question about 6054 headlights

[leee]

With 6054 bulbs, is it possible to have both the low beam and the high beam on at the same time without burning out the light because it's getting too hot? I've done it with 9006 bulbs with no problem, but I don't know about the 6054s.

I think I have the Xtravision bulbs Sylvania makes. They are pretty good actually. I have rewired the headlights with 10gauge wires so that they get full voltage --- something I can highly recommend.

 

[-Virgil-]

Two-filament halogen headlamp burners (such as the ones in an H6054) are pressurized to about 10 atmospheres. They are not engineered to handle the heat or the current load on the filament support lead of burning both filaments at the same time for more than short periods during beam change or headlight flashing. Doing so runs the risk of the bulb exploding inside the headlight, destroying it. Running the lows together with the highs can only be done safely if the lows are produced by different bulbs than the highs.

The Xtravision sealed beams are junk. Poor optics and sloppy focus. Get GE Night Hawk H6054NH instead, it's much better focused and uses axial filaments instead of transverse for better optical efficiency. Amazon.com seems to have them on permanent sale for $20 apiece. Or get some good H4s (shop carefully, there are more bad ones than good ones out there).

The rewire with heavy-gauge wire and relays is a good idea, many cars have a lot of voltage drop in the factory headlight circuit.

 

[Vinniec5]

Hella makes a 6054 glass lamp with replaceable H-4 assy If thats what your looking for. But the Ge's Scheinwerfermann recommended are excellent too. What vehicle are we talking about? Is it a Jeep Cherokee?

 

[leee]

Doing so runs the risk of the bulb exploding inside the headlight, destroying it. Running the lows together with the highs can only be done safely if the lows are produced by different bulbs than the highs.

Thanks! I already thought it would probably not work, so I didn't make it so that they can come on together, and I'll leave it as it is.

The Xtravision sealed beams are junk.

Well, they make the best light I have had on a car yet --- part of which is due to them being pretty high above the road. And they are cheap.

Poor optics and sloppy focus.

The focus is sloppy, yes. They shine a lot of light to the sides, and the beam pattern on the front could be better. They are probably losing a lot of light by that which could be used much better.

Get GE Night Hawk H6054NH instead, it's much better focused and uses axial filaments instead of transverse for better optical efficiency. Amazon.com seems to have them on permanent sale for $20 apiece. Or get some good H4s (shop carefully, there are more bad ones than good ones out there).

Hm ... Perhaps the best option is to get the replacements Hella makes (about $45 each), allowing you to use a H4 bulb instead. I was told they are pretty good --- but I'm doubtful about H4 bulbs and about Hella. It seems to me that Hella used to have great quality years ago (20?), and that's where their reputation comes from. They still have good quality lights, but the price for those is just ridiculous. I've had a few of their lights and was disappointed both with the quality and the performance.

As to H4 bulbs, I've never seen a headlight with those that made really good light. Best I've seen was on a '93 Mercedes 300D: The beam pattern was really nice, but because the light was spread rather wide, it was overall too dim.

And I've had bad experience with the bulbs that are more blueish or otherwise are supposed to provide more output. Some of them last only about a month; the best was 1/2 year. I don't buy those anymore.

The rewire with heavy-gauge wire and relays is a good idea, many cars have a lot of voltage drop in the factory headlight circuit.

Yeah, the manufacturers are trying to save on the wiring too much. I measured the voltage on the stock wires while I rewired them: only 11V without the bulb connected, and my cheap voltmeter shows about 15.8V when it's actually 14.4V. So with the stock wiring, they might get only 8--9V.


Hm. Are those Hella replacements really good and better than those Nighthawks? I think I'd rather spend the money on the Hella replacements than another $40 on 6054s.

 

[-Virgil-]

The Hella H4 conversion is well made with quality materials, but its performance is pretty weak; the peak intensity is low and located unreasonably far down and to the right, so seeing distance is short. Also, the beam is unreasonably narrow. Also, there's a lot of vertical separation between the low and high beams; you wind up having to pick when aiming between setting the low beams or setting the high beams optimally. Sure, the cutoff is sharp, but the light distribution under the cutoff is much more important than the cutoff sharpness. If it's a choice between the GE Night Hawks or the Hella H4s, the Night Hawks will give you better seeing for less money.

