Light Upgrade Options

Hopefully this coming holidays i want to upgrade my lightng and saw that there where so many diff kinds of h4 sealed beem replacements.

http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sg...2&UREQC=3&UREQD=4&FNM=00&UID=2004111815324706

http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sg...2&UREQC=3&UREQD=4&FNM=00&UID=2004111815324706

http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sg...QA=1&UREQB=2&UREQC=3&UREQD=4&FNM=00&x=80&y=49

I also have heard of smething called hella e codes but cant seem to find anything about them.

I also understand with any of these a harness upgrade will be needed which isnt a probelm. I just need to find all the differences between these bulb systems as they are all the same price.

pete

There have been several posts about headlights recently, a search will reveal all.
PS There are other options such as silverstars at the autoparts store.
About half the cost of the ones you posted.

search


also, this should be in mod tech probably

There are, as you have seen, a few options... Let's see if I can muddy the waters for you a little more...

The Hella E-codes refer to a replacement reflector/lense assembly with a modified lighting pattern, typically used in Europe (therefore, E-code.) They are available from Susquehanna Motorsports (www.rallylights.com) and are NOT DoT approved, and you could "technically" get a ticket for running them. Having said that, I got a set about three years ago that I've been running with 90/130W bulbs and haven't had any trouble yet - touch wood.

A new lighting subharness is not, strictly speaking, required for an H4 installation, but it IS a good idea. If you plan on running anything hotter than stock, you really should do it (especially if you are going to go over 80W either way.) The idea is to provide a more direct power path from the battery, and to eliminate the bottleneck of the switch (as well as to prevent cooking switches with your new lights...)

I have Hella E-Codes in one XJ, and Hella Vision Plus in another, and both are much better than stock. I also like the fact that they are paying for themselves in replacements - check H4 prices at SMS. Even including shipping from PA, I'm doing quite well and I think I'm pretty close to "break-even" cost with all the night and mountain driving I do... My 90/130 H4 costs about a third as much as Silverstars do in stores here - and I like being able to keep spare headlights in the glove box!

It's kind of hard to answer you better without knowing where you're stuck, so how about you tell us specifically what you'd like to know and we can work from there? As I often have to tell my boys, "I'm psychotic, not psychic..."

5-90

To muddy even more, the headlight harness will also improve even the stock lighting by giving the stock sealed beams better voltage. The harness is on my 'list' of things to do....

Rich -
The easiest stuff I've found for doing lighting harnesses is 10/3 bulk extension cord with the REAL black rubber jacket. You get all three wires pulled at once, and you can just mark the end you are pulling for more than one lighting set. I've been doing it that way for years, and I've never had a failure or other problem - and it's easy to find, route, and handle...

5-90

5-90 said:

Rich -
The easiest stuff I've found for doing lighting harnesses is 10/3 bulk extension cord with the REAL black rubber jacket. You get all three wires pulled at once, and you can just mark the end you are pulling for more than one lighting set. I've been doing it that way for years, and I've never had a failure or other problem - and it's easy to find, route, and handle...

5-90

Click to expand...

Sounds good, but is it rated for basically a hostile environment, hot/cold/very hot/very cold continous cycles. Maybe put it in that plastic conduit might help. I was planning on using 10ga automotive stranded or 8 ga, both of which I have several 100ft rolls of left over from when I built the wiring harness from scratch on my 69 WIllys wagon. I just did my electrical work on monday, removed all the relays, cleaned the pins, pulled the headlights, cleaned the sockets and plugs with a burnishing tool and re-dielectric'ed them all. Did a quick voltage check at the HL plugs and I'm getting 12.2V engine off/key on there at the sockets, should have fired it up and checked again but I was in a hurry. I think I'm going to jig up a piece of 1x4 and build it there first after stringing some wire to get the distances, then install it after I have it all done and sealed up.

Really the harness isnt an issue, they can be bought on ebay for less than 15 $ shipped or can be made.

My question as far as the hellas is what really is the difference between the vision plus and the e codes ? I have heard they are both better than the stock ones but what diffrentiates them and makes them better ?

Also what is the diff between the IPF ones they are both under 40$, and look alike ???

Are they all glass or plastic ?

thx pete