Fuel Saving Tips

Osram is the leading manufacturer of automotive lighting products, and their products are used as standard equipment by many of the major leading car manufacturers. However alongside their standard range of 12 volt headlight bulbs, Osram has also produced an upgrade range of headlight bulbs for drivers looking for improved lighting and styling performance from their headlight bulbs.

Currently there are three types of upgrade headlight bulbs available called Osram Cool Blue, Osram Silver Star and Osram Night Breaker. All of these upgrade bulbs are completely road legal and come with the European testing standards E1 mark, and because they are designed to replace your standard headlight bulbs they will fit into your existing headlight bulb holders and therefore do not need any special tools to fit them or modifications.

To determine which of the new Osram headlight bulbs you want it is best to find out what light bulbs your vehicle already has. This information can be found in two different places. Your car’s owner manual should list the style and rating of your headlight bulbs. Your other option is to use the words “Car Bulbs Finders” in the Google search engine. It will then list online auto bulb dealers, which have car guides online for you to use.

The Osram Cool Blue series are designed for drivers who want to stand out from the crowd and give their headlights a really distinctive night time look. The Cool Blue bulbs have blue filtered glass, which emits a blue tinted light that is very similar to high intensity discharge xenon bulbs.

With the Osram Cool Blue you will need to understand the ECE rules. There are limits to the amount of blue tint you can have on a headlight bulb. Osram ensures that their Cool Blue is within that limit. In fact it is the darkest street legal light you can have for your car.

The Silver Star Osram option has been created for night time sight. They are better than the halogen standard lights vehicles are made with. This is due to the 50 percent more light the Osram Silverstar generates over that of the regular halogen bulb. This power of light works well in 50 to 75 metre distances, which helps the motorist see probable dangers, obstacles, or signs.

The top upgrade from Osram is the Night Breaker series. The Night Breaker is made with xenon gas which is pressurised inside the glass. It also has an upgrade to the filament. The results of this change offer 90 percent more light. It also has a longer range by 35 metres in darkness, with 10 percent whiter light emitted.

Keen motorists who want the best sight and performance from their headlights should make the choice of the Osram Night Breaker.

It is simple to improve your standard headlight bulbs when you choose the Osram Cool Blue, Nightbreaker, or Silver Star. Night safety and sight is greatly improved and any of these three bulbs can fit your needs well.

If you want to maximise the light from your headlights you should upgrade to Xenon Bulbs, which produce nearly twice as much light as ordinary halogen bulbs. Modern xenon bulbs, like the Osram Night Breaker range, will transform your car lights to make night driving a more pleasurable experience.

To tell if your engine is overheating there are a few warning signs that your car has. The first is the water temperature gauge. When this gauge begins to increase in temperature going towards the red zone it means your car is too hot. This is then followed by the second system, which is the warning light somewhere on your dash. You may even be seeing steam coming from the bonnet at this point. At any time when you see these warning signs it is imperative that you stop the car. Your vehicle can be severely damaged by an overheated engine to the point that repairs are costly.

If your vehicle is overheating you need to pull off the street and turn the vehicle off immediately. You do not want to continue to a mechanic garage or station as this will result in irreparable damage to the engine. The cylinder head when it gets too hot will warp or crack, thus replacement is needed in that situation.

When you get to the side of the street you will need to turn your hazard lights on to indicate you are experiencing an issue to the other drivers. If there is no fire you can lift the bonnet to give the engine a better source of air, thus decreasing the pressure. You do not want to touch the engine as you may be burned.

It can take several minutes or hours for the engine to cool. If you have an overheated engine during the night you will want to keep your sidelights running, to help other drivers see your car. You can also turn on the headlights to help you see what you are doing.

After the engine has decreased in temperature the first thing to check is the coolant. This is usually the first fluid to be low when your car overheats. By adding water to the radiator you are able to give it fluid. The water should not be too cold as it can crack the container the fluid is held in. Water is not the typical fluid to use, but in an emergency it works fine. The water will dilute the coolant called antifreeze. You will need to have the system flushed by a mechanic before winter to avoid freezing the coolant.

