Vegas Teacher Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 So when Flyer and I were driving across country at night we noticed the headlights were fairly dim. Then at the next stop we looked at the headlights to see they were extremely hazed over. Well I took my 25.00 7 inch buffer, from harbor freight and a can of rubbing compound to the headlights. I did not buy a new kit for this I used what I had in my car cleaning supplies. I also had a bottle of car polish and a bottle of NuFinish So I did a compound / polish / and wax job on them. The fog is mostly gone and they should be brighter. It is not perfect but I did not have to spend additional money or pay somebody else to do it. Overall I am happy with the way it looks. I will let you all know how it turned out when I drive at night again. I also thought about buying a light bar off of Amazon for 35.00 and mounting it along my front bumper at the level of fog lights then putting a toggle switch up on my instrument panel in my cab. For the price I thought about buying 2 and putting one on top of the cab with a second toggle switch on the instrument panel. What do you all think and has anybody out there done this before? Later, Vegas Teacher Cory Ossana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Your best bet is to replace the lights with good ones from http://deepspacelighting.com/shop/2004-2014-volvo-vnlvtvnx-bi-xenon-hid-headlamp-kit-v2-0/ He's a member in the forums and designed the kits. They make a huge difference. A light bar is just going to be diffuse light. You want a focused beam that reaches down the road and doesn't blind other drivers. 2007 Volvo 780 Volvo D12D, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alan0043 Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 17 minutes ago, Vegas Teacher said: So when Flyer and I were driving across country at night we noticed the headlights were fairly dim. Then at the next stop we looked at the headlights to see they were extremely hazed over. Well I took my 25.00 7 inch buffer, from harbor freight and a can of rubbing compound to the headlights. I did not buy a new kit for this I used what I had in my car cleaning supplies. I also had a bottle of car polish and a bottle of NuFinish So I did a compound / polish / and wax job on them. The fog is mostly gone and they should be brighter. It is not perfect but I did not have to spend additional money or pay somebody else to do it. Overall I am happy with the way it looks. I will let you all know how it turned out when I drive at night again. I also thought about buying a light bar off of Amazon for 35.00 and mounting it along my front bumper at the level of fog lights then putting a toggle switch up on my instrument panel in my cab. For the price I thought about buying 2 and putting one on top of the cab with a second toggle switch on the instrument panel. What do you all think and has anybody out there done this before? Later, Vegas Teacher Cory Ossana Hi Cory, Be careful about using a light bar. Do a search in the HDT section about light bars. In some states you are not aloud to use any off road lighting when you are on the road. Some more people will chime in. Phil (Big5er) from Texas can explain more about it. I just want you to be aware of this so you don't get into trouble. Al 2012 Volvo VNL 630 w/ I-Shift; D13 engine; " Veeger " Redwood, model 3401R ; 5th Wheel Trailer, " Dead Wood " 2006 Smart Car " Killer Frog " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 http://deepspacelighting.com/shop/volvo-vnl-bi-xenon-hid-headlamp-kit-v4-0/ is the latest kit. 2007 Volvo 780 Volvo D12D, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted March 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 So if Big 5er would pull me over in Houston and I had two cases of Dr. Pepper would that get me out of a ticket? LOL Gotta go teach them kids Later, Vegas Teacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rickeieio Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 Another vote for Deep Space. I have tried polishing headlights, and have one of David's kits. It was painful to write the check, but I smile when I turn on the lights. I had one night in North Dakota when I would have gladly paid double for those lights. KW T-680, POPEMOBILE Newmar X-Aire, VATICAN Lots of old motorcycles, Moto Guzzi Griso and Spyder F3 currently in the front row Young enough to play in the dirt as a retired farmer. contact me at rickeieio1@comcast.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 The stardard Volvo lights are crap even when new. I also cast a vote for the Deep Space Kit with new housings if you must drive at night. Since I'm retired now I no longer have to drive in the dark. Nigel 2006 Volvo VNL 430, 2006 smart cabrio cdi, 2000 Triple E Topaz 30' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 If you have to buff out again the Mecguires headlight restoration kit at WalMart does a nice job for a few months. Better to remove the headlights from their mounts (easy to do) and sand and buff. