Best H1 Halogen bulb (Longest Life)
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From: Lima, PA
Best H1 Halogen bulb (Longest Life)
I'm in the process of repairing the headlight adjusters in my 2006 Estate Wagon and will be replacing the bulbs. All the major brands have claims regarding their brightness, but, given how much fun bulb changes are in our cars, I'd be willing to trade a little less light for longer life.
Any suggestions?
Any suggestions?
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Philips Longlife EcoVision range will last up to four times longer
Most bulbs expected life is around 200 hours. Phillips REGULAR are at approx. 450. Extended life about 800.
OSRAM ULTRA LIFE automotive lamps are a favorite when it comes to durability. They have an impressive lifespan up to four times longer compared to standard halogen lamps and last up to 100,000 km (with an average annual mileage of 14,259 km and 60% light on). OSRAM provides a 4 year guarantee for the reliable ULTRA LIFE headlight lamps (fourth year with online registration).
An HID conversion gives you an approx. life of 2,000 hours on the bulb(s).
Most bulbs expected life is around 200 hours. Phillips REGULAR are at approx. 450. Extended life about 800.
OSRAM ULTRA LIFE automotive lamps are a favorite when it comes to durability. They have an impressive lifespan up to four times longer compared to standard halogen lamps and last up to 100,000 km (with an average annual mileage of 14,259 km and 60% light on). OSRAM provides a 4 year guarantee for the reliable ULTRA LIFE headlight lamps (fourth year with online registration).
An HID conversion gives you an approx. life of 2,000 hours on the bulb(s).
Last edited by Dell Gailey; Dec 5, 2018 at 02:28 PM.
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max224, I would tell you to look at 2 things. The first being that the higher the wattage bulb, the shorter the bulb life is going to be assuming that the overall bulb is the same size. Since the size of an H1 bulb is defined, increasing the wattage will cause the bulb to run hotter and therefore having a shorter life. So, avoid anything that says it is the highest wattage bulb allowed or that runs hotter to give a whiter light. The second being "cleanliness is next to godlyness". When it comes to standard bulbs, simply touching the bulb leaves oil behind and will insulate the bulb, trapping heat inside the bulb. the more you touch the bulb with your bare fingers, the more oil you are putting on the glass. So, you can either put on some soft fabric gloves so your fingers don't touch the glass (make sure the gloves are clean) or you can use something like a paper towel to grasp the bulb with so your fingers do not come in direct contact with the bulb. you do those two things, you should get many, many years of long life from the bulbs.
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Thanks for the suggestions and comments (mechanic80, the car list isn't complete, it doesn't include my daily drivers. Unfortunately, they haven't allocated enough space in the signature line for a complete list).
Dell, the suggestion for the Osram Ultra Life is exactly what I was looking for, but they aren't widely available from U.S. vendors. I might go with the Philips as an alternative. I considered the HID lights, but from what I've read, it seems like a bit of process to install them what with the re-wiring required and the fitting the ballasts (could be wrong about that, but I've read some posts in this forum that make it sound like a lot of work).
The issue of brightness vs. durability is what I'm struggling with. Night driving with 77 year-old eyes is becoming a bit more of a challenge, but so is bulb replacement on our cars. I can probably get away with the brighter bulbs and shorter lifespan since the car isn't heavily driven and I don't have DRL's to deal with. A case if "everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die"!
Dell, the suggestion for the Osram Ultra Life is exactly what I was looking for, but they aren't widely available from U.S. vendors. I might go with the Philips as an alternative. I considered the HID lights, but from what I've read, it seems like a bit of process to install them what with the re-wiring required and the fitting the ballasts (could be wrong about that, but I've read some posts in this forum that make it sound like a lot of work).
The issue of brightness vs. durability is what I'm struggling with. Night driving with 77 year-old eyes is becoming a bit more of a challenge, but so is bulb replacement on our cars. I can probably get away with the brighter bulbs and shorter lifespan since the car isn't heavily driven and I don't have DRL's to deal with. A case if "everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die"!
Last edited by max224; Dec 6, 2018 at 12:03 PM. Reason: Punctuation
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max224, if I ever travel back up to Limerick, PA for work, I will let you know. I can do an HID mod in about 3 hours. It is fairly easy. That is if you don't want to drive about 4 hours each way to me in Southern Maryland.
If you keep the bulbs clean, you can get many, many years of life out of the bulb. Get some good halogen bulbs and keep them clean. Those should be just about the last set of bulbs you will need to buy.
If you keep the bulbs clean, you can get many, many years of life out of the bulb. Get some good halogen bulbs and keep them clean. Those should be just about the last set of bulbs you will need to buy.
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Given the execrable access to the lighting units (someone at Valeo has a special place reserved in hell) the longer the bulbs last, the better. Those of us who drive the cars with daytime running light systems ( Canadian models and a few others) burn through those lights at a very rapid pace. My right thumb has a permanent scar on it from the bulb-changing process.
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SOV211, not that I am advocating getting rid of the DRL system, but if you want to disable the circuit, you simply need to get a US market headlight switch. that will change the functionality of your headlight system to what is in the US market.
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My wife has never touched the light switch in her X-Type (and might not even know where it is) because of the DLR system. My later-model X-Type Sportwagon is slightly different in that while all exterior lights are on all the time, the instrument lights are not. So if I drive that car at night I must turn the dash lights on using the switch...so inconvenient ��
Last edited by sov211; Dec 7, 2018 at 01:17 PM.
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