Looks similar to the Genssi ones I got.

 

Hi imthehink!
Your "High's" picture has a little lit-up area in the shadow by your front left fender, and that area is all shadow in your "Low's" area. Is there any other difference between those two pictures, and thus between the Hi and Low mode of those lights? To my eye, it looks like 2 identical pictures (other than that one slightly-lit area).

Also, what does "Cutoff" mean and refer to?

Thanks much,
Ted

 

The high's project more down range. Look at the lawns/curb and fences further out you can see. As you know, pictures never do justice. The cutoff is the line on the fence of where the light stops so it does not glare into others.

 

Yep -now I see it. Thanks for the clarification!

 

I read OP. I don't have time to read the whole long thread. Now I see how people must feel when they run into one of my long threads over at JF.

I knew the stuff in OP, except there's one thing I'm not sure of.

My cousin just installed Cibie ECE housings last week. (I previously had Hella DOT housings.) Was a specific Cibie housing supposed to go on the driver's side and the other housing on the passenger side? Are the housings side specific to drivers side vs passenger side?

I'm sure Stern sold me lamp housings for LHD vehicle, but I'm not sure what the implications are when installing them.

I'm accustomed to DOT housings, which are not side specific to driver side or passenger side of vehicle.

If LHD Cibie housings are side-specific, I hope my cousin put each housing on the correct side of the vehicle. Is this a concern?

 

No, they are not side specific like that. Technically, LHD refers to which side of the vehicle the steering wheel is on, and this would not be the correct way to choose which headlight. Which side of the road you drive on IS the important factor. Yes, usually with right hand traffic (RHT), LHD vehicles are used, but I wanted to be clear about this because there are people in countries with RHT that have RHD vehicles (owners of British or Japanese market vehicles or mail carriers for instance).

A headlight for RHT kicks light up toward the right to illuminate signs and other roadside objects. This is correct for countries like the US where oncoming drivers are on your left but would be incorrect and very dangerous in a country with LHT because oncoming drivers on your right would be blinded by that light.

 

I'm confused. Is RHT how we drive in USA? Is that referring to we drive on right hand side of road?

 

LHD vs RHD......... Post 71

 

That black graphic is unreadable on my computer screen.

 

X2

 

Okay here


RHD light pattern




Left pattern

 

Yes. US is RHT. US vehicles are LHD (except things like mail carriers which are RHD). It is the traffic side that matters for headlights, NOT which side your steering wheel is on.

 

OK. I understand RHT and LHD issues now. Right-hand-traffic is USA. Left-hand-drive is most cars in USA. My XJ is RHT and LHD. The relevant issue when ordering ECE headlights for use in the USA is that I need RHT lights. Thanks for explaining that. I got it now.

===

Now just to make sure I understand what else I need to know... Stern sent me ECE Cibie RHT lights (which is what I need). Is one lamp for left side of car, and other lamp for right side of car, or are both lamps same-interchangeable? I know I asked this before, but your earlier answer was unclear to me. That may be my fault, but please explain again in more detail or in other words.

===

I used to know many/most of these topics/details in the past, but since I had heart surgery March 2016, I take more heart meds that mess with my mind a bit (making me drowsy and less sharp, mostly in late afternoon and evening). I still manage to function reasonably well, but my memory is greatly reduced. Sometimes I have to relearn things that I used to know, which is frustrating because I remember that I used to know them, but can't remember the details.

I'm trying to have a good attitude about it and consider it an adventure. Adding to my difficulties, I went blind in one eye and due to eyestrain sometimes can't see very well out of the other. My good eye is 20/20 when it's working well, but it often gets eyestrain from doing all the work. Depth perception is an issue with one eye. I've learned to compensate for depth perception somewhat. Night vision is reduced when my good eye has eyestrain. I recently had eye surgery, but so far my eyesight has not returned much. I'm struggling but persevering.

I took a driver's test and am still approved to drive, but the test was in daylight. To see better at night, I upgraded my headlights for superior light, which is helping a lot. So far I like my Cibie ECE RHT housings, new Stern made relay harness, and Phillips Xtreme Vision +130 bulbs. Low-beam is good and high-beam is amazingly good.

 

They're identical/interchangeable. Housings, bulbs, wiring is all you need to do it right, and you've done it right. Breathe easy, friend.

When your Phillips +130's go, I would recommend you try the +100's next. They'll be a little cheaper, I'd bet you won't even notice a difference in output, BUT the +100 high beams aren't filtered through a blue band on the bulb like the +130's and won't strain your eyes as much (blue light isn't friendly to the eyes). Don't get me wrong: the 130's are very good bulbs, so use them while you have them. Just give the 100's a try when they burn out; you're the kind of guy that just might appreciate the nuance.

 

Does anyone have links or break downs for the commercially available recommendations that could be added to this thread. that way we can get better info and buy the products that seem to do better than the 1000's of poorly made products that get shilled out all over the internet?

I want to make the switch to something substantially better than my stock harness and lights and I'm Leaning towards a put-co harness and Truck-lites but I want to make sure that Im not ordering an imitation.