Cibie or Bosch or Koito H4s are also well made with quality materials, but their optics are better focused and their beam performance is better than the Hella units. Comparing these three brands to the Night Hawk, you start getting more into the range of deciding whether you'd rather have an American or a European beam pattern, rather than deciding between a good headlamp and a poor one. There have been plenty of good H4 headlamps over the years, and lots of bad ones, too. It really still all comes back to the basic principle that good lights are good and bad lights are bad.

And of course, whatever headlights you wind up with, it's totally critical that they be aimed carefully and correctly for their type and mounting height. Stern's got a detailed writeup with diagrams here.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

+1 for aiming, replaced my headlights, output was awful, but when you aim them properly it's amazing how much better it looks on the road. even a degree or two seems to make quite a difference

 

[leee]

Thanks! What I'm after in this case is the better performance. I'm fine with the American beam pattern, and if I understand you right that the Nighthawks have as good a light as the H4 replacements, I could get a pair of those. I like sealed beams: Easy to replace, way cheaper than replacing a headlight when they are broken, and no moisture or dirt can get in because they are sealed.

But I'm seeing that they are rated for only 150/320 hours at 12.8V![1] And the low beam has only 35W?

They'll be getting about 14.4V and probably won't last long. I drive with the lights on almost all the time, i. e. day and night. For that, 35W instead of 55W is an advantage, but I'll have to find them locally because I do need a warranty on them.


[1]: http://genet.gelighting.com/LightPr...ODE=25097&BreadCrumbValues=CATG,_Lamps_Sealed Beam_Rectangular_200mm&SearchFieldCode=null

[2]: http://genet.gelighting.com/LightPr...TS&DOC=Product_Sell_Sheet_13183_nighthawk.pdf

 

[leee]

+1 for aiming, replaced my headlights, output was awful, but when you aim them properly it's amazing how much better it looks on the road. even a degree or two seems to make quite a difference

Hmm, ok, the instructions are really good. The problem will be to find a wall with level ground I could use. They just don't make parking lots and the like level around here.

Every shop in Germany has an aiming device. These don't seem to exist at all in the US.

 

[-Virgil-]

But I'm seeing that they are rated for only 150/320 hours at 12.8V![1] And the low beam has only 35W?

All H6054s except the Night Hawk have a 35w low beam. The H6054NH is a 65/55w (high/low beam) lamp. I know because that's what's inkstamped on the back of them (and because that's what my Fluke clamp-on ammeter shows when I power them on the test bench).

I'll have to find them locally because I do need a warranty on them.

My, you're, um, quite concerned with warranties. They're headlamps. They're going to burn out. They're consumable items. Live with it.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

perhaps what he is getting at is that he will overuse them, so chances are if the lifetime estimates are correct, he may possibly get free replacements. Or he's just paranoid. Personally, I think of warranties as kill-switch activators ;-)

 

[dandism]

Hella H4s are the best upgrade IMO. I have them on my MR2 and love them. I have a spare set, pm me if you are interested.

-Dan

 

[leee]

All H6054s except the Night Hawk have a 35w low beam. The H6054NH is a 65/55w (high/low beam) lamp. I know because that's what's inkstamped on the back of them (and because that's what my Fluke clamp-on ammeter shows when I power them on the test bench).

Sounds good --- and it might explain how the manufacturer of the vehicle could get away with the poor wiring. I was looking at [1], there it says they are 35W. Perhaps they are mistaken with the hour rating as well?

My, you're, um, quite concerned with warranties. They're headlamps. They're going to burn out. They're consumable items. Live with it.

Yeah, warranties can be useful. I've had 9006 bulbs that lasted only a very short time, like 6 or 8 weeks, and that really sucks. It got to the point where I was stopped by the police because one of the headlight bulbs was burned out and I couldn't find a replacement anywhere under EUR 25 (for only one). It's out of the question to spend like EUR 200+ every year on headlight bulbs because they keep burning out in short time. I finally found a place selling 9006s from Beru for EUR 10 each, and those were even better than all the other ones I had before, and they lasted way longer. It's not like I could print my own money and pay with that for things.

Headlight beams need to last at least one year --- and even that isn't much. Buy them at walmart, and they'll take them back and give you new ones; I've done that once with a set because the high beams didn't work anymore after a while.

