# Brightest "normal" headlight bulb



## NickTB (Feb 4, 2007)

For my mk4 Mondeo? I'm looking and I see a million different kinds mostly purporting to be Xenon wannabe's.. I'm looking for a brilliant white light (if possible)

Can anyone help point me in the right direction?#

Thanks,

Nick


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## Perfezione (Nov 23, 2006)

Phillips Xtreme vision always get very good reviews. I've used them before and been impressed. There not cheap though


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## Smithey1981 (Oct 4, 2011)

All normal halagons will be yellow. Your better fitting a set of hids and they are alot better. Just make sure you get a r kit for reflector headlights


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## lobotomy (Jun 23, 2006)

I've seen a lot of guys using these ULTRA bulbs off eBay without complaint:

ULTRA Bulb thread


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## ivor (Sep 24, 2008)

don't forget to add the cost of the self levelling kit to it as weel because these are now coming into the MOT and it's a fail you have a hid kit which is not original fit or does not have self levelling there is a thread on here somewhere about them so unless you can find an original set-up from a Mondeo I would bot bother


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## Perfezione (Nov 23, 2006)

Unless you are doing ALOT of night driving i wouldn't bother with HID's. Really not worth the hassle, and i've had them. 

A decent set of bulbs from Phillips or Osram will do the job and you'll have no problems. 

I found the Phillips bulbs to be very white.


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## Steve valentine (Aug 7, 2010)

I got some from halfords, Philips ones that claim to be 100% brighter than normal bulbs, they were £20 for a pair of H4'S

Very impressed, they make the old ones look like damp candles.


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## apmaman (Jun 8, 2010)

Phillips Xtreme is white with a tiny hint of yellow.

Osram Hyper Blue is pretty damn white, with a tinny hint of blue running through it.

Here's my fabia vRS to compare.

Drivers side is phillips, passenger is Hyper Blue and the "fog lights" are DRL LED's


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

Steve valentine said:


> I got some from halfords, Philips ones that claim to be 100% brighter than normal bulbs, they were £20 for a pair of H4'S
> 
> Very impressed, they make the old ones look like damp candles.


I tried a Halfords set and ended up throwing them away. Light was white but it had the wrong light pattern.

Philips were much better quality.


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## stevept (Nov 22, 2009)

do you need to inform insurance companiers when upgrading lights to phillips xtreme light?


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## Perfezione (Nov 23, 2006)

Philips are an OE manufacturer for many car makes. I wouldn't class them as an aftermarket part. 

Now if you were asking about HID's, i'd say yes.


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## GR33N (Apr 5, 2009)

Ive got some Osram Nightbreakers, theyre brilliant, ill try and get a photo later if i get time :thumb:


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## Perfezione (Nov 23, 2006)

Yea Osram Nightbreakers are very good too. And if i remember right quite a bit cheaper than Phillips Xtreme vision. 

But the Phillips are still a bit better imo.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

JB052 said:


> I tried a Halfords set and ended up throwing them away. Light was white but it had the wrong light pattern.
> 
> Philips were much better quality.


Wrong type or fitted incorrectly probably. Only H4's could potentially affect the beam pattern, but then that would be a manufacturing fault with the little deflector in which case you could have had new ones.


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## johnnyc (Nov 18, 2008)

i had the philips vision plus(50% brighter) on my dads E class. Was a big improvement. 
so i can only imagine the extreme ones to be better.

the only reason i went for vision plus is the price.


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## gm8 (Apr 25, 2011)

As far as I have read , aftermarket HID kits will be an mot fail as of jan 2012 . someone correct me if I am wrong.


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

Piaa bulbs! awesome quality


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

gr33n said:


> Ive got some Osram Nightbreakers, theyre brilliant, ill try and get a photo later if i get time :thumb:


I'm after a set of Nightbreakers for Mrs Beancounters 500 (the standard headlights are pathetic!)
Has anybody seen any recent offeres or where is the best (read cheapest) place to buy them ?

Thanks


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Phillips X-tremeVision, well worth the money.


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

Just put some Philips Extreme Plus (dipped) and Osram Night Breakers (main) in the Superb - vast improvement.

Have had both of them before, in previous cars, as dipped lights but the Night Breakers reliability was very poor - blew within months. The Philips outlasted the car!

I've always bought from Powerbulbs - not necessarily the cheapest but good reliable service.


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## SteveyG (Apr 1, 2007)

gm8 said:


> As far as I have read , aftermarket HID kits will be an mot fail as of jan 2012 . someone correct me if I am wrong.


