Both my 06 xc70 and 13 s60 need low beam bulbs. Is there really a ‘better’ bulb? I would love a brighter bulb for both .
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Both my 06 xc70 and 13 s60 need low beam bulbs. Is there really a ‘better’ bulb? I would love a brighter bulb for both .
Yes, there are better bulbs (none of them are LED or HID conversion bulbs - they *all* perform worse in a halogen reflector) - check on candlepowerforums in the automotive section for detailed help.
Meanwhile, it would help if you could tell us what bulbs you need.
The next bulbs I'll get my 2006 V70 is the H7s Daniel Stern has listed.
http://www.danielsternlighting.com/p.../products.html
I have a set of led bulbs in mine. They are definitely brighter than the halogen bulbs I've tried. They also are not blinding to oncoming traffic, as I checked that by having my wife drive toward me while I was in a second car. You will need to buy a resistor to go with them if you want to avoid a permanent "Bulb Out" message.
The picture shows the headlights with One of the Led bulbs in the driver's side and a standard halogen on the passenger side.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q24LVDM..._Scvg6uH6O9qLB
Here is the resistor set I bought with them:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BMWJGGN..._Fdvh5SaHpeKvl
Last edited by K_G_1; 03-22-2021 at 05:31 PM.
You can replace the H11 bulbs with H9 ones, its a common "hack" and costs nothing (H9s are about the same price as H11s). You can search for the specific instructions but you basically remove a notch in the H9 bulb's connector socket and it fits fine, just like the H11s. I did it years ago and it was significantly brighter with just standard H9 cheapo bulbs, and have had no issues. But as I was in the desert at the time and the daytime temps could reach 125F and far higher in the direct sun, I also had the dealer remove the DRL setting so that the low beams are not in the "always on" setting, as the wattage for the H9s are 65W compared to the H11's 55W and I feared cooking the wire harness socket.
H11: 1,350 Lumens, @ 55 watts, runs cooler and has longer life
H9: 2,100 Lumens, @ 65 watts, runs hotter, has shorter life
Last edited by A.Lucas; 04-01-2021 at 07:29 AM.
A write up is not really required beyond the normal painful process of changing bulbs in the XC70. Both the LED bulbs and the resistors come with plugs that attach to the factory wiring harness. Install the LED bulb same as a normal bulb, plug the resistor into the pig tail on the LED, and the vehicle wiring harness into the resistor. It's a little bit of a tight squeeze, but everything is plug and play, and fits into the existing bulb housing/lens assembly.
Daniel Stern. This man is an authority on automotive lighting and he drew up an extensive list for the Volvo XC in particular both for better driving lights and longevity.
https://www.danielsternlighting.com/
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