be back with you gents in a while, if I remember how to get back to the bus barn...
(But if Bob solved it on his bus, I am not afraid to bug him again. But with Bob, you must always use caution. He might think I can do more than I can. We are talking about a guy the put 3 slides in his Prevost. By himself!)
check voltage to your current head lights at bulb. with engine running should be 13.6V you will prob find 11.2 to 12 volt. 11.5= 25% supply. 12V= 50% supply. If you can junkyard and find all glass ford assenblies (maybe F-250) that will help. The plastic ones are crap. Voltage loss come with age in switches etc bad grounds.. with led or xeon there will be new relays to overcome signal from weak sources. Look up replacement headlights from late 70's thru 80's for ford trucks. More detail if needed. Bob
Most LED will work up to 32 volts I have the Halogen bulb type (xeon) on my CC and the converter boxes drive me nuts with problems
A couple decades ago I heavily researched headlights and at the time the finest optics even available were an old headlight that was no longer being produced by Marschal, a French company that made headlights for top end sports cars and such, had an image of a cat face in the center of the lens. Those were only available at a ridiculous price when you could even find them but there were a couple of lenses that were pretty comparable in production. I'd have to look at my lenses to see what they are but Bosch comes to mind. It was a round flat face lens but since then they did expand to rounded lenses, the smaller size, and probably even rectangular so good lenses should still be available.
At that time it was all Halogen and bulbs of up to 150watts were available. The cutoff was as sharp as a razor so with proper adjustment they didn't blind the oncoming drivers, causing them to run into you. I ended up with 120/150 watt bulbs and never regretted it. The wiring has to be up to the load.
Today, LED lamps have almost gotten to the point of general acceptability but not quite yet. There are still far too many non-DOT compliant lenses out there and those WILL blind oncoming drivers and you have all experienced that. So don't make the mistake of jumping at a low price before checking certifications. Of course just the certification is a low bar. It's meant to protect others, not so much you.
Here's the issue. Lens development for incandescent and halogen bulbs makes use of a very small and precisely located hot spot and an LED bulb by it's very nature has a much larger emitter, so the output is naturally more diffuse. If you put that in even the best older lamp the light scatter will be unacceptable. Which means that to work properly an LED headlight REQUIRES a serious effort to engineer and produce a lens that focuses the light where it is wanted and not where it isn't. That takes a dedicated devotion to one specific lens style and given modern headlight design it's pretty easy to see that corners have been cut pretty much across the board. Which also means that not enough attention has been devoted to traditional styles and good optics have been slow coming out.
There used to be a site, DanielSternLighting I believe, that posted unbiased reviews of the available lenses and bulbs but about a decade and a half ago one of the big guys made him an offer he couldn't refuse and all that went away. Now he just promotes the one brand so that site is no longer a good guide. But I'll try to get the name and number off my good lenses and post that here. It may be that that company now makes an acceptable LED optic.
Jim
pictures
Lenses are plastic but I think this bus has lived a life of being inside and they are still clear. They are 10" X 6 1/4 and I wrote down the numbers on the lens, but who cares. I need to change the thing out. Just hope I can find a lens that fits the hole to keep the bus looking the same. I will check what Bob said because I can't believe they sold this thing with this lighting. Two clear plastic bags of lightning bugs taped to the front would be better. The relay that goes to the lights looks tired and I have a new one, but I hate to start changing things that are not broken. I'm not good at electricity as Bob knows from helping me with my ignition switch earlier this week.
Start with new bulbs of the same thing and see if I am surprised? I am not afraid to spend $$ on this. Just not sure how to proceed. The little I have done around the house has a black and white wire. Bob, RJ and others may look at the picture of the multi color wires and know, but I can't. When RJ looked at this about a year ago, my hope of just snapping a halogen into the existing socket was not seeming like an option.
I guess it is just time for me to learn this. Or maybe just spend 1/2 day driving to Bob's so I don't set my bus on fire. Yeah.....that's it!
Hey Bob. Can't test what you said until my new ignition switch comes Friday or so. I guess I'll get back to changing out the toilette. I know how to do that and won't set anything on fire....
You test head lamps with the engine running just 1 volt drop in voltage from the alternator will make headlamps dim,the LED it doesn't affect
Can't test until Friday when new ignition switch comes, but I'm guessing the flow of juice is hindered somewhere like bob and others suggest. I also don't know how old the bulbs are. Do they get dim with age (like me) or just work/ not work like a house bulb?
I Still think I am headed for something very different.
I am not a good junk yard finder of things like Bob and others.
RJ will be out of bed pretty soon.....
