Weak headlights? What upgrades have you done?

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by Deucenut

Yes I mean what vehicle were the lights originally from? And how do you find that out?

I would first search for that on this forum.
If you don't get a hit, then look at the headlights. There may be a DOT number embossed on the lens. A google lookup might find the match. There may also be a OE number on the back of the headlight housing to try to match.

The RV OE's parts department might be able to help.

Lacking any help there, cops and car enthusiasts are pretty good at identifying lights.

[Deucenut]

Originally Posted by Dav L

Lacking any help there, cops and car enthusiasts are pretty good at identifying lights.

Ok now that made me laugh cause I’m both and still don’t know what they are from. Lol.

Here’s a pic of the front end. The lights aren’t really in a car housing.

[Deucenut]

No idea why the photo is sideways and I can’t fix it. Sorry guys.

[bross4153]

There is a recall on Newmar motorhomes, having to do with when the switch for high beams is activated, both high and low beams should be on, they are not. I have an appt to have mine fixed.

[Dav L]

Those look like Hella 90mm projectors (car enthusiast, not a cop)

That's just a guess, but if you search for that, you will get some hits of very similar looking lenses....and your housings since they look like projectors are probably pretty good. You might just need to upgrade the bulb. Remove the bulb from the backside and post a picture of that so you know if it's a H1, a H11 etc style.

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-0081930.../dp/B00062ZYNK

[Deucenut]

Originally Posted by Dav L

Those look like Hella 90mm projectors (car enthusiast, not a cop)

That's just a guess, but if you search for that, you will get some hits of very similar looking lenses....and your housings since they look like projectors are probably pretty good. You might just need to upgrade the bulb. Remove the bulb from the backside and post a picture of that so you know if it's a H1, a H11 etc style.

https://www.amazon.com/HELLA-0081930.../dp/B00062ZYNK

The lense does say Hella on it. You are correct. Are those aftermarket to begin with?

[TriMoot]

Originally Posted by Dav L

I would first search for that on this forum.
If you don't get a hit, then look at the headlights. There may be a DOT number embossed on the lens. A google lookup might find the match. There may also be a OE number on the back of the headlight housing to try to match.

The RV OE's parts department might be able to help.

Lacking any help there, cops and car enthusiasts are pretty good at identifying lights.

So, I looked on the lens and came up with SAE HRI2P 95LN, which when I googled it, it came up with a 95 Lincoln Town Car. Other numbers on it were, FORD HB5 12V 14H.

Now, I'm assuming I would have to then remove the bulb and get a number off that? Once I have that, how do I figure out which LED replacement / kit I should get?

Appreciate the help folks.

Update: So I just went to Amazon and put in those numbers along with adding a 1995 Lincoln Town car to my Amazon Garage, and they said this one will work:

https://goo.gl/819z9B

But I think I saw somewhere (in this post?) that 4500K is the better 'color'. I see this one is 6500K. Is that right? Should I be looking for 4500K?

Also, is it as simple and removing the old bulb and putting in a new one? (sorry..I'm reading a bunch of reviews about these but it doesn't appear to be clear how this works)

Thanks.

[Stuart W]

Is it possible that headlights can only aim so high and still be legal, and we sit quite a bit above the beam? I believe that this is at least part of the problem. My older eyes don’t do well driving at night, so I avoid in my cars, motorcycles and most of all my RV.

[Dav L]

Hella is a manufacturer of lighting. They do higher end OE light modules, and good quality aftermarket / racing lighting systems. Good stuff.

There looks to be two projector assys. A small diameter one, and a larger. Certainly one is a Low beam, and the other is a High beam. It's possible the Low is a LOW / HIGH combination. Turn the lights on and flip from Low to High and tell us which beams come on under what condition.

So, I will assume you don't need to replace the projector itself, but only the bulb. So, put a jack stand under the frame, shimmy under and figure out how to remove the bulb. Usually it will just quarter twist counter clockwise, or there will be a latch to secure the bulb into the projector assy.

Once you have the bulb out, do NOT touch the glass. The oil from your skin will cause the bulb to burn out once reinstalled.

Take a picture of the bulb and the connector and post it. That will indicate what type of bulb it is.

I suspect the easiest to upgrade to will be LED. But let's see what you have now. Once we know that, then we will know if you need revised wiring harnesses, revised lighting controllers, ignitors, or just simply the bulbs. Usually just the bulbs.

