Clarification: H4 & H5 headlights

[tumamilhem]

Looking at H4 lights, I'm not sure what the differences are. I see Hella H4 lights for $54, Bosch H4 for $27, others for $300. What are the differences, pros and cons of each? Can anybody steer me in the right direction?

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by KTL

When I say H4, I mean the European H4 light assembly. Not the USA sugar scoop ones.
.....

I disagree. If you go with the E-code Hella units you get the same superior light pattern at a lower cost. It comes down to the look you want.

[tumamilhem]

E code? What's that? I looked on Pelican parts and didn't see any E code with the Hella lights. Are there different kinds? How do they differ from the factory lights? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.

[HarryD]

Originally Posted by tumamilhem

E code? What's that? I looked on Pelican parts and didn't see any E code with the Hella lights. Are there different kinds? How do they differ from the factory lights? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.

There are two flavors of Hella H-4, the DOT Compliant one listed here and the other one that has the Euro pattern and is marked for "off Road Use only".

You can find the Euro ones at your FLAPS. Or Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hella-Halogen-Replacement-Headlight-Standard/dp/B000FKIURK

Daniel Stern (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/) also offers a drop in unit.

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by tumamilhem

E code? What's that? I looked on Pelican parts and didn't see any E code with the Hella lights. Are there different kinds? How do they differ from the factory lights? Sorry for my lack of knowledge on this.

You seem to be comparing apples to oranges.

The cheaper ($30 and $50) are units that fit into your sugar scoops.

The $300 units are the complete reflector, lenses, and trim ring. These provide much, much better light output and projection and drop directly into your bucket. When most people refer to H4 conversion this is what they are talking about. With this option you can fit in a higher wattage bulb or an LED bulb.

If either says "euro" or "off road only" that means they are not DOT approved. Some people have had issues with safety inspections due to non-DOT compliance. You should check with folks in your area if applicable. Euro lighting typically provides a better more focused light.

The look is a matter of personal preference.

My car with H4 units. You cannot see LED lights with this configuration but the light output is a million times better:

[darrin]

taking a half step back -- tumamilhem's initial post referenced how one of his H5 bulbs exploded -- this indicates to me that he's driving an 87 or later 911 (or that his sugarscoops have been replaced by an H5 setup). Either way, it seems that he'd be unable to simply add hella h4 headlight assemblies, since he doesn't have a sugar-scoop/sealed beam setup.

Instead, he can either stick with the h5 lights he has or switch to a 911-specific (and spendy) h4 setup (the headlight setup delivered from the factory for european delivered 911s).

[KTL]

Originally Posted by HarryD

I disagree. If you go with the E-code Hella units you get the same superior light pattern at a lower cost. It comes down to the look you want.

I don't disagree that the change from the so-called sugar scoops to the European spec headlight of the same era is largely driven by outward appearance for most people. But I would disagree that the light pattern is the same. How can you achieve a similar pattern to the Euro H4 via the Hella unit, when the Hella has a smaller reflector and a smaller lens? I'm not saying bigger is necessarily better. I'm just asking the question, how can they be similar?