wheatfielder Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 Hi and thanks for all the help over the weeks from Les , Ralph and many others, much appreciated. Now, i have ordered from Paddocks, a Wipac Crystal Halogen conversion set as my old sealed beams are rusted and dim. Do you think these will make a big difference to the brightness of beam? and are they straightforward to fit?, how about alignment, or should they be ok if fitted correctly? Guess it will have some instructions with it, forgot to ask, cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 fitting will be fairly straight forward, I would expect all the required bits to be in the 'kit' might be worth getting some of the 30% brighter headlights bulbs H4 type they should make night driving better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smo Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I didnt notice any difference in brightness as i used the same bulbs so its well worth putting in brighter ones as Ralph suggests. As far as fitting is concerned its a case of a few screws out of the old swap the bowls over and refit the screws, piece of cake. Just take note of which ones hold it in place and which ones do the alignment (leave the latter alone) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheatfielder Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 I didnt notice any difference in brightness as i used the same bulbs so its well worth putting in brighter ones as Ralph suggests.As far as fitting is concerned its a case of a few screws out of the old swap the bowls over and refit the screws, piece of cake. Just take note of which ones hold it in place and which ones do the alignment (leave the latter alone) Thanks for that, this the sort of thing? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Osram-Night-Breaker-...reaker-H4-Bulbs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheatfielder Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 Thanks for that, this the sort of thing?http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Osram-Night-Breaker-...reaker-H4-Bulbs or even this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Osram-Night-Breaker-...%3A1%7C294%3A50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 the 2nd set would be fine. the 1st link isn't working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m0bcg Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 the crystal headlamps are one hell of a difference to either sealed beam or ordinary halogen headlamp shells , they are so much more defined in beam pattern and brightness . there are 2 types that paddock sell , one without pilot lights and one with pilot lights , so make sure you get the type you need . the pilot bulbs used in them are the capless type , i flat bottom that pushes in , similar to dash bulbs but slightly larger . to remove youre headlight unit there is just one screw to take out which allows the headlight and its front ring to come out of the bowl ., DO NOT remove the beam adjusters because they stay put . the screw to take out in order to get the headlight unit out is just to the right side of bottom of the lamp , its about 4 oclock position , a cross headed self tap screw . once this screw is removed you will note the headlamp can move away forward slightly , then all you do is to turn the headlight clockwise slightly and there are 2 small slots in the back of the outer ring which can be slid off the adjuster screws and then the headlight ring and lens can be held away from the bowl , then you can pull the bulb plug off back of headlight and the headlight and ring are free . to swap headlight units you undo 3 screws that hold the tags in place that hold the lamp to the ring and then you can loft the light out from the ring . note which is the TOP and then swap lamp units and screw tags back in place . when refitting lamp unit you just fit the plug onto the bulb and then slip the slots back onto the retainers of the adjuster screws, and then put the single locking screw back in place . this then keeps youre headlmap beam and height adjustment same as it has allways been set at . i would refrain from fitting higher wattage bulbs in the crystal lamps because the lamps are made from plastic and are not really designed to handle the heat from the higher wattage bulbs . normal 55w halogen bulbs are perfectly ok for these lamps and the difference will be seen as soon as you drive in the dark again . the lack of brightness in most landy headlights is due to the resistive nature of the wires feeding which produces a fairly severe voltage drop into the bulbs, and also the reason why the light switch fails also . you you cannot make them brighter by just fitting higher power bulbs, believe me ive tried them all . you need to rewire the headlights , fit 2 relays and then take a feed from the alternator to the relays , this then will give you same voltage at the headlights as the alternator puts out and will make the lights 3x as bright compared to original wiring etc . i used to see a maximum 11v at my headlights with the standard spec landrover wiring , and after rewiring from the alternator output and using 2 relays, i now have 14-17v and decent brightness just using 55/65w bulbs . you can switch the relays for dim or dip beam by using the original dip and main beam wires from just the passenger/alternator side of vehicle , ie using the 12v that the light switches produce , to energise the relays . the drivers side original wiring is just cut off and insulated with tape or heatshrink tube and is no longer used, unless you fit spot lamps and want to activate relays for them from that side of vehicle . hope this is of use to you ian . . