The Rover-Landers of BC

My headlights take an H4 bulb. If I was in UK I would buy Osram Nightbreaker bulbs, but since I am here, what bulbs do members recommend, please. Please note that I am in rural BC and most of my night time driving is on non-illuminated highway, so long distance illuminated vision is desirable. Many thanks for any and all suggestions.

Mike

What vehicle?

1991 110 CSW.

I put Trucklite LEDs in my 110. Very good distance. I’ve also heard good reviews on the JW Speaker ones that Don at Rovalution sells.


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Only downside to my old Trucklites is the lens is not heated. So they will cover in snow and ice in extreme conditions.


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Step 1 is to install a headlight relay. The stock wiring is really bad and is the biggest impact on headlight output. There are a few options out there. This one has the right wiring length for a Defender: https://www.paddockspares.com/boomslang ... -loom.html

Step 2 is to get better quality housings. The IPFs are a nice choice: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B004LQGE18/?co ... _lig_dp_it

Then just pickup the top range bulb from Osram, Sylvania or Philips. They are all the same IME. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LLKFWHI/?co ... _lig_dp_it

If you like spending more money, there are some good full LED lights around and they are the in style thing to get....

I would also suggest getting a set of good driving lights if you are out driving in the dark a lot. You are allowed a pair by law that come on with the high beams. There are many low cost choices for LED lights these days.

Many thanks for the replies and advice. I've already got my headlights fed through relays, one to each filament, and with upgraded wiring kept as short as possible. I also have aftermarket crystal headlamp units. It's the choice of bulb that I was really seeking your advice on, and it looks as if Osram Nightbreakers are up there with the best, without selling a kidney to pay for LEDs, so that's what I'll get. Thanks for the links, Red90.

Mike

I'm going to do the same for my RRC. Did you make up your own wiring loom or did you buy one ready made?

On the same subject, on the weekend at Fossil Beach we were discussing about the new LED H4 bulbs for Defenders, apparently there is now a bulb that you can just fit as plug and play with out wiring modifications to your existing headlight at a lot lower cost that fitting the complete LED headlight unit.
The advantage of this is you get a much brighter headlamp and you also don't need to do the relay modification as the current draw is lower than standard lights.
The disadvantage as Red90 mentioned, is because the lack of heat with the LED bulbs you could get snow sticking (not melting) to the headlight when driving in snowy conditions. This is not so much of an issue in Vancouver as its mostly rain that we have to deal with!

Maybe Ben O can jump in when he reads this as he has had these fitted for a while now and can likely give us reviews and a link to the ones he has been using.

I made my own wiring loom with relays and fuses all mounted on a board fixed to the inner edge of the driver's side wing. I'll be very interested to get a user update on the LED bulbs. At one stage I considered fitting Trucklites and addressing the snow problem by fitting headlamp washers and wipers as on some RR models.

Mike

Troll Hunter wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:21 am I made my own wiring loom with relays and fuses all mounted on a board fixed to the inner edge of the driver's side wing. I'll be very interested to get a user update on the LED bulbs. At one stage I considered fitting Trucklites and addressing the snow problem by fitting headlamp washers and wipers as on some RR models.

Mike

Both Trucklite and JWSpeaker have versions with heated lens now. But there is a fair extra cost.

http://www.truck-lite.com/webapp/wcs/st ... ogId=10002
https://www.jwspeaker.com/smartheat-heated-led-lights/

Digging up an old thread in passing...

I've seen Osram H4 Nightbreakers on Amazon.ca for under $40 for a pair.

I have Osram Night Breaker Plus Gold in mine (from 2013...brought them over with me from the UK), with aftermarket headlamps that have a clear lens and all the focusing is done by the shape of the mirror.

I have been using the same h4 headlights since 1983. { Hella}. I replaced the bulbs with 55w low beam 100w high beam bulbs I bought from JC whitney. Work great, much to the disappointment of our oldest son showing off his expensive lights he bought for his truck. Turned on High beams and there was no comparison.