H1 and H4 Headlights

[SwissSteve]

I was looking in the stag mag and read an advert for LED headlights.

The article mentioned H1 and H4 existing headlights on the Stag.
Mine is a 1974. How do I tell which type of headlights are fitted?

As usual any help appreciated

Kind regards

Steve

[tvrgeek]

H1 and H4 refer to Halogen headlights. Not sealed beams. H3 being the single 7 inch. So they are selling just the bulb, not a completer reflector. The problem with them is they do not focus well as the original element was in a very small place and the LED inserts are over a larger area. One needs to spend the big bucks to get a complete unite designed for LED and hope they did a good job.

[mallardstag]

The problem with them is they do not focus well as the original element was in a very small place and the LED inserts are over a larger area

Good quality modern LED headlight bulbs (such as those advertised) now match the beam pattern very well...

[Goldstar]

I was looking in the stag mag and read an advert for LED headlights.

The article mentioned H1 and H4 existing headlights on the Stag.
Mine is a 1974. How do I tell which type of headlights are fitted?

As usual any help appreciated

Kind regards

Steve

Not 100% guarantee but if you have plastic headlamp bowls, chances are you have H4, the original steel bowls were for H1 bulbs. It is the bulb type not the headlamps that the H refers to. Easy to check. H1 look like the first link from Peter's website below, H4 the second. H4 bulbs have 3 spade terminals, H1 a single. You can (if a PO hasn't already) easily convert to H4, although IMO there is no point unless the original bowl is compromised
http://www.ldpart.co.uk/shop/shop.ph...3742949df45312
http://www.ldpart.co.uk/shop/shop.ph...3742949df45312

[malc4d]

Steve, with the swiss tag i'm guessing that your car is LHD. I bought my 1974 LHD car in Basel in 1983 when l lived there. It has metal bowls and H4 bulbs in all 4 headlights, with the inner 2 just using the main beam with the outers when on main. It seems that non UK cars have that setup. UK cars used either sealed beam or H1 in all 4 lights. They also seemed to have the outer 2 on for dip and just the inner 2 for main.

I am using these https://www.bettercarlighting.co.uk/...ewCat&catId=58 in my XJS quad headlight set up. 2 H4 and 2 H1 LED. Its easier in the Jag as it doesn't use bowls behind the headlight. I'm thinking of getting some plastic bowls and putting them into the Stag. The light output is brilliant.


2013-06-23-436.jpg


My son driving around in Basel a few years ago. The car is now in the UK.

[tvrgeek]

Good quality modern LED headlight bulbs (such as those advertised) now match the beam pattern very well...

Those look much better. Of course, the OP needs to have reflectors with removable bulbs. Don't know how they were shipped in Europe, but over here, we still had sealed beams.

[malc4d]

Where are you ?

[DJT]

Those look much better. Of course, the OP needs to have reflectors with removable bulbs. Don't know how they were shipped in Europe, but over here, we still had sealed beams.

The standard setup for U.K. Stags was 4 x H1 bulb light units. The outers came on for dip, the inners for main beam, with the outers staying on dip. The outer and inner lights had different reflectors and lenses. It does seem that some U.K. Stags may have had sealed beam units, but this may have been a production line shortage.

[jbuckl]

Not 100% guarantee but if you have plastic headlamp bowls, chances are you have H4, the original steel bowls were for H1 bulbs. It is the bulb type not the headlamps that the H refers to. Easy to check. H1 look like the first link from Peter's website below, H4 the second. H4 bulbs have 3 spade terminals, H1 a single. You can (if a PO hasn't already) easily convert to H4, although IMO there is no point unless the original bowl is compromised
http://www.ldpart.co.uk/shop/shop.ph...3742949df45312
http://www.ldpart.co.uk/shop/shop.ph...3742949df45312

As far as I’m aware originally stags only had h1 bulbs. If your car has h4 it’ll be due to aftermarket headlamps having been fitted. Usually those have a much flatter looking lense & the bulbs are a larger spherical shape as opposed to h1 narrow cylinderical shape.

[macstag1]

I can confirm that the beam pattern from the led units supplied by BetterCarLighing is excellent. I had the lights professionally aligned and the mechanic was quite happy that they would pass all future MOTs. I have not had anybody flash me. I have all four lights on main beam .
Cheers Mac

[KOY 23]

There are 2 issues here, up to a few years ago, providing the beam pattern was ok you could use any light source.

