Hello everyone
I wantedo to ask if you are all happy with how bright your headlights are on your 500s?
I have a 2008 model and live very rurally with no street lights around and very little light polution generally. I have to say that on dipped beam, I do struggle to see that far ahead despite changing the beam throw adjusters and wanted to ask if anyone has also experienced this and have made any modifications at all?
Thanks all
Stuart

What beam throw adjusters? Beam flow cannot be changed, unless you mean level?

Fitting decent bulbs light Osram Nightbreaker Plus bulbs or Ring Xenon Max bulbs would be your best bet

Lincs500 said:

Hello everyone
I wantedo to ask if you are all happy with how bright your headlights are on your 500s?
I have a 2008 model and live very rurally with no street lights around and very little light polution generally. I have to say that on dipped beam, I do struggle to see that far ahead despite changing the beam throw adjusters and wanted to ask if anyone has also experienced this and have made any modifications at all?
Thanks all
Stuart

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I know what you mean. When i can get away with it i drive with my fullbeams on at night.

They were never great on the Sport, but the Abarth's are definitely brighter (also confirmed by another 500 owner seeing them). I guess the have different bulbs in them....

Thank you everyone

Most Easterly, can the types of bulb you mention simply be fitted without any modification straight into the exisiting assembly?

Like yours the regular Abarth headlights are rubbish - on a par with my old '83 Panda.

I fitted Philips Extreme bulbs to the Abarth for both main and dipped beams and whilst it was an improvement they were still pretty feeble. I don't believe that any bulb upgrade is really going to sort it out as I suspect its is the design of the reflectors that is the real problem.

The Xenons which are available as a factory fit extra on the 500 and are standard on the 595 are excellent.

I've got some Philips motovision bulbs in mine. Bright enough so you can see and not so bright that it dazzles people, not one for people who feel the need to impress others with the whiteness of their bulbs though.

Lincs500 said:

Thank you everyone

Most Easterly, can the types of bulb you mention simply be fitted without any modification straight into the exisiting assembly?

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Yes they can and are 100% road legal

simer said:

The Xenons which are available as a factory fit extra on the 500 and are standard on the 595 are excellent.

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No no, you'll probably find xenon bulbs are fitted as standard, the factory option you're about is HIDs

Thanks everyone - much appreciated

Most Easterly Pandas said:

No no, you'll probably find xenon bulbs are fitted as standard, the factory option you're about is HIDs

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To quote from Wikipedia:

Automotive HID may be called "xenon headlamps"

595's have HID or Xenon headlights - I know that because I own one. They are also available as a factory fit option on regular Abarth 500's and possibly also Fiat 500's.

Abarth 500's have regular halogen bulbs - I know that because I used to own one. To the best of my knowledge no 500's have Xenon based bulbs - other than in HID headlights.

I drive around on unlit lincolnshire country roads and find my lights are alright. They are just bog standard lights, not xenon.

simer said:

To quote from Wikipedia:

Automotive HID may be called "xenon headlamps"

595's have HID or Xenon headlights - I know that because I own one. They are also available as a factory fit option on regular Abarth 500's and possibly also Fiat 500's.

Abarth 500's have regular halogen bulbs - I know that because I used to own one. To the best of my knowledge no 500's have Xenon based bulbs - other than in HID headlights.

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just because it's on Wikipedia doesn't mean it's right. HID's and xenon's are not the same.

It's coming back to me why I stopped posting on this Forum.

Pic taken from Fiat website - Bi-Xenon headlights - an option on the 500

Erm, it is common knowledge across the net that no one takes Wikipedia as gospel, even though I do tend to read it myself....

The way I look at it, Xenon is just a type of HID - they are not one and the same

simer said:

It's coming back to me why I stopped posting on this Forum.

Pic taken from Fiat website - Bi-Xenon headlights - an option on the 500

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And Fiat and their translations are known to always be spot on. Xenon is simply the gas contained within the bulb. Be it a standard filament bulb (which is what is normally within uprated bulbs) or a High Intensity Discharge bulbs - aka HIDs - which is what that option there is.

If getting picky Bi-Xenon means that you've 2 sets of main beams, IE the shutting on the HIDs lifts to give a full beam spread, and the main beams in the DRL housing also illuminate - which could well be xenon filled bulbs :idea:

I could always dig the 500 handbook out, I'm sure just like my Bravo handbook it refers to them correctly as High Intensity Discharge unit - following by OTT warnings about how it's a dealer only job to change them as anyone who is not a dealer will obviously not be capable and will almost certainly electrocute themselves trying.

EDIT: Just checked 500 handbook, 03/09, page 124, refers to HIDs as 'Gas Discharge Lamps'.

Sorry but Osram also refer to them as BiXenon on their replacement bulb finder website. I'm sure they and Fiat are both wrong - better drop them a line.

simer said:

Sorry but Osram also refer to them as BiXenon on their replacement bulb finder website. I'm sure they and Fiat are both wrong - better drop them a line.

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So why you calling them xenon and not BiXenon then

If you called them BiXenon then I think we'd all have a better understanding them calling them Xenons which they are not.

Jeez, have we not all go something better to argue about?

Everyone knew what everyone else was referring to - HID lamps, Gas Discharge or the colloquialism of 'Xenons'. Isn't that the whole point of language, to allow people to converse and understand each other?

Go drive your cars and argue about something worthwhile! :slayer:

Most Easterly Pandas said:

'Gas Discharge Lamps'.

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I know it is not a lamp, but I had a mental picture of this...

Gas Discharge Lighting