Clear vs. OEM headlamp lens

[ojdorson]

One of my lenses got hit with a rock. I bought the pair of E-Codes that FCP sells on eBay for ~$80 to replace both front lenses and installed PIAA 10926 Intense White Bulbs. I had been toying with the idea of the angel eyes that you can find on eBay and putting in HID kits, but I'm SOOOO satisfied with this combination that I won't bother. I even bought the XPEL protection films for the lenses to protect them from future rock attacks.

I spent a lot of time reading through my options, then spent a lot of careful time aiming them. I get a very bright white field of view and a sharp horizontal cut-off to the left of the bulb's center and the right side tilted up at about 30 degrees as seen in this image.

found here - http://www.humanspeakers.com/audi/headl ... ng.htm#aim

The light produced is "modern bright white" and not blue at all. Just today, a valet was driving my car back to me in a parking garage and when I saw the lights on the wall before the car turned the corner I thought, "that can't be mine, those are 'new' headlights."

[SimLyons]

Received the headlamp assemblies today (complete with GE bulbs, which I immediately replaced with the new Sylvanias I just got). They do in fact have the DOT glass lenses which seem to be the same fluting pattern as the originals. As best I can tell they were manufactured in Hungary (Volvo is a worldwide corporation with suppliers and their subcontractors located in many countries).

I think I might replace one on a side and leave the other OE unit in place and then do a side by side test against my garage wall. It might be interesting.

I don't know if these are a virtual replacement or not. And I am not trying to sell anything for this company. It's simply information for those, like me, who don't want to pay lots of money for little or no quality improvement.

[erikv11]

I appreciate the information, thanks for posting. If you run the side-by-side definitely try to report back.

[zhenya]

Here is a revealing report testing various aftermarket headlamps against their OEM equivalents.www.capacertified.org/press/CAPALighting3.pdf

The short answer is that the aftermarket lighting failed all tests.

This image from page 26 of the report is particularly revealing. The top is an OEM lamp, the lower are the outputs from the TYC and Depo reproductions. It is clear how someone coming from a stock lamp, particularly one pitted or hazed from age, could feel like the lower lamps are a massive improvement. The reality is that the focus is all wrong, and light is concentrated in ways that could make the driver 'feel' safer, but be actually harming their vision in the important spots.

[Rbaratt]

I bought some fpc groton fluted ecode lenses (TYC) for my s70 but then realized the reflectors are very dull, so I decided to get new headlight assemblies. I purchased new dot fluted headlights (uro) from fpc groton and now I'm thinking I should swap the ecode lenses for the dot lenses on the URO headlights. Do you think I would benefit from this swap or should I just return the ecodes?

[BEJinFbk]

IMHO, try'em - You'll like'em.

[ojdorson]

I still really love my e-code lenses. I can only imagine that they'd be even better with new reflectors. The e-code lenses made a HUGE difference!

[tjts1]

DOT and Ecode reflectors are different. Mixing reflectors and lenses won't make a legal beam pattern either in the US or europe.

[ojdorson]

I know, really, I do... but they *work* really well together. I'm basing that on the pattern I achieved against the wall and the light thrown across the road surface ahead of the car and the light response from street signs and highway signs overhead. I've also driven another car in front of mine with no glare issues or other-driver annoyances.

[madspeed50]

legal or not, i have ecodes on my stock us hoysings and they are a huge improvement. Not blinding at all to oncoming either

Sent from my rooted, rommed Galaxy Nexus....