Technical Headlights
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Technical Headlights
Rustbucket
Established member
Do a search on HID's. There is a fitting guide and before/after photo's.
'ere ya go..........
https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/118841-hid-fitting-guide-3.html
and here
https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/124824-hid-headlights.html
Good luck!! - its easy to do and makes a huge difference
https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/118841-hid-fitting-guide-3.html
and here
https://www.fiatforum.com/barchetta/124824-hid-headlights.html
Good luck!! - its easy to do and makes a huge difference
barchetta_97
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Thanks guys. To be honest I have a long list of jobs to do on my b, not sure if I have the time to do the full HID upgrade, in the interim could I just uprate the bulbs, as per the left hand car in the pic on the above link?
ta
norb
ta
norb
You can just upgrade the bulbs, I would go for 80w over the usual 55w (80w are not road legal but who's gonna know
) I ran 80w bulbs in my old Jeep Cherokee, made a big difference but not enough to get flashed by oncoming traffic.The HID upgrade only takes a couple of hours to do, mine took me a total of about 3 hours and I had to figure out how to do it - should only take about an hour a side and is well worth the effort!!
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Damn I would like them, but as usual, they are not road legal in Finland..
And some fascinating facts from the Department for Transport
Ho hum
harrydinks
New member
only just joined what are HID'S ?
High Intensity Discharge lights. Normal bulbs light up due to the charging of a filament, which gives is how it gives off light (and heat). HID ones charge a mixture of gas which is held inside the bulb, in much the same way as those long office lights you get (can't remember what they're called).
On second thoughts wikipedia will probably be able to explain it better than me
:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlamp#HID_light_sources_.28Xenon_and_Bi-Xenon.29
You can just upgrade the bulbs, I would go for 80w over the usual 55w (80w are not road legal but who's gonna know
well... knowing FIAT: your battery, alternator, wires, relay, melting reflectors,... will probably point out to you that the headlights are not designed to pull over 55 watts
Hi, I've just joined the forum and have had my B since July. I noticed pretty quickly that the lights are not that strong and would like to do something providing it could get through MOT.
I have another problem with my passenger side lamp and wanted to see if anybody else had this or knew what it was? The lamp appears foggy and I think it is from the inside but it doesn't look like condensation. At first I thought it was an outside coating but I am sure it isn't. It doesn't seem easy to get hold of replacement headlights and if I did could I buy from abroard as I have a UK car?
I have another problem with my passenger side lamp and wanted to see if anybody else had this or knew what it was? The lamp appears foggy and I think it is from the inside but it doesn't look like condensation. At first I thought it was an outside coating but I am sure it isn't. It doesn't seem easy to get hold of replacement headlights and if I did could I buy from abroard as I have a UK car?
To reply to the earlier post:
If you don't want to go down the HID road and so avoid being deprived of your leisure at her majesty's pleasure.....
You can just use the more expensive "brighter" lights with the OEM rating, so 55w. The bulbs are a pig to fit, especially as you're not supposed to touch the bulb itself. It took me two hours and a lot of stretching!
The downside is that I can't really see the difference between the old and new bulbs.
On the other hand, apart from when I drive in the UK and the lights are pointing the other way, it's not so bad to drive with the lights I've got.
If you don't want to go down the HID road and so avoid being deprived of your leisure at her majesty's pleasure.....
You can just use the more expensive "brighter" lights with the OEM rating, so 55w. The bulbs are a pig to fit, especially as you're not supposed to touch the bulb itself. It took me two hours and a lot of stretching!
The downside is that I can't really see the difference between the old and new bulbs.
On the other hand, apart from when I drive in the UK and the lights are pointing the other way, it's not so bad to drive with the lights I've got.
Hi nicholasb
Sounds like the front light reflective coating has started to come away. If you is before 1998 i think it is the coating was on the outside of the light so you will need to look close to see if its that.
If not try taking the bulb entry flap off the back of the light for a day. (dry day that is)
Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.
Doc Orange Peel
Sounds like the front light reflective coating has started to come away. If you is before 1998 i think it is the coating was on the outside of the light so you will need to look close to see if its that.
If not try taking the bulb entry flap off the back of the light for a day. (dry day that is)
Thats all I can think of off the top of my head.
Doc Orange Peel
I have to agree with Doc, its probably the coating - unless the plastic itself has begun to fail. You should be able to source a second hand unit, there are a few b's being broken at the moment so its worth keeping your eye on eBay - alternatively I can give you the details of a couple of places you may have some luck.
To be honest I think you are better off replacing it rather than trying to remedy it!
To be honest I think you are better off replacing it rather than trying to remedy it!
Thanks for the advice. My B is an old timer (1996). I have tried a little rubbing compound on the outer headlight but with no result. I will try opening the bulb entry flap as Doc suggests (if its ever dry again) but I will probably be after a new unit. The misted headlight does spoil the look.
Mine's also a 1996, with really foggy, kind of dusty plastic over the headlights. I had a crack at it with some very fine sandpaper and rubbing compound a few weeks ago but it seems to have made it worse!! I also tried that plasticx stuff that was discussed in a thread a bit back. Ah well no worries, I think in a few months I'll also try and source some nice looking 2nd hand ones. What's the rough price range, £100-£150 per light? Also, anyone know if all UK lights fit all B models?
Yep all UK lights are the same. Make sure the headlight rubber surround is in good shape as Fiat dont sell them separately.
I'll be after a set of headlights for my b at some point soon. There have been a few on German Ebay recently, presumably set for beam to the right. Has anyone successfully converted these to beam left?
I fitted beam deflectors when I took it to France and now the lights have fogging where I (stupidly) tried to clean the excess sticky off.
I fitted beam deflectors when I took it to France and now the lights have fogging where I (stupidly) tried to clean the excess sticky off.
There is a thread somewhere on the forum (searched but cannot find it), where someone claimed that they had theirs converted by DTR (I think). I am sure that you should be able to swap the glass lenses from one set of lights to the other so in effect all you would be changing is the unit and not the lens.