I recommend color warmth around 5000 - 5500K for headlights. Any higher and the bulb will look blue (unless that's what you want).

StuartW - aiming is critical. Legally the headlights can't be too low or too high from the road surface. Higher is better for driving lights ( I think it's 43" max). Lower is better for fog lights. The position of the driver isn't the issue. Projector housings are the best. They concentrate the available light from the bulb evenly with a wide width and a very sharp cutoff horizontally so the oncoming traffic isn't blinded by the super bright bulb. For Low / High beam units, there is a solenoid the flips a gate down to block the top of the bulb for Low beam.

Here is how I upgraded my old fashioned incandescent lights to projectors
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f103/head...de-387578.html
Going to add some 90mm Hella low beams as well next.

[CUME91]

Originally Posted by bross4153

There is a recall on Newmar motorhomes, having to do with when the switch for high beams is activated, both high and low beams should be on, they are not. I have an appt to have mine fixed.

I have the same recall on my new 2018 Bay Star (RSB 505). I took it in to my local dealer where the coach was purchased and had the recall work done and they still don't work as described in the recall notice. Both high beams and low beams do NOT illuminate concurrently when high beams are selected.

Dealer is clueless. They said they would call newmar for instructions and there is no evidence they ever did so I called Newmar. Bringing coach back next week for round 2 to see if this fixes the recall.

I want this recall addressed, but I bought LED upgrade bulbs from M4 anyway and will install myself once recall is cleared.

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by CUME91

I have the same recall on my new 2018 Bay Star (RSB 505). I took it in to my local dealer where the coach was purchased and had the recall work done and they still don't work as described in the recall notice. Both high beams and low beams do NOT illuminate concurrently when high beams are selected.

Dealer is clueless. They said they would call newmar for instructions and there is no evidence they ever did so I called Newmar. Bringing coach back next week for round 2 to see if this fixes the recall.

I want this recall addressed, but I bought LED upgrade bulbs from M4 anyway and will install myself once recall is cleared.

I gotta believe that the recall is just a Y harness to take the High beam juice and route it to the Low beam bulb. How the dealer is messing that one up is beyond me...usually recall technical service bulletins are pretty clear. Not to mention easy to test that it's working the way its supposed to be. Sounds like they assigned the tire rotation technician to the job...

[travelinJ]

There is a tremendous amount of information, some good, on the Internet about headlights. I have found a basic primer that discusses the basics which may allow you to make a better decision when it comes to headlight changes.

https://www.vehicode.com/blog/the-co...ght-bulbs.html

All LEDS and HIDs are not created equal so you need to understand the information supplied with the products and what information might be missing.

I have found that a 6000 Kelvin producing 7300 lumen LED bulb set in standard DOT approved halogen lens makes reflective road signs almost unreadable until you are very close. Consequently I am searching for projector lens and 4800 K HID bulbs from an OEM supplier like Philips.

See video for an example

[Dav L]

Originally Posted by JoeHogan

I have found that a 6000 Kelvin producing 7300 lumen LED bulb set in standard DOT approved halogen lens makes reflective road signs almost unreadable until you are very close. Consequently I am searching for projector lens and 4800 K HID bulbs from an OEM supplier like Philips.

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/pr...universal.html

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by tjZ06

Have you ever driven I-5 from south of Sacramento to just north of LA?
You really don't have to try to lecture me.

Bottom line: I don't think it's slightly reasonable to expect that you can't do 55 MPH on a flat, straight road in a 2017 vehicle that is legal for highway use because of the headlights.

Drove I-5 just last fall going 65 in the MH at night. This old guy did not have a problem seeing with the MH headlights.

First time I-5 at night was before TJ was born. I was a young sailor coming from Long Beach to Mare Island. The headlight were installed with baling wire on my POS '64 Impala. The CHP made me take them in and have them tested. They were properly adjsuted.

TJ is right I should not have to lecture him. I suspect that TJ suffered from a lack of hearing BS from older adult males. My father was at Pearl Harbor in 1941 and my FIW lied about his age to join navy at 15.

BS!

On the score of being passed by trucks I prefer that they get by me quick. If I am driving a car I will not get trapped beside a truck. I hang back until the car in front of me past then I accelerate and get around.

Since TJ thinks his headlights are not safe but has not filed a complaint, my BS meter is pegged.