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Brighten your headlamps, for free!

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Old Jan 10th, 2016, 16:23   #31
tphilly
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Cleaned mine today. What a difference it makes.

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Old Jan 11th, 2016, 09:13   #32
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Thank you very much for the guide! I've just done this today, so I thought I'd post my pictures!

Before (right), after (left)


More finished pics




I notice you have the newer lights. I was looking to do mine, but when I took the back off it looks like there's one torx screw that's impossible to get to. How did you manage?
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Old Jan 11th, 2016, 09:33   #33
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I notice you have the newer lights. I was looking to do mine, but when I took the back off it looks like there's one torx screw that's impossible to get to. How did you manage?
Yeah it is difficult I agree but it can be done - at first I was like... hmm I don't think I can do this too without breaking something but here's what I did...

If you get the screwdriver in at an angle onto the screw.. get some grip on it and push hard down on it while sort of pulling it towards you (out from behind that bit of plastic that sort of gets in the way), it's more flexible than you might think and then you can start to unscrew it (while keeping quite a lot of pressure on it so it doesn't pop back). I then did the same thing to screw it back in again.

It is fiddly but I think it's worth another go and it's not a job you're likely to need to repeat that often.

Good luck!
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Old Jan 14th, 2016, 00:10   #34
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Well I tried the fix as described.
On opening I found that someone had already installed 100 Watt Bulbs!
Yes the lenses where dirty, but not to the extent as shown on others.
The reflector is pitted close to the bulb although not to such an extent as I would call rubbish. These are probably like this due to the high wattage bulbs.
I cleaned everything and refitted.
To say I was dissapointed in an understatement.
If their has been an improvement it is very little.

On my previous V70 classic which also have issue with poor lights and loose the silvering on the reflectors due to the plastic reflector. I have had experience with awful lights and was easily remedied by laying mirror vinyl onto the reflector.

Parking the two cars together tonight the lights on the V70 make the V50 ones look like sidelights and the difference is night and day.
Also the V70 has standard 55watt bulbs (granted they are Osram Night Breakers).

My further thoughts are at the bulbs or positioning.
The bulbs are marked as Osram 100W I am questioning whether these are cheap copies (if their are such a thing).
Also due to the nature of projector lenses surely if the bulb filament is not perfectly positioned/focused the light output would be impaired no matter how bright the bulbs.

Can anyone help further.

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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 14:50   #35
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A vote of thanks for this guide from me too.

Mine had a new OS headlight on someone else's insurance after a minor bumper scrape, it scratched the lens too. The difference in output from the original NS was very noticeable. Now they're about equal again, I've never had a car before with lights this good.

Just like to add for the benefit of others with the bi-Xenon's, you first have to take the red/yellow box (ballast?) off the back of the bulb, then undo the little blue connector on the circuit board, it takes a tiny jeweller's screwdriver pushed down between the outside of the clip and the inside of the black socket it slides into.

As others have mentioned, the third (lower) bolt holding the projector in is partially obscured by the adjuster motor but you can undo it and do it back up again from an angle, mine gave me no issues at all.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 15:06   #36
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Just like to add for the benefit of others with the bi-Xenon's, you first have to take the red/yellow box (ballast?) off the back of the bulb, then undo the little blue connector on the circuit board, it takes a tiny jeweller's screwdriver pushed down between the outside of the clip and the inside of the black socket it slides into.
Or if you have D1S lamps you have to remove the lamp.

Side note, It seems most people have D2S lamps with their bi-xenon... but mine is with D1S.... strange.
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Old Feb 14th, 2016, 23:56   #37
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Will be doing this on the next rainy weekend we get. I did think the factory Bi-Xenon lights were not that great on my C70 & seeing this thread I now know why Wonder why that projector lens goes milky the way it does though?
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 14:34   #38
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Will be doing this on the next rainy weekend we get. I did think the factory Bi-Xenon lights were not that great on my C70 & seeing this thread I now know why Wonder why that projector lens goes milky the way it does though?
They're only really usable on mine since I had them raised to the MOT limit. I also aligned them a bit further to the right, so that the cutoff appears on the kerb on a straight road. Originally they were way too low and too far left. I had them partially there before the bump that resulted in my new OS headlamp, but since I had to realign them anyway (the new one was right back at square one) I thought I'd go the whole hog this time, including cleaning the older one - so glad I did.
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Old Feb 15th, 2016, 15:47   #39
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Default Wiring harness inside headlights

I removed the headlights on my 2006 C70 to clean the bowl and found that the wires inside have badly cracked insulation. I guess years of driving with lights on all the time has caused this. They are so badly cracked that I think it will be very difficult to shrink wrap them. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy the replacement wiring harness, and if yes, where? Thanks!
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Old Feb 21st, 2016, 18:26   #40
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Did my Bi-Xenon headlamps yesterday, there is a marked difference in light output it has to be said, very worthwhile.
The plug on the ballast with the red/black/green wires cleverly unplugs itself as you rotate the ballast to remove it.
All I would add is that if you are doing this in the colder weather & you're bringing the headlamps into a heated space such as your home, it would be a good idea, if you have time, to let them reach the same temperature as that space overnight. Otherwise when you open the lamps up you will get condensation forming on the inside surfaces & you'll then suffer misting inside your lamps when they're back on the car.
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