Cibie E-Code Install

[buddy]

Well, the headlight upgrade is finally done.
After HID retrofit kits, Sylvania Silver Stars, and drilling adjustment holes, I still needed more light on the road at night. Especially on rainy nights.

The HID kit was bright, good white light, but had too many hot spots. The HID's just made a scattered pattern more pronounced. Tiring to look at. Good bright light, bad optics.

After some Silverstars with not much luck, it was time for the stock assemblys to go, in come the Cibie's.

The optics of the Cibie's are far better than the stock headlamps, giving good even lighting. No dark areas in front, no need for fogs, and that's on low beam. Brights are excellent, putting good light far down the road. Now, that's a lot better, so I start thinking, maybe higher wattage bulbs would be even better.

To use higher wattage bulbs, the headlight wiring harness needs upgrading to a heavier gauge. I did an overkill, using 12g, where as 14g would have been sufficient. Without the heavier gauge, higher wattage bulbs would be little improvement, and might overheat the stock wiring. The upgrade is simple using relays, 12-14 wire and a little time.

The Cibie's, the Philips 90/100w H4 Rally bulbs, and the upgraded wiring, definitely make the diffence. A big diffence. The lights are not white like the HID's, but you won't care, unless you just like looking at white lights.

The Cibie E-Code's are $46-49 each, depending on where you get them. Bulbs somewhere around $15-18. You can even buy a wiring harness kit too.

Bottom Line: Good Lights


Buddy

[buddy]

Well, the headlight upgrade is finally done.
After HID retrofit kits, Sylvania Silver Stars, and drilling adjustment holes, I still needed more light on the road at night. Especially on rainy nights.

The HID kit was bright, good white light, but had too many hot spots. The HID's just made a scattered pattern more pronounced. Tiring to look at. Good bright light, bad optics.

After some Silverstars with not much luck, it was time for the stock assemblys to go, in come the Cibie's.

The optics of the Cibie's are far better than the stock headlamps, giving good even lighting. No dark areas in front, no need for fogs, and that's on low beam. Brights are excellent, putting good light far down the road. Now, that's a lot better, so I start thinking, maybe higher wattage bulbs would be even better.

To use higher wattage bulbs, the headlight wiring harness needs upgrading to a heavier gauge. I did an overkill, using 12g, where as 14g would have been sufficient. Without the heavier gauge, higher wattage bulbs would be little improvement, and might overheat the stock wiring. The upgrade is simple using relays, 12-14 wire and a little time.

The Cibie's, the Philips 90/100w H4 Rally bulbs, and the upgraded wiring, definitely make the diffence. A big diffence. The lights are not white like the HID's, but you won't care, unless you just like looking at white lights.

The Cibie E-Code's are $46-49 each, depending on where you get them. Bulbs somewhere around $15-18. You can even buy a wiring harness kit too.

Bottom Line: Good Lights


Buddy

[Klaus]

Buddy,

Sounds great! My E-Codes are on the way. How is the horizontal aim? Did you have to adjust it? Did you use the adapter plugs?

Any hints or suggestions on the install would be appreciated.

Klaus

[buddy]

Klaus,

The Cibie's are a perfect fit, no modifying of any kind. It's a good idea to drill the hortizontal adjustment holes before you re-install the headlamp assembly though. I really didn't need to use the adjusting torx head screws, but I could if needed too. I drilled 1/4" holes and sealed them with some rubber plugs.

I bought the pig-tails for the H4 bulbs. The lights came with Candlepower 55/60w Premiums. They are a lot whiter, even whiter than the Silverstars. But, I wanted more so I ordered the Philips Rally 90/100w a week later. The Cibie's have glass lens and steel reflectors so they can handle even higher wattage, up to 160w.

Home depot has all gauges of braided wire if you ever decide to upgrade the headlamp circuit. I prefer Bosch for the relay. They just last longer. If you ever need any, I have several. When upgrading you'll need to have a signal wire from the high and from low beams to activate each relay. You can do this by using an old stock bulb. Carefully remove the glass portion, the filaments, then solder the tigger wires to the high beam, low beam and ground leads remaining. This way you can just plug into your stock harness and attach the wires to #86 terminals on high and low relays. Run the remaining lead to ground.

If you don't use the higher wattage bulbs, the stock harness should be fine.

The Cibie's E-Codes have an excellent pattern. Good light in front, Good light down the road. The sharp cut-off keeps the beam out of the eyes of approaching drivers.

These lights and bulbs put more lums out on high beam than my stock lights and Hella Black Magic's did together.

The higher wattage bulbs and harness makes a big diffence too.


Buddy

[This message was edited by buddy on February 06, 2003 at 07:46 PM.]

[Hummie2]

Buddy...

Great idea on using the old 9007 bulbs to make the harness adapters. Sounds like the E-Codes are the hot ticket for great lights at a reasonable price. Its hell when your hi-beam indicator light is brighter than your headlights, this should not be a problem with the Cibies.

BTW... who did you order your lights from?

Don

[buddy]

Hey Don,

Check out: talbot

Gunther Hansele was very helpful with the lights.



Daniel Stern knows lighting, IF you can reach him. http:lighting.mbz.org/products

They recommend the stock wattage, 55/60, but I went higher after upgrading the harness.

Buddy

[This message was edited by buddy on February 07, 2003 at 08:26 AM.]

[This message was edited by buddy on February 07, 2003 at 08:28 AM.]

[buddy]

Try this link:Daniel Stern