They were always illegal anyway, but people don't seem to care about people driving the opposite way.


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## kev999 (Feb 16, 2007)

Get the osram nightbreaker plus,better performance and reliability over the nightbreaker.


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

Beancounter said:


> I'm after a set of Nightbreakers for Mrs Beancounters 500 (the standard headlights are pathetic!)
> Has anybody seen any recent offeres or where is the best (read cheapest) place to buy them ?
> 
> Thanks


Go for the Philips, more reliable - if you order some let me know, I have something that will interest you


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## Beancounter (Aug 31, 2006)

Coops YHPM :thumb:


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## stevept (Nov 22, 2009)

Is h7 for dipped beam?


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Is there any pictures guys on here, with a car having nightbreakers on....

Theres so many bulbs on the market, it makes it hard to choose, i;m really after the blue xenon effect from a H7 bulb with good light, that will last long as well.


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

stevept said:


> Is h7 for dipped beam?


Depends what car you have? Different cars have different setups - my Superb has H7 dipped and H3 main but my Octavia had H1 main.


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## stevept (Nov 22, 2009)

Its a focus c max on a 04 plate


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

ivor said:


> don't forget to add the cost of the self levelling kit to it as weel because these are now coming into the MOT and it's a fail you have a hid kit which is not original fit or does not have self levelling there is a thread on here somewhere about them so unless you can find an original set-up from a Mondeo I would bot bother


I had a look at the MOT testing manual online yesterday which deals with aftermarket HIDs and how to identify them. It says where washers and self levellers are fitted, they MUST work but didn't say that they must be present, which is interesting.

This, of course, is entirely different to them being legal.

I'll dig out the link and post a bit of the text I read.



apmaman said:


> Phillips Xtreme is white with a tiny hint of yellow.
> 
> Osram Hyper Blue is pretty damn white, with a tinny hint of blue running through it.
> 
> ...


Which were better on the road?


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## dew1911 (Jun 9, 2009)

Ring Xenonmax - had them in my old focus and on dipped beam they outperfom the factory Xenons in my Volvo, I think they've been upgraded since I got mine too.

Comparison to standard Ring bulbs...


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

These h ratings gets confusing at times, i think mine are H7.


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## dew1911 (Jun 9, 2009)

It's not a rating, it's the bulb type

H1 - 1 pin on the back, 1 filament
H4 - 3 pins on the back, 2 filaments
H7 - 2 Pins on the back, 1 filament.

Most cars either use a H4, or a H1 & H7 combo.


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

Bulbs are a right pain... I go through sets and sets of them... teach me for buying them for £5 delivered from the bay!


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

They're not bulbs anyway, they're lamps. Bulbs go in the ground


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## dew1911 (Jun 9, 2009)

johnnyguitar said:


> They're not bulbs anyway, they're lamps. Bulbs go in the ground


You say that every time, and quite simply it's boll0cks. Even the makers call them bulbs!

http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/


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## J1ODY A (Nov 28, 2008)

dew1911 said:


> You say that every time, and quite simply it's boll0cks. Even the makers call them bulbs!
> 
> http://www.ringautomotive.co.uk/


Light emitting devices then


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## Daffy (Dec 15, 2005)

dew1911 said:


> Ring Xenonmax - had them in my old focus and on dipped beam they outperfom the factory Xenons in my Volvo, I think they've been upgraded since I got mine too.
> 
> Comparison to standard Ring bulbs...


Fitted the +120 version of these last night. Not had a good chance to test them yet but initial impressions are that they are a good improvement over standard. Still a slight yellow hint but much whiter than the sidelights which I will now have to alter as well to match.


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

johnnyguitar said:


> I had a look at the MOT testing manual online yesterday which deals with aftermarket HIDs and how to identify them. It says where washers and self levellers are fitted, they MUST work but didn't say that they must be present, which is interesting.
> 
> This, of course, is entirely different to them being legal.
> 
> ...


I read the manual thing too and that's what I thought. I'm glad I'm not the only one.

Sent from my Desire HD


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## Coops (Apr 26, 2008)

stevept said:


> Its a focus c max on a 04 plate


Dipped beams are H7

Main beams are H1

Sidelights are W5W

Brake light / reversing lights are P21W

Indicators are PY21W


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## johnnyguitar (Mar 24, 2010)

dew1911 said:


> You say that every time, and quite simply it's boll0cks. Even the makers call them bulbs!


Well it's not, but never mind. 
Although I do concede that a 'light bulb' is a type of lamp.


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