making headlights that you can see by

[JohnEd]

What Jay said.

I interchanged DOT and SAE.  My bad... even though I thionk DOT uses SAE data.  And Sterns is the man.  Get your voltage up before you do anything elsea and make sure you are wiring for 30 amps for each circuit.

E spec is Euro Spec.

Thanks Jay,

Jolhn

[akbusguy2000]

All about Cibies:

http://www.talbotco.com/cibie_main_frameset.htm

tg

[cody]

Just got back from town, my voltage at the light was 13.6 on the right and 13.4 on the left.

[rv_safetyman]

Cody, I assume you are measuring the voltage at the headlight with the headlights on.  If the headlights are not on, all bets are off.  The voltages you measured, would suggest you have the engine running or a good battery charger on the system.  I would measure the voltage with the engine running to simulate the actual running condition.

The Eagle fuse system leaves a great deal to be desired (if you still have the OEM power distribution system).  Be sure to use relays mounted close to the headlight. 

Then go with the Euro spec headlights.

Jim

[Iceni John]

There is another less-expensive option to the excellent Cibie E-Code lights.

Because my SAE sealed-beam high beams were USELESS going through CA Central Valley fog and mist, I changed them to Neolites.   Made in India (does this make them I-Code?), reasonably good optics (the beam pattern is not quite as well defined as true European lights), took some finessing to make them fit because their mounting tabs were slightly off position (but easily "adjusted" with a modicum of brute force and subtlety), take standard H1/H4 bulbs, and cost only $30 each complete with bulbs of my wattage choice.   Are they as good as Cibies and Hellas  -  no, of course not, but they're pretty good for the price, and WAY better than the original SAE junk.

For now I have 55W bulbs in them;  because my bus does only 67 MPH tops and I wouldn't go that fast at night, even on roads I know well, that wattage is OK.   If I want to drive fast at night, my Audi's Hella HID projector headlights are the only way to go!   Later I may put some 12V aircraft landing lights where my front red flashers now are, obviously only for off-road use  -  some Skoolies find such lights useful when negotiating dirt roads and camping areas on moonless nights.

John  

[luvrbus]

Maybe a set of night vision goggles for you guys my Eagle has always had good head lights LOL. I would check my windshields I found out they make a world of difference in vision at night those little specs add up and distort the light and vision.



good luck

[Van]

Maybe some of you guys need heaters for yer bulbs, -20 degrees, and you wonder why things don't work right LOL!

     Brrrr! Van

[RJ]

Cody -

Six posts above mine, Tony posted a link to one of the major Cibie suppliers, who is the fellow I get my E-code lamps from.

When you visit the page, click on the link "SAE Standard Euro-Code Headlamps", and that will take you to the page with the most common 2 & 4 headlamp styles.  Scroll down, second from the bottom, is the rectangular one that should fit your Eagle.

I have written about using E-code headlamps on this bbs, it's predecessor, BNO, and various Yahell busnut group bbs's for over 10 years, having used them since the late '60's.  I was often flamed for my "preaching", until Chris Christiansen (a gentleman who works in law enforcement, btw), put a set of Cibie's on his 4905 and validated what I'd been saying.  So if you feel adventuresome, search here and on BNO using Cibie and my username as your search criteria, lot's of reading material will be found!

As I've said before, altho the Cibie's are a little pricey, WHAT PRICE SAFETY???

FWIW & HTH. . .

 

[belfert]

Does it make sense to only replace the low beam headlight with Cibie and leave the high beams alone?  I have a four headlight system with 6.5x4" lights and don't use the high beams much.

I notice Daniel Stern Lighting actually has prices listed now and the lights are $75 each.  I could justify $150 for the low beams, but another $150 for the high beams donesn't make as much sense.  I never knew what the E code lights cost before.

BTW, someone mentioned headlights on European brand cars sold in the USA.  They may have better headlights, but they aren't the same as in Europe because all cars sold in the USA need to have DOT approved headights.

[cody]

I'll check into the cibies, they sound like just what I'm looking for and yes the voltage checks were done at the lights with the lights on and the engine running.  I knew that somewhere out there somebody had figured out the solution to this problem cause I've heard too many bad things from other people about their headlights on buses being too dim too and it made sence to me cause I remember cars and trucks from the same time peroid having lighting that was lacking in intensity.  Now if only someone could come up with a replacement for the 8 track everything would be perfect lol.

