Which headlights do I have?

[n10n]

Osram has these bulbs listed as street legal led replacements. Looking at product details of H4’s they state this:



Looking at www.osram.com/nb-led it does not list UK as having approval

 

[ginkster]

Osram has these bulbs listed as street legal led replacements. Looking at product details of H4’s they state this:

View attachment 223932

Looking at www.osram.com/nb-led it does not list UK as having approval

There is no UK approval. LED or HID bulbs cannot be fitted in existing halogen headlights and will be an MOT failure. You may get lucky and pass but that is just the tester doing a crap job! Quote from MOT regs:

Existing halogen headlamp units on vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1986 must not be converted to be used with high intensity discharge (HID) or light emitting diode (LED) bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp for light source and lamp not compatible.

This does not refer to complete replacement headlamp units which may be constructed with HID or LED light sources.

 

[Chris1983]

Hi,

Not too sure how to post ‘wanted’/ purchase stuff from forum.

I’ve done a bit of searching but only seem to end up in other peoples ‘wanted’ threads.

Essentially.

Looking for h7 headlamps for 2016 birch over highline t6.

I am sure I am the millionth person complaining about h4 (I think I have these as a) can barely see at night) and b) have the little chrome insert that is congruous with the chrome part of front grille.

Pic attached if someone can confirm these are indeed h4?

I think the current h4 just swap out with plug and play (no errors popping up etc).

Can someone advise? Signpost me onwards?

BW all,

Chris

 

[T6ChrisO]

Welcome along,

I think you need to be a paid memeber to view/post in the For Sale/Wanted section of the forum.

Its well worth the membership fee, this forum is great at spending your money!

 

[Chris1983]

So, can someone confirm these are h4 headlights?

If so, I understand MOT ‘okay’ upgrade options are:

-Caravelle H7

Versus THQ as an eg V3 as a plug and play option. (Bumper off pre fit etc).

Am I correct?

What is the likely cost of sourcing if self fit? Have to do something about these woeful ‘candles’.

Bw

Chris

 

[Sackmycook]

H4's yes

 

[Chris1983]

Danka

Truly a dreadful headlamp!

Are the options open to me understood correctly? Any ideas on costings?

 

[Sackmycook]

H7's can be sourced used for £100-200, but the odd pair may be listed incorrectly and can go for £50.
DIY fit is easy, bumper off, light out and in, bumper on.....code for high and low beam to work together on high beam. Many have done this.....

There are companies that could supply and fit factory LED lights, but you're looking at north of £3k

 

[Chris1983]

Presumably better than h4’s, is the jump to THQ’s much better again? About £600 ish we think?!

Ouch at 3k

 

[Sackmycook]

Aftermarket units like from THQ, are very popular and your looking around £300-400 a set I believe.....

You can put brighter bulbs in the H4's for £-30.....will show some improvement

 

[Chris1983]

Done that via Halfords, can’t really see much difference in country roads etc

 

[Ads_Essex]

.. I understand MOT ‘okay’ upgrade options are:

-Caravelle H7

- THQ as an eg V3 as a plug and play option. (Bumper off pre fit etc).

Am I correct?
..

You can put brighter bulbs in the H4's for £-30.....will show some improvement

Done that via Halfords, can’t really see much difference in country roads etc

Then it sounds like OEM / aftermarket H7’s or retrofit the OEM LED headlamps.

 

[ginkster]

So, can someone confirm these are h4 headlights?

If so, I understand MOT ‘okay’ upgrade options are:

-Caravelle H7

Versus THQ as an eg V3 as a plug and play option. (Bumper off pre fit etc).

Am I correct?

What is the likely cost of sourcing if self fit? Have to do something about these woeful ‘candles’.

Bw

Chris

View attachment 225183

As mentioned they are H4. You are correct on the potential MOT compliant options plus a full OEM LED upgrade (£££££!). I went the H7 route and am very happy with the performance, both dipped and main are much better than the H4. The lights are somewhat hard to come by and normally go for about £150 but bargains are out there if you look closely. I got mine for £70 off Marketplace (including all bulbs) and managed to sell my old H4s for £35 on eBay so total cost to change was dead cheap. I decided to put new bulbs in (inc LED DRL) while the lights were out but that wasn’t essential. Fitting is a sub 2 hour job including bumper removal. The van then needs coding so the H7s operate as designed with the dipped staying on when main beam is selected. This is a 5 min job with Carista Beta or VCDS etc.

