50% Brighter bulbs

Evenin' all... The other day I had the dipped beam failure alert on my w-reg V70, so I decided to replace both at once with a pair of the Xenon gas 50% brighter H7 bulbs. The first time I drove the car at night I found I was being flashed by about 20% of oncoming drivers who seemed to assume I was on main beam. I turned the headlamp adjustment down to the maximum which cut the percentage of irritable fellow road users, but some still flash me. The bulbs are definitely seated correctly in the headlamps. Has anybody else had this result after fitting these bulbs? It makes driving at night a pain as I am dazzled frequently by being flashed at so often. Robin

I run the 50% brighter bulbs in both my 850 and my Astra and have not had any more flashes from other drivers than normal (there's always someone who occasionally flashes a Volvo in the daytime because it's got it's lights on ;) ) Maybe your alignment has been out for a while and it's just people didn't bother flashing at you until you upgraded the bulbs? I'd get the alignment checked. Cheers, John Cheers, John

50% Bulbs 

I have heard that these bulbs can be put in upside down by mistake.....and therefore causing a problem of misalignment and hence the flashing of other drivers...

You shouldn't be able to put an H7 in upside down, the metal base of the bulb is shaped and only fits in one position.

Ive had the +50% for over 12 months, cant say as Ive been flashed at all. I park against the front wall of the house every night, the light is brighter and 'whiter' compared to the old 'yellow' standard bulbs. I say get the alignment checked and dont worry about the 'flashers'

Alignment 

Requirements: Dark night torch to find adjusters patience level road. Park on level road (nice big empty carpark would do) with headlights on and engine running. Stand in front of one headlight, and note where the other hits the road. Adjust it up or down to taste. Repeat with other. More accurate for up/down adjustment than any beamsetter I have ever seen. Left/right is a bit more intuitive. I thought HIDs were illegal as retrofits, somehting to do with reflector accuracy and dazzle. Many boy racers use off-road halogens, readily avaolable up to 200/120, blue or yellow, but the 200s do not last long. 130/90s last all right.

Thanks for all the replies. I know for sure that the bulbs are seated OK as they can only go in one way (with the tab facing up), otherwise the spring clip would have to be forced into position. It looks like the advice to have the alignment checked is the way to go. The car was only serviced last week at a Volvo main dealer, so I'm surprised that the headlamps are not checked as part of a service. (Perhaps I shouldn't be... the number of newish cars I see on the road with one or more wonky light tells me that they aren't) Robin