SA Classic Mini Forum

Standard sealed-beam headlamps are useless, we all know it. The Main beam filament is a respectable 60W, but the dipped is just 45. Combine that with a fuzzy lens pattern, and what light is produced is randomly scattered everywhere but forwards, where you want it. When a filament blows in a sealed beam lamp, you have to chuck away the entire unit and replace it with a new one. Auxiliary spot lamps are for main-beam use only. Driving around with extra fog lights makes the police or traffic cops take an unhealthy interest in you and you'll look a little nutty using them all of the time! The best move is to give your car a useful dipped beam. Halogen gas in modern lamps produces something like 75% more light per watt than the original tungsten torch bulbs (I'm not too sure what gas they use) and Xenon gas makes more again, so the upgrade to halogen makes real sense, both economically and from a performance point of view.

Parts

• Halogen head lights. Produced by several manufacturers including Ring (Autopal), Wipac, Lucas and Cibie (rare). These are readily available in complete kits through most mini suppliers, but I'd recommend tracking down a 90s RangeRover or LandRover Defender is a scrap yard, as I believe they use wipac as standard. If you choose this route, make sure to cut the sidelight connectors and a few inches of wire from the car, and the rubber boot, as you'll need these too.
  
  
• H4 Halogen/Xenon bulbs
  
  
• Crimp connectors
  

Tools

• Screw drivers, flat-blade and pozidrive
  
  
• Wire cutters and strippers
  
  
• Crimp tool
  
  
• Electrical tape
  
  
• Long-nosed pliers
  

If you have steel headlamp bowls, it's worth changing to plastic, as these won't rot out. If you do this, you'll also need a drill & bits, pop rivets and a rivet gun.

Removing sealed beam lamps

1. Do as the HBOL says and disconnect the negative battery terminal.
   
   
2. Undo the single retaining screw on the underside of the trim ring, and remove the trim by gently pulling it from the bottom.
   
   
3. Undo the retaining screw from the bottom nearside of the lamp, rotate the lamp anticlockwise to free it from the beam adjuster and remove the little retaining spring (use the long-nosed pliers).
   
   
4. Disconnect the wiring from the bulb contacts, recover the retaining frame and screws, and put the old light unit out of the way. In the bin is out of the way enough!
   
   
5. Slide the sidelight connector off the H4 connector and cut the two wires running to it. Strip these wires back so there's about 1/4" of bare core showing and use bullet crimp connectors to attach the new sidelight bulb holder. You may feel the need to solder these wires but that's entirely up to you! Wrap the connections in tape to protect them.
   
   
6. If you wish to change the headlamp bowls, this is the time to do it. Drill out the old rivets and remove the bowl, insert the new one with the wiring hole towards the bottom and fix with new rivets.
   

Fitting the new lamps

1. Fit the retaining frame and a H4 bulb to the new lamp unit (they'll both only fit one way) and fit the protective rubber boot over the terminals of the bulb.
   
   
2. Push the sidelight into the lamp and attach the electrical connections. At this point, have an assistant turn on the side lights, dipped and main beam so you can check all is well.
   
   
3. Offer the lamp into the hole, refit the little spring (again, with the pliers) and position the lamp back onto the beam adjusters
   
   
4. Refit the retaining screw and trim ring.
   
   
5. Reconnect battery cable.
   
   
6. Wait for nightfall and go try them out!
   

Attention

DO NOT use lamps of a higher power than 60/55W as the standard wiring is not up to the job and you'll roast your wiring loom and/or switches and where possible add in additional relays to further save the wiring loom.

Nice write-up. I would strongly suggest that relays are added. As you mentioned the standard wiring is not up to it. Even the modest sealed beams will perform a lot better if wired via relays for high and dipped beam respectively.

Have to agree, I need to refresh some of my cars' wiring and in the process I would like to add relays for all of the lights.

The issue is that the current flows through the dash switches, and this melts and damages them very easily.

That's the same issue that I had happen to mine, melted the headlight switch.

Good plan for a Mini this.

I did just this on my Mini.

Hella make good inserts and available locally - some classic car buffs dont like them as they have a flat lens instead of the typical domed lens.

I then added in relays for the dip, main beam and the spots.

used normal 55/55 halogen bulbs - lights are great

I'm running a set of the Night Breaker globes in my clubby and what a difference they've made, now I just need to get it back on the road again.

I went through two sets of night breakers, one set on the Fiesta of Pam's and one set on the Daewoo - great for a while, but they lasted no time, low beam filament blew.

I replaced them with the ones i took out of the Fiesta in the first place.

Rich Wint had the same issue with the ones he installed in his Corsa bakkie.

Weird !

When I first put Nightbreakers into my Merc, they didn't last long at all, and when I checked, I saw that they weren't rated for as many hours as the standard Osrams. The newer Nightbreakers I replaced them with do last a lot longer though, and I really enjoyed having the better beam. I've not got around to putting them in my BMW yet, the local Midas in Greytown didn't have stock when I went looking.

I do a large percentage of my driving at night on dodgy roads, and good headlights are critical.

I use the 6000K HID kits you buy from the Chinese importers.
The give a 1000 times better light than Halogen lights.

The problem with HIDs in a standard mini light fitment is the dazzling effect as HIDs really DO require the use of a projector lense to direct the beam due to their natural habit of blinding on coming traffic when used in a standard or diamond halogen lamp.