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuke-E Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Thanks guys! As far as restoring the housings, there are several kits for progressively sanding and polishing them--I've used the 3M kit that many auto parts stores carry, though usually Walmart has a better price--something in the $14 range, with you supplying drill and elbow grease. If you go that route, make sure to clear coat them when done with a paint that will absorb UV, or they'll be right back to hazy. Having gone that route a few times, back when you were out $800+ for a set of housings, I can appreciate the amount of work involved to do it right. I've put quite a few people here in touch with Ryan at Advantage Truck Parts in Charlotte, NC--they carry the Depo housings for $340/set. They're a good aftermarket housing--much better than some of the other brands (and no-name) stuff out there. For whatever reason, a lot of vendors on these lights seem to use either Depo or OE Volvo pictures in their listings too. I've been burned by another vendor, and have had customers who were burned by Volvo dealers. You can hear the disappointment when you have to explain to someone that their $800 purchase at the dealer got them <$300 eBay specials. On the subject of those housings and the ECR, perhaps this is the place to ask if there's interest in me putting together a group buy like we did last year. That's not an attempt for me to make any money, just an offer to coordinate and negotiate a little--taking the sting out of shipping by using truck freight, and perhaps a little better if the group is big enough. 45' 2004 Showhauler -- VNL300, ISX, FreedomLine -- RVnerds.com -- where I've started to write about what I'm up to Headlight and Fog Light Upgrades http://deepspacelighting.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuke-E Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 As far as the stock lights go, the problem is three-fold. There's the hazing which you've addressed, but there's also a problem with the wiring being undersized to the lights, and the biggest problem is with the reflective surface inside the projector. It's not particularly good to begin with, but by now you've likely got a good bit of it gone, and are relying on yellow plastic to reflect the light. P.S. There's a MATS discount code up on the Deep Space Lighting Facebook page through Sunday. 45' 2004 Showhauler -- VNL300, ISX, FreedomLine -- RVnerds.com -- where I've started to write about what I'm up to Headlight and Fog Light Upgrades http://deepspacelighting.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar274 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 Another vote for Deep Space & Depo housings!!! Bob&Kay 2012 VNL730 I Shift D13 2.47 ratio 2018 Mobile Suites 40 kssb4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chief916 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 My rig is a 1997 Volvo WIA64 and very difficult to find modern parts for it but I did polish and sand my lights using a 3M product that I picked up at Autozone. They looked great but the 9004 bulbs sucked. Purchased and installed some LED lights that have the little motor on the back to cool the light. My big concern was that I could potentially blind someone while approaching them...they really light up the road. So far I've had no one flash me to dim the lights and I've driven the truck numerous times at night. When I start to get people flashing me then I will rethink the whole LED thing but will most probably try to find an OEM 9004 bulb by phillips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vegas Teacher Posted March 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 How do I find brighter bulbs for the headlights. Do I go to a volvo dealership or can I go to Autozone? Later, Vegas Teacher! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffw Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 4 hours ago, Vegas Teacher said: How do I find brighter bulbs for the headlights. Do I go to a volvo dealership or can I go to Autozone? Later, Vegas Teacher! Buy the system from Nuke-E 2007 Volvo 780 Volvo D12D, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar274 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 5 hours ago, Vegas Teacher said: How do I find brighter bulbs for the headlights. Do I go to a volvo dealership or can I go to Autozone? Later, Vegas Teacher! Go with Deep space you won't be sorry. Here is a video of the upgrade from RVHaulers. Bob&Kay 2012 VNL730 I Shift D13 2.47 ratio 2018 Mobile Suites 40 kssb4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radar274 Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 I bought the Depo lens upgrade from Deep/space as well. Bob&Kay 2012 VNL730 I Shift D13 2.47 ratio 2018 Mobile Suites 40 kssb4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasFlyer Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 6 hours ago, Vegas Teacher said: How do I find brighter bulbs for the headlights. Do I go to a volvo dealership or can I go to Autozone? Later, Vegas Teacher! VT, it's like I told you before, there are no OEM or direct swap out alternatives for the incandescent lights. your options are: 1. Go big bucks and switch to bi-xenon system from Nuke-E 2. Go nearly triple those bucks and switch to an OEM LED setup 3. Play Star-Trek an go where no man has gone before and rig your own design. 