s40 2008 low beam bulb failure help please

[krispyKreme]

hi i got the message on dash " low beam bulb failure" while driving, i checked and can see the one on the right has gone.( this is the headlight yes ??)

i looked on eurocarparts but that has lots to choose from in prices between £1.31 for 1 and £94 for a pair of xenon ones !

as someone that doesnt do even minor things like bulb change on a car can i get some advice please? id prefer brighter bulbs than i currently have as in dark winter driving i find the volvo doesnt light up the road very well at all ( compared to some newer cars that seem incredibly bright at night even when not on full beam) so is it possible to fit xenon bulbs to a 2008 s40 ? or are their changes that need to be made to headlight area before they can be used ?

also if i go to say kwikfit to get them to do it what do you think theyll charge labour wise ? ( when i bought the car used the used car salesman had a garage next door come put new bulbs in and i remember it took him about 2mins to do if that ! ) cheers for any help

[zapcity1]

For a standard halogen H7 bulb, a straight replacement should be about £6-10.

Halfords will fit for £7 if you don't fancy it. Very easy to do though and worth learning as mine fail every few months! Lift bonnet, pull the pin behind the light, pull out the light unit, unclip cover, change bulb and refit. 2 min. job when you know what to do. Detailed in manual if you need help.

Quality halogen bulbs like Osram Nightbreakers, Philips X-treme Vision etc. will give more light and are a like for like swap. Only about £16-25/pair (easily available from www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk and many others).

I'd try this option first. Cheapish and easy and might give you the improvement you want. Halfords also have a range of brighter bulbs is you need a quick 'fix'. Kwikfit sell Ring bulbs and they also have a range of brighter bulbs.

As far as I understand, Xenon gas-filled bulbs are really just standard halogen bulbs that are usually coated with blue film to mimic the appearance of a genuine xenon HID bulb. These bulbs are not as bright as xenon HID bulbs nor do they last nearly as long. I've got these myself as they look good and are brighter than standard!!

You can upgrade your car's dipped headlights to xenon HID (high intensity discharge) lights but you will need new bulbs and a special ballast to accomplish this. Some great threads on this forum as to what is needed. Kits are not expensive but might not be something you would want to tackle yourself - try http://www.hids-direct.co.uk for more info. Not legal either without the headlight being E marked correctly.

Maybe somebody who has upgraded to HIDs can give you some more info. as to how easy/good the results are?

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

...
Maybe somebody who has upgraded to HIDs can give you some more info. as to how easy/good the results are?

Please see below, so you know roughly what you can get.
left side - H7, dirty lenses, badly alligned.
right side - 35W HID kit, 4300k, clean lenses and focused.

Really worth it, just use your head when doing so - dont go over 6000K, dont put 55W, make sure you have light focused and lower them 1 notch before you are sure you are not blinding anyone. Like with guns - make sure you know what you are doing before you use.

[zapcity1]

Great info. Might think about an HID conversion.

[StatusRed]

Changing the bulbs on these cars really is a doddle with no tools required whatsoever!

You open up the bonnet and there is a large metal "pin" holding each headlight unit in place, you take that out, disconnect the electrical connector (it just clicks on) and you can pull the entire headlight unit out and open the main plastic cover which is held on with two swing clips (it will be very obvious) and disconnect the old bulb and put in the new one (you can't put it in wrong as it only goes in one way).

These are the bulbs that I'm currently using they've been on for 4 months now with no issues and are brighter than the original bulbs.

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

Great info. Think I will have to add HID conversion to my shopping list!

if you decide to go HID route, PLEASE do your homework - read posts related to HIDs and lamps cleaning that are on this forum. There is really all you need to know there, it helped me a lot as well, as I am V50 newbie myself.
Please be aware that HIDs require a little more effort than simply putting new bulb in and can also do unexpected damage (HID and wiper motor post, few lines below).
Good luck with it!

[zapcity1]

I use the same bulbs as StatusRed's link. Good performance and good price.

[LizardOfBodom]

Originally Posted by zapcity1

I use the same bulbs as StatusRed's link. Good performance and good price.

Emm guys, I'm sorry, not trying to argue with anybody but you do realise those "xenon" bulbs are just for looks? You will get much more lumen output from proper (good) bulb like Osram Nightbreaker Ultra or Philips Extreme that are not using fake coloring technique to artificially change Kelvin factor.
Im sure they are brighter and look better than OEM bulb but trust me - they do throw LESS lumens on road than NBs or Phillps.

[krispyKreme]

thanks very much for taking time to reply, i think im going to do what you say..get quality halogen bulbs eg osram and fit them myself, ill even attempt to video myself doing this to show others what to do ( or what not to do lol )

thanks everyone else that replied i read all posts, it seems fitting xenon has more to it so ill go for a straight swap, for your info i bought car used in november 2014 so bulbs have lasted until july 2016, when i take them out if they have a brand on them ill let you know as that doesnt seem too bad..how long they lasted.

cheers
ps sjcam sj4000 action cameras are great as dashcams

Originally Posted by zapcity1

For a standard halogen H7 bulb, a straight replacement should be about £6-10.

Halfords will fit for £7 if you don't fancy it. Very easy to do though and worth learning as mine fail every few months! Lift bonnet, pull the pin behind the light, pull out the light unit, unclip cover, change bulb and refit. 2 min. job when you know what to do. Detailed in manual if you need help.

Quality halogen bulbs like Osram Nightbreakers, Philips X-treme Vision etc. will give more light and are a like for like swap. Only about £16-25/pair (easily available from www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk and many others).

I'd try this option first. Cheapish and easy and might give you the improvement you want. Halfords also have a range of brighter bulbs is you need a quick 'fix'. Kwikfit sell Ring bulbs and they also have a range of brighter bulbs.

As far as I understand, Xenon gas-filled bulbs are really just standard halogen bulbs that are usually coated with blue film to mimic the appearance of a genuine xenon HID bulb. These bulbs are not as bright as xenon HID bulbs nor do they last nearly as long. I've got these myself as they look good and are brighter than standard!!

You can upgrade your car's dipped headlights to xenon HID (high intensity discharge) lights but you will need new bulbs and a special ballast to accomplish this. Some great threads on this forum as to what is needed. Kits are not expensive but might not be something you would want to tackle yourself - try http://www.hids-direct.co.uk for more info. Not legal either without the headlight being E marked correctly.

Maybe somebody who has upgraded to HIDs can give you some more info. as to how easy/good the results are?

[StatusRed]

Originally Posted by LizardOfBodom

Emm guys, I'm sorry, not trying to argue with anybody but you do realise those "xenon" bulbs are just for looks? You will get much more lumen output from proper (good) bulb like Osram Nightbreaker Ultra or Philips Extreme that are not using fake coloring technique to artificially change Kelvin factor.
Im sure they are brighter and look better than OEM bulb but trust me - they do throw LESS lumens on road than NBs or Phillps.

Yes I'm fully aware they're just for looks. They give the headlight colour I want, are better than the original bulbs, nowhere near as costly as other bulbs or a HID conversion, are legal and suit my needs perfectly!