I’ve not tried the THQ lights on a Transporter but inherently the projector lens will rob a bit of performance from a bulb* so to get the best out of them the norm seems to be to fit LED bulbs in the dipped beam. That would strictly be non-MOT compliant, but as the bulb is hidden (unlike H4 or 7) I reckon you would be unlucky to be failed. The regs were only changed a year or two ago so time will tell how strictly this is enforced. Fitting is the same procedure as the H7s (inc coding) but they will cost considerably more, even secondhand. Budget maybe £3-400ish secondhand and £5-600 new.

* the halogens projectors on my old Z4 where truly shocking as were Vauxhall ones on work cars.

 

[Chris1983]

As mentioned they are H4. You are correct on the potential MOT compliant options plus a full OEM LED upgrade (£££££!). I went the H7 route and am very happy with the performance, both dipped and main are much better than the H4. The lights are somewhat hard to come by and normally go for about £150 but bargains are out there if you look closely. I got mine for £70 off Marketplace (including all bulbs) and managed to sell my old H4s for £35 on eBay so total cost to change was dead cheap. I decided to put new bulbs in (inc LED DRL) while the lights were out but that wasn’t essential. Fitting is a sub 2 hour job including bumper removal. The van then needs coding so the H7s operate as designed with the dipped staying on when main beam is selected. This is a 5 min job with Carista Beta or VCDS etc.

I’ve not tried the THQ lights on a Transporter but inherently the projector lens will rob a bit of performance from a bulb* so to get the best out of them the norm seems to be to fit LED bulbs in the dipped beam. That would strictly be non-MOT compliant, but as the bulb is hidden (unlike H4 or 7) I reckon you would be unlucky to be failed. The regs were only changed a year or two ago so time will tell how strictly this is enforced. Fitting is the same procedure as the H7s (inc coding) but they will cost considerably more, even secondhand. Budget maybe £3-400ish secondhand and £5-600 new.

* the halogens projectors on my old Z4 where truly shocking as were Vauxhall ones on work cars.

Amazing response (and those above) thank you.

Where do you reckon best place to source h7 units?

Are there any pitfalls I need to be wary of in securing ‘correct’ units?

Many thanks all

And would be happy to pay £150 to ‘not crash’ is there a ‘shop’ on this forum? Someone mentions prior need to pay to access?

Am I searching just for ‘caravelle h7 units’ ?

 

[Sackmycook]

There are 2 versions of the Oem H7s. The early ones from 2015-2018 will have the DRL bulb holder, prone to burning out. The later ones, 2018- on will have the newer bulb holders which solved that issue. The part number for the units ends in a letter, A B C D E etc.....A is earlier, E is later if you get my drift.....
There is lots of info on this forum, try a search for more info....

 

[Chris1983]

Thank you. Do I assume both will fit my 2016 t6?

Thanks again

 

[Sackmycook]

Yes

H4 To H7 Upgrade

I've got similar, the driving lights are always on for me, though it's more about seeing the side of the road for suicidal wildlife (lots of roos and wombats particularly on the way to the ski fields) than caring too much about the dark patch just in front of the van (if you're looking there...

www.t6forum.com

 

[Chris1983]

Thank you, will set to trawling!

 

[ginkster]

Amazing response (and those above) thank you.

Where do you reckon best place to source h7 units?

Are there any pitfalls I need to be wary of in securing ‘correct’ units?

Many thanks all

Keep a look on eBay and marketplace etc plus the forum. You need to know what you are looking for as the best bargains are either mis-labelled or the seller has no clue what they have. Widen your search wording to catch these. There is a thread on here (something like H4 to H7 Upgrade) that has pictures showing how to tell the difference. The clue is the position of the side light bulb and the lack of dimpled DRL reflector.

There is a potential issue with the earlier H7s with the DRL bulb holder melting. These can be replaced with the updated version or newer lights (approx 2018 I think) are already upgraded. Other than that make sure they are undamaged.

To put a wanted post on here you need to be a VIP member. Well worth the small fee.

Good luck.

Edit: Sackmycook has added a link to the main thread

 

[Chris1983]

Any way of telling whether these are correct? Found on FB marketplace local to me but cannot fathom if correct (eg not ‘melty’ or even H4/ t6.1 etc?