Good to hear that the latest LEDs give a good pattern, the earlier designs and cheap ones don’t, but now you can only pass an MOT if the correct light unit is approved for the light source in it. Sorry but any MOT tester who thinks otherwise needs to update himself.

You cannot use a light unit approved for halogen, as they all are, with an LED bulb. A perfect beam pattern is not important as it will fail MOT.

I’m not aware of a light unit approved for LED as approval costs are very high and demand low, especially for 5.75” units.

[StagJonno]

My MOT guy would happily pass if the beam pattern is correct - agree not in compliance with Construction & Use Regs, but, pragmatically, can't see a problem if you have good light, correct beam pattern and not dazzling other drivers.

[marshman]

There are 2 issues here, up to a few years ago, providing the beam pattern was ok you could use any light source.

Good to hear that the latest LEDs give a good pattern, the earlier designs and cheap ones don’t, but now you can only pass an MOT if the correct light unit is approved for the light source in it. Sorry but any MOT tester who thinks otherwise needs to update himself.

You cannot use a light unit approved for halogen, as they all are, with an LED bulb. A perfect beam pattern is not important as it will fail MOT.

I’m not aware of a light unit approved for LED as approval costs are very high and demand low, especially for 5.75” units.

Not sure that is true for an MoT test. As Jonno says it may contravene the Construction and Use regs but the MoT Testers Manual does not explicitly say that LEDs cannot or must not be retro fitted. It does specifically mention HiD lamps :

"Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp."

The focus (pun intended ) is on beam pattern.

There is a mention that:

" Light source and lamp not compatible" is a Major fail, but does not say how compatibility is checked.

You can read it for yourself here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-insp...ical-equipment

Having said all that I think the MoT test should look more closely at headlamps (and other lamps as well) and fail any car that has modified lights fitted. Too many cars on the road cause dazzle to other users - sometimes just because they are blissfully ignorant that their lights are out of alignment and sometimes because they have "upgraded" their lights.

The law is always slow to catch up with new developments but it is high time the MoT (and construction and use regs - the wattage is of a lamp is irrelevant these days) recognised LED light conversions - but considering the length of time it took it to recognise HiD I think there are few more years left yet.

Roger

[KOY 23]

My MOT guy would happily pass if the beam pattern is correct - agree not in compliance with Construction & Use Regs, but, pragmatically, can't see a problem if you have good light, correct beam pattern and not dazzling other drivers.

That was the approach up to about 6 years ago when the MOT was brought into line with Construction and use regs as I said above. Sorry but the pragmatic approach is no longer acceptable.

[KOY 23]

W

Not sure that is true for an MoT test. As Jonno says it may contravene the Construction and Use regs but the MoT Testers Manual does not explicitly say that LEDs cannot or must not be retro fitted. It does specifically mention HiD lamps :

"Existing halogen headlamp units should not be converted to be used with HID bulbs. If such a conversion has been done, you must fail the headlamp."

The focus (pun intended ) is on beam pattern.

There is a mention that:

" Light source and lamp not compatible" is a Major fail, but does not say how compatibility is checked.

You can read it for yourself here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-insp...ical-equipment

Having said all that I think the MoT test should look more closely at headlamps (and other lamps as well) and fail any car that has modified lights fitted. Too many cars on the road cause dazzle to other users - sometimes just because they are blissfully ignorant that their lights are out of alignment and sometimes because they have "upgraded" their lights.

The law is always slow to catch up with new developments but it is high time the MoT (and construction and use regs - the wattage is of a lamp is irrelevant these days) recognised LED light conversions - but considering the length of time it took it to recognise HiD I think there are few more years left yet.

Roger

MoT Testers Manual does not explicitly say that LEDs cannot or must not be retro fitted. It does specifically mention HiD lamps :

The reason why LEDs are not mentioned is that they were not a viable alternative when rules were written. HIDs were. There a long lag between technology and vehicle test standards.

]" Light source and lamp not compatible" is a Major failL”.[/I] Exactly what I said, any light source has to be approved in the appropriate housing, any incompatibility is now a major fail and you will have the following on your fail sheet; “light source and lamp not compatible (4.1.4 (c))“

Having said all that I think the MoT test should look more closely at headlamps (and other lamps as well) and fail any car that has modified lights fitted... They have hence any incompatibility is a major fail. However tail and brake lights are much safer with LEDs.and are unlikely to dazzle oncoming traffic.