Headlight LED installed.

I have been thinking about a similar conversion on my 456 but I am more concerned about actually increasing night visibility than anything else. Truth be told, the factory low beams are kinda weak - while the high beams really kick butt.

Anyone out there that has gone down that path? I am trying to stay away from a complicated installation - easier is better. What is the best way to get more usable brightness out of the OEM setup without adding stress to the electrical grid?

 

There are higher wattage halogens out there, however they have dubious provenance and are probably illegal in some states, and they defeat your goal of reducing electrical load. The best way, IMHO, until LED's mature a bit more, is to change out the projectors and lamps to HID's. It's a simple conversion on the 550's and there's definitely more output than OEM, and less electrical load. Only drawback are the ballasts and where to locate them.

 

Hmmm.... I see... looks like adding brightness to the low beams also means adding a fair amount of hardware, and perhaps a level of complication. While I suppose I am technically capable of doing the necessary modifications to add the HID conversion kit, I am not sure it's my cup of tea - I like to keep the car as close to original as possible.

Are there any proven-brand light bulbs of the same wattage out there today that, using twenty-year-later technology, can deliver a better light stream?

 

I put in a HID kit and it was great lights the first couple of thousand kms. However they became weaker over time. There is a thread here where the reflector and light unit from a 2000 Audi A4 with xenon would fit right in... might be the best thing in the long run. You can newer get enough lightning and safety at dark.


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The problem is that there are no more of the Valeo D2S projectors available which are a perfect fit in the 550 headlight housing .
When we did the retrofit they were plentiful on eBay. I was lucky to find a set of clear lenses from Europe. It's been six years now with no problems.