Crap, I got sealed beams on my E350, anything I can do to make my lights much better..

ricardo

Observer
I just got the Van two weeks ago, is a 2003 7.3 but the fuel filter bowl was giving me trouble until a few days
, well I got to drive it this weekend and the lights are some of those you need to get of the Van to see if they are ON..

I'm not rich, so please no $2000 Baja lazers, who else sell reasonable vessels that you let me install my choice of bulbs, or even better reflectors to run LED's

thanks for the advice..
 

Mwilliamshs

Explorer
I've got the Hella E codes and some 85/55 (i think) bulbs and a relay harness. My lights are great and didn't break the bank.
 

4xdog

Explorer
I had Hella 5x7 H4 lamps on my XJ Cherokee for years, and Cibié H4 lamps on cars before that. I’d say youre lucky to have the option of a true E-code H4 rather than the almost always inferior and difficult to upgrade flush lamps of fhe period.
 
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ricardo

Observer
Thank you for all the great suggestions, i had no idea about the Relay except for HID..

The question, my lights are Seal units, do companies like Hella make lights with the trapezoidal shape like the ford's or you just install rectangular lights

Anybody ever install big round LED like the baja designs, even if a new surrounding is require to be fabricated.

Something kind of like this.
TM-0875.jpg


Or something El Chepo but Rectangular like this, I'm not worry about mounting them, I'm worry about legality (Minnesota with out any kind of vehicle inspection)

here
 
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Raul

Adventurer
I've used LED retrofit bulbs on a 2006 Audi and on my 2010 E350 and they work great. If had the 5x7 like you I'll get a new housings that accept H4 bulbs and try the H4 LED retrofit.

These are what I got on the van and these are what I got on the Audi. I think I like the LASFIT bulbs better. just look for the H4. Or try on of these LED replacement

I read a lot of great reviews about Vantage Optics and I was considering them, but their prices keep moving away from my reach.
 

DaveInDenver

Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Of all the things about my old truck it's the Hella E-code headlights that are amongst the most missed. A good headlight harness to feed them clean power and decent Osram bulbs (I used the severe duty 55/60) blew away the molded unfocused blobs of light my Tacoma has.
 

Mwilliamshs

Explorer
Sealed-beam. It's a beam and it's sealed. It didn't come from a sea animal or an Irish singer. If your van has plastic headlights (not glass) then you don't have sealed-beams. If you do have glass headlights, European housings with replaceable bulbs are what's been recommended here the most.
Thank you for all the great suggestions, i had no idea about the Relay except for HID..

The question, my lights are Seal units, do companies like Hella make lights with the trapezoidal shape like the ford's or you just install rectangular lights

Sealed-beam. It's a beam and it's sealed. It didn't come from a sea animal or an Irish singer. If your van has plastic headlights (not glass) then you don't have sealed-beams. If you do have glass headlights, European housings with replaceable bulbs are what's been recommended here the most.

Your grammar and spelling make me think English is not your first language so forgive me but maybe a picture of your van and an explanation of whether you wish to change headlight/grille styles would help.
 

ricardo

Observer
Sealed-beam. It's a beam and it's sealed. It didn't come from a sea animal or an Irish singer. If your van has plastic headlights (not glass) then you don't have sealed-beams. If you do have glass headlights, European housings with replaceable bulbs are what's been recommended here the most.


Sealed-beam. It's a beam and it's sealed. It didn't come from a sea animal or an Irish singer. If your van has plastic headlights (not glass) then you don't have sealed-beams. If you do have glass headlights, European housings with replaceable bulbs are what's been recommended here the most.

Your grammar and spelling make me think English is not your first language so forgive me but maybe a picture of your van and an explanation of whether you wish to change headlight/grille styles would help.
oh don't worry Ingles is my 4th, with out counting Semiotics, sign language, visual and 3Dskill, plus i'm hyper dixlexic too
 

GRTvan

New member
Bought these on Amazon. Haven't used them that much, but a significant difference in light out put. Easy plug and play. If they last, well worth the price. And they look really too.
2018 New Osram Chips 110W 5x7 Led Headlights 7x6 Led Sealed Beam Headlamp with High Low Beam H6054 6054 Led Headlight for Jeep Wrangler YJ Cherokee XJ H5054 H6054LL 6052 6053
 

Numbchux

Member
The 5x7 sealed beam unit that was an option on the Econolines is one of the most common (if not the most common, certainly in the last several decades) headlights in the world. I own 3 cars that use them, and my Econoline is not one of them (Subaru XT6, Toyota 4Runner, and Toyota Celica). There are H4 conversion housings, dedicated LED, dedicated projector, etc. options everywhere.

That said, I have some mediocre, plastic lense H4 conversions in my 4Runner. Pilot brand, IIRC. They're mediocre, optics are acceptable (the little street driving done with it, I haven't had anyone flash their high beams at me), but only a bit better lighting than a new sealed beam.

I have some terrifyingly cheap Chinese LED units in my XT6, they're fantastic, as long as you don't mind the fact that nobody around you can see. I traded them for a 6-pack of beer when he removed them from his MR2 because the optics are so bad. But my XT6 is only used for Rallycross and ice racing, and gets towed to those events.



I'm torn what to use on my Celica (which is actually daily driven in the summer months, so needs to have decent lights). Hella E-code (European street legal, cast even less light above the cutoff than DOT) lights with halogen H4 bulbs are a tried-and-true option for 10+ years, and IIRC are about $100 for a pair of housings, another $20ish for some bulbs. Truck-lite LEDs are the proven LED option over the last 5 years or so, but they're very expensive ($400, I think that's for a pair). There are hundreds of cheap LED options out there, but there are more and more decent ones for more reasonable money. Auxbeam just came out with some that have me tempted: https://www.auxbeam.com/driving-light/7-inch-driving-light/spu00143



You can also convert to the halogen composite lights (the trapezoidal ones) found on the nicer trim levels. But IMHO the only acceptable housings are OEM, the aftermarket ones that I've seen have considerably inferior optics. Although they do look better.

It's also possible to convert to the '08+ headlight setup, but you also need fenders, hood, grill, and probably some mounting parts, too.
 

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