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Re: Headlights for '91 900 Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:22:32
In Reply to: Headlights for '91 900, Pete  [Profile/Gallery]
, Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:39:13
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Pete,
The term 'e-code' refers to headlamps which meet specifications for the rest of the world outside the US. US DOT headlight specifications were stuck in the stone age from about 1950 to 1997 or so. Remember why you couldn't get a car that didn't have those super-crappy sealed beam glow sticks on it for headlights? This is why 1979-1986 900s for the rest of the world had good headlights (some with wipers) and the US ones had the sealed-beams-with-inboard-parking-lights-to-fill-the-space-after-1982 setup. E-code headlights have better optics. Some will argue, but the euro-lights spread a constant band of light across the road with a sharp vertical cutoff (on low beam) for oncoming drivers' eyes, then the beam curves up to illuminate the ditches and other hazards (Bambi comes to mind here) to the side. The lenses for european headlights are actually optimized depending on which side of the car the oncoming traffic is going to be on. UK and Japanese cars (left hand drive, opposing traffic down the right side) have different lenses than Canadian or French-market cars (left-hand drive, opposing traffic on the left). The lenses are easily interchangeable should you move to a different country. The lenses are also easily replaceable should one of them break. With American lights, as you have found, you have to replace the whole thing. European lights have fixed lenses; aim adjustment happens with very similar adjusters that move the reflector inside the fixed lens. They do not require special aiming equipment so those silly dimples on the lens are not there.
I got my euro lights on a very lucky junkyard score. The wiring is identical, but you will have to either fashion a connector or splice in the wires. I think two out of the three wires were the same color. They are not without their faults. I guess there are Hella lights and cheap knockoff lights, both of which are plagued by the reflective chrome flaking off of the reflectors over time.
You may be able to find a set (anything for 1987 and newer will work) by watching the parts classifieds here or by checking (Won't Get Fooled Again) Fleabay. You can buy a set off of international web pages, but it's going to cost an arm and a leg and then some accounting for the weak dollar.
To change them out, I pulled the bumper off of my '92 just because it's so easy. I had plenty of room to work then, but then again, I don't have any turbo stuff in there.
I hope this helps.
, Thu, 19 Jun 2008 12:39:13, Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:22:32 <-- Viewing This Message, Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:41:49
, Fri, 20 Jun 2008 08:25:59, Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:54:49, Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:23:44, Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:24:18
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