The cap to the coolant filler can be very hot even after the car has cooled down. Steam tends to be trapped inside which will rise, burning your hand. It is best to wait until the outside of the radiator is cool to the touch before opening the cap. You can also use a rag to remove the cap.

Reaching out at arms length to fill the container will help stop you from being hit with hot coolant. You will want to stop and check the levels of the reservoir to ensure you are not over filling it. There is a maximum and minimum line on the container. You will need to check that the temperature gauge is back to normal levels before driving again.

It is safe to drive if the coolant was the issue; however there could be another issue which has caused the engine to overheat. You will want to avoid long trips until you can get the car into the garage. If the engine gets hot shortly after you begin to drive again, pull over and call for roadside recovery to tow your vehicle to a garage.

If you are planning on a long motoring trip as well as checking under the bonnet, you should make sure your all your Car Bulbs are working correctly before setting off. It is also important to carry spare Headlight Bulbs with you so that if a bulb blows you can still carry on motoring safely.

Your vehicle may be burning through your headlights too quickly, and there are usually numerous reasons for why this is occurring. If you can discover the issue you will be able to save yourself from purchasing replacement bulbs, and thus the need to change them.

The Times You Use Your Headlights Affect their Usage

A halogen light bulb is set to work for 350 to 400 hours. If you have long drives during the winter or at night you may be over using your headlights. If you use your headlights during the day it is also possible that you are using your headlights with more frequency than is normally designed, thus they last two or three months.

Its important to note that if you have fitted upgrade xenon bulbs they will normally last only around 200 hours, because they have been in effect tweaked to improve their light output. For drivers who do use their headlight bulbs for long periods you can reduce the amount of time between changes by fitting long life headlight bulbs.

Heavy duty components for headlights, which last longer than regular halogen bulbs, provide you the same performance as halogen bulbs.

Are You Touching The Glass Bulb When You Change Them?

Headlight bulbs are touchy when it comes to your bare hands because you have oils on them which can be left behind on the glass bulb. This oil will create a hotspot on the halogen bulb where it is illuminated by light. This hotspot then burns more quickly thus a blown bulb. You should wear latex gloves when changing your cars headlight bulbs.

Moisture or Vibration: Are Your Bulbs Affected?

Light bulb creators for vehicles do use a heavier glass when they build headlight bulbs; however there are still some areas where the glass can be more vulnerable. For example thermal shock is when the bulbs meet water, which leaks into the headlight unit, thus ruining the bulb. You do need to make sure the bulb is correctly replaced, and ensuring it is secure and protected from jolts and bumps to avoid damaging the filament.

Is The Car’s Electrical System Working Correctly?

The connectors in the headlight holder are electric. They are the source of power from the battery to the bulb, and these metal connectors need to be properly secured to the base on the headlights. If this does not occur a short circuit or blown bulb will result.

It is also important to check that the alternator is not overcharging the battery and delivering more voltage than the bulb is designed for. Typically the maximum voltage of a bulb is around 13.2 volts.

Are You Buying Good Quality Headlight Bulbs?

Saving money can be important; however buying inexpensive headlight bulbs results in lower quality components. Osram and Philips are two top manufacturers of headlights providing durable and quality materials in their bulbs. You want a quality bulb that has the E1 mark, which shows the rigorous testing and standards they have been through.

To avoid the hassle and expense of needing to replace your headlights too frequently you should aim to always install high quality Car Bulbs. Whilst high quality bulbs may cost a premium you will save in the long run as your Headlight Bulbs will last longer and produce a better light quality.

Highway driving can be exciting when you first start out. You will be looking out for potential dangers and concentrating on your driving skills because your speed is high. After a few hours the drive can become boring, and concentration can begin to lower. Soon poor driving abilities begin to show themselves. It is imperative that a driver always monitor the road and traffic around them. Changes can appear quickly, which will require fast action from the driver.

The largest cause of accidents on a highway has been assigned to the wrong speed for the current road conditions. When driving 70 miles per hour it requires 20 metres for you to react, and another 50 metres for you to stop. This is in a high performance vehicle, when the brakes and tyres are in perfect condition. It takes approximately 70 metres for the car to stop in an emergency situation.

