Changing headlamp reflectors 96 Mk2 Chim
Discussion
Hi everyone,
My Chim suffers from a fairly common problem so it seems - brown headlights... Not a cool look, or particularly safe if I'm doing some spirited driving down a country lane at night...
I have already done a search on hear, but couldn't find a how-to describing the job from start to finish.
Mines a 96 so I think it's not the sealed unit, so I can just get replacement reflectors.
How do I take the headlight cowling off? Is that from the little hatch in the wheelarch then it's a couple of bolts and I need to cut through some sealant with a feeler gauge (or fine wire)
Many thanks...
My Chim suffers from a fairly common problem so it seems - brown headlights... Not a cool look, or particularly safe if I'm doing some spirited driving down a country lane at night...
I have already done a search on hear, but couldn't find a how-to describing the job from start to finish.
Mines a 96 so I think it's not the sealed unit, so I can just get replacement reflectors.
How do I take the headlight cowling off? Is that from the little hatch in the wheelarch then it's a couple of bolts and I need to cut through some sealant with a feeler gauge (or fine wire)
Many thanks...
I don't think there ever was a sealed unit on a Chim, they are usually from people installing VW Lupo lights, or more recently LED units.
Either of those requires a bit of work on the cowl, as well as the fitting.
If you dig around (easiest way to search PH is via google), you'll see numerous chats about this topic, and will eventually see how it goes together, but largely as you've surmised (also Belle) with a couple of fixing bolts, a load of gobbo and some careful cutting when undoing.
If you've got a mk1 with the bigger grill on the front, that's also a good access point.
Getting the reflectors re-silvered - I just saw a post on Facebook from someone doing it for £85 per light to give you an idea.
Then get the best halogen bulbs you can find, they're only around £20-30 a pair.
Unfortunately fitting LED bulbs into our cars with the halogen relfectors was made illegal at the end of last year (despite them being readily available)
Either of those requires a bit of work on the cowl, as well as the fitting.
If you dig around (easiest way to search PH is via google), you'll see numerous chats about this topic, and will eventually see how it goes together, but largely as you've surmised (also Belle) with a couple of fixing bolts, a load of gobbo and some careful cutting when undoing.
If you've got a mk1 with the bigger grill on the front, that's also a good access point.
Getting the reflectors re-silvered - I just saw a post on Facebook from someone doing it for £85 per light to give you an idea.
Then get the best halogen bulbs you can find, they're only around £20-30 a pair.
Unfortunately fitting LED bulbs into our cars with the halogen relfectors was made illegal at the end of last year (despite them being readily available)
Edited by PabloGee on Monday 25th March 12:17
Many thanks for the replies 👍 I've read about the LED/Lupo conversions but I want to keep the car standard and decent bulbs with new reflectors should suffice - my boy racing days have long since passed, so I don't need to light up the sky as I tear around everywhere...
I have read that both Osram nightbreakers and Phillips Xtreme are both good, but the Xtreme last twice as long as the nightbreakers, so they're the ones to go for.
By the way, I've found new reflectors which will fit the Chim (based on what I've read on here) for 30 quid each if anyone's interested....
I have read that both Osram nightbreakers and Phillips Xtreme are both good, but the Xtreme last twice as long as the nightbreakers, so they're the ones to go for.
By the way, I've found new reflectors which will fit the Chim (based on what I've read on here) for 30 quid each if anyone's interested....
👍 is a thumbs up emoji. Are you taking about the Bosch lens that you have found ..I would like some at 30.00. A@
Here is how to emoji https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Here is how to emoji https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 25th March 14:13
The two nuts and slicing the adhesive at the top (under the cowl are height setting washers). Then if the car has not been bodged the glass simply, (once marked ready to replace) peels out of the rubber holder (with a little bit of cutting of sealant at the adjuster points). Then you access the adjusters/springs/tags from the inner arch hole with rubber tags breaking that fixing the lens, as they nearly always falling apart. A@
Edited by Adrian@ on Monday 25th March 14:27
Very helpful, cheers. Noted about the emoji thing too. The Bosch ones I've found impossible to find unfortunately. The ones I got were new VW heritage from the (early) VW T2 bus (and Beatle) - they've only been a very popular auction site very recently and are selling rather quickly...
As a tip when changing the reflectors. Before you remove anything get a cardboard sheet and put against a wall or garage door and drive the TVR up to around 6 feet away and turn the headlights on and mark on the cardboard where the brightest parts of the beam are. Do to both sides . Then you have a reference point to adjust to when replacing
I replaced the rusty nuts on the back of the cowl with wing nuts and covered with grease.
I also used the Phillips bulbs and that was quite a few years ago. Over 12.
I replaced the rusty nuts on the back of the cowl with wing nuts and covered with grease.
I also used the Phillips bulbs and that was quite a few years ago. Over 12.
