Bus Depot New Vanagon Rectangular headlamps

[Aryana]

[kenwilfy]

I appreciate what Jay is saying and in a perfect world, where the customer is using a good crimping tool and actually knows how to use it, of course a new plug would be the best way to go over using a connector that is 20-30 years old. However, unless you actually know what you are doing, a crimp or bad solder connection can actually be worse than reusing old the plug. The average person can inspect the plug. Most of them are in good condition on the end because there is a seal that keeps corrosion from getting inside the 9004 plug. You should inspect your inner light plugs as well. If you see corrosion, a shot of WD-40 and plugging it on and off of the light a few times should be enough to clean it up.

So if you are a competent electrical person, then go for the splice in. If you are unsure of your skill level, I think it is good to have the plug and play option. I have seen many electrical horrors over the years. Most had good intentions. Sadly that isn't enough.

PS the light kits we are selling come with LED bulbs which are drawing way less power (less than half of stock), so the wiring becomes less of an issue.
_________________
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
856-327-4936

[thatvwbusguy]

The Klein 1005 crimping tool does a great job on butt connectors or any other type of standard (heat shrink, vinyl, non-insulated) closed barrel terminal. The crimping jaw located far forward on the tool makes it great for getting into tight areas where many combination strip/crimp tools can't. Knowing that a well cared for Klein tool is something you can hand down to your kids makes the $30.00 price tag a pretty good investment in my book.

A properly crimped connection is only part of the story when it comes to aging automotive wiring however. Oxidation (that green patina most Vanagon owners know all too well) creeps up under the insulation of wires as they age, especially in applications where heat cycling is involved.

None of the major bulb suppliers (Osram Sylvania, Hella, PIAA, Narva etc) offer a drop in LED replacement for the H4 bulb. This is due to the fact that the light output of the LED chip is significantly different than the filament bulb the headlights were designed to use. Purpose made LED projector headlights are great, but swapping a different light source into a reflector headlight will never reproduce the same beam pattern. For the H3 inner high beam bulbs this is probably not much of an issue, but for the main H4 bulb it is important to have a properly managed beam to keep you safe and reduce glare for oncoming traffic.
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[kenwilfy]

Jay, the LED bulbs that are available can be a great option for a Vanagon owner. I have been using them and testing them for over a year now. Do they perfectly mimic the halogen bulb that they are replacing? Not yet. Are they close enough? Yes, I think so. And they are improving by leaps and bounds. The 7" round unit we sell to replace the stock sealed beam is a night an day difference literally and requires no upgraded wiring since the loads are at least half. The 9004 bulbs we sell seem brighter because the light is whiter and it picks up the signs and reflectors on the road better. Again it is unloading the electrical system and the bulbs should last for years and years instead of months.

The OE light bulb makers are staying out of it for now but I am sure they are either preparing to enter the market or they are stubbornly sticking to their old business model and will soon be gone. They don't like the fact that the bulbs last for 10 years or more. It is against how they have done business for the past hundred years and they don't know how to make money without planned obsolescence.

The big problem is that there are so many brands and varieties of LED bulb. Which ones actually work in the Vanagon and which don't? Which are reliable (since they aren't from a known OE brand) and which aren't? That is where buying them through us comes in. We have bought them, tested them, and stand behind what we sell. It is really taking the risk out of it for the customer.

So yes have great wiring. That is always desirable. But know that many folks that buy a relay kit, really have no business installing it themselves. They just don't have any tool skills whatsoever. A plug in LED bulb is really the best way for them to go even though it isn't perfect, it is better than a botched install of some new wiring. That is just my opinion. Not wanting to step on toes or offend.
_________________
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
856-327-4936

[Corwyn]

I saw a excerpt from an 19 September email from the manufacturer, intending to recall these headlight for a safety-related defect. No word from BD on how this will be handled; and I just got mine

_________________
'90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja

"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~

[thatvwbusguy]

The original batch was held up due to these issues, which is why everything was delayed. Why would you post this here and worry a bunch of people instead of asking Bus Depot?
_________________
Jay Brown
'85 Zetec Westfalia
Newmarket, NH


If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

[Aryana]

In short, the safety concerns you’re posting about are not applicable to this latest batch of lights shipped by Bus Depot.

[Busdepot]

That email originated from a distributor, not the manufacturer, and the headlights it references were from their inventory, not ours. Before we shipped any of the headlights we checked a number of them and even test fit some. We did not find any problems, and have not received any reports from customers. (Of course this is not to say that a defect can't possibly happen, with these or any item - but if so we would certainly stand behind them, just shoot us an email.)
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[Corwyn]

Thank you.for.the clarification. I had no intention of creating a panic. I was just looking for the answer you gave.
_________________
'90 White Westy ("The Longship")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja

"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~

[kenwilfy]

We closely inspected every single light we sent out too, even before there was any idea of an "issue". They were all very nice. In the immortal words of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, "Don't Panic".

Also posting printed out, crumpled up, emails just isn't a nice thing to do. You should have contacted Bus Depot privately with your concerns first. Just saying.
_________________
Thanks,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com
856-327-4936

[Cubson]

Just wanted to add my experience.

The headlights on my '91 were both foggy inside and I have removed and cleaned them a few times, but the moisture returned after a couple of days, so I was going to switch to the S.A. headlamps/grill to solve the problem even though I prefer the stock square headlight look. Then Bus Depot came out with this kit and I am stoked!

The quality of the headlights and bracket seems good. The install was easy, bracket fit perfectly and the wiring was not hard (I got the "upgrade kit") and I also wired the DTLs per the instructions and they are working and better than nothing!

I have not had a chance to check the alignment yet or driven at night, but they look bright & clear and are way better looking than my old watery shit. Maybe tonight I'll go cruise around to see how they look, but the adjusters seem to be set sort of close to where they should be already....

So far, I'm satisfied with this headlight replacement kit.

[T3 Pilot]

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html
_________________
1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[MadMarkuss]

My Vanagon now lights up the road like a modern vehicle...great safety investment. Thanks Bus Depot

[87RedWesty]

Wow. What a difference. I installed mine, then had a shop aim them. Went out at night and even low beam seemed way too bright. But no one flipped their lights at me, so all is good. Nice update.

[TurtsMcSlow]

Are these not available anymore? Can’t find them on the site anywhere.

[Abscate]

How do LEDS keep the lenses clear of snow/ice in winter driving? With no heat load, do you have to go out and clean them off?

That does not sound like fun
_________________
.ssS!

[Aryana]

[Busdepot]

At the present time the kit is off our site, as we have sold through our entire stock. I do not have an ETA yet for more, but it may be months. As soon as I know something more I will put the kit back on our site and post a note here.
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[TurtsMcSlow]

[Atadloco]

Looks like they're back in stock, just placed an order for my early Christmas present.