White Bulbs?

2766 Views 31 Replies 6 Participants Last post by TheDarkKnight, Jun 13, 2021

Persephone

Discussion Starter · Jun 4, 2021

Hello everyone,
When I bought my CRV I didn't realise it had the old fashioned reflector lights with yellow bulbs. I had assumed (lesson learned there!) that it had more modern headlights with lenses - the other models I test drove did not have yellow lights like this. The photo doesn't really show how yellow they are. Has anyone found a bulb that makes the lights match the daytime running LEDs? I've seen LED bulbs on Amazon but when you read the description they all say they aren't road legal in the UK! Is there a legal way to make the main bulbs match the white light of the LEDs without replacing the whole headlight units (which I'm loathe to do)?
Thanks 😊

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JB in AZ

· #2 · Jun 4, 2021

I'm going to move this to the UK area, as your locals may have better ideas with regard to availability and local laws.

Reactions: 2

hondAL

· #3 · Jun 4, 2021

Yes they are regular halogen bulbs. The higher spec models have Xenon low beams and halogen mains and fogs. The xenons are white.

I dont think there is a legal way to achieve what you want, you either have to use HID or LED which I guess your reflectors are not designed for.

You could try the likes of the Osram Night Breaker or Philips X-treme Vision bulbs they should be whiter and brighter!

Philips X-tremeVision Vs. OSRAM Night Breaker Plus | PowerBulbs UK

Our two most popular car bulbs go head-to-head in this comparison of Philips X-treme Vision and OSRAM Night Breaker Plus. Read more here.

www.powerbulbs.com

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Persephone

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 4, 2021

hondAL said:
Yes they are regular halogen bulbs. The higher spec models have Xenon low beams and halogen mains and fogs. The xenons are white.

I dont think there is a legal way to achieve what you want, you either have to use HID or LED which I guess your reflectors are not designed for.

You could try the likes of the Osram Night Breaker or Philips X-treme Vision bulbs they should be whiter and brighter!

Philips X-tremeVision Vs. OSRAM Night Breaker Plus | PowerBulbs UK

Our two most popular car bulbs go head-to-head in this comparison of Philips X-treme Vision and OSRAM Night Breaker Plus. Read more here.

www.powerbulbs.com

Hi, Thanks for the info. I'll look at those. I know it's more of a cosmetic thing but the difference in colour between the LED running lights and the main lights is quite jarring.

TheDarkKnight

· #5 · Jun 5, 2021

Persephone said:
Hello everyone,
When I bought my CRV I didn't realise it had the old fashioned reflector lights with yellow bulbs. I had assumed (lesson learned there!) that it had more modern headlights with lenses - the other models I test drove did not have yellow lights like this. The photo doesn't really show how yellow they are. Has anyone found a bulb that makes the lights match the daytime running LEDs? I've seen LED bulbs on Amazon but when you read the description they all say they aren't road legal in the UK! Is there a legal way to make the main bulbs match the white light of the LEDs without replacing the whole headlight units (which I'm loathe to do)?
Thanks 😊

View attachment 148222
If this has already been discussed and resolved please delete.

The biggest issue you would have if you swapped headlight units for Xenon ones is the MOT.

Xenon units from factory on all cars have a self levelling system and washers - yours has neither and would automatically fail because as soon as your reg is entered into the DVLA system, the MOT tester knows every intricate detail of your car, spec and what to test.

The issue of having LED bulbs in a reflector headlight will almost certainly be an MOT fail too since they are not designed to be housed in a reflector headlight as the light pattern distribution/scatter could blind drivers and you probably wouldnt know about it.

Really all depends on what hassle you want/can stomach...

This is why checking specs/trim is so important - my advice, leave it well alone.

Reactions: 1

hondAL

· #6 · Jun 5, 2021

I looked at a few CR-V's before settling on the SR model, one of the deciding factors was the Xenon lights.

Coming from Accords (not Type S) the low beam halogens were really dissapointing and I was surprised to find out that not all of the CR-V's have Xenon as standard.

TheDarkKnight

· #7 · Jun 5, 2021

hondAL said:
I looked at a few CR-V's before settling on the SR model, one of the deciding factors was the Xenon lights.

Coming from Accords (not Type S) the low beam halogens were really dissapointing and I was surprised to find out that not all of the CR-V's have Xenon as standard.

On the pre-facelift 4th Gen CR-Vs, the headlights are Bi-Xenon. On the facelift, they are Xenon but the high beam light is a standard halogen one.

Persephone

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jun 5, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
The biggest issue you would have if you swapped headlight units for Xenon ones is the MOT.

Xenon units from factory on all cars have a self levelling system and washers - yours has neither and would automatically fail because as soon as your reg is entered into the DVLA system, the MOT tester knows every intricate detail of your car, spec and what to test.

