Bosch H4 vs. sealed beams...

[Bill 84 318i]

I got a used pair of H4's from Ken Copperwheat and installed one (the other arrived like so):



I don't get it? As of now, it's just a 55w bulb (little help with the manufacturer Ken? I didn't see any markings), but it actually seems dimmer than the sealed beam I took out. My driver's side is a Sylvania sealed beam and the passenger side is the H4.



I don't get it? The H4 housing just seems to be like a sealed beam with a removable bulb. Am I missing something? I ignore most of the lighting discussions...what makes H4's such a great upgrade?

[OldUser1]

Good thing you got dibs on the H4's before I did.

[Nitrox]

Well for one, the quality of the lens; sealed beams are a very simple (crappy) design. Given that you have to replace the entire housing given bulb failure, manufacturers are not going to put much effort into a lens that will only be trashed.

Secondly, the H4 bulbs are generally of better quality and you have some options as well.

I just replaced my sealed beams with a new Bosch H4 replacement kit and they are substantially better. You are probably not noticing much difference because a third of the lens is missing and it looks to me like the reflector is clouded (loss of reflectivity).

[KenC]

Holy shit! How'd the break like that (that's not even where they were cracked in the first place)? They were sitting on a thick layer of styrofoam peanuts! Fucking USPS... :evil:

I'm not sure of the brand of the bulbs. I think they're just run of the milll H4s. They weren't that great next to my Osram Silverstars, altough I never took a side-by-side comparison picture. (Maybe Rob can since he has them now.) The Osrams definitely were better than the regular 55w ones.

[Ryan Stewart]

Im guessing those are some dot bosch ones. The Hella H4s I had used the same light pattern that my euro ellips use.

[Jonathan M3]

I had some comparison pics of my M3 with sealed beams and H4s and the difference was night and day. I can't find the pics I had though. :?

[KenC]

Im guessing those are some dot bosch ones. The Hella H4s I had used the same light pattern that my euro ellips use.

When I had my Osrams in there they had an angled beam pattern (or so I remember they did).

[Bill 84 318i]

Yeah, I don't care that it got broken really, don't worry.

Yeah, I know that bulb-swapping is an advantage, I dunno. I just expected more.

These things just seem like shiny buckets that you toss a bulb in.

[M-technik-3]

The lens shown looks quite pitted from the angle shown. Light is degraded due to the pitting. Normally the H4's are significantly brighter but by your picture it's not. How new is your sealed beam unit?

[Rob]

I just installed H4s/h1s. quick aiming job, needs to be dialed in a bit more. they are definately brighter than the stock sealed beams, but not a huge difference. I was actually expecting more, but oh well. anything is better than the sealed crap

[Bill 84 318i]

Yeah, I dunno how the inside is so pitted. It reflects the same features of the sealed beam, just a bit foggier.

That sealed beam is like 3-4 years old.

[M-technik-3]

Yeah, I dunno how the inside is so pitted. It reflects the same features of the sealed beam, just a bit foggier.

That sealed beam is like 3-4 years old.

The outside of the lens not the reflector. You know stones hit glass and get sand blasted.