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheatfielder Posted June 19, 2009 Author Share Posted June 19, 2009 Brilliant Ian, many thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat_J Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 I found the voltage drop to be a poor earthing problem. I get a perfectly steady 12V after i replaced the earth wire and screwed it into something that wasn't mostly rust. But you been a great help to me too cos i'm doing this next week as i need to put it through an mot. So cheers B) Also those osram bulbs are great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aragorn Posted June 19, 2009 Share Posted June 19, 2009 with the engine running you should see around 14v at the battery/lights. If your only seeing 12v thats a pretty big drop on the wiring, and is exactly what fitting relay switched feeds is designed to fix! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheatfielder Posted June 27, 2009 Author Share Posted June 27, 2009 with the engine running you should see around 14v at the battery/lights. If your only seeing 12v thats a pretty big drop on the wiring, and is exactly what fitting relay switched feeds is designed to fix! Took the first headlamp suurround off , to find a huge amount of rust - on the chrome rim and bowl beneath, screws all seized up or too rusty to risk so I have ordered new rims and bowls. Are these straightforward to fit? does the electric lead feed through these easily? and what about setting the beam? Many thanks again for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisM_110 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 For beam setting you need a friendly MOT station, 10secs work [usually free], or DIY. For DIY the recommended method is a line of tape on a wall the height of your headlight centres from the ground, and make two crosses vertically at headlight centre: -----+-----------+----- <- At headlight centreline. ------------------------- <- 14cm down[dependent on dip% of light lens. Then back straight off 10m. Main beam should be on the line and dipped 1.4% [14cm] below. The dipped percentage drop should be on the truck lights on a sticker, on on the lens of the headlight somewhere. You can back off less and therefore the two lines will be closer, but the difference in dipped and main is harder to see if you're too close. I think most Defender and Wolf headlights are 1.4% dipped, but I'm not sure. I always set mine to that, and it's never need to be adjusted at MOT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 Took the first headlamp suurround off , to find a huge amount of rust - on the chrome rim and bowl beneath, screws all seized up or too rusty to risk so I have ordered new rims and bowls. Are these straightforward to fit? does the electric lead feed through these easily? and what about setting the beam? Many thanks again for the help. Answers: 1) Yes, easy to fit. 2) Yes, mine did. 3) Set it so that the top of dip beam slopes down from the car - the sticker says 1.4%, which is about 2 inches in 10 feet. In the dark, park the car on something level and flat facing something flat an vertical. You should then be able to work out on the wall where the beam should be. See the following for the offical gen: MOT manual - headlamp aim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat_J Posted June 27, 2009 Share Posted June 27, 2009 with the engine running you should see around 14v at the battery/lights. If your only seeing 12v thats a pretty big drop on the wiring, and is exactly what fitting relay switched feeds is designed to fix! I wasn't running the engine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthdicky Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Have just got a set of these but I'm struggling to work out how the new plastic bowls fit! Does the single screw go at the bottom and the 2 adjusters sit at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock roughly? In which case I need to drill new holes for them and cut a few bits out of the headlight mounting to let the adjusters through? Any tips gratefully received, didn't think I'd have any problems fitting these to be honest! Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Have just got a set of these but I'm struggling to work out how the new plastic bowls fit! Does the single screw go at the bottom and the 2 adjusters sit at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock roughly? In which case I need to drill new holes for them and cut a few bits out of the headlight mounting to let the adjusters through? Any tips gratefully received, didn't think I'd have any problems fitting these to be honest! Rich Sure you've got them the right way round? the adjusters need to be top and side, or getting the beam alignment right will be a nightmare. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthdicky Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Another question, why have I bought plastic headlamp bowls? I got them as all the previous posts about them have mentioned them - are they necessary? My metal bowls aren't in that bad shape really and it would save a load of hassle trying to get these new ones to fit... Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthdicky Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 Cheers Errol, it's all just fallen into place! Didn't realise that an adjuster had to go at 9 and 12 o'clock, now looks like it'll fit the original holes too... Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35col Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 you need to rewire the headlights , fit 2 relays and then take a feed from the alternator to the relays , this then will give you same voltage at the headlights as the alternator puts out and will make the lights 3x as bright compared to original wiring etc . i used to see a maximum 11v at my headlights with the standard spec landrover wiring , and after rewiring from the alternator output and using 2 relays, i now have 14-17v and decent brightness just using 55/65w bulbs . you can switch the relays for dim or dip beam by using the original dip and main beam wires from just the passenger/alternator side of vehicle , ie using the 12v that the light switches produce , to energise the relays . the drivers side original wiring is just cut off and insulated with tape or heatshrink tube and is no longer used, unless you fit spot lamps and want to activate relays for them from that side of vehicle . I don't suppose anyones got a step by step guide to do this including wire colours etc.and what relays I need? Cheers Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
errol209 Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 I don't suppose anyones got a step by step guide to do this including wire colours etc.and what relays I need? Cheers Col Firstly, have you cleaned up all the bullet connector joints? They corrode quite badly, and its a good excercise in locating the wires. All the headlamp wiring (all four circuits) is blue and either pink, black orange or slate trace. These all come out behind the headlamps, one pair each side. Each of these needs a relay (four relays total) and each relay needs 60 / 12 = 5A of supply, so one 18A cable (use brown to stay with Landrover's colour scheme) each side will be plenty. The relays should be standard 30A items: With the brown feed from the battery (via a 10A fuse please) going to 30, 87 to the headlamp, 86 connected to the original line from the dashboard and 85 connected to earth. Rather than going to the alternator (which means that these relays are battery live ALL THE TIME, = big fat sparks) I'd either fit a battery isolator or arrange them to feed via a fifth relay triggered by the ignition, which has the advantage that you can't accidentally leave the headlights on and the ign. off. All in all, I think is a lot of arsing about when a bit of cleaning up will do quite a lot of good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
35col Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Firstly, have you cleaned up all the bullet connector joints? They corrode quite badly, and its a good excercise in locating the wires. All the headlamp wiring (all four circuits) is blue and either pink, black orange or slate trace. These all come out behind the headlamps, one pair each side. Each of these needs a relay (four relays total) and each relay needs 60 / 12 = 5A of supply, so one 18A cable (use brown to stay with Landrover's colour scheme) each side will be plenty. The relays should be standard 30A items: With the brown feed from the battery (via a 10A fuse please) going to 30, 87 to the headlamp, 86 connected to the original line from the dashboard and 85 connected to earth. Rather than going to the alternator (which means that these relays are battery live ALL THE TIME, = big fat sparks) I'd either fit a battery isolator or arrange them to feed via a fifth relay triggered by the ignition, which has the advantage that you can't accidentally leave the headlights on and the ign. off. All in all, I think is a lot of arsing about when a bit of cleaning up will do quite a lot of good. Thanks I'll measure some voltages first and have a clean up of some connectors and see where we are afer that Cheers Col Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniele Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Mine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romain Posted August 30, 2009 Share Posted August 30, 2009 Hello men's ! I've a question : on my 90 TD 1989, I've got a little problem. I buy cristal light to paddock, and when i put the glass, i've got a little movement of this in the support. Is anyone got this problem with this cristal light and how can i resolve it ? Thank you very much for your answers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinBoot Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 I have the same problem on my Defender TDCI, i'll buy now bowles from Wipac, so then they should be just fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Just been looking at changing my quadoptic headlights for a set of these crystal ones, I want the version with the side [pilot] light in, so maybe Santa will get me a set for xmas, I've got the plastic bowls already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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