On a side note, think of warranties like lifetime warranties on brakes and alternators. Then buy a CS130D alternator in Germany just to see what they cost there and because you run through three of them within three to four years because these alternators have weak bearings. If you had a lifetime warranty on them, you'd save a lot of money because you'd get a replacement for free --- but try to get one in Germany, and they'll think you're crazy, especially if you're not willing to pay more than they cost here. I had to return two sets of brake drums because the ones I got weren't balanched. I think they had a lifetime warranty, and there wasn't any problem with returning them. Now try that in Germany, who gives you a lifetime warranty on brake drums? Or even only takes a set back when you installed them only to find out that they don't work?

Yes, warranties can be *very* useful.


[1]: http://genet.gelighting.com/LightPr...ODE=25097&BreadCrumbValues=CATG,_Lamps_Sealed Beam_Rectangular_200mm&SearchFieldCode=null

 

[leee]

Hella H4s are the best upgrade IMO. I have them on my MR2 and love them. I have a spare set, pm me if you are interested.

-Dan

Thanks, but it's too late: I found a local place that can get the Nighthawks, and they're getting a set for me I can pick up next week. I can only hope they last a while ...

BTW, which version of the Hellas do you use, the European or the American beam type?

 

[dandism]

I have the e-code housings. The Hella US DOT version is better than sealed beams, but not as good as the e-codes. You can see some pics that I have here:

http://carpron.com/multisite/v/Upload/talktodan/?g2_page=3

 

[-Virgil-]

The Hella US DOT version is better than sealed beams, but not as good as the e-codes.

Actually, seeing distance is substantially greater on low beam with the US DOT Hella 200mm x 142mm headlamp compared to the European-code version.

Are you sure you've labelled those photos accurately, by the way? Some of them are very obviously not what their captions say they are. And are you quite sure those "Hella DOT" photos actually show the beam from a Hella number 72207 "Vision Plus" 200mm x 142mm headlamp? I ask because it doesn't look anything like the beam produced by any of those lamps I've examined and tested over the years.

 

[dandism]

Are you sure you've labelled those photos accurately, by the way? Some of them are very obviously not what their captions say they are. And are you quite sure those "Hella DOT" photos actually show the beam from a Hella number 72207 "Vision Plus" 200mm x 142mm headlamp? I ask because it doesn't look anything like the beam produced by any of those lamps I've examined and tested over the years.

They are labeled correctly. Again, the DOT lamps are way better than standard sealed beams but I do not think they are better than the e-codes.

 

[leee]

I have the e-code housings. The Hella US DOT version is better than sealed beams, but not as good as the e-codes. You can see some pics that I have here:

http://carpron.com/multisite/v/Upload/talktodan/?g2_page=3

Hmmm. They don't make them different for left and right?

What makes the (here not legal) E codes better than the DOT ones? I've been reading that there's some DOT requirement to spread light up to light signs over the road, which results in less light on the road. But other than that?

I've never been very happy with the headlights in Germany. What I'm seeing here is that most of the oncoming traffic blinds me because their lights are shining too high, which they never did as much in Germany (the blinding HIDs in Germany are a different problem; they should never have allowed HIDs). But when I look out of my windscreen, I have pretty good light with the Silvania Extravisions people here tell me are crap. I've never had that with any headlights in Germany.

That's why I'm wondering what makes the E-Hellas better than the DOT ones.


On a side note, I've lost pretty much all reluctance to turn on the brights when someone blinds me. I just need brights that are more blinding to others to make them turn off theirs ...

 

[Duodec]

Daniel Stern's website is always a good place for info on automotive lighting; the 'aim' page at http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html shows some of the differences between DOT and "e-code" light patterns.

 

[leee]

It says: "Here is what a correctly aimed set of European ECE or US DOT VOL headlamps looks like on low beam"

Going by that, they would look the same. But German headlights don't look like that at all. And they are different, there's one for the right side and one for the left. They want the light to reach further on the left side to illuminate whatever is there, like pedestrians. The right side doesn't shine that far because it's not supposed to blind oncoming traffic.

To achieve this, they used to use at least different glass on the headlights; I don't know if anything else was different. If Hella makes the 6054 replacements like that, you would have one for the right side and one for the left side in a set.

Daniel Stern doesn't have the Hella replacements on his website, and with the others he shows, he doesn't say if they have one version for the left and another for the right side.

 

[dandism]

There is no L or R side... they are the same.