I don't ask much from him. Just a square glass lens that fits my bus exactly, with halogen lights, that needs exactly the wires I sent pictures of connected to my Ford set up...
I also suffered my bus's original "sealed beam" halogen headlights that were essentially useless. I now have Hella low/high, high beam and foglights, and the improvement is astonishing. Being European, they have very sharp vertical cutoff to prevent glare, they're very nice all-glass quality, and they use replaceable lamps. I have 100W lamps in the high beams, with a relay for each side's high beams, and I use selective-yellow lamps in the foglights to reduce back-scatter and eye fatigue. I only use the high beams when there are absolutely no vehicles approaching me, and they light the road for a 1/4 mile or more ahead. I wired the high beams with 10AWG wire, and because they use relays I put a small momentary push switch on the end of my turn signal stalk, so now I have high beam flashers to get people's attention. So far, so good!
John
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/products/products.html
This site shows a Koito rectangular lens that may be worth looking at. Not cheap at $179 the pair, but glass and should have respectable optics. I'd want to see the light pattern before buying at that price.
Jim
Thanks Jim. I'd have paid twice that for something that works when I was leading DT. Curb feelers would have been helpful. Soon as I can start the bus again we will check a few things...then....Let there be light!
Good talking too you again and your help with the Thetford measurements were a big help. Guess I shouldn't say that outloud... Don't want people thinking you are the toilette expert. Not a good title....
Sounds like John has a set up you could land airplanes with! I'm envious.
The opitc difusion has been a problem with that ford designed headlight system for decades. I'll have to ck out new lens offering. I am now running zeon with clear lens. led at the time were a little harsh for me. That's been 6 or 7 years ago. Ted and I share several common interests so we talk often. The only experience has been by necessity. never ever again will I rebuild a burned shell!!!!! It was fun. Bob
check hella site for euro spec headlamps that can use led bulbs. 12k per pair output and 6000 for color bright white. properly aim.
or if you are worried about dot legal, buy led lamps truckers use.
Jim - I looked at that site but it seems his focus, haha, is more traditiional lighting, I did not see any LED offerings. I'd go LED at this point. Is there a similar solid source for LED tech? Maybe I missed it in earlier posts.
I found this link on BGMhttps://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/
How much work is it to convert a four light setup into a single hi-low bulb? I'd leave the old ones in just to fill the hole but only one per side does the hi-low lighting.
Quote from: Tedsoldbus on October 18, 2022, 10:43:31 AM
Can't test until Friday when new ignition switch comes, but I'm guessing the flow of juice is hindered somewhere like bob and others suggest. I also don't know how old the bulbs are. Do they get dim with age (like me) or just work/ not work like a house bulb?
I Still think I am headed for something very different.
I am not a good junk yard finder of things like Bob and others.
RJ will be out of bed pretty soon.....
I don't ask much from him. Just a square glass lens that fits my bus exactly, with halogen lights, that needs exactly the wires I sent pictures of connected to my Ford set up...
I saw a Silvana headlight commercial that says they do get dim (not mentally dim) as they get older and you should replace them after X number of years.
I just viewed your pictures and see that you have a removable bulb element.
I am wondering if you have some aftermarket headlight conversion because my bus which is the same year as yours's has round headlights.
The removeable bulb should have a part number on it that you can look up. Once you have that you should be able to find a direct LED replacement and just pop it in.
First off, there can never be a correct LED replacement for an incandescent or halogen bulb because the LED light source is orders of magnitude larger than the filament type. This means the optics will be wrong and cause a great deal of light scatter, causing it to blind oncoming drivers. The focal point is in the wrong place and that can only be fixed with a different design where the reflector and the lens are both made for the LED. So no, you shouldn't put an LED in a halogen lamp housing.
Unfortunately accurate information on the web has been progressing towards the lowest common denominator and this is very evident where headlights are concerned. Very little actual engineering data and a great deal of marketing hype, making it hard to find what good is actually there. So it now takes a deep dive to come up with good usable information and I'm not particularly willing to pursue LED headlights quite that hard at present. But for any who are I can give a few pointers. First and foremost look for hard data on beam pattern with actual photos being usually useful and comparative photos being much more so, particularly when they show the pattern shining on a blank wall. Look for data of beam color because shorter wavelengths (blue) are not as good as longer ones (yellow) for seeing sharp details. Look for info on output power, this may be expressed in lumens. Then look at package size, cooling requirements, wattage draw, etc. Despite the LED's advantages, for high power lamps a good halogen still remains an excellent choice.
