stricky Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 OK, if I have halogen headlamp units are these things much of an improvement? anyone tried upgrading the lights?http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-TRIUMPH-TR7-75-81-XENON-HEADLIGHT-BULBS-HID-SET_W0QQitemZ330218688043QQihZ014QQcategoryZ72235QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne S Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Stricky, DONT BOTHER they are cheap imitations of the proper white light units that require a proper adaptor unit to be fitted and are not anywhere near as effective. I bought some and took them out again.Your best bet is to buy the white light ones from Halfords, the best being their "Rally" Xenon ones in a red box. These are not strictly road legal due to being 100W in power but work a real treat and dont dazzle anyone with the lense set up in a TR7. Halfords have an alternative 55W Xenon white light range as well but make sure you buy the H4 socket arrangement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TR Tony Posted March 10, 2008 Share Posted March 10, 2008 Stricky, I fitted the halogen light conversion to my car & put the 55W Xenon type H4 bulbs in. Well pleased with the set up, a real improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beans Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 I use Bedford army truck units (continental version ;D) with 55/65W H4 halogen bulbs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rust Restorer Posted March 11, 2008 Share Posted March 11, 2008 Stricky, i agree, these are cheap c--p, I have reported a similar dealer to ebay as he would not return money when I told him the lights where worse than standard Rimmer Halogens. I bit the bullet and bought 55w Osram bulbs, expensive, but a fantastic improvement, beware putting 100w in without a relay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricky Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 many thanks for the 'heads up' chaps.....I'll steer clear of 'em. Quite fancy the idea of the 100w ones from halfords......do you need to change the wiring or fit a relay to cope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne S Posted March 12, 2008 Share Posted March 12, 2008 Ive had no problems with 100W Stricky. They are Xenons of the red "Rally" type variety sold by Halfords. This means the current draw is roughly the same as a standard 55W Halogen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricky Posted March 12, 2008 Author Share Posted March 12, 2008 cheers Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rust Restorer Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 Stricky, I am told that the Lucas Headlight switch and main/dip tend to arc quite heavily when more current is put through them, and soon wear out, hence reason for relay, although I have looked at wiring diagram and cannot work out? There are some good threads on TriumphTR7.com ref headlights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beans Posted March 13, 2008 Share Posted March 13, 2008 I used to have 330W over the original light switch without a problem (2x 65W beams and 2x 100W driving lights and no relay).Well ... the alternator couldn't cope, but the switch survived. They are actually rather good. Just clean them now and then and lightly lubricate them with a conductive grease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stricky Posted April 3, 2008 Author Share Posted April 3, 2008 how about this ??http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ROVER-TRIUMPH-TR7-75-81-XENON-5000K-HID-KIT_W0QQitemZ280214844896QQihZ018QQcategoryZ72235QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chriss Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 StickyI have had the light switches apart several times and as Theo says they are good and tough when cleaned and greased with conductive grease. It's the rest of the system I do not trust. Fitting an HID system will be quite tough. I am about to embark upon this in my road Saab C900. Wayne's suggestion is a good one. Low cost, low risk and low effort. But the light you put out is wasted unless it is properly directed. Most halogen conversion lamps can either be adjusted to give a good dipped beam or a good main beam, but not both on the same setting. I have fitted Cibie 7" headlamps in my TR7 and they will give good dip and main from the same setting. They are availible from Deemon Tweeks at about £40 a pair. Fitted with the bulbs Wayne suggests they should be very good and reasonable value. You should not need other auxilliary lamps and taking only 55w per bulb they will be reliable and not over stress the system.I have fitted PIAA Extreem White Plus bulbs in mine, 130w equiv output, 55w power drawn, and they are as good as you can get without going to HID, but the PIAA bulbs are silly money, also from Deemon Tweeks.Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beans Posted April 3, 2008 Share Posted April 3, 2008 Another solution worth investigating are the light units from todays Land Rover Defenders. Still have the same diameter as the TR7 lights but much more effective reflectors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gordon kerr Posted April 7, 2008 Share Posted April 7, 2008 Chriss wrote:Fitting an HID system will be quite tough. I am about to embark upon this in my road Saab C900.ChrisChrisRe the above thought you might be interested in this quote from the DfT via a Land Rover mailing list via a Skoda forum :o<quote> The Department cannot provide an authoritative interpretation of the law; that is a matter for the courts. In the Department's view it is not legal to sell or use after market HID lighting kits, for converting conventional Halogen headlamps to HID Xenon. If a customer wants to convert his vehicle to Xenon HID he must purchase completely new Xenon HID headlamps. The reason for this is that the existing lens and reflector are designed around a Halogen filament bulb, working to very precise tolerances. If one places a HID "burner" (bulb) in the headlamp, the beam pattern will not be correct, there will be glare in some places and not enough light in other places within the beam pattern. The Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989 (RVLR) regulate the situation in the UK.Under these Regulations, HID/Gas Discharge/Xenon headlamps are not mentioned and therefore they are not permitted according to the strict letter of the law. However new vehicles have HID headlamps. This is because they comply to European type approval Regulations. The UK cannot refuse to register a vehicle with a European type approval. These are to ECE Regulation 98 (for the HID headlamps which are tested on a rig in a laboratory) and ECE Regulation 48 (Lighting Installation on the vehicle). For the after market, a used vehicle cannot obtain type approval because it is only applicable for new vehicles. However we feel that saying "HID is banned in the after market" would not be reasonable. Instead we should make analogies with new vehicles. It would be reasonable to require HID in the after market to meet the same safety standards as on new vehicles. Therefore a HID headlamp unit sold in the after market should: 1. be type approved to ECE Regulation 98 as a component; 2. when fitted to the vehicle should enable ECE Regulation 48 to be complied with; 3. Comply with RVLR as far as "use" is concerned. In practice this means: (a) the headlamp unit (outer lens, reflector, bulb) shall be type approved to ECE 98 and be "e-marked" to demonstrate this. That can only be done by the headlamp supplier - Hella, Valeo etc. who must test the headlamp in an independent laboratory (NB a headlamp originally fitted with a halogen bulb will not have ECE 98 approval so a HID bulb cannot be installed in these lamps); (b) once fitted to the vehicle it must have headlamp cleaning and self-levelling (which can be for the headlamp or can be in the vehicle suspension - some cars have "self-levelling suspension" and that is adequate). Also the dipped beam must stay on with the main beam. (c) the headlamp must be maintained in good working order, kept clean, and aligned/adjusted correctly like any other headlamp. Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are not legal. In summary it is not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlamp unit for use with HID bulbs. The entire headlamp unit must be replaced with one designed and approved for use with HID bulbs and it must be installed in accordance with the rules stated above. Yours sincerely Jillian Smith DfT - Transport Technology and Standards <end quote> Seems they are not happy with the idea of "home made" HID conversions to vehicles which were not originally fitted with them. Just thought it might be useful to be aware of this view (if you weren't already) before you do too much work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rust Restorer Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Beans, thanks, but sorry, not that one, must have been on the other forum, I think the bulbs I have are OK, but the reflective surface of the Rimmers units seems to diffuse the dipped beam, they seemed OK last winter, but have deteriated this year. They where deffo mini ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne S Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Gordon, that excerpt is really interesting. I was sorely tempted by the HID conversion kit that you can now buy for H4 light units. This would seem that the kit is in fact illegal unless someone can make a light lense unit to go with it.Thay have recently appeared on ebay too. Thats enough for me to stick with my xenons for now and to be honest they are pretty good. The land rover defender light unit is a very good idea i'll try...Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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