[StrangeWizard]

Originally Posted by faustus77

Sameerg001
Hi.
Read your post of 23rd Jan regarding Osram and Phillips head lamps.
Request a wee bit of clarification.
If I wish to change to Phillips or Osram from my stock bulbs do I need to make any changes to the wiring or the fuses?
When I asked about changing to a higher 90/100 the auto electrician said that I will have to install a cutout and it would be better to get it done at A.S.S..
Please suggest as I find the stock bulbs not enough.
Thanks and regards

yes a cutout or relay is necessary when going for higher power bulbs. this is done so that the bulbs don't cause an overload on the battery. relay is not necessary when you get bulbs of the same wattage.

i have a Spark and upgraded to Philips 100/90 along with a finolex relay.

usually it doesn't affect warranty since no wires are cut but still clarify with your a.s.s once. i don't think they'll do the job of upgrading the bulbs though.

cheers.

[samarth.bhatia]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

Hi samarth,

Any luck on the Golden Bow-Tie logo on the Horn-pad in your Delhi service centres ?

No luck. They were unable to help.
Sorry.

[sajjt]

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

yes a cutout or relay is necessary when going for higher power bulbs.

Well said, its very much neccessary for upgrading to higher wattage bulbs.

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

this is done so that the bulbs don't cause an overload on the battery. relay is not necessary when you get bulbs of the same wattage.

Wrong, a relay is just a heavy duty switch activated by electro mechanical movement. It cant ease the load exerting from the extra watts you are putting in, but it can save the stock lighting system by taking off the full load from the stock lighting relay to the extra relay. Its not a power saving/generating module.

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

i have a Spark and upgraded to Philips 100/90 along with a finolex relay.

usually it doesn't affect warranty since no wires are cut but still clarify with your a.s.s once.

If you use a proper wiring harness there is no cutting/splicing of wires and you can do it as DIY in 10 minutes if you know the things.

Originally Posted by StrangeWizard

i don't think they'll do the job of upgrading the bulbs though. cheers.

It depends on the SVC, some are reluctant to go for upgrades considering the marging they are going to reap from that and some are not. I was offered a HID kit for 5K at the time of my Beat delivery which I refused to take the plunge as I know the results by putting a HID on stock reflectors and I dont want to hear the wild greets from the oncomers due to its glares. But once I had a chance to visit another GM SVC they refused to upgrade the bulb.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by faustus77

...If I wish to change to Phillips or Osram from my stock bulbs do I need to make any changes to the wiring or the fuses?
When I asked about changing to a higher 90/100 the auto electrician said that I will have to install a cutout and it would be better to get it done at A.S.S..
Please suggest as I find the stock bulbs not enough...

If you use Osram Nightbreaker/Nightbreaker+ or Philips ExtremeVision, then you can use the same stock settings are these bulbs are stock wattage (55/60W). They provide output equivalent (claimed) to 100W bulbs. Usually costs in the range of ~Rs. 1000/-1200/-

Advantages:

No modification required to be installed (Stock wattage).
Better output than stock lights.
Warranty in-tact
Legal

Dis-advantages:

Expensive
Lesser life

In case you are interested, please check below site where you get some discounts (I am NOT related to the site by any means.)

http://www.autotrends.in//

100 W bulbs::

These require a relay irrespective of the brand of bulbs.

Advantages:

Cost effective - ~200/- per bulb(?)
Life better than Nightbreaker/Extremevision
Better output (than Nightbreaker/Extremevision as per reviews)

Dis-advantages:

Relay adds to the initial cost (one time) - ~1200/- from A$$.
Warranty worries
Heat (reports that it could damage / blacken your reflectors in the long run)!
Illegal!

Originally Posted by sameerg001

...Or at the risk of voiding warranty, get yourself a 90/100 setup with relay, Philips rally 90/100 with philips relay should cost you around 1300 bucks.

Undoubtley, 90/100 setup will offer you impressive result but it may void your warranty...

If the work is done at A$$, they will NOT decline warranty. You do the same work at some aftermarket shop, your warranty is busted!

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

In case you are interested, please check below site where you get some discounts (I am NOT related to the site by any means.)
http://www.autotrends.in//

Hey swiftnfurious,

I just now went through the autotrends website and there is a deal of the week stuff going on which is offering a pair of Osram Night Breaker Plus White Headlight Bulbs H4 at a dirt cheap price (I guess).

I was about to ask you the below two questions, but then I got it self answered with the help of my spare stock bulb (Pic attached below).
Q - What is H4 Bulb ? How does it look like ?
A - Pic attached.

Q - Does Chevy Beat use H4 bulb so that I can replace the stocks with this one ?
A - Yes, Beat uses H4 bulb. So the Osram Night Breaker Plus H4 can replace the stocks.

Power and Wattage of Stock and Osram are identical. So no worries.



Planning to order Osram bulbs along with the Bosch Aero Twin wiper blades.

Cheers,
Soumyajit

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

...Planning to order Osram bulbs along with the Bosch Aero Twin wiper blades...

