headlight bulb upgrade bx tzd

[rutter123]

was driving the wifes 206 over the weekend and have come to the conclusion that the bx headlights are quite poor in comparison, is there a bulb upgrade i can fit to the bx? currently 55w, i have 100amp alternator from a 406 fitted so can cope with more amps. i have removed the headlamps and cleaned all the dust and crap out but made little difference.

[BX Bandit]

People often talk of using relays. I've not tried it, but then I've not found the need to.

My 16v came with x% (I think 30%) brighter bulbs (from Halfords) and they really do make a difference, well worth the extra few quid.
The other option is to separate the lens from the headlamp body and cover any areas that have suffered from a deterioration of the chromed/mirrored finish will aluminium tape. It's more subtle than brighter bulbs but it can make a decent difference if the inside has deteriorated a lot.
Obviously there is the risk that you crack the lense but believe it or not they often just fall out

[mds141]

New headlights are cheap enough (often cheaper than uprated bulbs) and make a massive difference.

[Dollywobbler]

New headlights are cheap enough (often cheaper than uprated bulbs) and make a massive difference.

This. I've noticed that the TXD has one headlamp that looks really dim in the daylight. That suggests the reflector is well past its best. Given how cheap headlamps can be and the availability of them, I think that's a good first step.

[MULLEY]

I recommend Osram Nightbreaker Plus bulbs, fairly cheap & a big upgrade, combine that with some new headlights if the silver has oxidised & you'll notice a difference. Relays also can help by elimenating voltage drop, which is common on the BX with its weedy & old wiring. I've done everything except the relay bit & that'll be next on my list of things to get done eventually.

[ghaddon1701]

New units as suggested and I use Philips X-treme vision +100% bulbs. http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/H4-Phi ... -pair.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Made a huge difference. Lighting perfromance can be further improved by making sure the bulbs are getting the full 13V from the battery with relays and upgraded wiring. Also a thing to think about is the BX only has the single bulb per headlamp. Most modern cars have quad headlights when on main beam. Also modern headlights the optics are in the reflector as opposed to the glass.

[mat_fenwick]

There's a thread here showing a method of wiring relays in to control the headlights, although the circuit given is more complicated than it strictly needs to be!

If you put one probe of a multimeter (set to voltage) on the battery positive terminal, and the other on either of the two positive terminals on the headlamp connector whilst they are on, you will be able to see how much voltage is wasted in the wiring. Repeat with the negative battery and headlamp terminals. It may be that there is insignificant voltage drop in the wiring, and hence relays won't make much improvement.

I use 55/100 watt bulbs, as most of my driving round here is on main beam, and I don't want to dazzle people with brighter bulbs when dipped. They are not strictly road legal though, so the various uprated standard wattage bulbs might be a useful compromise. Interesting information on different types and outputs here.