H4 To H7 Upgrade

[Monkster1]

was ordering from H7 headlights from ebay from a part numbers (Valeo 046714 & 046715)
i got here, and a lady calls me ask me if my current H4s have single or twin reflectors, as she says sometime people order the wrong part.
is it correct? how so? i am sending her pict of my headlights

Hi all,

Yes I ordered O/S & N/S early this morning aswell after the price drop (Eurowagens Ltd, Valeo H7 units £164.69 each). The same lady contacted me to ask the same questions. She seemed to have issue with an H4 single unit going to an H7 double unit. I respectfully informed her they were exactly the same size and dimension but she was rather insistent I knew what I was buying. I wonder if they have had a few issues with returns from purchase error? I thought it was a nice touch though.

I already had a good idea that they were plug and play from earlier posts and my own research but I told her I would do some more, go onto the T6 forum and ring her back tomorrow. From the way she responded they obviously hold the forum in high esteem as she said 'oh yes I'd definitely recommend the T6 forum'.

Anyway, I've read the whole thread again and have drawn the same conclusion especially as I drive many country lanes in the dark, that the H7's are the way to go. I'll have them coded for twin-beam when I can at a later date. One question though, sorry didn't catch who posted the suggested upgrade - did the DRL Osram LED change throw any errors up or straight forward?

Thanks to all you avid T6'rs who do all the hard work in the background. I don't get on here too much at the moment but love it when I get chance.

 

[XZO]

If it helps on my H7's in my Caravelle I have used these 7440 Twenty20 Impact Cree Led Canbus lamp 582 12v W21w for the DRL and they do not report any Canbus errors.

 

[Monkster1]

If it helps on my H7's in my Caravelle I have used these 7440 Twenty20 Impact Cree Led Canbus lamp 582 12v W21w for the DRL and they do not report any Canbus errors.

Thanks XZO - i'll make a note for later.

 

[mopardave]

I wish I had the time and confidence to do this conversation.....I think the H4's are downright dangerous! I did think of telling my insurance company this but decided it wasn't worth the possible repercussions! Save me looking through the thread.....do we have an idiots guide to doing this? Can any garage deal with the recoding to enable the headlights to get through an mot test?

 

[goldeneye243]

I wish I had the time and confidence to do this conversation.....I think the H4's are downright dangerous! I did think of telling my insurance company this but decided it wasn't worth the possible repercussions! Save me looking through the thread.....do we have an idiots guide to doing this? Can any garage deal with the recoding to enable the headlights to get through an mot test?

There are some videos on youtube about swapping the headlights

As far as I understand it you don't need to change anything to pass an MOT - The change lets you have both bulbs on when you are on full beam only for better lighting. The H7 headlights just plug straight in.

I will let you know how long it takes me when my lights turn up!

 

[mopardave]

That's what I love about this forum @goldeneye243.....the people! Good luck and keep us all posted because I'm fed up of having "my man" walk in front of me at night with a gas lamp and flag....he gets out of breath above 10 mph! Shame on VW for those tea lights up front! Rant over...….it's time for my injection!

 

[Farnorthsurfer]

I wish I had the time and confidence to do this conversation.....I think the H4's are downright dangerous! I did think of telling my insurance company this but decided it wasn't worth the possible repercussions! Save me looking through the thread.....do we have an idiots guide to doing this? Can any garage deal with the recoding to enable the headlights to get through an mot test?

Its a really easy modification to do, I did it on the drive in about 90 minutes with my daughters help. Now she tells everyone she did it and can work on VW's
Its really plug and play, getting the front bumper off sounds bad but its easy really if you follow the guides.
All the information is on the forum in various places but this very thread is probably the best starting place.
I bought my H7 units from a fellow forum member who upgraded to LED which is way out of my price range.
If you scour eBay you can get second hand lamp units between about £150 and £180 a pair. Getting them singly is also possible but usually costs a bit more.
As in the thread above they don't cost that much if you decide to buy brand new (not from a dealer anyway).
Even if you don't have part numbers but there are decent photos you can easily tell its H4 or H7 by the reflector and position of the DRL/Indicator.
Very happy with the performance of the H7 units on dip and full beam, the biggest hassle was getting them coded but that was mainly because I live a long way from anyone with VCDS.

 

[mopardave]

Its a really easy modification to do, I did it on the drive in about 90 minutes with my daughters help. Now she tells everyone she did it and can work on VW's
Its really plug and play, getting the front bumper off sounds bad but its easy really if you follow the guides.
All the information is on the forum in various places but this very thread is probably the best starting place.
I bought my H7 units from a fellow forum member who upgraded to LED which is way out of my price range.
If you scour eBay you can get second hand lamp units between about £150 and £180 a pair. Getting them singly is also possible but usually costs a bit more.
As in the thread above they don't cost that much if you decide to buy brand new (not from a dealer anyway).
Even if you don't have part numbers but there are decent photos you can easily tell its H4 or H7 by the reflector and position of the DRL/Indicator.
Very happy with the performance of the H7 units on dip and full beam, the biggest hassle was getting them coded but that was mainly because I live a long way from anyone with VCDS.