These increased stopping distances at motorway speeds demonstrate the need to maintain at least a two second gap between you and the vehicle in front. To gauge your distance, pick out a roadside marker and then count how long it takes your vehicle to reach it after the car in front has passed it by.

Some drivers are not as kind as others. These drivers will take up the space you have between the vehicle in front of you by passing you. While this is irritating and angering you do not want to follow in their behaviour. Instead you should drop back to maintain a safe distance from the new vehicle in front of you.

Tailgating by another driver is a potential hazard you want to avoid. Whenever possible you should pull off the road and let the tailgater pass. You should not allow them to draw you into the same behaviour. The chances are the reckless driver will eventually cause an accident, and you do not want to be in the mix when that happens.

The traffic situation can change very quickly on the motorway and it is very easy to come across a traffic jam before you realise. Guard against this problem by making a conscious effort to look as far ahead as possible, and if you do spot a potential hazard consider switching on your hazard warning car bulbs to warn the drivers behind you.

When driving for long periods of time your mind may begin to think of other things, leaving the driving task on autopilot. You will not have to shift gears often, or even have much input on steering. It is best to combat these feelings with a break every two hours. Service station breaks allow you to stop the fatigue and relax before continuing on.

When you begin to feel tired before you reach the next resting point or your destination there are a few tips to help you fight these feelings. By opening the window or turning the air conditioner to a colder setting you are helping yourself wake up. Colder air is more refreshing than a hot stuffy car. You may also turn on the radio, start a conversation, or use cruise control. Your concentration will return to you through these methods, as well as bring awareness back.

It is very easy to become complacent when driving on the motorway in a nice warm car listening to your favourite music. However you need to maintain your concentration and observation levels throughout the journey and be ready for any potential hazards when they occur, because when accidents happened on a motorway they happen very quickly and often with fatal consequences.

To help enhance a driver’s night time vision and safety on the motorway many cars now come fitted with D2S xenon bulbs as standard. For cars fitted with normal headlights a new xenon range of upgrade bulbs, like the H1 bulbs, are designed to quickly and easily replace ordinary halogen bulbs.

Drivers who are alert and critically watching the road are able to use their skills to determine what dangers may lay ahead as they move on. These drivers are even able to react to the dangers swiftly without braking too quickly. Unfortunately, there are times when dangers occur that are unforeseeable. In these situations it is imperative to know how to brake safely, have control of the car, and stop in the emergency.

One aspect of import when braking is to try to maintain a straight line. If you weave or corner during a braking situation the rear end of the car will be lighter than the front. This can make a situation of skidding or spinning. At the very least your tyres will have more demand on them, affecting their grip and your control of the situation.

In a situation where you are cornering and must brake, you should apply the brakes gently and add pressure a little at a time. This helps to reduce the weight transfer from being too impactful. You will also be able to maintain control on the vehicle.

Most modern cars now have an anti lock braking system, know as ABS, fitted as standard and whilst it can greatly improve the control and stability of your car under heavy braking, especially when cornering, it does still have its limitations.

The ABS contraption can discover the point where the wheels will begin to lock during a braking episode. The system will then release the brakes for a half a second to stop the wheels from locking up. The process happens several times in the second, and reacts faster than a motorist would be able to.

With ABS ensuring the wheels are still turning, and not locked up, during heavy braking, steering control is still fully maintained, the tyres continue to grip effectively, and you can steer around and safely avoid any potential hazard.

The effect of ABS can normally be felt as a gentle pulsing through the brake pedal or by a distinct grinding sound. Its important that if you hear or feel these signs that you do not lift of the brake, but instead continual the heavy braking to ensure you stop in the shortest distance whilst making maximum use of the ABS.

ABS is a most effective system for heavy or emergency braking. It makes sure you can brake in a safe and controlled manner. You must realise that it cannot defy physics, which means driving to quickly on wet roads can lead to accidents even with ABS.

If need to brake harshly then, if possible, you should warn the other drivers behind you by switching on your indicator bulbs. It is also worth considering carrying a spare bulbs kit in your vehicle so that if, for example, a brake light bulb has blown it can been changed quickly and easily.

When summer is approaching, the longer days and warmer weather offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy your car on the open road. However even though the threat of extreme bad weather has passed, there are still potential hazards on the roads that can easily catch out an unprepared driver.

