99 T&C Headlights

Any suggestions on replacement low and high beam bulbs for this van.As most
people know the headlights on these are not the greatest in the world.I am
looking for an improvement that is workable with the present wiring but
legal.Thanks in advance. Dan

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004, Dan wrote:

> Any suggestions on replacement low and high beam bulbs for this van.As
> most people know the headlights on these are not the greatest in the
> world.I am looking for an improvement that is workable with the present
> wiring but legal.Thanks in advance. Dan

Nothin' much you can do. Sylvania wants you to buy their SilverStar
garbage; it is expensive, short-lived, and worsens(!) the headlamps'
performance. The wiring in that van starves the bulbs, which relays and
heavy-gauge wiring would fix, but you've said "No wiring changes", so
that's out. The high beams could be upgraded substantially by replacing
the 9005 bulbs with 9011s, but no such mod is possible with the low beams,
because they take that straight-base 9005 bulb for which no legitimate
upgrades are made.

Vestatec makes a very good quad projector beam setup for that van, but are
you ready to sink $700 into headlamps?

DS

On Sat, 4 Dec 2004, Dan wrote:

> Any suggestions on replacement low and high beam bulbs for this van.As
> most people know the headlights on these are not the greatest in the
> world.I am looking for an improvement that is workable with the present
> wiring but legal.Thanks in advance. Dan

Nothin' much you can do. Sylvania wants you to buy their SilverStar
garbage; it is expensive, short-lived, and worsens(!) the headlamps'
performance. The wiring in that van starves the bulbs, which relays and
heavy-gauge wiring would fix, but you've said "No wiring changes", so
that's out. The high beams could be upgraded substantially by replacing
the 9005 bulbs with 9011s, but no such mod is possible with the low beams,
because they take that straight-base 9005 bulb for which no legitimate
upgrades are made.

Vestatec makes a very good quad projector beam setup for that van, but are
you ready to sink $700 into headlamps?

DS

What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance on MY
2003 T&C? Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work? Or would I
overheat the bulb and/or base?


Thanks
Kevin


"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
> On Sat, 4 Dec 2004, Dan wrote:
>
>> Any suggestions on replacement low and high beam bulbs for this van.As
>> most people know the headlights on these are not the greatest in the
>> world.I am looking for an improvement that is workable with the present
>> wiring but legal.Thanks in advance. Dan
>
> Nothin' much you can do. Sylvania wants you to buy their SilverStar
> garbage; it is expensive, short-lived, and worsens(!) the headlamps'
> performance. The wiring in that van starves the bulbs, which relays and
> heavy-gauge wiring would fix, but you've said "No wiring changes", so
> that's out. The high beams could be upgraded substantially by replacing
> the 9005 bulbs with 9011s, but no such mod is possible with the low beams,
> because they take that straight-base 9005 bulb for which no legitimate
> upgrades are made.
>
> Vestatec makes a very good quad projector beam setup for that van, but are
> you ready to sink $700 into headlamps?
>
> DS

What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance on MY
2003 T&C? Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work? Or would I
overheat the bulb and/or base?


Thanks
Kevin


"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
n.umich.edu...
> On Sat, 4 Dec 2004, Dan wrote:
>
>> Any suggestions on replacement low and high beam bulbs for this van.As
>> most people know the headlights on these are not the greatest in the
>> world.I am looking for an improvement that is workable with the present
>> wiring but legal.Thanks in advance. Dan
>
> Nothin' much you can do. Sylvania wants you to buy their SilverStar
> garbage; it is expensive, short-lived, and worsens(!) the headlamps'
> performance. The wiring in that van starves the bulbs, which relays and
> heavy-gauge wiring would fix, but you've said "No wiring changes", so
> that's out. The high beams could be upgraded substantially by replacing
> the 9005 bulbs with 9011s, but no such mod is possible with the low beams,
> because they take that straight-base 9005 bulb for which no legitimate
> upgrades are made.
>
> Vestatec makes a very good quad projector beam setup for that van, but are
> you ready to sink $700 into headlamps?
>
> DS

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004, Kevin wrote:

> What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance
> on MY 2003 T&C?

