THQ T6.1 headlights - beam pattern

tommy_t6.1

tommy_t6.1

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I've had the THQ headlights on my T6.1 for about 15 months now and love the way they look. I fitted some LED bulbs and all seemed good, although the actual light output wasn't the best I could live with it.

A few months ago I was driving at night in heavy rain and I couldn't see anything. This then led me to where I am now.

I upgraded my led bulbs to a higher lumen set and I did get slightly more light out of the headlamps, but the beam pattern was all over the place. I adjusted the bulbs as best I could but it still wasn't great.

I have now fitted a HID kit which should in theory give more light output (I'm assuming this to be true, I have now evidence to back this up haha)
With these fitted, it's the worst it's been up to now. Beam pattern all over the place and less light output!

Does anyone know if the projector bodies inside the headlights can be focused at all? The only adjust I can find is an up and down screw. To adjust the LED bulbs you are able to turn them slightly but there's no such adjustment with the HID kit.

Why didn't I spec factory LEDs! :(

Here's what the lights currently look like:
20240114_200558.jpg
 
Although this won’t help you, it makes me feel better about going for the temporary option and fitting leds to my existing H7. The beam pattern, light output on top of the cost saving looks to be a win win based on those photos.

IMG_5121.jpeg
 
I've contemplated going back to the oem headlights it's getting to me that much! I don't understand how a projector headlight is worse than the halogen/reflector ones!
 
Have you tried having them set up with a proper headlight alignment tool. This is how we do the job when we install THQ Headlights with LEDs and get great results. Plus it leaves us with us and the customer knowing the beam pattern is legal and MOT compliant.

There's 2 sets of beam heights depending on if the centre of the beam is above or below 850mm from the floor. Also the pattern changes as you lift and lower and as you move the beams in and out.

You'll also find there's separate adjustment for the main beam as they have a different target point to based on height and where the dipped beam is aligned to.

The garage wall method is ok as a loose guide but far from accurate and you'll never get them correct with having them aligned properly. Hence they use them at MOT centres.
 
tommy_t6.1 said:
I've had the THQ headlights on my T6.1 for about 15 months now and love the way they look. I fitted some LED bulbs and all seemed good, although the actual light output wasn't the best I could live with it.

A few months ago I was driving at night in heavy rain and I couldn't see anything. This then led me to where I am now.

I upgraded my led bulbs to a higher lumen set and I did get slightly more light out of the headlamps, but the beam pattern was all over the place. I adjusted the bulbs as best I could but it still wasn't great.

I have now fitted a HID kit which should in theory give more light output (I'm assuming this to be true, I have now evidence to back this up haha)
With these fitted, it's the worst it's been up to now. Beam pattern all over the place and less light output!

Does anyone know if the projector bodies inside the headlights can be focused at all? The only adjust I can find is an up and down screw. To adjust the LED bulbs you are able to turn them slightly but there's no such adjustment with the HID kit.

Why didn't I spec factory LEDs! :(

Here's what the lights currently look like:
View attachment 225461
Click to expand...
I feel your pain, I fitted the thq bulbs and then had my mot tester setup them welll and it still isn’t great I feel like I could make them Look better on a white wall. They deffo aren’t perfect and something from the bulb is near the floor by the bumper at night! Isn’t right I’m sure. Factory all day Long

T4goneby said:
Although this won’t help you, it makes me feel better about going for the temporary option and fitting leds to my existing H7. The beam pattern, light output on top of the cost saving looks to be a win win based on those photos.

View attachment 225476
Click to expand...
From that pic they look pretty decent to be fair
 
Dav-Tec said:
Have you tried having them set up with a proper headlight alignment tool. This is how we do the job when we install THQ Headlights with LEDs and get great results. Plus it leaves us with us and the customer knowing the beam pattern is legal and MOT compliant.

There's 2 sets of beam heights depending on if the centre of the beam is above or below 850mm from the floor. Also the pattern changes as you lift and lower and as you move the beams in and out.

You'll also find there's separate adjustment for the main beam as they have a different target point to based on height and where the dipped beam is aligned to.

The garage wall method is ok as a loose guide but far from accurate and you'll never get them correct with having them aligned properly. Hence they use them at MOT centres.
Click to expand...
That's my next port of call, cheers bud!

I'm just not sure how they will get it any better. I've used the adjuster screws on the back of the headlights, but it only raises and lowers the beam, doesn't seem to alter how the light is focused. I'll pop it on somewhere and see if they can do anything for me!
 
dandan88 said:
I feel your pain, I fitted the thq bulbs and then had my mot tester setup them welll and it still isn’t great I feel like I could make them Look better on a white wall. They deffo aren’t perfect and something from the bulb is near the floor by the bumper at night! Isn’t right I’m sure. Factory all day Long
Click to expand...
It's a bit of a poor show isn't it! I'll get it sorted one way or another. I won't let it beat me! Haha
 
To get the pattern right you need to use both sets of adjuster screws there's one for up and down and one for in and out plus with the LEDs the twist is there to get the light to bounce off the reflectors at the correct angle to give a light output.

Brighter bulbs won't do jack if the alignment is out as the light won't bounce around the reflector properly and then be focused by the prism to output the light where you need it.

THQ make excellent headlight but nothing like this ever works out the box.

I've just spent a considerable amount of money buying genuine factory xenon's with uprated Osram Xenarc lamps and the needed alignment out the box.

There's several variable with headlights as the fastening points the hold them in have adjustment to how the fitting sits in the recess. It's how body shops get the panel gaps equal around the light. If one of these is off buy say 3mm from another light installed in the same van as 20 meters the light could be 2m to the left for instance (haven't done the maths it's an example).

But you get my drift. If you want us to have a look and don't mind the drive pick which bulb option you want to continue using and bring it down.

Also changing from one lamp type to the other could require the alignment to be redone as the lamps are 2 different technologies and work in 2 different ways
 
That's brilliant bud. Yeah I'll take you up on that one! I knew there must be more adjustment!

I'll work out when I can get over, give you a shout and will get it booked in with you mate! Appreciate that!
 
That’s some really good info there from DavTec. From everything that THQ have shown previously it’s just been plug and play which is why there’s probably a few people in the same boat.

I’m still on the fence about the look of them which is why I’ve held off more than anything, almost want a set half way between the chrome and the black to look more OE.

Good to know there is plenty of adjustment though and would be keen to see some beam pictures after the adjustments as well.
 
I think that this issue here is that the headlights are designed for halogen bulbs. A halogen bulb emits light through 360°. Most LED bulbs emit light from two points opposite each other This means that the light isn't filling the reflector that sits behind the projector lens properly.

In another thread I tried all sorts of different bulbs and concluded that xenon/HIDs were the best option. This is because they emit light through 360° just like a halogen bulb.

There is an LED option that I never got round to trying out so perhaps someone else would like to take over where I left off and give these a go.
 
I went through the same thing! I ended up getting the HID kit from https://www.xenonbulbs.co.uk/ and it's night and day. I had to rotate the bulbs upside down because of the way the socket is lined up and it just cleaned up the beam pattern. I used a needle nose plier to give the metal ring a notch on the other side so it would sit flush.
 
By the way, do you HIDs flicker when you start/stop? My left one does and it's a bit annoying but I'm wondering if it's that's okay.
 
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