Brighter Headlamp Bulbs - Canbus? 2002 V70

Mr. Detail · Post by **Mr. Detail** » 20 Nov 2025, 06:30

Hi everyone and Happy Thanksgiving in advance!

My daughter was driving my car behind me last night and I noticed how yellowish and not so bright my headlamps were.
Just wondering from any of your previous experiences if you were able to upgrade to a little brighter bulb without causing those nasty dashboard lights to come on.

Low Beam = H7 (55W)
High Beam = HB3 (60W)

Post by **volvolugnut** » 20 Nov 2025, 08:13

If you have the plastic headlight lens, any of the polishing kits will significantly improve the clarity of the plastic. The final sealer(?) finish is important for lasting results.
volvolugnut

Mr. Detail · Post by **Mr. Detail** » 20 Nov 2025, 12:23

volvolugnut-
No, I have the wonderful glass lens. So can I assume that you are not advocating any upgrade to a LED bulb with my 23 yr. old wagon?

Post by **volvolugnut** » 21 Nov 2025, 07:46

Mr. Detail wrote: ↑20 Nov 2025, 12:23 volvolugnut-
No, I have the wonderful glass lens. So can I assume that you are not advocating any upgrade to a LED bulb with my 23 yr. old wagon?

I have no advice if you have the glass lens. However, I will watch this post. My 2001 V70 seems to be dimming, but that may just be my old eyes.
However, there are several grades of Sylvania halogen lights. The brighter ones have reduced life.
volvolugnut

ADent · Post by **ADent** » 30 Nov 2025, 23:56

I put in a set of aftermarket Xenon bulbs (with included ballasts) in my 2001 V70 and it really brightens them up. I did not get the special cancelling add on and occasionally they would trigger a bulb out warning. I fixed that by drilling a 3mm hole in the mini-plug in board on the CEM - I can find a link on how to do that if needed.

Polishing the glass or replacing would go a long way to making things better.

Mr. Detail · Post by **Mr. Detail** » 01 Dec 2025, 06:46

Thank you, ADent.
Don't think I will do any drilling, so I plan to leave as is.
My glass is as clear as the day it came off the line in 2002.

lrock · Post by **lrock** » 02 Dec 2025, 00:54

i replaced my highs with an led offroad set that was plug and play, i don't remember the brand off hand but i'll see if i can locate the box for them tomorrow. Didn't cause any warning light problems

Mr. Detail · Post by **Mr. Detail** » 02 Dec 2025, 07:37

Thx Irock!

lrock · Post by **lrock** » 02 Dec 2025, 08:22

Mr. Detail wrote: ↑02 Dec 2025, 07:37 Thx Irock!

no box, but remembered i bought them on Woot, so i just checked my purchase history. A lot of woot stuff is things being clearanced from amazon now. It seems these particular ones are no longer sold that i can tell on amazon, the main difference being that these have a small built in fan for active cooling as opposed to a large sink for passive cooling.
Since these are my high beams, they dont see a ton of use, but they are nice and bright when i do have occasion to use them. They throw much further than the stock highs did.
i can't speak for the passive cooled ones however, that could be enough to alter the resistance to the point where a warning may or may not come up, they do mention that in their product info for the active cooling and the passive cooling though. I can't speak on the legality of these lights, and different states have different rules, so that's something you might want to look at as well. what follows is a copy/paste of the title, the main image of the item and the ad copy that went along with it

4 Pack 9005 6500K H11 LED Bulbs Combo

-PERFECT UPGRADE:The NOVSIGHT 9005 H11 fog light have been fully upgraded, not only the brightness is higher, the product quality is also more stable.
-5 MINUTES EASY PLUG AND PLAY: The 9005 H11 fog light bulb has the same 1:1 design as the halogen bulb, with an integrated design that eliminates the need for an external driver or connector; non-polarized sockets that can be connected like a halogen bulb, and stand-alone installations that require no tools and are plug-and-play.
-PERFECT BEAM MODE: Ultra-thin design makes the chip of h11 9005 led bulbs closer to the super focus beam, providing wider angle and longer range of light on the road. At the same time will not glare oncoming drivers, improving the driving experience, the ultra-thin chip carrier reduces black spots.
-OVER 50,000 HOURS LIFE: Made of aircraft aluminum as the main body, built-in high-speed powerful fan, can effectively cool the h11 9005 fog bulb combo, maintain the right temperature to avoid overheating and damage, which ensures that the life expectancy is up to 50,000 hours or more, reducing the need to replace bulbs, and reducing the number of times that you will not be able to use it due to bulb burnout in the dark.
-99% VEHICLE FIT: The NOVSIGHT 9005/hb3 and h11/h9/h8 led fog light bulb combinations will fit most vehicles, some sensitive models may require the installation of an additional CANBUS decoder. Please note that if you have any problems after installing the bulbs, such as dashboard alarm, unable to switch between high and low beams, flickering bulbs, etc., you may need to install an additional decoder. Please contact us via Amazon buyer message for help and solution.