sendarius

Greetings all,

I am looking a at lighting upgrade for my '88 928S4. I am canvassing everything from simply new globes/bulbs, to full Bi-Xenon HID.

It is a US car (VIN WP0JB0926JS861045), apparently from California (option code C03).

Everywhere I look in PET it says that the headlights are H4 (which makes buying replacement globes/bulbs easy here in Oz), BUT several websites of trust (here, 928MS etc) say that the housings on US cars only accept H5 globes/bulbs.

I can't get to the car easily at the moment (it is still at the shop for compliancing), so can anyone here shed any light (bad pun intended) on the situation?

Lizard928

if it is a US car, then it will probably have H5 lenses, which would also be true as to why you want better lighting.

ROW cars got the H4s

SeanR

H5's have the lighted tit at the top of the lense.

Get H4's, better in everyway, except they don't have the tit.

bd0nalds0n

I'm interested in H4s, but I'm also a tit man, so this makes the decision harder. Plus the ~$500 price tag for new lenses...

sendarius

I agree totally that H4's are better - but HID are better still.

Even the references to H5s in US cars that I found stated that the H4s throw more light, further - and then say that is WHY they are not legal for on-road use in the US !?!?!?!?

To complicate issues, the car has come into my hands from Japan, so I ASSUME that the lenses have been changed to meet "dip to the left" requirements, but you know what ASSUME does don't you?

I certainly don't recall seeing the "tit" on the top of the lenses, but I suppose that doesn't mean that the reflectors and bulb holders were changed.

Oh well, time to go look. Any suggestions/hints on getting the light pods open?

Alan

New H4's lenses have the same nipples on the top too... so you can have it all.

H4 lens units easily bolt into USA cars, and if its a USA car it will have had H5's lenses initially... unlikely they will have been swapped. When you get to look at them H5's say DOT on the bottom somewhere & have 3 aiming nipples cast into the front of the lens - H4's say "H4" in the middle of the lens and have a smooth front face (no aiming nipples).

H4 (9003) bulbs only fit H4 lenses & H5 (9004) bulbs only fit H5 lenses.

If you have H5's they are OK - but H4's are better, and the H4 bulbs easier to come by in OZ...

Alan

Ed Hughes

I wonder if anyone here has really upgraded to an H1 on a 928?

They are friggin expensive, when you can find them for sale from someone, but are an awesome light. I'm actually thinking about downgrading to an H4 on my 911, in order to preserve and protect the H1's.

Alan

There are no H1 lenses designed for a 928 so I doubt it - what would you put them in? is there an 8" 911 lens that would work...?

Meanwhile aftermarket HID bulbs in H4 or H5 lenses are a bit of a compromise - you can get a great low beam but usually high beam is not so good...

HID's in purpose designed lenses are great but we don't have them...

No need to open the headlight pods to check the lens types - just look at the lens front - if you do want to open them up there are just the 3 screws near the front edge that hold the headlight pod covers on...

Alan

Lizard928

Actually Alan, I have HIDs in my 8" H4s,

they are both hi and low beam and I believe the bulb moves to make the change.

My low beam is great, and my hi beam is just as good, the hi beam may be better should it have ever been made for HID however it is still a MASSIVE improvement over stock.

Alan

Glad you like it - I tried movable shield H4 HID's and reverted to incandescent becuase the focus was not as sharp in both low & esp. high beam...

I do have HID fogs (H3's) and with modified shape shields I really like those. I converted them to ROW config (so when activated the fogs stay on with the highbeams) - with 6000K 80/100W incandescent low/high beams and 6000K 55W incandescent aux high beams the lighting is also spectacularly good.

I'm satisfied I don't ever need any better!!

Alan

sendarius

Alan, I am a little confused by your post.

In post 7 you say "...H4's say H5 in the middle of the lens and have a smooth face." Is that a typo? The H4s on my 944 don't say H5 (or even H4) anywhere that I can see. By "smooth face" do you mean without aiming nipples?

I have just been out to look, and the lenses have the "tit" on top, the three aiming nipples, and say DOT on the front, so I am going to guess that the lamp holder in the back of the reflector accepts H5 globes.

I already have a spare pair of H4s, but it looks like they will stay on the "944 spares" rack in the garage while I debate my options:
1) Leave it as it is for now
2) Try and get new H5 globes
4) somehow convert to H4 lamp holders with the existing reflector and lens arrangement
5) full H4 conversion
6) HID conversion

Thanks all.

Alan

Yes it was - (should be "H4") now fixed.

944's are probably different - totally different lens right? Comment was for newer 928 8" H4's. Yes I clarified that - no aiming nipples on the front face of the lens - thats a DOT USA requirement only.

No need to guess they are H5 lenses and will only accept H5 bulbs. Don't dream about converting them to H4... that would be very very difficult. I would not attempt it.

944 H4's lenses are totally different to 928 H4 lenses - I don't see what you mean. The bulbs are easy - its the lenses that need to fit.

To your options

2) If you mean bulbs you can easily order a bunch from the US at reasonable cost
4) Its not really possible. Reflector & lens are all one glass unit.
5) If you want H4's this is what you have to do & you need RHD units right?
6) I would not recommend a HID conversion without also swapping to H4's - so do H4's first see if thats good enough - do HID as a second step if needed.

Take the pod covers off and take a look at what you have & how its configured - you'll have a better understanding for what needs to be swapped.

Alan

largecar379

I have a set of H4's in my Euro (left hand drive).

i bought a set of H4's from England (right hand drive) and have heard that combining the two sets (using one from each) would give superior coverage, as opposed to just using the US set. Which one for which side?

Any comments?

-Russ

Alan

NO NO NO dont do it!!!... this is an excellent way to blind the drivers headed towards you.... do you really want to do this...?

They are designed to illuminate the side of the road and road signs on the side without oncoming traffic... if you do the same the other side....?

Sell the UK H4's to Sendarius $$$ and save yourself from this madness....

Alan

...

largecar379

it was just a thought, as I had heard combining the two sets would spread the beams w-i-d-e-r.......

Didn't even think about it when I bought the left hand lights.

----Russ