The issue of having LED bulbs in a reflector headlight will almost certainly be an MOT fail too since they are not designed to be housed in a reflector headlight as the light pattern distribution/scatter could blind drivers and you probably wouldnt know about it.

Really all depends on what hassle you want/can stomach...

This is why checking specs/trim is so important - my advice, leave it well alone.

Hi, Thanks for the info. I had no idea that the headlight specs are matched to the car during the MOT. I watched a video where a man tried LED bulbs and he blinded other drivers. When he adjusted them he just illuminated the road immediately in front and could actually see less than with the old bulbs! It seems like I'm stuck with the yellow lights then unless the bulbs that hondAL mentions above can match the daylight running lights.
The specs for this car are quite confusing - I'm sure one of the others I tested was SE spec but it had the xenon lights with the lens. Also I parked next to an SR black edition of the same age from the same dealership last week (Rochdale Honda CRV owners clearly like Egyptian cotton bedding from Dunelm Mill 😀) and I was surprised to notice it had headlights like mine. I had expected it to have the lenses. I guess this is what can happen when you can't test drive a car before you buy. (As a side note I noticed a couple of broken things which I'm trying to get the dealer to pay for.)
A friend suggested I buy the better headlights but having looked at them the price is prohibitive - I could have bought a younger model with EX trim for the same money! 😡

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Persephone

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jun 5, 2021

hondAL said:
I looked at a few CR-V's before settling on the SR model, one of the deciding factors was the Xenon lights.

Coming from Accords (not Type S) the low beam halogens were really dissapointing and I was surprised to find out that not all of the CR-V's have Xenon as standard.

Hi, thanks for this. I test drove several CRVs and all had the xenon headlights with the glass globes. The reason I settled on this one was colour - I wanted it in black. I bought this one from a car supermarket and couldn't test drive it but assumed that as all the others had the xenon lights this one would as well.
As I just said in my reply to TheDarkKnight I parked next to a 2016 CRV SR Black Edition that had come from the same dealer and it didn't have xenon lights either. So I wonder if those headlights were an optional extra on all but EX models for that model? I'll try those Philips bulbs you mention above. 😊

TheDarkKnight

· #10 · Jun 5, 2021

Persephone said:
Hi, Thanks for the info. I had no idea that the headlight specs are matched to the car during the MOT. I watched a video where a man tried LED bulbs and he blinded other drivers. When he adjusted them he just illuminated the road immediately in front and could actually see less than with the old bulbs! It seems like I'm stuck with the yellow lights then unless the bulbs that hondAL mentions above can match the daylight running lights.
The specs for this car are quite confusing - I'm sure one of the others I tested was SE spec but it had the xenon lights with the lens. Also I parked next to an SR black edition of the same age from the same dealership last week (Rochdale Honda CRV owners clearly like Egyptian cotton bedding from Dunelm Mill 😀) and I was surprised to notice it had headlights like mine. I had expected it to have the lenses. I guess this is what can happen when you can't test drive a car before you buy. (As a side note I noticed a couple of broken things which I'm trying to get the dealer to pay for.)
A friend suggested I buy the better headlights but having looked at them the price is prohibitive - I could have bought a younger model with EX trim for the same money! 😡

4th Gen only has:

S / SE / SR / Black Edition / EX

Only the SR/EX had Bi-Xenons (prefaclift) and single Xenons in the facelift like yours.

I can guarantee you the SE spec you saw did not have factory Xenons because they dont exist.

Of course you CAN change the bulbs, but unless you swap them back each year for your MOT, or you forget, its a hassle not worth doing. On reflection, I'd have gone for the top trim EX.

Persephone

Discussion Starter · #11 · Jun 5, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
4th Gen only has:

S / SE / SR / Black Edition / EX

Only the SR/EX had Bi-Xenons (prefaclift) and single Xenons in the facelift like yours.

I can guarantee you the SE spec you saw did not have factory Xenons because they dont exist.

Of course you CAN change the bulbs, but unless you swap them back each year for your MOT, or you forget, its a hassle not worth doing. On reflection, I'd have gone for the top trim EX.

Thanks. You're a wealth of knowledge! The one I looked at was advertised as SE and it had the same cloth seats as mine but it also had bigger wheels and the posh headlights. I would have gone for it but it has lots of damage to the paint. It was silver and the salesman said he'd have his bodywork dept respray the areas and blend them in with the rest of the body. Experience has taught me this never looks right so I passed. I almost bought one in a lovely metallic grey colour that was EX spec but it had come from Scarborough and I noticed the underside was caked in rust. It could have been harmless surface rust but I didn't want to take that chance for 16k. It did drive very smoothly though.
I guess I'll just have to live with the yellow lights. Maybe I can make them even more yellow and pretend I split my time between the UK and France! 😂 Actually, I'm not sure that's still a thing over there but for years every time my uncle came over from Paris he had yellow headlights.
With hindsight and the lack of urgency to buy a new car I'd have held out for an EX but it is what it is. 😊

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TheDarkKnight

· #12 · Jun 5, 2021

Persephone said:
I almost bought one in a lovely metallic grey colour that was EX spec but it had come from Scarborough and I noticed the underside was caked in rust.