Vmaxx quad projector beam setup w/Hella optics -- around $800 for halogen,
around $2500 for Xenon.

European-market stock headlamps, nice ZKW-made items with quad H7
reflector beams, if you've got friends in Europe. Price varies by source.

> Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work?

It would sooner or later give you a good reason to get new headlamp
assemblies, as the 100% thermal overload within the bulb presents the
severe risk of bulb explosion, which destroys the headlamp completely.
Maybe you'd be unlucky enough for the bulb glass to hold long enough for
the doubly-overloaded common ground wire to barbecue, and take some or all
of what's in its path with it. Switching relay, BCM, beam selector
switch...

In one word, DON'T!

DS

On Sun, 5 Dec 2004, Kevin wrote:

> What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance
> on MY 2003 T&C?

Vmaxx quad projector beam setup w/Hella optics -- around $800 for halogen,
around $2500 for Xenon.

European-market stock headlamps, nice ZKW-made items with quad H7
reflector beams, if you've got friends in Europe. Price varies by source.

> Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work?

It would sooner or later give you a good reason to get new headlamp
assemblies, as the 100% thermal overload within the bulb presents the
severe risk of bulb explosion, which destroys the headlamp completely.
Maybe you'd be unlucky enough for the bulb glass to hold long enough for
the doubly-overloaded common ground wire to barbecue, and take some or all
of what's in its path with it. Switching relay, BCM, beam selector
switch...

In one word, DON'T!

DS

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
.umich.edu...
> On Sun, 5 Dec 2004, Kevin wrote:
>
>> What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance
>> on MY 2003 T&C?
>
> Vmaxx quad projector beam setup w/Hella optics -- around $800 for halogen,
> around $2500 for Xenon.
>
> European-market stock headlamps, nice ZKW-made items with quad H7
> reflector beams, if you've got friends in Europe. Price varies by source.

Do you know of any way to order from Vmaxx? They do not respond to numerous
e-mails.


>
>> Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work?
>
> It would sooner or later give you a good reason to get new headlamp
> assemblies, as the 100% thermal overload within the bulb presents the
> severe risk of bulb explosion, which destroys the headlamp completely.
> Maybe you'd be unlucky enough for the bulb glass to hold long enough for
> the doubly-overloaded common ground wire to barbecue, and take some or all
> of what's in its path with it. Switching relay, BCM, beam selector
> switch...
>
> In one word, DON'T!

Thanks! Beefing up the wiring I would have expected, blowing up the head
lamp I wouldn't have!

>
> DS

"Daniel J. Stern" > wrote in message
.umich.edu...
> On Sun, 5 Dec 2004, Kevin wrote:
>
>> What possible solutions ate there to improve the headlight performance
>> on MY 2003 T&C?
>
> Vmaxx quad projector beam setup w/Hella optics -- around $800 for halogen,
> around $2500 for Xenon.
>
> European-market stock headlamps, nice ZKW-made items with quad H7
> reflector beams, if you've got friends in Europe. Price varies by source.

Do you know of any way to order from Vmaxx? They do not respond to numerous
e-mails.


>
>> Would putting in a relay to light both filiments work?
>
> It would sooner or later give you a good reason to get new headlamp
> assemblies, as the 100% thermal overload within the bulb presents the
> severe risk of bulb explosion, which destroys the headlamp completely.
> Maybe you'd be unlucky enough for the bulb glass to hold long enough for
> the doubly-overloaded common ground wire to barbecue, and take some or all
> of what's in its path with it. Switching relay, BCM, beam selector
> switch...
>
> In one word, DON'T!

Thanks! Beefing up the wiring I would have expected, blowing up the head
lamp I wouldn't have!

>
> DS

On Tue, 7 Dec 2004, Kevin wrote:

> Do you know of any way to order from Vmaxx? They do not respond to numerous
> e-mails.

What are you putting in the e-mails? They, like many other German
companies, don't respond to lengthy "essay" type e-mails from abroad.