Jim
you buy the hellas and then install the led bulbs as retrofit. every technofile talks about proper patterns, etc. yada, yada, yada. patterns may not be perfect, but adjusting them after installation will be most satisfactory for average person. just don't have the beam too high to annoy oncoming drivers who will flash their lights. we have lots of deer here in pa, so i prefer bright leds. superbrightleds, lasfit, are two good companies to get bulbs from.
Quote from: windtrader on October 19, 2022, 10:23:41 AM
Jim - I looked at that site but it seems his focus, haha, is more traditiional lighting, I did not see any LED offerings. I'd go LED at this point. Is there a similar solid source for LED tech? Maybe I missed it in earlier posts.
I found this link on BGMhttps://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/
How much work is it to convert a four light setup into a single hi-low bulb? I'd leave the old ones in just to fill the hole but only one per side does the hi-low lighting.
Don -I fixed the link for you:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8630-evolution/
And if you have the gawd-awful 4x6 rectangular lamps:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/heated-4x6-led-headlights-model-8800-evolution-2/
If one has a 4104 or Scenicruiser:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlights-model-8700-evo-2-db/
Or, if you're looking for something else:
https://www.jwspeaker.com/products/
Note that these LED lights are NOT CHEAP! They're made in WI, and are available in both DOT and ECE configurations - but you can't buy the ECE ones here in the US.
OTOH, you can buy the inexpensive, non-DOT compliant off-shore stuff if you want to go LED, or, as Chessie suggested, you can just buy Hella halogens and substitute an LED bulb.
I now have the JWSpeakers on my coach, and the difference is astounding!
FWIW & HTH. . . ;)
RJ
Before you get too wild with your Hella/LED retrofit, Take one of those lamps and set it up so you can see the light pattern on your garage door and take a picture of it. Then without moving the lamp swap in your LED bulb and take a picture of that too. Once you've done that, there is nobody here who can tell you that you don't know what you are talking about, but my bet is that it will change your opinion about using LED bulbs in Halogen lamps.
Remember, the horizontal cutoff is there for the benefit of oncoming traffic and the more light is put out by the bulb the more important that cutoff becomes.
Jim
a lot of the led bulbs now are listed to operate from 12 to 30 volts. good for our 24 volt systems. some bulbs you can rotate the pattern. Ive used leds for close to 20 years and get satisfactory illumination without blinding others and they work so much better than the aircraft landing lights we used to use.
Oh well if that's your standard I guess they would.
Jim
Hey Ted
Take a look at the following link's?
https://www.ibpindustries.com/product/mci-mc-8-mci-mc-9-mci-mc-5c-headlight-conversion-kit-dual-rectangular-halogen-polished/ (https://www.ibpindustries.com/product/mci-mc-8-mci-mc-9-mci-mc-5c-headlight-conversion-kit-dual-rectangular-halogen-polished/)
https://www.ibpindustries.com/product/c43-0093ps-headlight-conversion-kit-dual-rectangular-polished/ (https://www.ibpindustries.com/product/c43-0093ps-headlight-conversion-kit-dual-rectangular-polished/)
Do people actually spend that kind of money for headlights? Geeze!
Apparently some do, I won't.
Quote from: dtcerrato on October 21, 2022, 10:59:20 AM
Do people actually spend that kind of money for headlights? Geeze!
I guess that depends on how bad you want to see, or how good you want to look!
I know I wouldn't! I'd go see one of my Amish friends and get one of the "head lights" they use! (an LED light on an elastic band they wear on their forehead! LOL)
;D BK ;D
Just seems nuts to me.
Jim
Putting proper voltage and solid ground connections did wonders for the headlights on my 4108.
I accomplished the voltage with four 24v to 13.8v converters.
Those specially made high/low LED lights look nice but now way I'm paying $666, scary number, just for two headlights.
How about just using decent regular ones, then use whatever the hell non-compliant ones for high beams, use really when you need the light and no oncoming?
I'm hoping to check the wiring on the headlights tomorrow. will report back what I find - voltage, resistance, etc.
Modern vehicle wiring reliability is truly legendary and of the things that made that possible, the one at the very top of the list is the modern gas sealed connector. It can't corrode if it can't get oxygen and if it can't corrode there is very little to go wrong. Yet by the end of the century that technology had not made it into buses despite having been used in cars for a couple of decades. This in my opinion was a travesty. The second big factor was the introduction of cross-linked insulation which is tougher and has a service life at least ten times that of vinyl insulation. Unfortunately unlike collector cars we are not really in a position to upgrade the bus with an aftermarket replacement electrical wiring harness and that means we are stuck with old technology and corroded connections. One of the best things you can do in a case like this is invest in a bottle of anti-corrosion electrical gel and use it every time you work on anything electrical. There are many products that claim to do the job but buying from an electrical supply house is one way to get something that works as it will be made specifically to mate copper and aluminum conductors together, a union that invites corrosion due to the electrolytic difference in the metals. This type of product chemically counters oxidation and in some cases reverses it. Many are just barriers which while better than nothing are more of a stopgap measure.
