Hella H4 rubber "boot" makes it impossible to attach plug.

Bmachine

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The Hella H4 lights I purchased come with a rubber "cup" that is supposed to keep water out of the reflector. But when I mount it on the back of the bulb as directed, there is barely enough of the contacts left through to the visible but definitely not enough to push the plug deep enough to make full electrical contact. Am I missing something there???

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sfdon

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Bo - I have those H4 setups in boxes in my shop. Don't like them. Won't use them. Not original in Europe.
Go euro and do the Macha crossover wiring and you will get stunning lights. City lights and H1 lamps and bulbs.
 

sfdon

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Over a dozen of these here....
I don’t like the boots or the big lip on the lense...
 

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Arde

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I have that setup, I recall I had to slice open the rubber boot slightly with a knife and all was good.
H1-H4 is pretty good for me. Need more light move to Paris.
 

Bmachine

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To be honest, I went with H1-H4 after reading recommendations on this board. Thought that was the way to go.
So if you do H1-H1 what controls the intensity to make one low and one high beam? Different bulbs I imagine?

Chris, unfortunately you can't "Push the cover harder over the spades." bc there is a solid rubber "block" there which will not compress.
 

HB Chris

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The H4/H1 combo is fine and I had those for many years. I don’t know what rubber block you are referring to. The euro H1/H1 gives the same output basically. The H4 bulb is 55w on low and 60w hi beam, H1 is 60w when used for low and hi beams, the only difference is the low beam bulb can have an integral 4w city light as well. On a US coupe you have to make a simple wiring mod so the lo still lights when hi is selected. Euro coupes have a different hi/lo stalk to do this. And the H4 bulb is either 55 or 60, they never come on together, when hi is selected lo is turned off.
 

sfdon

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Because euro lamps are not sealed “beams” or lamps they come with covers to the back of the lamps to protect the bulbs from moisture.
H4 lamps come with a rubber “cup” as you call it which makes it a bitch to connect. Your picture above shows that cup or cover. Also- it’s not stock to the car, there is no place in the tool box for the spare bulb, IMHO they are ugly and the City or Position Light is missing, they don’t match the high beam lamp in shape and I could go and on. Did I mention that I hate them?
I will never forget installing my first H4 “euro” lamp with that stupid lip sticking out and realizing I hated them. Reminds me of those carnival goldfish with the bulging eyes. At the same time I installed my goldfish bug-eyes, another member of this board srennoc installed the correct low beam H1 lamps and I could see my mistake.

H1 lamps come with a metal cover that attaches easily to the headlight wiring and to the lamp.
Note that W&N does NOT sell H4 lamps for e9 coupes.

They match the high beams
Use the same bulb
That fits in the tool box where they belong
Attaches easily
Look awesome when your parking lights are on

Anyone want to buy an H4 lamp from me I have them new in the box for 20 bucks plus shipping and 10 bucks used plus shipping.
 

Bmachine

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I don’t know what rubber block you are referring to.
“Block” may not have been the best word but I couldn’t think of a better one. It’s the round thing in the second pic. Either way, it does not compress.

Arde’s suggestion to trim it off with a knife sounds like the only solution for those poor souls brave enough to stick with those low life H4s (which I would never get anywhere near personally of course) and are ready to take on the infinite scorn of the Mighty Don.
 

sfdon

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If you want I can send you 6 new .312 flag female spade connectors and you can “bareback” the 3 connectors.
I will leave them on top of the rear tire of my 745i if you want to come by the shop

In the meantime here’s what you should see-
City Lights
Low Beams
High Beams with Position lights
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0FAD3B57-CBA5-4B78-A018-36DB4D440A52.jpeg
 

Arde

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Ok, how can I balance the open and shut case for H1s that Don makes. I am not one to back off, so here it is:

1) Installing H4s is harder, just like using Linux is harder than Windows, or using a CLI is harder than a GUI. Have you heard the lines: real men use CLIs, and are you good enough to use Linux?

2) Changing the wiring is always a case of "if you give a mouse a cookie". Now you will want to put relays on the outer headlights, and a new fuse, and wipers for the headlights, and angel halos instead of Hellas, and self levelling headlights, and fog lights, and LEDs, and you will try to move the battery to the trunk which requires taking Jimmy Hoffa out of the trunk, and on and on.
 

sfdon

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MAX Hoffman is in the trunk.
Jimmy Hoffa is in the basement.
 

Markos

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“Block” may not have been the best word but I couldn’t think of a better one. It’s the round thing in the second pic. Either way, it does not compress.

Arde’s suggestion to trim it off with a knife sounds like the only solution for those poor souls brave enough to stick with those low life H4s (which I would never get anywhere near personally of course) and are ready to take on the infinite scorn of the Mighty Don.

Just cut it off. I'm not sure what H4 bulbs those boots are intended to work with, but you should get full engagement on the spades. All of the H4 boots that I've ever had are completely flat on the back. Take a closer look at the pic that @sfdon posted. Don't sweat the thought of them trapping moisture, they won't. I drove my jeep through rain, deep snow, streams, floods, etc. and never had any such issue with this style of boot.

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These light grey Hella covers are what I have always had:
Hella_002395301_Vision_Plus_Round_HB2_Conversion_Headlight_Back.jpg
 
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Markos

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Since the debate is open once again, I'll throw my two cents in. The only valid complaint against H4's IMO is the aesthetics associated with them sticking out past the grille. You can buy a 5 3/4 lamp with a city light hole. You can also by a city light adapter ring that sits at the base of the H4 bulb if you don't have the city light hole. City lights also serve no real purpose, other than looking cool or euro. I ran city lights on my daily driver for 12 years (same bulbs). I used them all the time at dusk. Anytime I actually used them for parking I was notified that my headlights are on. They are a novelty.

5 3/4 H4's are trying to cram a lot of lens into a small package, so it makes sense that you will get better output and a more crisp pattern from dedicated H1 lenses. With H4's you can get interesting bulb combinations, like 55/100's. I personally think that 80w low beams are too bright for daily driving, but I suppose folks are used to glare these days. I ran 55/100w 7" H4's on my daily with 130w 5 3/4 H3's. They were like aircraft landing lights. Awesome on country roads but you had to keep your fingers on the high beam switch.
 
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HB Chris

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Don, with hi beam selected all four H1s should be on, you show hi with position lights on?

And if only the hi is on you still have the same wattage as the two lo beams.
 
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