I have a good friend who for years has lived in Scarborough. On the contrary, that wouldnt have been rust - more likely sand/dust given proximity to the sea/North sea winds.

Probably would have come off with a simple pressure washer rinse

In recent years, I made the distinct decision to always buy top spec - couldnt care less if it had features I dont use, but I'd rather that than wish it had something that I didnt have.

I mean, I've opened the sunroof less than a dozen times, and I cant even remember the last time I actually used the Head Up Display - but again, I'd rather I have them than not. 👌

Jesting aside, if you find a top spec EX model, and if the financial stars align, you should swap.

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Persephone

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jun 5, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
I have a good friend who for years has lived in Scarborough. On the contrary, that wouldnt have been rust - more likely sand/dust given proximity to the sea/North sea winds.

Probably would have come off with a simple pressure washer rinse

In recent years, I made the distinct decision to always buy top spec - couldnt care less if it had features I dont use, but I'd rather that than wish it had something that I didnt have.

I mean, I've opened the sunroof less than a dozen times, and I cant even remember the last time I actually used the Head Up Display - but again, I'd rather I have them than not. 👌

Jesting aside, if you find a top spec EX model, and if the financial stars align, you should swap.

It was definitely rust. It had already been cleaned for sale. The dealer did offer to treat it with some rust thing and paint all the metal with undercoat but it just felt wrong.
I agree about buying top spec. I normally would but as we were still in lockdown and I was desperate for a car and had set my mind on a CRV my choices were limited. I think I'd lose if I swapped this at the moment but perhaps in a year or two I will. 😊

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TheDarkKnight

· #14 · Jun 5, 2021

In your shoes, I wouldnt get too hung up about the headlights - why?

Because if they do go bad, you know that they are cheaps as chips to replace.

While I would advise against those Amazon type LED bulbs, there's nothing stopping you from using something like OSRAM Nightbreakers which are always highly recommended as an alternative.

Persephone

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jun 5, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
In your shoes, I wouldnt get too hung up about the headlights - why?

Because if they do go bad, you know that they are cheaps as chips to replace.

While I would advise against those Amazon type LED bulbs, there's nothing stopping you from using something like OSRAM Nightbreakers which are always highly recommended as an alternative.

I don't think they're the best headlights for driving on roads without street lights but for most driving they're fine. It's more the aesthetics that bug me. The car looks great to me but then I remember those headlights! I'll try those bulbs and see what they're like. 😊

TheDarkKnight

· #16 · Jun 6, 2021

Persephone said:
I don't think they're the best headlights for driving on roads without street lights but for most driving they're fine.

Bear in mind, the headlights are more than adequate in the view of regulators who ultimately permit such vehicles on the road

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Persephone

Discussion Starter · #17 · Jun 6, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
Bear in mind, the headlights are more than adequate in the view of regulators who ultimately permit such vehicles on the road

And I bet they're using regulations from the 1950s! 😂

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hondAL

· #18 · Jun 7, 2021

TheDarkKnight said:
4th Gen only has:

S / SE / SR / Black Edition / EX

Only the SR/EX had Bi-Xenons (prefaclift) and single Xenons in the facelift like yours.

I can guarantee you the SE spec you saw did not have factory Xenons because they dont exist.

Of course you CAN change the bulbs, but unless you swap them back each year for your MOT, or you forget, its a hassle not worth doing. On reflection, I'd have gone for the top trim EX.

Would it be an idea to have a sticky thread to contain the different models and its variants, from MkI to present.

Maybe we could also upload PDF's of the sales brochures etc.

I think they do that over on civinfo forum

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TheDarkKnight

· #19 · Jun 7, 2021

hondAL said:
Would it be an idea to have a sticky thread to contain the different models and its variants, from MkI to present.

Maybe we could also upload PDF's of the sales brochures etc.

I think they do that over on civinfo forum

In principle, its a great idea.

However, the reality is that many folks simply do not read the sticky/pinned threads at all. Way too many people put their queries in the Diesel section when certain markets have no diesels (🤦‍♂️) or post things in the wrong generation and/or fail to see the sticky about infotainment/audio stuff to go in the Mobile Electronics area.

It would be a lot of effort to compile all that stuff, pin it and no one pay a blind bit of attention - like many do now.

Makes the Mod job that much more difficult - and I doubt beyond a few people, anyone would provide any thanks for it either.

hondAL

· #20 · Jun 7, 2021

ok that makes sense.

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