Any joint in the wiring can create a voltage drop and any voltage drop will reduce the light output. So you need to know that every single joint from battery post back to battery post is fundamentally sound. One of the best ways to do this is with a direct fused lead from and back to the battery, with an oversized sealed relay inline, using wires that are oversized for the amperage draw. Or you can just measure the voltage drop at the bulb with the lights on and compare that to the voltage at the battery terminals. Anything more than a drop of a tenth of a volt or so at the bulb is cause for concern.
As for those high dollar headlights, that's like cocaine: God's way of telling you that you have too much money.
Jim
Jim, I think you said re-wire the headlights with new wiring?
The number of people who pricked wires, in their attempts to troubleshoot electrical was, and in some cases, still is, epic...
It isn't so much the bus's fault as it is the people who were abusing it between then and now.
Check a guys's multimeter... sharpened tips on the leads...
There are some sins that are unforgivable...
Happy coaching!
Buswarrior
Fortunately rewiring a bus for 12v headlights is pretty simple and the wiring lengths are not that long.
If you find a good 24v supply point in the electrical cabinet to the left of the driver, you only have a few feet to go.
My 4108 had four circuits between that panel and each of the four headlight bulbs. GM liked redundancy and I agreed with it, so it stayed. I used four 24v-to-13.8v converters, each rated for twice the necessary current flow. The new wiring only had to go a few feet to supply the converters in the compartment below the driver, and then a note few feet to each headlight. Finding a solid ground connection was just as easy since there was a good one in the electrical compartment.
Once you have proper voltage and solid grounds to each lamp location, you can install whatever type of headlight you prefer and it should be problem free.
go to led's that run at 12 to 30 volts to avoid any voltage reducers. remember your current lighting is 20 to 40 years behind technology. even upgrading wiring using original lighting will give improved results, but not outstanding, which leds will.
go to led's that run at 12 to 30 volts to avoid any voltage reducers. remember your current lighting is 20 to 40 years behind technology. even upgrading wiring using original lighting will give improved results, but not outstanding, which leds will.
here is an example led bulb for hella 4x6 lamps that take this h4 type bulb.
https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen
here is hella headlamps 4x6
https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen
they come with h4 halogen bulbs which are 12 volt. check for h4 led bulbs rated for 12 to 30 volt from a led bulb outfit. many are available through Amazon, along with hella headlamps. you can peruse the hella site also. their lamps are sized in metric but convert to inches. 164x103mm
There's a YouTube channel "Headlight Revolution" that covers converting to LED and HID in detail.
https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadlightRevolution (https://www.youtube.com/c/HeadlightRevolution)
Thanks for all your ideas and suggestions. I hope others learned a few things and there were a few websites shared that may help others.
Sadly today I decided to abort my plan. I had been taking the lights apart on the driver side. I ran into some challenges but was figuring it out. The light assembly from Jim Blackwwods guy (Daniel) looked like it would fit the hole and fit the bill for what I was hoping to do and how I wanted it to look when dome.
Then it hit me. Last night thinking about it. 6 months into having this bus my inverter went out and I took it to East Tenn Luxery Coach. It was nearby, good rep, and they only do Prevost. While there, I thought to myself, why not let THEM change out the passenger headlight bulb that had also gone out.
It took one of his best guys over 2 hours to do that bulb. There was about a pound of foam on the floor and his body was contorted every time I checked on him.
When done, he said "They did not do you any favors spraying 6 inches of foam into an already tight spot. That whole corner is foam. They must have been trying to use up a can...".
So this morning I crawled under the bus with a bright light and looked up. There is about an 8 inch space between the bus firewall and stairs and the headlight assembly. That whole corner....is foam. With wires, wire bundles half in, half out of foam. Leftover tubes which I knew went to the old air wipers. I like a challenge, but not a chocolate mess.
I had my neighbor look under there after me. He was a Delta hydraulic and sheet metal (skin) mechanic. He said " I wouldn't try to get a light assembly out of that mess. You will cut three wires that go to something else and not know it just trying to get that foam out of there.".
He said I'll be right back. Brought back his polishing kit. We polished the never to be tampered with lens for 10 minutes. Turned on the lights. Mucho better!
So. Not taking out the plastic lenses much as I wanted to. I will put the other one back together. Maybe a new bulb, and think about where I can put augmented lighting. I have two spare 12 V circuits up front so I think I'll do that over trying to claw foam for 3 days out of a very tight spot.
