He uses original parts and a can bus tuning harness so I do believe you take the old ones out and just put your new ones in. You can send your existing headlights for conversion but then you are without headlights for a couple of weeks!
Who is happy or unhappy with the standard H4 headlights?
- Thread starter BIgben
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- h4 headlamp headlights
H4 with standard bulbs vs. No headlights = not a great deal of difference
Have to rig up some indicators I suppose!
Neil Stichbury
Member
Fixed, Hella Rallye 4000 compact and Plus 150 bulbs in low and hi beam. Clarity out to 600metres
Nah, we'll just deliberately go out at midnight just to remind ourselves how freakin awesome they are!!Even better news; the LED bores will quieten down a bit...
Not if I drive ours to the Arctic Circle.. which I might.Nah, we'll just deliberately go out at midnight just to remind ourselves how freakin awesome they are!!
I'm imagining the line trotted out by singleton T6 van owners with LEDs.
"Yeah it's only got 85 bhp, no heater, no DAB BUT it's got good lights. And massive wheels. Wanna see them love?"
"Sorry dear, I'm busy watching wind erosion of this granite cliff."
What are you thinking of going for?
Says the bloke who has just posted on another thread that he wants to reverse everywhere so his LED rear lights, light the way for himNot if I drive ours to the Arctic Circle.. which I might.
I'm imagining the line trotted out by singleton T6 van owners with LEDs.
"Yeah it's only got 85 bhp, no heater, no DAB BUT it's got good lights. And massive wheels. Wanna see them love?"
"Sorry dear, I'm busy watching wind erosion of this granite cliff."
No that was just to join in with the "look at my fascinating lights" gang.Says the bloke who has just posted on another thread that he wants to reverse everywhere so his LED rear lights, light the way for him
And to show what a proper reverse gear can do.
Manual then?
T6 Dave's Dad
Member
Que? I am from Barthelona!
Excellent move, many thanks for providing the link to the DVSA Vehicle Safety Defect online form, and to all on this thread who have confirmed that we are not alone...
Here is the correspondence I've been having with VW 'Customer Care'. I have no expectations of any positive response, as they will hide behind 'type approval' as the basis for saying the current design is 'adequate'. It really does require all of the 92% who have polled to stand up, get in touch with VW 'Customer Care' (0800 7834909) and make their feelings know, and back it up with a Vehicle Safety Defect report...
Fao: Lloyd, VW Customer Care (customercare@vwcv.co.uk)
Lloyd,
Ref: T6 Transporter T28 Highline
Many thanks for keeping me up to speed with your message yesterday. I am pleased that my complaint is proceeding, and look forward to a positive response.
Just to confirm my position:
The H4 headlights on our new T6 Transporter are completely unacceptable, and in my opinion, dangerous, certainly unfit for purpose.
Having collected our vehicle last October from Lookers, Carlisle, it has now been converted into a wonderful campervan which we want to use throughout the year. We have only used it at night on a few occasions, and every time, we have to stop to confirm that the lights are actually working at all. We now have a full itinerary of intended travel which will involve significant night-time travel.
The light is very, very poor, a faint puddle of very yellow light that is totally inadequate at providing the necessary definition to drive safely at night, especially in our rural setting - we live in Cockermouth, Cumbria. In over 40 years of driving, I have never seen such poor and ineffective headlight illumination.
We have now worked out that switching the fog lights on together with high beam provides the best light we can achieve, but it is amazing (and telling) that no-one driving against us flashes to indicate they have been dazzled. I am not even sure that driving with fog lights on is legal when there is no fog - it is a very uncomfortable and dangerous situation.
We contacted Lookers to raise our concerns, and they have now checked the vehicle out. According to them, the alternator output and voltage at the bulbs checks out at 14.75 volts. Their opinion is that the ‘headlights are bright enough for their purpose as per Volkswagen & European Type Approval’. I cannot understand how they have reached this conclusion as at no time have they actually measured and reported on the brightness of the bulbs. What is the minimum brightness required to meet Type Approval, and how does my T6 measure up? It’s certainly not a requirement of the UK MOT test.
