Hella headlamps in a series IIA

[tmckeon88]

Hi- has anyone tried the Hella Vision Plus headlamps in their series vehicle? I’m referring to the HB type lamp rather than the H4. Do they need any special wiring or relays? I have a late IIA with the four headlight rig, using the radiator panel from an early one. I don’t drive that much at night but recently I’ve noticed the lights seem anemic, especially after driving new cars with fancy LED light packages. Thanks-

Tom

[TedW]

Hi Tom:
I've been running these for years - I believe I have H4 bulbs - the kind with high/low beams. I bought the Hellas from RN and am still using the bulbs that came with them. I don't understand the difference between HBs and H4s, but you do so that's what matters.

I installed them with relays, as suggested. They are super bright and I am very happy with them, but just for fun I am about to experiment by replacing the bulbs with a set of El Cheapo LED bulbs I bought on Ebay.

[ericgbauer]

+1 on relays

While I don't have the same Hellas as you, someone had swapped out the headlights before I bought my IIa 109 but they hadn't used relays to power the headlights. I made the switch and it made a big difference on light output - definitely recommended... especially if your wiring harness is old ...

[TedW]

+1 on relays

While I don't have the same Hellas as you, someone had swapped out the headlights before I bought my IIa 109 but they hadn't used relays to power the headlights. I made the switch and it made a big difference on light output - definitely recommended... especially if your wiring harness is old ...

Great point: 50-year-old wiring can only handle so much load.

That's another reason I'm experimenting with LED bulbs: they supposedly draw much less current than conventional bulbs.

[ericgbauer]

The more I dug in to my 63 IIa when I got it some years back, the more I saw how the harness had been cut / re-cut / re-made yet again during its life in Australia... Ended up pulling out the whole thing and replacing with a new harness from AutoSpark UK with the opt relay add-on for the lights. Very happy with results.