BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Tom Rogers on November 18, 2009, 02:12:10 PM
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Our '06 Monterey headlights certainly need to be enhanced. Has anyone found an easy replacement bulb or total change out? I use the lower "spot lights" which help, but it would be comforting to use the head lights to make driving more comfortable and safe..
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I use Sylvania Silverstar Ultra bulbs in my headlights. They are considerably brighter than OEM halogen bulbs, DOT legal, and do not draw excess amperage.
Sylvania makes three types of headlight bulbs, the standard halogen, the next brighter is the Silverstar bulb, and the brightest is the Silverstar Ultra.
Gerald
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Regarding changing the bulbs, I was thinking of putting in better bulbs BUT how in the H### do you do it?
I don't have chimp like arms and can't reach them from the ground; opening the genset drawer doesn't help either. The headlight assembly is attached from behind so it can't come out.
Maybe I'm missing something?
Thanks,
Jeff
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Check your voltage at the headlights. Some have replaced the wiring to the headlights with a larger wire size to increase the voltage to the headlights.
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Not to worried about wiring (yet); I thought I would look at replacing the bulbs as suggested by Gerald, however I just can't reach them :-/
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Jeff,
The easiest and most effective modification that you can do to your headlight system is to install relays in the LF electrical bay to increase the voltage to the headlight bulbs. This can be done in about 15 minutes for 10 to 15 dollars in parts, and it will increase the headlight brightness more than replacing the bulbs if your headlight wiring is still original.
Replacing the bulbs also helps, but the relay installation is the first modification that should be done. Some owners also run new 10 gauge wiring from the relays to the headlight bulbs, however I do not think that this is necessary in most cases. There are several other threads on this forum that discusses this modification. Here is one; http://forum.bacrallies.com/m-1314123849/s-all/
To replace the bulbs, the headlight assemblies will have to be removed. They can be unbolted from under the coach, however it is a stretch to reach them.
Gerald
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I have a '04 Monterey with the Ford Navigator headlamps. I have replaced the bulbs on these lights to some of the lights discussed in this thread. I did not have to remove the headlights to replace the bulbs. I crawled up in behind the front valance to reach the headlight fixtures. You need to take a hold of the back of the socket on the headlamp, and rotate it counterclockwise about 20 degrees, and then pull it out of the headlight fixture. Replace the bulb and reverse the steps to reinstall the light bulb socket into the headlight. DO NOT Touch the bulbs with your fingers as the oil in your skin will cause the bulbs to fail earlier. Do not know if the '06 Monterey uses the same headlight fixture, but looking at the pictures I have seen, they look the same. Also install the aux relays last fall, but have not done any night driving since then to see if it made any improvement, but the voltage on the terminal in the electrical bay increased from 9.5V to just over 12 volts.
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Thanks for the suggestion about the relays Gerald. I'll probably look into changing them, even though I really try to minimize night time driving. However, when I head South in February, night driving will be required, if I want to make any distance/day.
The reason I got into this topic was, Canadian Tire has a sale on the Sylvania Silverstar Ultra bulbs, and as I had put them into my daughter's car, I thought I'd put them into the PT. Then I got looking at it, and it became quite evident that changing them was not going to be an easy fix. Then I thought about what would happen if one blew while driving. How do I easily change the bulb? The thread lets me know that they are Ford fixtures and bulb class, and I can't remember having to change a bulb because it blew in one of my Ford vehicles in years.
I'll take Harvey's suggestion re. crawling in behind the valance and see if I can change them. Knew about not touching the bulb.
Thanks,
Jeff
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Jeff, you might also check the aim, while you are changing the bulbs. My lights were terrible, and I spent most of a day, and all of my patience, tyring to correct the aim on the headlights on my Contessa. This required removing the screws holding the mickey mouse aluminum strap mounts in place, repositioning the headlight assembly and replacing the screws. I never did get the aim just right, but it got a little better. If you decide to try it, send me a PM, and I'll try to describe how to aim the lights. You also need a really skinny person, with really long arms, to reach the screws, while you hold the headlight assembly in place.
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After looking at all the other nice features and well built items on my rig, the headlight mounting is a decided disappointment. Every time I look at mine I wonder if that was some kids first day or second day on the job when he mounted the headlight assembly.
Ken
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Interesting that so many folks have trouble accessing the bulbs to change them. The headlight assemblies on both my 2002 Thunder and now the 2006 Thunder are both out of the Ford Navigator. I never had to disassemble anything. On the back of the headlight assembly was/is a cap similar in size and shape to those found on laundry detergent jugs these days. The cap threads on/off and serves as weather protection. Beneath it is the bulb which requires pulling off the wire harness and then turning the bulb about 1/4 turn to remove it. Aiming the headlights is not really that big a chore either. The assemblies have, on the top and on the left side a plastic hexoginal stem that is turned to adjust up/down (the one on top) or left/right (the one on the left side). I set the aim points on my garage door with tape and then had my friend and neighbor Marty (who is built in such a manner as to make it much easier for him to get under the rig) turn the appropriate stem to aim the headlights.
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I think that the headlights on a 2007 Contessa differ in the design of the headlight assembly as well the mount from the 2006 Monterey that the question was about. The 2006 Monterey uses the headlight assemblies from the 1999 to 2002 Lincoln Navigator complete with their adjusting brackets. These headlights were used in most Beaver coaches from 2000 to 2006. The design of the pocket in the front cap varies a little in blub accessibility, however all of them are adjustable from underneath that I know of if you are skinny.
Gerald
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The key WORD to head lamp adjustment is being Skinny
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I wish I had the older style assembly. Mine has absolutely no adjustment srews. It's just jury rigged with aluminum strapping.
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Here are a couple of pictures of the quality installation on the 07 Contessa. Bulb removal and replacement is a simple twist and pull. I find no adjustment screws on mine, same as Robert says.
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My experience with the "all in one" plastic headligh units is that they can't be adjusted, so will retain their aim for as long as you haven't crunched that corner. That's what I have on both of my cars. If you have a misalignment of the light, you also have misalignment of everything else on that corner, so really should go to a body shop.
On my Contessa, it is older, so can be adjusted. The "driving lights", however, are a different story. I have a switch on the dash labelled "driving lights". I noted the pool of light from these driving lights illuminates the road from 4 ft in front to 8 ft in front. OK, they should be easy to adjust, right? Ha! The style of light used, is designed to be mounted from above or below, so the mount can pivot horizontally, and twist for vertical adjustment. You would assume the assembly persons at Beaver would be able to do that right. But no, they were mounted to the vertical surface at the back of the mount recess, so there was no sideways adjustment whatsoever, and the vertical adjustment was limited by the body of the light hitting the back of the recess when elevated to the position I found them in. The only adjustment left was to drop them, to shine on the pavement right under their mount! Off they came, new holes in the correct surface, and I now have driving lights... except now I see the lights are not really driving lights, but just cheapo floodlights, so another trip to the store will be required before they are right.
Surprised no previous owner, in 13 yrs, has dealt with this.