The headlights on my car are a bit dim. With darker nights approaching I sometimes find myself coming home in the dark and need more light. I don't want anything fancy. What's the best plug in replacement H4 bulb to get?

I just bought some cheap uprated ones from eBay, same wattage (allegedly) but a bit of a blue coating to give a whiter light. Seems to work.

I briefly considered proper HID's but they really need projector style lights and its extra weight and cost for only really a few times a year when I'm driving it in the proper dark.

They were under a tenner for a pair inc post IIRC.

Or you can spend about 25quid on some Phillips equivalents from Halfrauds etc.

I had some naughty 'off road' ones from Halfrauds in my car when I got it. Very bright, very blue, lovely vision. Sadly one blew so I replaced them with legal equivalents - not nearly as good despite claiming to be uprated!

Practical classics did a review recently of H4 bulbs and Ring Ultra Xenon came out on top. Good price, very bright and legal etc.

try SVC i just got some 5 3/4 Headlamps from them they do a Xenon gas filled H4 type bulb upgrade for them, Cost me an extra tenner.
Steve.

Watch out for the uprated ones which can draw nearly 20 Amps

There are quite a few HID conversions around but these are best suited to single filament bulbs like the H7. These give (allegedly) three times the light for half the power...... I haven't plucked up the courage to order one yet

We stock the Osram Xenon filled H4 that Osram advertise as 50% brighter light "On the Road". Fully "E" marked and drawing the same current as your standard H4, I have these in my cars and even the sVc van!
In mag. tests the Phipips and Osram are genrally the best with Osram leading slightly.
You can get 80% brighter but I wouldn't as the bulb life is dramatically reduced AND, the clue is in the advertising phrase - X % brighter light "on the road".

The way they do this is to consentrate the beam in a narrower pattern in front of the car and reduce the amount of light to each side.
Now you need this light when approaching corners, and for illuminating the sides of the road.
Hope this helps

Steve @ sVc

Or put lamps on the roll bar like Crocodile dundee...

Osram Silver Star H4's are very twinkly white.. much better than OE H4s,

I think I got a pair for about £12.

if your headlamps are connected directly to 12 V via stalk swithes, then may be an idea to use relay to switch them.

With Land Rover stalks - dunno what you are using but may be similar - the contacts are very puny and will drop a volt or so (I know, coz I measured it) hance the relay.

quote:

---

Originally posted by takumi
Osram Silver Star H4's are very twinkly white.. much better than OE H4s,

---

I noticed that too. Had a pair of Philips 50% brighter bulbs in an Escort. After about three or four years I replaced them with cheap bulbs from wilko as they weren't very satisfactory by the end and the four quid wilko bulbs turned out to be a great improvement.

Comparing new with new though the Philips would have been brighter I guess.