Temperatures during the summer months will rise, yielding in some places a lack of rain. Debris that is not taken away by rainfall can increase on the surface of the roads. Other surface issues such as oil, dust, and rubber can also be plentiful in areas where rain has not occurred often. A lack of rain can make the road more slippery.

Slicker conditions appear after a short amount of rain. The debris is still on the road, but now it is mixed with the water which is not running off in the drains. This condition can surprise the unwary motorist more than you might consider.

If you are driving after rainfall and the weather has increased in heat you should be cautioned that braking needs to change. You will need more distance to stop. You also need to consider reducing your speed when you go around curves since the grip of the wheels will be less.

Asphalt will be slicker after hot and dry conditions. The surface as it heats becomes polished. Vehicles help to increase this heated condition on well travelled roads.

Warmer weather presents a number of adventures for the driver and it also brings out other potential fun seekers. Families on holiday with their caravans will become more noticeable and they can be a slight disruption in your speed. However, you dont want to irritate them. They belong on the road like you do, thus keeping your cool is appropriate when driving among others trying to have a great holiday like you.

Be aware that many of these drivers will have been travelling for long distances, on roads they are unfamiliar with, possibly distracted by their children or satellite navigation. Be prepared for them to make unexpected manoeuvres without signalling, and factor this into your decision when deciding whether it is appropriate to overtake them, and remember you easily come across a slow moving vehicle mid way through a blind bend.

Research announced that running your headlamps during the day can decrease the chance of an accident by 12 percent. This is due to the fact that other drivers may see you better with the lights on even with sunglasses or patches of shade on the road. There can be a huge contrast between areas of the road with bright sun.

If you are considering running with your car lights on during the day it is well worth upgrading your Auto Bulbs, to maximise their visibility and endurance. One area that your lights will really benefits is by fitting New Sidelight Bulbs, they are straight forward to fit and are available as either xenon or LED bulbs.

Driving the speed limit often means driving at a high rate, which can be dangerous if your tyre develops a rupture. Even the most seasoned motorists will feel fear as they struggle to control the car.

The depth of the puncture will determine the amount of control you still have on the car, which could help you come to a complete stop with safety intact. You may also be able to avoid becoming a hazard for others on the road.

As soon as you suspect that one of the tyres has developed a puncture you need to fight the natural initial instinct to brake sharply and pull over to the side of the road as soon as possible. Instead stay calm, take a firm grip on the steering wheel and avoid using any harsh steering or braking inputs and allow your speed to gently decrease naturally.

If you do try to steer or brake at high speed when a tyre has punctured it is very likely that you will lose control and the vehicle could easily enter into a spin, due tothe adverse forces and loss of grip that a punctured tyre can cause. However once the speed has significantly decreased you can gently steer the car to the side of the road and allow it to roll to a stop naturally.

Once the car has been stopped out of the way of other drivers there are some steps to take. You will need to turn your hazard lights on. You will also need to assess the risk to you regarding the changing of the tyre. If you can exit the vehicle and not be in danger of oncoming cars you may elect to change the tyre. A car too close to the road could result in a severe incident, including the loss of your life. When the situation is too risky it is best to call road side services. They can assist you in reaching a better place to change the tyre.

In a situation where you are well off the road or in a safer area you can change the tyre. You should have all persons in the vehicle stand in a safe location. You will need to put the emergency brake on. Consider leaving a light on or using a flash light if the day has grown darker. Do not forget to wear your emergency coat to signify you are on the road to those who happen by.

Always ensure you use the correct jacking points when raising your vehicle up, these are normally pictured in the owners manual, and make sure the vehicle is secure on the jack before attempting to remove the wheel.

As you finish ensure that you tighten the lugnuts properly. To tighten them you should use opposite pairs by increasing pressure on one then the one opposite. Also make sure the wheel is secured against the axel before you drive again.

Being stranded at the side of the road can be a stressful experience for any motorist especially at night, so make sure other drivers can see you by leaving your Sidelight Car Bulbs on. It is also a good idea to consider installing Xenon Car Bulbs, which will make your vehicle stand out more at night.