[JohnEd]

Belfert,

YES!  That does make sense.  But not to replace the little square guy to do it.  Those can never be made good perfgormers due to their physical size and shape limitations. Optics, I am told. Smart move is to replace them entirely with 7 inch round or the big square ones.  For now you should install "aux low beams" and the ones masde by Hella are superb in shape/beam pattern.  There may be better in the round design.

I suggest you plan to convert.  I have never done this but I suspect you could take a walk thru a wrecking yard and just look for replacements in the 7 size or square USED.  They are made of glass and can even be buffed pnd the bulb, of course, changes.  Mine were $80 each and I bought 4 so if I could have gotten them for $10 i would have had no pride.  That would also provide you with the socket assembly to tinker with.  All of the E code is superior and beyond.  They all stand out with a distinctly NOT DOT pattern in the lens.  You'll see.

HTH

John

Cody,

8 trac?  I peed a little.  Thanks,

John

[belfert]

YES!  That does make sense.  But not to replace the little square guy to do it.  Those can never be made good perfgormers due to their physical size and shape limitations. Optics, I am told. Smart move is to replace them entirely with 7 inch round or the big square ones.  For now you should install "aux low beams" and the ones masde by Hella are superb in shape/beam pattern.  There may be better in the round

Do the 7" round headlights have both low and high beam in one unit?  I don't know if I could ever make 7" round headlights fit.  I'll have to look when I get home.  There is a large truck salvage operation 120 miles away in Southern MN.  I have been meaning to go there to look for a some dash parts out of a truck.  They have an operation here in Minneapolis too, but it is tiny compared to the main location.

I don't really think my headlights are that bad like some complain about, but if I can install Ecodes in the same openings for $150 that seems like a good deal.

[bevans6]

I've had many cars with the quad rectangular lights, even if they are not as perfect optically as a round light they can be very good with the right lights.  I think I will be getting a full set of the Cibie's, they won't be my first set by a long shot!  The classic 7" round lights are indeed dual filament bulbs, both high and low beam in one unit.  I think my personal favorites have been the dual 5" round bulbs, with a dual filament high/low set and the second pair dedicated to high beam only.  I think the optics of a dedicated high beam are better than a dual purpose, in some cases.   With the right lens and reflectors that you get in  a high quality unit you don't need ultra high wattage either.  Oddly, those dual round lights are what my bus came from before the PO upgraded to the dual rectangular setup!

[HighTechRedneck]

I don't at all mean to be the grinch that stole light and this is all just my opinion.  But I do encourage anybody that makes substantial changes to their lighting to take their bus to a big dark empty parking lot at night.  Let a family member/friend sit in it and leave it running with the lights on.  Then get in your car and approach it as oncoming traffic normally would.  Just to be sure you are comforatable driving against them.  If you aren't, others won't be and the golden rule applies.  Judge objectively, if you were in a car facing them on a two lane road, could you still see enough to accurately control your car?

It is a sensitive issue to me because of the incident I described at the start of the thread.  And then just this afternoon it was raining and so cars all had their headlights on.  I was at the front of the line of traffic and a very new SUV with the modern style headlights was across the intersection.  It was about 3PM overcast/raining and those lights were so intense I had to block them with my hand.  They were the super high temp (bright white) lights and were several times brighter than other cars.

I'm sure they light up the night very nicely, but if the oncoming driver is moementarily blinded by them and as a result crosses the line and hits them, or goes of the side of the road into a ditch or worse, all that light ain't going to help them much.

Personally I think there are alot of headlights in use everyday out there that are either poorly aimed, misused (i.e. high intensity aux lights used in conjunction with low beams) or outrightly illegal, but the police are too busy with other things to put much attention on them.

Everyone wants to see better at night and I'm the same way.  I am just saying remember the other guy has to see too.

[cody]

MIke, if the lights are properly aimed and of legal wattage, (55 watts in Michigan) it shouldn't be a problem, where it becomes a problem is when people run with lights that are aimed too high or of the off road variety.  In michigan 55 watts is the legal limit for the lights on a vehicle, even the high projector beams of the sports cars are limited to 55 watts in michigan, what makes the difference seems to be the optics, my high beams are 55 watts and my lows are 35 watts, just what the law allows, where mine fail is where many of them fail, the lenses break up the beam to the extent it's capability is compromised.  With the design of the lense and the reflector a person can do what they want as long as it's within the allowable wattage, a clear slightly fluted lense seems to be the  choice for many, even the blue white bulbs are limited to 55 watts by law here.  What I'm wondering was if anyone had come accross a new design for the large square sealed beams that would shed some more light on the subject lol, now about that 8 track..