4. Live with the standard OEM system and shut the hell up.....lol As Nuke-E posted above, the problem with the OEM incandescent lights is not because the bulb is not bright enough. If you were to find a brighter bulb, the existing wiring won't carry the load to properly power them. If you require, the housing does not have adequate reflective background in the projector part of the lamp housing. VF John Southern Nevada 2008 Volvo 780, D13, I-Shift 2017 Keystone Fuzion 420 Toyhauler 2017 Can-Am Maverick X3-RS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 8 hours ago, chief916 said: My rig is a 1997 Volvo WIA64 and very difficult to find modern parts for it but I did polish and sand my lights using a 3M product that I picked up at Autozone. They looked great but the 9004 bulbs sucked. Purchased and installed some LED lights that have the little motor on the back to cool the light. My big concern was that I could potentially blind someone while approaching them...they really light up the road. So far I've had no one flash me to dim the lights and I've driven the truck numerous times at night. When I start to get people flashing me then I will rethink the whole LED thing but will most probably try to find an OEM 9004 bulb by phillips. Deep Space Lighting (Nuke-E) has a kit for our lights as well. If you make the ECR, there should be a red 1998 610 with David's headlights. Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldride Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Don't want to or mean to hijack. But I have a Gen 1 deep space doesn't seem to have anything any body find something better for Gen I. Thanks Gary 2011 CAN-AM Spyder Rt SE5, 2010 Alpine 5th wheel, 1998 Vovlo VNL610 Hopefully 2 years 6 month till full time retirement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuke-E Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 We have an upgrade for the gen 1, but not the WIA. Here's the link for the gen 1: http://deepspacelighting.com/shop/1996-2015-volvo-vnm-and-1996-2003-volvo-vnl-bi-xenon-hid-headlamp-set/ 45' 2004 Showhauler -- VNL300, ISX, FreedomLine -- RVnerds.com -- where I've started to write about what I'm up to Headlight and Fog Light Upgrades http://deepspacelighting.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickS Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 David, Sent you a PM. Rick Rick & Carey,Excel W41GKE Wild Cargo Toyhauler Volvo 730, D13, I-shift, 500/1850Brabus Smart Car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgiaHybrid Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Don't forget to buy a new pair of sunglasses if you buy some of David's lights. They are nice and bright. ? 2017 Kenworth T6802015 DRV 38RSSA Elite Suites2016 Smart Prime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTPA Announcer Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I think I'm gonna need to readjust mine. Something doesn't seem right. They only go partway out and then they just sorta die...But I can see the overpasses real good... Denver and Ms Judy Geitgey 2006 VOLVO 780 41 ' Redwood NTPA Event Announcer dngeitgey@gmail.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuiteSuccess Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 10 hours ago, NTPA Announcer said: I think I'm gonna need to readjust mine. Something doesn't seem right. They only go partway out and then they just sorta die...But I can see the overpasses real good... Denver, David should be able to help at ECR. 2006 Volvo 780 "Hoss" Volvo D12, 465hp, 1650 ft/lbs tq., ultrashift Bed Build by "JW Morgan's Custom Welding" 2017 DRV 39DBRS3 2013 Smart Passion Coupe "Itty Bitty" "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alie&Jim's Carrilite Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 11 hours ago, NTPA Announcer said: I think I'm gonna need to readjust mine. Something doesn't seem right. They only go partway out and then they just sorta die...But I can see the overpasses real good... But at least they turn on this year! Alie & Jim + 8 paws 2017 DRV Memphis BART- 1998 Volvo 610 Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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