Has anyone here got any good ideas for improving light output?
I have the French H1s with yellow shroud.
Is there a way of adapting them to H4s are there “other vehicle” lamps that one could use? I drove it today on the very dark roads of France with main beam ok but when a car comes in the opposite direction it verged on dangerous?

I had this problem with my Bimmer once - so I pulled in to a petrol station and scrubbed off the squashed bugs. That did help!! But I would guess it’s not that simple on your DS??

I know that there are halogen lamps available that will work in Bilux units, but I’m not sure if a swap to that type of unit would be a feasible option…

Derk

Bugs wouldn’t dare squash themselves on my car
I have similkar to your bimmer on my Merg G wagen I managed to get VW golf mk1 headlamps that fit.
The french country roads are very dark I will have to look into removing them and having a look, very often it is just a matter of a different lamp plate and possibly a check on wiring and relay.
Oh well wings off again

Greeny,

Check if the ground (-) contact is clean and makes a good connection.
Do you have swiveling headlights or the firts, fixed, headlights?

There are two kinds of headlamps (the big-ones on the outsite)
1) H1’with a separate, little reflector for highbeam
2) H4’s with one ‘room’ and one lightbulb instead of two

These last kinds of ligths have much better en stronger light than the first. Perhaps you can change you lights to improve the achievement.

My DS has the H4 lights, with yellow bulb. And the light performance is much better then the Golf I/MB G/Beetle lights.

Last year I spend my hollydays in you region (Chateauneuf la Ft-Lavaud) and had no complanes about the lightperformance on your dark, but beautiful rouds.

I have the H1 s all round the inner are H1 on their own and the bigger ones are H1 high beam and low beam with 55w and 70w I think
Maybe I have got a problem as I cant seem to highbeamflash anyone with lights on or off so I think I will take the wings off and go through all the connections. also I have side lights but the next 2 settings dont do anything different apart from 3rd setting lets me go into high beam?
Yes I have self levelling and swivel as it is a pallas.
Thank you

Hi Greeney,

When you are going to plan taking off your wings, check first if your headlamp’s reflectors are still OK. If you still have the original ones, the silver coating might have become oxidized during the years, making it less reflective, causing the effect of fewer light on the road. When you checked this and this is indeed so, you can also change the headlamps when you’ve taken off the wings.
Another cause can be the power regulator, attached onto the battery frame. When your engine is running stationary, you can see that the amount of light is fluctuating. In this case your power regulator is not that good anymore. In my DSuper, I’ve changed the dynamo as well, which has an integrated power regulator. For the rest, check the quality of your wiring and if you have a multimeter, check the electrical resistance of your wires.

If you think (or know) your wiring is not that good anymore, buy 2 relais, use the current light-electrical wires as control wires to control the relais (per side of the car) and attach new high-power wires directly from the battery to these relais. Don’t forget to make a fuse on this wire.

You don’t need to take the wings of to check the wiring. Just check en clean all the connectors. And when you’re on to it, do check de earth-cable at the wings.
And yes, the normal headlights are not very effective, especially in yellow. Changing tot white light is a simple solution. When you ‘re alone on the road, the inner lights give great sight, even in yellow.

I like the idea of twin relays especially as if I succeed in upgrading the lights to H4 I can also use stronger bulbs.
Do you know of an easy wiring diagram as I am not great with electrics?
I know someone in the French club put HID lamps in his but thats a whole new ball game

Hi Greeney,

I drew a diagram for you, you can have a look at :
 
The * signs indicate new wiring you have to provide. Relais can have four or five pins. The extra pin is that conducts power when there is no control (read light-switch) power. For this 5-pin relais, you don’t need the fifth pin. ALWAYS disconnect the + or both poles of the battery before altering elecrical stuff.

Before you do this, it’s probably wise to see if both headlights produce almost equal amounts of light. If so, disconnect one, and connect it via direct (good) wires directly to the battery, Plus and minus.
If this headlight now produces much more light than the other one, then this might be a good sollution for you. If now, you can save your troubles and continue your ‘quest’ to find the real cause. For instance, I still have the original wiring, and changed the reflector headlamps as the original ones were oxidized. I now have yellow halogen bulbs, which produce the same amount of light as my 2000 Xantia.

Good luck.

You are indeed an angel without wings, thank you.
I have just removed and rebuilt the rear lamp panel and lights this weekend so will get to the front lights next possibly as long as this gorgeous weather continues in France.
I just bought and picked up today 2 2CV fourgonette 400s so will be playing with them tomorrow

Greeney schreef:

You are indeed an angel without wings, thank you.
I have just removed and rebuilt the rear lamp panel and lights this weekend so will get to the front lights next possibly as long as this gorgeous weather continues in France.
I just bought and picked up today 2 2CV fourgonette 400s so will be playing with them tomorrow

Could you please spare some of that wheather with us over here in the North ? Today was a drousy day with no more than 15 degrees (C).....
Anyway, I’m leaving this raining country by the end of this week anyway, so it might be best notto spare, as I’m coming a bit your way…...
Regards, Bart

If you coming my way come and see me.
Have a nice little house attached to big house if you want to stay over and talk DSs
Pm me for info you will be made welcome

Hi Greeney,
As we’re travelling to Ile d’ Oleron, and I see on my route planner that you live near Limoges, this is too far of a trip , certainly with wife, kid and a labrador dog…..
Maybe some other holiday, but thanks for the invitation !

Re: Headlamps

Greeney schreef:

Has anyone here got any good ideas for improving light output?
I have the French H1s with yellow shroud.
Is there a way of adapting them to H4s are there “other vehicle” lamps that one could use? I drove it today on the very dark roads of France with main beam ok but when a car comes in the opposite direction it verged on dangerous?

Hi Greeney,

As we leave this evening I parked the DS in front of my door (normally it’s a 10 minute walk to the garage).
Checking all stuff to take with me, I stumbled accross the spare yellow bulb I bought when I also bought new headlights including bulbs (don’t forget also to buy the new connections !).
I remembered your topic and took some pictures of my yellow H4 bulb :
 
 
I bought them (with the headlights) at garage Sanders here in Holland, I don’t know where you can get them…..
If you take a good look at the photo, the bulb is just a modified H4 bulb, fitting the yellow glass over it. If it breaks, I can might also be able to modify a regular H4 bulb with this steel collar and (re-)bend the pins that fix the yellow glass.

Good luck !

H4 Yellow bulbs such as these are still available from Neglin (manufacturer of automotive lamps - from Eindhoven, I think). They should be obtainable through a general motor store…

Their site is useless though, for the general public. You need a password, apparently. That’s no help then… But you could see if they’re available in France…

Derk

(PS - I remember Motorcraft as being Ford’s OEM parts supplier. Funny to find those lamps in connection with DS then…)