Night driving can be demanding, even exhausting, due to the reduction in sight and the possible dangers that can be found on the road. Other drivers may also have difficulty seeing, which can become a problem for you. The roads during the night hours do tend to be less travelled, though, thus you might enjoy more autonomy.

There are a few things you can do to ensure safe driving at night. You can clean your headlights and test them for working order. A legal requirement for driving at night is to have sidelights and number plate lights. When checking your headlamps it is necessary to check for proper alignment. You do not want to blind or annoy other drivers on the road. It is best to have a professional car mechanic check the alignment.

A factor in the alignment of your headlamps can be a weighty freight in the rear or boot of your vehicle. It could cause the headlamps to be higher than normal. This can be disturbing to other road users; however, you can slightly re-align the bulbs with the adjustment switch in your vehicle.

Headlights should normally be switched on when street lamps have illuminated. However on dull days, during adverse weather conditions or periods of low ambient light it is also a good idea to switch on your headlights so you can see and be seen more clearly. This is particularly important if you have a dull coloured car that does not stand out very well.

Dipped beam headlamps should be used at night, unless you are on a street with low or no light. In this instance your main beams should be used. Your bright lights can distract other drivers, pedestrians, or motorcyclists. You should switch them off when you approach another car, person, motorcycle, or bicycle.

When following a vehicle closely at night you should also keep your main beam lights switched off. If you plan to overtake then you should exercise extreme caution because of the reduced visibility and optical illusions created by the dark. Pay particular attention to hidden dips or bends that may affect your ability to safely overtake.

Oncoming lights can be dangerous, as they affect how you can see. There are things you can do to avoid this experience. Rather than looking directly at the light as you are wont to do you should instead look to the left of the lights.

Dirt, road grime, or grease on your windscreen may create an optical illusion that is both dangerous and annoying. Chips and cracks can change the refraction of the light as well. It is best to change your rear view mirror to night driving setting, in order to lessen the impact of other vehicles behind you. You also need to consider when you might need to slow down on a bend or at a junction as lights may affect you.

Motorists driving during the night should be unworried about the dangers, and instead enjoy the experience of open roads without traffic.

To maximise the light output from their car lights, drivers can now replace halogen bulbs with new powerful xenon bulbs. These upgrade car bulbs are interchangeable with standard items so for example, fitting new H7 xenon bulbs is a very straightforward process.

If you have HID xenon headlights or you have improved on the standard halogen bulbs you had for the newest in xenon light bulbs, you have seen how clear and white the light provided by xenon gas is.

The trouble is your sidelights are still that yellow colour, which is displeasing when you have xenon lights on your vehicle. Fortunately for you there is something you can do to improve the entire look of your vehicle. You can upgrade your sidelights just as you did your headlamps. There are more brilliant and clearer bulbs than the standard option, which even offer you a diversity of colours.

How Do Upgrade Sidelight Bulbs Differ From Ordinary Sidelight Bulbs?

The regular sidelight bulbs are produced based on quantity and inexpensive material, which means they use basic filament in a standard glass bulb, with motionless gas. Updated sidelight bulbs use the very best that technology has to offer, with high grade supplies and the very top of the line for filaments.

Most importantly the latest upgrade sidelight bulbs are filled with either xenon or halogen gas, which ensures that these upgrade bulbs produce a much brighter and crisper light, which more closely compliments HID xenon bulbs.

Are Blue Xenon Side Bulbs Available and Legal?

Xenon bulbs are created in different colour tints to give you a wider variety of choices for improving the lights on your vehicle. You can upgrade to clear glass or something with a blue tint. These blue lights are becoming more popular with motorists. The blue tint in the light is often thought to emit a blue beam from the sidelight, but more often the tinting of the light clears up the regular yellow emission, thus you have a whiter illumination.

However, there are two aspects about these xenon tinted lights that you need to know. The first is that the ECE has rules regarding what amount of tinting can be used in blue sidelight bulbs. This is due to the heat generated by the bulb. As more heat is generated the more the light is reduced. Therefore, the ECE rules have a limit to the levels of blue tint that is considered street legal.