Thanks @Farnorthsurfer......so tell me again, why do they need coding in?

 

[dubber36]

The coding is to enable dipped beam to stay on with main beam.

 

[andys]

It does get very confusing when you get reports varying from saying that moving to H7s made virtually no difference, to those that say they're amazing and have transformed night driving, and everything inbetween I guess lighting requirements are subjective. I'm happy enough with my H4s with LED lamps, at least they're good enough now to allow me to drive at night safely.

 

[dubber36]

I think that the main benefit of H7s is that dipped stays on with main beam.

I don't know if this is the case, but on many cars with H4s, if you pull back on the stalk to flash main beam when the headlights are on, dipped beam will stay on. Give it a go and see what the difference is. It's obviously not coded to work like this on proper main beam as both filaments lit in the bulb would get too hot and they'd soon go pop.

 

[foggy3061]

I think that the main benefit of H7s is that dipped stays on with main beam.

For me its the fact that the H4 units have a terrible low beam pattern (even with upgraded bulbs).

The H7 have a much better spread of light on low beam which is improved further with upgraded bulbs (the stock 'long life' bulbs arent the best).

 

[Farnorthsurfer]

@dubber36 is spot on @mopardave the coding is to allow both the low beam H7 bulb and the Spotlight High Beam H7 to come on at the same time increasing the light output to more than double the H4 on high beam.

Vans with H4 Headlamps have one bulb, the 'H4' funnily enough, to do both low and main beam, it has two filaments inside which if switched on together would blow the bulb. So they code it to be high or low but not both.
The H7 Headlamps with two separate 'H7' bulbs installed. On an H4 van without coding will H7 lamps will work OK but when you switch high beam on the low beam will turn off and you get a dark area right in front of the van. (If you drive fast enough of course you can hardly see the dark area!!)
As the H7 has discrete reflectors for low and high beam the design is optimised for each and the light pattern is much better than the Jack of All Trades H4 unit.
I find the H7 to be absolutely fine and am really glad I got them fitted since the dark hours have arrived again up here in the frozen North. Recommended as a compulsory modification along with 'Sounds Like Golf Door Seals'
(I do have upgraded bulbs installed, the Phillips ones I think so my judgement is not based on standard bulbs)

 

[Stay Frosty]

If I could give an half hearted defence of the H4 headlight not everyone lives in rural areas and particularly here in urban Northampton you might use your main beam once a week for less than 30 seconds, the dilemna then is one of spending a few hundred quid to be able to run your dipped and main beam at the same time for 30 seconds each week...

I'm guessing that the majority of fleet T6 work van drivers don't give a moments thought about the H4 headlights as they queue on the motorways, dual carriageways and urban streets of this septic Isle.

 

[Nolan]

Changed my H4 for H7 units and I'm much happier with them having found the H4 units pretty poor. This is with the supplied bulbs.

I still need to get the coding done, called Bognor motors the other day but they didn't call me back, must try again as I don't live far from them.

 

[Mocko1962]

Anyone know if these will fit H7/H7 as there seems to be another version with pwy21/w21/w5 ... autodoc check my Vin and say H7 H7 VERSION is not compatible as my van has H4 version from stock...

Is there no side light w5 lamps in the twin H7/H7 version as its not listed as a lamp in the description just H7 ?

 

[RayC]

There is side light at bottom

have you checked forum shop I got mine from there genuine VW inc bulbs etc my dealer was impressed and said no warranty issues

I fitted myself plus the led vw side lights coded dip beam and side lights out if you search forum

 

[T6salopian]

Hi All,

New to this forum and the whole T6 thing but seriously impressed with the info on this forum, thanks.

Apologies if you've been over this a dozen times but, it seems I'm not alone in finding out that the standard headlights are crap (my series 1 Landy is better!). I think I understand the H4/H7 stuff and what's needed to change them over. From this thread several pages ago, there was a link to an item in the forum shop:
Genuine VW T6 Replacement Front Headlight Unit - H7

This doesn't seem to work anymore and I can't find them in the shop. Are they just out of stock or no longer available?

Cheers

 

[BoroBoy]

Not being as mechanically savvy as most on here. How ca I tell which lights I have on my T6 Highline panel van.

 

[dubber36]

Pictures are on post #1 on this thread.