Link to the wiper blades please! Even am thinking of ordering Aero twins or Dynaedge!

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Link to the wiper blades please! Even am thinking of ordering Aero twins or Dynaedge!

I didn't find links for the AeroTwins. But here is the link for the DynaEdge.

http://shopping.indiatimes.com/elect...182/p_B1012430

[Mortis]

Yup the Beat does use H4 Headlight bulbs. I have upgraded mine to Phillips extreme visions almost a year ago and Im very satisfied with their output in the city as well as the highway

[AbhishekB86]

Had the chance to drive to Naldhera, Himachal Pradesh. We must have driven over ice on either side of the narrow roads for a good distance. This 'black ice' was present on the middle of the roads in some sections. The stock JK did sort of skid twice but overall never lost control. With the puny wheels turning corners at speed makes the car feel like a boat. It misses the grip that upgraded wheels provide. Samarth's upgraded 195 sized wheels were making him zip by corners without intruding the other lane at all. JK were good too but then speeds had to be reduced. The car was parked on ice for a couple of days but no issues at all. Overtaking before the next blind corner requires you to downshift to 2nd gear and speed ahead. Anything below that rev will make you a sitting duck for the incoming traffic. I must admit this car is a underrated highway vehicle. Travelogue coming soon

[faustus77]

Swifnfurious
Thanks a lot for a very useful reply.
I am still using the original(may 2010) installed bulbs and have 2 spare bulbs which were issued at the time of delivery.
Noted that they cost a bit more and their life is not long enough and they are legal.For me that is ok as I dont drive at night.This is just in case I get stuck between 2 towns(I am thinking of going on a very long trip) and need to drive after sunset.Once I am back in Bombay I can again switch to the originals and keep this as a spare set.All this can be done by the friendly neighborhood auto electrician.
Even in Bombay I hardly use the car.Last I filled the tank to the brim was in July and I still have half a tankful.
Thanks once again and regards

[Soumyajit9]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Had the chance to drive to Naldhera, Himachal Pradesh. We must have driven over ice on either side of the narrow roads for a good distance. This 'black ice' was present on the middle of the roads in some sections. The stock JK did sort of skid twice but overall never lost control. With the puny wheels turning corners at speed makes the car feel like a boat. It misses the grip that upgraded wheels provide. Samarth's upgraded 195 sized wheels were making him zip by corners without intruding the other lane at all. JK were good too but then speeds had to be reduced. The car was parked on ice for a couple of days but no issues at all. Overtaking before the next blind corner requires you to downshift to 2nd gear and speed ahead. Anything below that rev will make you a sitting duck for the incoming traffic. I must admit this car is a underrated highway vehicle. Travelogue coming soon

Great Abhishek !! This is the best time to take a drive to HP ! Awesome snowfall reported this year . Good to hear that Samarth's up-sized tyre behaved well on the ice. As it has been discussed zillion time, a tyre upgrade is a necessity for the Beatie.
Desperately waiting for your travelogue.

[Mortis]

Does anyone else feel that the Beats paint is too soft ? It seems to be very easily damaged by stone chips

[AbhishekB86]

Originally Posted by Soumyajit9

Great Abhishek !! This is the best time to take a drive to HP ! Awesome snowfall reported this year . Good to hear that Samarth's up-sized tyre behaved well on the ice. As it has been discussed zillion time, a tyre upgrade is a necessity for the Beatie.
Desperately waiting for your travelogue.

Thanks Soumyajit. Indeed it was a brilliant time to visit Himachal. We didn't want a commercial chaos hence decided for Naldhera. The drive was a holiday in itself apart from the beautiful sites we had all around us. Loved the remoteness. Samarth and I need to meet again to compile pictures but even if delayed the travelogue will be up soon.

CC : Totally agree. I've had instances of paint chipping very easily. Even more heartbreaking when the color is as complex as cocktail green. Although have managed to find a mechanic who does a very good job at reasonable costs.

[thoma]

Originally Posted by Mortis

Does anyone else feel that the Beats paint is too soft ? It seems to be very easily damaged by stone chips

Here is my take on the same, pictures attached.

[faustus77]

Hi everybody.
Need urgent help.
Gave my Beat(may 2010) for servicing to Nikhil.
1)There seems to be some rust creeping in on the chassis and the muffler.They want to carry out a treatment using some black anti rust chemical.They are quoting rs 3500 with a 5 year warranty.And for the muffler(as it is hot) a different treatment for rs 1500=5000 +taxes.They will come down a bit.
For a 2 year warranty they are quoting 3500 + taxes in all.My question is should I do it?How much will such a treatment cost outside and how good are they?
2)They have noticed ants and tiny cockroaches from the window recesses below the beeding.They want to remove all rexines on the doors and want to clean up and fumigate the interiors of the cabin.Asking for 1200 + taxes.Worth it?
Please guide earliest.
Thanks and regards
PS:Mortis.Hi.Met Cyrus.Helpful.Appreciate your giving me his name.Thanks/regards