Cheers woozy - that was actually my next question :-D . I've been doing a bit of research and apparently as far as Philips Xtreme bulbs go, there's the 'Pro150' bulbs offering up to (as you may have guessed) 150% more light than a standard bulb (and a service life of 450 hours) , or the the GT200 (AKA "the daddy") which gives 200% brighter light than a standard bulb, but at the expense of longevity - good for 250 hours. Gotta be the GT200 I reckon...
Don’t be tempted to install higher wattage bulbs. Some of the earlier models had issues with a single fuse/relay to each headlight and the wiring would get hot.
I don’t know what year it changed to single feeds.
I think you can tell by how many relays you have.
It’s been discussed on here some years ago. So maybe a search
New bulbs and new reflectors will make a great difference
I don’t know what year it changed to single feeds.
I think you can tell by how many relays you have.
It’s been discussed on here some years ago. So maybe a search
New bulbs and new reflectors will make a great difference
Jordie Barretts sock said:
Mine went through the MOT last week with led bulbs.
Tester had no issue and said it gave a good pattern. Might not be correct, but you'd need to be very unlucky for the police to stop you.
They are a massive improvement like night and err, day!
Understood, though it is technically not legal, so could invalidate your insurance. Tester had no issue and said it gave a good pattern. Might not be correct, but you'd need to be very unlucky for the police to stop you.
They are a massive improvement like night and err, day!
It really annoyed me when I read the parameters of the legislation because it's almost entirely arbitrary.
To paraphrase - if your vehicle was made or registered before 1st April 1986, with old style reflectors, you can legally put LED bulbs in.
After that date, it's not allowed. Even if your vehicle uses the same reflectors (ours are off a 1970s truck or something I believe).
On top of that motorbikes can change to LED if they want.
I have no idea what's so special about 1986.
I had installed a pair of LED bulbs designed to exactly mimic halogen bulbs in construct and beam pattern, and they worked well. But it's like speeding, a socially accepted crime: you're unlucky to get caught, but if you do, you have zero defence.
Your MOT guy is not going to jump to your defence, beam pattern is not the only parameter, in fact he could get slapped for passing it.
Both the Phillips Xtreme bulbs I mentioned previously (pro150 and gt200) are 60/55w which is why I'm interested in getting them, and why I think they're the best solution - they use clever tech for the increase in brightness rather than an increase in wattage, which can be risky on a 28 year old TVR (or a new one, given that TVR wiring is somewhat questionable sometimes). Given this, I think they're a reasonable substitute for LED bulbs, at least for my needs. Even though the chance of getting into trouble would be slim using LED bulbs, I think the risk/reward thing isn't worth it, but each to their own. Decent reflectors will also help greatly - I'm happy to post the (eBay) link - providing this doesn't break any posting rules etc..
I've got the GT200s on mine, which I put in to replace a pair of White Vision bulbs.
But only because I'd taken an LED step and back again. I'f I'd been able to test them, I'm not sure I would have bothered changing, the result is nuanced.
That's not to say I'm unhappy with them, just that the differences between the '150/200% brighter' bulbs are barely noticeable in practice, and I believe this is because they are still notably less bright than all the LED headlights on the road these days.
My next mod is to get some of that film stuff onto my wing mirrors so that hopefully the SUV headlights behind me aren't illuminating the back of my eyeballs so effectively whilst sitting in traffic...!
But only because I'd taken an LED step and back again. I'f I'd been able to test them, I'm not sure I would have bothered changing, the result is nuanced.
That's not to say I'm unhappy with them, just that the differences between the '150/200% brighter' bulbs are barely noticeable in practice, and I believe this is because they are still notably less bright than all the LED headlights on the road these days.
My next mod is to get some of that film stuff onto my wing mirrors so that hopefully the SUV headlights behind me aren't illuminating the back of my eyeballs so effectively whilst sitting in traffic...!
THEDAVINATOR said:
, ... - they use clever tech for the increase in brightness rather than an increase in wattage, Decent reflectors will also help greatly - ..
I am not so sure that it is a clever technique! The bulbs are over driven to produce more light but as a consequence do not last very long compared to a normally driven bulb.Yeah ok, but cleverer than just increasing the wattage to get a higher output, which would stress the wiring etc. 250 hours of nighttime driving is going to last me years, so for me it's a reasonable trade off between brighter headlights and messing around changing the bulbs...but different strokes for different folks and all that...
I had to do this on my Chim when I had it - remove outer bezels which were stuck on with mastic and some nuts accessed though the grille mouth.
Then remove the headlamp lenses which were also masticced in place.
Then you could get at the reflectors... I was able to get new ones but I think they're being resilvered now.
re-fitting - more mastic!
Then remove the headlamp lenses which were also masticced in place.
Then you could get at the reflectors... I was able to get new ones but I think they're being resilvered now.
re-fitting - more mastic!
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