No-one has even been able to offer any option to improve the performance of the lights, only to warn me of the dangers of using ‘non-standard equipment’. Frankly, having spent over £24,000 on the van (our retirement project), I do not expect to have to use ‘non-standard’ equipment to achieve acceptable headlamp performance. I cannot believe that Volkswagen has put themselves in this position.
In speaking to you, you seemed to acknowledge that I am not alone in my concern, and a simple review of information available from the UK T6 Forum confirms many other people are very unhappy - see snippets as below. Some 92% who have voted on the poll consider the performance as ‘unacceptable, and a number of the T6 Forum members are so frustrated that they are trying to fix the issue by themselves. I have no intention of interfering with my new vehicle, I expect to be fit for purpose. Also telling is a terrible report on the ‘extremely poor’ headlights from an Australian motoring magazine, also appended.
Your advice that my eyes (which have been tested as fine, by the way) will ‘adjust’ to the light is not acceptable.
I expect to receive a positive response from you, advising how the headlamp performance of my T6 can be drastically improved. I look forward to hearing from you.
regards,
Chris George
Cockermouth
T6 Forum Poll:
A review from the Australian Motoring site, written by professional motoring journalists confirms the awful performance:
http://www.motoring.com.au/volkswagen-transporter-2016-review-102188/
See quote below:
Some T6 Forum Comments:
Right, I really need to blow off some steam here.
I’ve never liked the H4’s but I always thought “maybe I overreact a bit” because if I take it easy I can see just enough.
Anyway, I’ve just had thee most stressful journey home from work...
Normally I know my routes home. I’m guessing that helps but, tonight I stayed behind at work and I drove to my Girlfriends place down in Essex as it was closer.
For the whole journey I felt like I couldn’t see a thing! Travelling on B roads that I didn’t know, was a total nightmare. I put my front fogs on which helped 2% more but I ended up having a few cars flash me...which sent me into an expletive rage!!!
I was towing 2 & 1/2 tons too so I wasn’t even going fast at all.
I know others cursed by the H4s have a similar story but I genuinely felt unsafe.
How are these acceptable? 42k van with candles for lights.
(Enter massive, long, drawn out swear word here) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just needed to rant. Thanks peeps x
I’ve never liked the H4’s but I always thought “maybe I overreact a bit” because if I take it easy I can see just enough.
Anyway, I’ve just had thee most stressful journey home from work...
Normally I know my routes home. I’m guessing that helps but, tonight I stayed behind at work and I drove to my Girlfriends place down in Essex as it was closer.
For the whole journey I felt like I couldn’t see a thing! Travelling on B roads that I didn’t know, was a total nightmare. I put my front fogs on which helped 2% more but I ended up having a few cars flash me...which sent me into an expletive rage!!!
I was towing 2 & 1/2 tons too so I wasn’t even going fast at all.
I know others cursed by the H4s have a similar story but I genuinely felt unsafe.
How are these acceptable? 42k van with candles for lights.
(Enter massive, long, drawn out swear word here) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just needed to rant. Thanks peeps x
Jonny.....you're among victims, sorry, friends here mate! I've done the whole DVSA thing.....I've had mine checked by the dealer too. I've done everything short of upgrading the bulbs. They're downright dangerous. What I would say is fill out the DVSA form.....get in touch with your dealer......get in touch with VW customer services too. Anyone out there who hasn't done all this needs to stop complaining or get moving with it. Probably nothing will be done.....but I'm firmly of the opinion, put up or shut up.....and that's not aimed at anyone. I know that if I was unfortunate to have a night time RTC, I'd be telling my insurance company all about it! You know they're bad when you have to check that they're actually switched on! I wonder what an insurance company would say at renewal time if we all said, in our opinion, our vans are unsafe for use at night? I too drive with fogs and full beam on rural roads.....shocking really!
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