As suggested by some of you: I am polishing what I have. I am looking at additional lighting. Just not sure where. I did learn with my neighbors help to use my fancy new multimeter. As suggested by some of you older very smart guys, I checked my wires and they are good to the existing lights.
.
All in all a good learning experience for me. Especially the part about look at both lights before deciding to change them. and I hope a few of the silent lookers picked up a thing or two.
But that is it for me.
Again, thanks for all the ideas that helped me and may helped others.
Ted
So do you have a new bulb on the passenger's side? Have you stood in front and looked at the tights to see if the driver's side light looks dim? Maybe just replace that bulb and get enough light?
Jim
Not yet, but there is a little gerbil tunnel in the foam that the mechanic used to access passenger bulb. He is skinny and little. If that bulb goes out, I will let him do it during my annual visit there.... I can't even get my hand in there due to the foam.
A man has to know his limitations....
Wonder if there is a solvent that will eat that foam? I know heat will but that can be a little risky. Maybe one of those wheels you use in a die grinder with the 1/2" long little green fingers would take it out without hurting other stuff.
Jim
Depending on the type of foam plain gasoline will break most foam down
try acetone
Chessie, those H4/LED bulbs that you posted the links for look like a superior design to me. The key thing being the locating of the emitters as closely to the position of the original filaments as possible. Due to the 3 dimensional nature of the filament, the 2 dimensional emitters, and the larger size it'd be impossible to get the same crisp characteristics and the pattern is going to be a little fuzzy around the edges but the light will mostly go in the right place. How the brightness compares is largely a function of the emitter size and it may never reach the intensity of a 120 or 150 watt Halogen but that's at the high end anyway. Aside from that, the configuration is actually pretty good and the price is fairly reasonable.
Jim
Quote from: chessie4905 on October 23, 2022, 09:08:17 AM
here is an example led bulb for hella 4x6 lamps that take this h4 type bulb.
https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen (https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen)
here is hella headlamps 4x6
https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen (https://www.auxito.com/products/9003-led-bulb-h4-hb2-led-headlight-bulb-9000-lumen)
they come with h4 halogen bulbs which are 12 volt. check for h4 led bulbs rated for 12 to 30 volt from a led bulb outfit. many are available through Amazon, along with hella headlamps. you can peruse the hella site also. their lamps are sized in metric but convert to inches. 164x103mm
I went back to review these links. I like the prices. LOL
So i have the old school round lights with no swappable lights. I'm thinking of getting one that has replaceable lights and made for halogen so the beam focus hopefully works alright. It does not have to be precise like some here getting into the tech and optic topics. I just need light so i can drive at night.
Going to wonder around the local pik-and-pull for headlights.
just buy round hellas and pull filament unit and install led. if you are 24 volts, buy the led bulbs rated for 12 to 30 volts. as far as output, i use 12k per pair for fogs bulbs and high beam bulbs. they work great here at night, as we have a lot of deer, infact just missed one about 2 feet in car other night. bulbs saved the hit. they sell led bulbs up to 20k per pair, but i wont go for that bright; too expensive and suspect shorter life.
some of the leds are rotatable to adjust your pattern. many high output bulbs have finned a heat sink on them to keep bulb cool. mine have a little cooling fan. i thought pretty hokey, but have had them for 3 years now and fans still working. haven't had a bulb burn out yet either. have them on 3 different vehicles. use a color temp of 6 to 6500 k to get pretty pure white. higher k, and color starts shifting to blue lower shifts to yellower light. think of flourescent tubes in warm white, cool white, daylight to give you an idea of what im referring to.
you have to experience 12k/ pair fog light bulbs, adjusted so as not to blind oncoming drivers. youll love them.
Quote from: windtrader on October 26, 2022, 10:37:28 AM
I'm thinking of getting one that has replaceable lights and made for halogen so the beam focus hopefully works alright.
Don-Sent you an email that you might be interested in. . .
RJ
I just spent 2 1/2 hours with a Mother's headlight buff kit. Amazing results. I have mostly used Maguire's products, but this was rated better and since my Father in Law swears by Mother's, I gave it a try. My wife hates Mother's because when she was about 10, she and her 3 sisters were each given a wheel on his 4106 to buff. Hand rubbed Mothers..... She still has bad dreams about it
Anyhow, it cleared the lens and I can see my bulbs again. Test drive tomorrow evening when there are few people on the road.
Thanks for all the help and ideas but since my passenger headlight would have been such a nightmare to pull, and for how little I plan to run after dark, I'll see how this worked.