Headlights and side lights

[guest3032]

Hi
I was hoping someone could help me  I live in the countryside and night driving is getting to be a real pain as my lights never feel bright enough. So I was hoping someone could advise me as to what would be the best and brightest bulbs  to get,headlights and side lights. THANKSSSSSS
Also what is the best product to clean the outside windscreen as its that greased up you cant see a thing if the sun  shines on it or someone drives towards you with their lights on

[culzean]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/212937/make_light_of_winter.html

Try http://www.powerbulbs.com I have used this site and they are good


Phillips x-treme bright are excellent bulbs - they have a great beam pattern - stay way from coloured bulbs and stick to white.

Also I find that the pre-mixed -5 deg C screen wash from Shell garages is very good and doesn't smear the screen - also fit new wiper blades if you haven't done so recently (within last 12 months).


I do a daily commute of about 35 miles each way on dark and twisty country lanes and have found that this works for me.

[guest3032]

Thank you

[VicW]

Don't forget the inside of all the windows as well.

Vic.

[guest3032]

The screen is terrible and you can,t see a thing when a car comes towards you

[guest1844]

Your windscreen may not be completely clean. The problem may be the inside. I use Autoglym Fast Glass. This stuff really works. Use it on the inside with a really clean cloth and get that faint haze off. Also on the outside, after you've washed it. I'm also a stickler for never touching the inside of the windscreen with bare fingers, such as if its misted up. Use a clean wipey-thing. The oils in your skin always leave a mark.
As for headlights, get them clean as well. Even a very feint haze of dirt makes a big difference to the light spread. At the risk of sounding compulsive, I keep a wee bottle of water in the car to wipe the lights before leaving work at night. It makes a difference.
As for headlight bulbs, best on the market are the Phillips Extreme or Osram Nightbreakers. You can get them from Amazon or Ebay for about £15/pair delivered.

[guest3032]

Thanks so this will work on both the inside and out of the screen
Am going to get the Philips one just need to find the side lights to go with them

[guest869]

I am always amazed just how dirty the inside of most peoples windscreens are. I am sure the problem is in the plastics used in cars. A film quickly builds up on the inside of the screen.

I use AutoGlym (Auto Gleem as we call it) Glass Polish and get the screen clean but in less than a week it requires doing again.

On my older cars (Morris Minor) this never happened and the screen would stay clean for ages.

Also check the condition of your screen. If ice has been scraped off it it will be scratched. This will not help.

Do not be tempted to use products such as RainX on the swept area of the screen as you will have a smear for a split second after the wipers have been over it. I do however RainX the side screen and rear window.

I have used 130W / 100W bulbs in the past in my other cars and they work well.

[guest3032]

The outside of the screen looks like it full of oil sometimes and what makes the inside worse sometimes is this stupid jazz fault where all the screens mist up for nothing

[Ramage]

The outside of the screen looks like it full of oil sometimes and what makes the inside worse sometimes is this stupid jazz fault where all the screens mist up for nothing

I am not sure that it is a Jazz fault as such... mine does not do this but I leave the climate control on Full Auto so the air is always dehumidified by the Air Con.

Cars sometimes do this if the heater plenum drain is blocked or restricted with dirt or leaves. I may be worth checking...

[guest1844]

where all the screens mist up for nothing

Check for wet carpets in the rear. Some Jazzes leak in heavy rain round the rear doors. Mine did, but cleaning the door seals seemed to solve it. Another favourite is the boot.

[culzean]

The outside of the screen looks like it full of oil sometimes and what makes the inside worse sometimes is this stupid jazz fault where all the screens mist up for nothing

I do a lot of miles every week and and don't seem to get the misting up problem - the fan speed is normally left  set on position 3, so I guess a lot of air is normally going through the car.   Be sure to change the pollen filter (open the glove-box door and it is there in the lower part) because it is very fine mesh and clogs up really quickly which reduces the amount of air passing through it by a large amount (I change it every year and it is proper black when I take it out). 

As for the outside of the screen always use a good quality screen wash in the bottle - as I said earlier in this post I have found the pre-mixed Shell stuff to be very good.  Household washing-up liquid just isn't any good for windscreens as It doesn't remove the 'road film' (most of which comes from those filthy diesel cars, especially the ones using vegetable oil as a fuel).

[guest3113]

I thought 55 w was the legal Max.But my be wrong.

[/quote]

[RichardA]

Try Bar Keepers Friend to clean the glass. It's a powder that can be mixed with water to make a paste. Apply to windows then rinse. You can find it in the supermarket household cleaning aisle and costs around £2.

[nowster]

Household washing-up liquid just isn't any good for windscreens...

Not only that, but it contains large amounts of salt.