Secondly because the blue tinted glass traps some of the light from escaping from the bulb it runs hotter than a clear glass sidelight bulb, and if the tint is too dark the bulb will operate at too high a temperature and will burn out quickly

Are LED Sidelight Bulbs Appropriate?

Xenon are certainly powerful light bulbs, but for sidelight bulbs they are not the only option. LED technology is becoming more common place especially in vehicles like the Porsche 997 or Audi R8. LED means light emitting diode. There are several reasons you might want LED over regular glass bulbs for your car.

First, LED bulbs are strong and dependable. They will last for at least 50,000 hours if not more. They do not require as much power, but are a brighter light than regular bulbs. They also have an assortment of colours.

It is quite simple to change to LED bulbs for your sidelights. These LED bulbs are made to work in the standard holder and connector, so there is no modification needed.

Replacing your standard sidelight bulbs with either upgrade xenon bulbs or the very latest LED bulbs can really transform your car’s night time appearance. They can produce a much brighter and crisper light, that is better suited to compliment xenon headlight bulbs and if you install the super long life LED sidelight bulbs, you will be more likely to need to change your car before you will need to replace the sidelight bulbs.

HID xenon headlights offer a prestige to a vehicle that other lights just cannot provide, and it is this technology that began in the 1990’s. They provide 300 percent more light than original halogen lights, and work ten times longer. The look is much cooler with the blue tint, and thus they are quite fashionable.

Any car with halogen headlights look boring when compared to the HID bulbs. This look meant that conversion kits to retro fit the xenon HID bulbs was needed, and they were manufactured quickly. There is still the question many have as to whether these kits are considered road legal for public streets.

The simple answer to the legality of HID kits is “No, they are not legal”, however as with most things, the real answer is not as simple as that. To get a clear understanding of these xenon conversion kits legality you need to look carefully into the legal requirements of HID kits.

The Department of Transport has a legal stand on HID kits. It states that the xenon HID lights can be legal if they are fitted with proper levelling suspension i.e. self levelling headlights that have a self cleaning function and can be fitted to the headlight unit. There also needs to be a rating of E mark that fits the European specifications on the headlights you use. Headlight basically describes the bulb, outer lens, and reflector.

Many retailers have claimed that their HID kits are legal because they are E marked and that providing they are fitted to a vehicle that has self cleaning headlights and self levelling suspension it will satisfy the law. Unfortunately this is untrue. The Department of Transport ends its statement on HID kits by saying that, you are not permitted to convert an existing halogen headlight unit for use with HID bulbs and that it is an offence to supply, fit or use vehicle parts which are illegal.

If you want HID xenon headlights in a car that has halogen headlight bulbs and you want to remain within the laws there is only one option. You must go to the manufacturer of your car to see if they have factory fitted xenon lights for your model car. You can then purchase the factory option and have them installed at a licensed factory. The Department of Transport does recognise these factory units as legal replacements and thus you can have HID bulbs on your vehicle.

Unfortunately a manufacturer factory fitted HID xenon upgrade is not cheap and will probably cost you around 3000. The only other option available, and considerably cheaper, is to upgrade your halogen headlight bulbs to xenon bulbs. These upgrade xenon bulbs are not like the HID xenon bulbs, which come with an HID kit, instead they are identical to your existing halogen headlight bulbs but instead of being filled with halogen they use xenon gas instead.

There are two top upgrades you can purchase called the Osram Night Braker and the Philips Extreme Power bulbs. These two options emit up to 90 percent more light and up to 35 metres more distance than halogen. They are also 10 percent whiter than halogen. The best part to this option is that they are street legal because no modification is necessary. You can install them without invalidating your insurance or getting stopped by the constabulary.

The upgrade to xenon bulbs is not going to be as bright as the HID kits. However the upgrade is legal, much better than halogen, and they cost about 20. If you want the HID look, but within the street laws, you can purchase xenon bulbs and save money. This money could go to the retro fit factory option or a new car with HID xenon lights as the standard lights.

A simple alternative to installing an HID kit is to upgrade your car lights with Xenon Bulbs. These high performance car bulbs are designed to directly replace your factory fitted Headlight Bulbs, yet they produce nearly twice as much light and emit a much more powerful light beam.