Headlight bulbs

[Darren1717]

Hi

So, I took my 2009 CLC for a run the other night and thought “these headlights are crap!”
I thought at first the battery was on the way to the scrap yard but no, it’s just that I am used to having LED headlights, and going back to the old candles just doesn’t match them.

Now I know I’m not going to get LED headlights on the CLC, but my question is; what headlight bulbs would you recommend for it? I’m not going to trust Billy Big Spuds down at Halfords to steer me the right way! I’m just looking for a decent amount of light emission, without having to rewire the whole thing!

Cheers in advance, and HNY!

 

[OneForTheRoad]

osram nightbreakers unlimited . ( not the lazer ones )

 

[Ted]

^^^what he said.
Not expensive either.

 

[Darren1717]

Thanks guys

Off to shops... and why not the laser?

 

[exvolvoman]

+1 for Nightbreakers, got these in the Volvo, longer beam pattern and quite bright...using Osram Cool Blue in the Merc, good but I think NB's are a tad better

 

[Gazwould]

Best car headlight bulbs 2018

Ring Xenon 130 .

 

[Gazwould]

Same Auto Express H7 test a few years ago .

1. Philips RacingVision
2. Ring Xenon130
3. GE Megalight Ultra +130
4. Bosch Gigalight Plus 120
5. Osram Night Breaker Unlimited
6. Philips X-tremeVision +130
7. Twenty20 daylight120
8. Osram Night Breaker Laser
9. M-tech Powertec Platinum

However Philips RacingVision 150% have a short 200 hr life and Ring Xenon are around double that.

 

[Darren1717]

Thanks all for the leads

 

[OneForTheRoad]

Thanks guys

Off to shops... and why not the laser?

They don't last as long and are more money I think.

 

[MangoMan]

I know you're gonna say, "yeah sure"...... But I've tried lots of Bulbs out there and these are just as good as any I've found - but a DAMN sight cheaper!!!

I'm presuming you take H7's by the way. Ultra Ultra H7 5000K Halogen Power Headlight Bulbs (Pair)

 

[Ted]

Iirc the laser is just the same as the unlimited but has something etched on the glass so that it looks fancy and costs more.

 

[Gazwould]

I know you're gonna say, "yeah sure"...... But I've tried lots of Bulbs out there and these are just as good as any I've found - but a DAMN sight cheaper!!!

I'm presuming you take H7's by the way. Ultra Ultra H7 5000K Halogen Power Headlight Bulbs (Pair)

I've got those as cornering in the S204 and dipped in a VW , not the brightest but definitely whiter than all the 100%+ performance bulbs and C H E A P .

 

[markjay]

I had good experience with Osram Nightbreakers Unlimited on my W203 in terms of both brightness and range.

I can't comment on other makes of high-performance bulbs e.g. Philips or Ring or Ultra etc because I have not tried them myself, but I am sure they all work well.

My current W204 is on standard Halogen bulbs however, because these days I don't drive on B roads at night as much as I used to, and on balance my current driving style does not justify the hassle that comes with using short-life bulbs. In my case, out of a total of 8 Nightbreakers bulbs bought, only one survived to this day... and it wasn't fun replacing them at the roadside.

But yes, if you regularly drive out of town and off motorways then it's a cheap upgrade that will make a difference. I might even go back to it myself at some point.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

osram nightbreakers unlimited . ( not the lazer ones )

I put Night Breaker Lasers in my wife's B class and they are really good.

 

[Chrishazle]

I have NB Unlimited in dips and Lasers in Mains on my S204, with dips on full time with ignition on. I see no benefit of Lasers over Unlimiteds, so on VFM I'd say get UL's. Also I've had the UL's in for 2 years and getting on for 20k miles, still OK (touch wood rapidly!!).

 

[190]

Dip beam was poor on my W204, I think it has to be as much the design of the light fitting as the bulb because main beam uses the exact same H7 lamp and manages to produce more light. I left the main beams as stock and changed the dips. Being aware of the short life time issue I went for silver star 2's (now renamed Night Breaker Silver) which if not the best do provide a worthwhile improvement with a decent life. I have had them in coming up to 4 years now with no failures.

 

[Chrishazle]

After 1 bulb change I found my dips were crap - turned out it's possible to fit the bulbs upside down, which messes up the beam pattern! Using an inspection mirror I was, with some fiddling, able to see exactly where the locator tag should go and got the bulbs in the right way up - problem solved!

 

[markjay]

Dip beam was poor on my W204, I think it has to be as much the design of the light fitting as the bulb because main beam uses the exact same H7 lamp and manages to produce more light. I left the main beams as stock and changed the dips. Being aware of the short life time issue I went for silver star 2's (now renamed Night Breaker Silver) which if not the best do provide a worthwhile improvement with a decent life. I have had them in coming up to 4 years now with no failures.

Thanks - I looked it up and indeed it seems that Osram say that the lifespan of their Night Breaker Silver bulbs is the same as their OEM bulbs.

Comparative figures for Osram H7 bulbs:

Model - Lifespan B3 (97% still working) / Lifespan Tc (63% failed) - extra brightness claim
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Osram Cool Blue Intense - 100h / 200h

Osram Night Breaker Unlimited - 150h / 250h
Osram Night Breaker Laser - 150h / 250h

Osram Night Breaker Silver - 330h / 550h
Osram Original Line (OEM) - 330h / 550h

Osram Ultra Life - 1,000h / 1,500h - N/A

 

[markjay]

However... oddly, I found the Night Breaker Silver advertised elsewhere as 250h / 450h, which to be honest I think makes more sense than 330h / 550h (i.e. same as OEM). And still much better than Unlimited and Laser!