On my way back from work, last night, I had a long journey, mostly motorways and some fast A-roads through the countryside. Given that it gets dark from around 4pm, decent illumination is essential.
So last night really was not the time that I wanted one of my headlamp bulbs to fail!
It was interesting that an eight-year old Saab 9-5 with H7 bulbs can illuminate it's path, even with one dud bulb, noticeably better than some other vehicles on the road. Nevertheless, the bulbs will need to be replaced, today.
I will be going for Osram NightBreaker H7 bulbs, (also available areNightbreaker H1 and Nightbreaker H4) which provide an additional 90% light output with 10% whiter light (when compared to standard, budget bulbs) and all without increasing the wattage of the bulb.
I thought it would be useful to clarify a few points, about these bulbs, as we often get asked similar questions about them.
A. Yes, these bulbs carry the E1 code and are fully ECE approved for use in Europe.
Q. They are +90% light output with 10% whiter light. Can my wiring and reflectors cope?
A. Yes. These bulbs are still the standard wattage of 55 watts.
Q. So my headlamp reflectors won't melt, then?
A. No, not as a result of using Osram Nightbreaker bulbs. The increased output comes from improvements in technology and efficiency, not the amount of power you put through them.
Q. Bright bulbs burn out and fail faster than standard, don't they?
A. No, not so. These are standard wattage bulbs, high quality bulbs manufactured by Osram - one of the biggest names in automotive lighting. This is a quality product that will last just as long as budget bulbs, if not longer.
Provided that you observe a few simple, erm, observations, then there is no reason for these bulbs to last for any shorter time than standard bulbs. Indeed, bulbs from Osram are likely to last longer than no-name, unbranded bulbs.
Remember, to ensure long life from your bulbs:
- Do be careful when handling bulbs
- Do ensure that the bulb is correctly fitted. (It is astonishngly easy to fit bulbs incorrectly and this can lead to excessive vibration causing premature failure.)
- Do fit bulbs in pairs at the same time.
- Do not drop the bulb or subject to vibration
- Do not touch the bulb with your fingers (if you do, use neat alcohol to clean the glass)
If you want to know why I suggest these points above, let me know in the comments below.
Given that these bulbs provide increased light output, whiter light and reduced glare and will last at least as long as budget bulbs, I think that they really do make sense. The increased visibilty after dark for us in the Northern Hemisphere at this time of year, gives us a little more reaction time and that has to improve road-safety.
I suspect that leaves one question:
A. I have detailed this, by model, below.
Osram Night Breaker H1 are suitable for:
- Saab GM900 foglamp - one per side
- Saab 9-3 foglamp - one per side
- Saab 9000CS headlamp - two per side
- Saab 9-5 foglamp - one per side
Osram Night Breaker H4 are suitable for:
- Saab 96V4 headlamp - one per side
- Saab 99 headlamp - one per side
- Saab 90 headlamp - one per side
- Saab 900 headlamp - one per side
- Saab GM900 headlamp - one per side
- Saab 9-3 headlamp - one per side
- Saab 9000 (with single reflector) headlamp - one per side
Osram Night Breaker H7 are suitable for:
- Saab 9-5 headlamp (standard) - Two per side
- Saab 9-5 headlamp (bi-xenon) - One per side
- Saab 9-3 Sports headlamp (standard) - Two per side
- Saab 9-3 Sports headlamp (bi-xenon) - One per side
I hope that you found this information illuminating. (Sorry!) ;-)
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