Not to get off the subject but when I was in the UK back in the late 90s I hit every autopart store looking for unusual stuff and came across these Xenon H4 bulbs which were not yet on the US market (or I had never seen them). That was before Ebay got going.

I put them in my Fiat Spider and they have been in there for almost 20 years and have not caused any ill effects although I am running relays to take the load off the switches which is always a good idea.

I did not know there were several variations of headlamp bulbs since sealed beams were mandatory on cars sold in the US from 1940 until the mid 1990s when car companies starting making headlamps contoured to the body so H4s were technically illegal up until the mid 90s.

My 2CV headlamps does not accept the "standard" p43t H4 bulb with the three alignment tabs? One bulb I pulled looks like a halogen but has the P45T base with R2 40/45 watt stamped on it. The other bulb looks like the same R2 incandescent bulb that were in my 6 volt Trabant.

Both bulbs in my 2CV are 40/45 watt.

Here is my question. Does these Xenon bulbs actually pull less current?

The reason I ask is, the wiring going to the headlight connectors seems a bit "wimpy" compared to my other cars. So if I want more light, I can add relays, run heavier gauge wiring to them or find a bulb that pulls less current but puts out more wattage. I'd like to do the later.

I was curious before I ordered these. Are any of you guys running these 60/55 watt Xenon bulbs in place of the 40/45 watt HB!2/R2/P45t bulbs that came in these cars? With no ill effects on the wiring?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-HB12-410-P ... SwUV9WnVKk

The bulbs you are referring to, don't have anything to do with xenon, except they are marketed as xenon lok-a-like

I've got these on our 2cv. You can remove the yellow cover if you want a white lamp.

This supplier is chevrons2 (Daras Rich) on this forum.

http://www.retrospecparts.com/citroen-p ... 5-60w.html

Those aren't xenon bulbs. Normal halogen bulb with P45T base...

And about current, if they are 55/60W they draw more current what 40/45W bulb. No matter what type they are, halogen, xenon what ever...

So the fact they claim LEDs pull less current but put out more light is bollocks?

I guess it's safe to say that the 50/60 watt halogen bulbs would not overwork the wiring without having to use relays and run thicker wiring to the headlamps? That was my concern. I just want something brighter than the 40/45 watt bulbs that are in it but not melt the wiring.

Plus since the headlamps are unprotected (no fuses) makes me worry about stepping up the wattage. At least if the fuse blows is a sign your pushing more current than the wiring was designed to handle.

I installed some of those fake HID lighting in my van. The ones that you plug the transformer or whatever into the bulb connector and the output to a so called HID bulb. The beam pattern is a bit dodgy but I prefer the light over the original HB4 bulbs.

If the headlamp wiring, connections and the switches internal contacts are in good condition, it should be ok with 55/60w bulbs instead of 40/45w. I've had 55/60w bulbs in most of my A-series over the last 20 years without any problems (and a lot of my workshop customers do as well). However, if there is any weakness in the circuits, any additional load will be a problem. If you are in any doubt, fit relays. The existing cables to the bulbs should be more than ample for 55/60w: I've had 80/100w bulbs, (with relays), using the standard headlamp bar loom, on one of my 2CVs.
PS: Thanks for the plug Knightly

Hmm, no. If the LED is rated 50W it takes same current what 50W halogen or 50W xenon pulls. Then if you can have same amount light by different technology, then there is a benefit...



Standard wiring doens't melt with 55/60W bulbs, light switch can warm when it gets older, but nothing serious. Of course with thicker wiring and with relays you can get a better voltage to bulbs and then better lights...

well my light switch got so warm it burned it's ground plate and left me halfway home from switzerland with no headlights exept the high beam, not ver y nice for oncoming traffic. It was not so much the current but one of the connectors under the switch were badly fixed to the cable and got warm. So after driving some time with your lights on feel if it's getting warm under the switch...
And about the wimpy connectors they on my car are holding up for 60 years now...

Hey I sent you an email through your website to see if you ship to the USA and if you accept Paypal.

I may need to clarify something. I should have used the word lumens or equivalent wattage instead of actual wattage in my original post.

I was thinking there were modern bulbs that would produce the same amount or more lumens than incandescents or halogens bulbs produced say 40 years ago, but pull the same amount of current or less.

A household incandescent versus florescent bulb is a good example. The florescent bulb that produces the equivalent "watt" or "lumen" as the incandescent bulb will use less electricity or pull less current.

That was the point I was trying to make.

When I first saw these Xenon bulbs that fit H4 halogen headlamps, I was under the impression they used a different type of gas or filament and pulled the same current as a 50/55 watt H4 halogen but produced the equivalent light of an 80/85 watt halogen. So in other words, they were just a marketing gimmick?

Does that make sense?