Mis-labelled Phillips MotoVision halogens...

[Division399]

I ordered a pair of Philips MotoVision bulbs which were listed under 12v 60/55W on Amazon, and had that spec on the front of the packaging in the product photo. They arrived and. I fitted them, and all.seemed good until I felt the clear plastic of the housing and noted it was pretty hot after testing the lights {stationary) for a duration of maybe one minute. I would expect them to be warm with no air flow, but they were hotter than I expected... so I checked the packaging, which was identical to the product photo including the same product number, BUT the spec read 12.8v 67/65W.

I then took one of the bulbs out to check the specs on the actual bulb...which indicated 12v 60/55W. Now I don't know what to trust. I disconnected the power from the other bulb.

So what to do now. If the bulb is incorrectly marked and they are 12.8v 67/W as the packaging indicates, and I use them, I risk frying circuits and overheating the assembly, right?

Interested to know your thoughts.

[trophied]

I replaced mine with Sylvania's since I didn't want to go through all the LED fitting, issue, business and have had no problems, but they are not rated as those are.  I'd have to go dig out my spare parts to check to be sure though.  Someone will be along shortly with a definitive answer for you, so stay tuned!

[Division399]

 

Originally Posted by trophied

I replaced mine with Sylvania's since I didn't want to go through all the LED fitting, issue, business and have had no problems, but they are not rated as those are.  I'd have to go dig out my spare parts to check to be sure though.  Someone will be along shortly with a definitive answer for you, so stay tuned!

thanks trophied. The ones I am replacing  (because one died) are Sylvania something or other. Those were marked 12v 60/55W, too.

Maybe the Phillips are fine and I am just not used to putting my hand on the assembly and am too sensitive to the level of heat.

[Division399]

On my original post I mis-typed the rating which is printed on the packaging, I intended it to read:
12.8v 67/60.5W (not 12.8v 67/65W).

[Rick505]

If you are still asking I'd trust the actual bulb over the package.

[digital]

As a general rule, halogen bulbs consume a good amperage and that is why it is normal for them to heat up like this.

That said, in the Trophy if you let the engine run for a while (not too long). The bulbs will eventually burn out some of the headlight optics, leaving small marks on the headlight. This means that its necessary consumption must be about 4.5 Amps and makes the bulb heat up abundantly.

On the other hand, if you change a bulb in either of the two headlights, it is highly recommended to replace both bulbs, since both bulbs are connected in parallel and one can draw more amps than the other and in the short term it will end up damaging the other bulb.

[Division399]

Originally Posted by digital

As a general rule, halogen bulbs consume a good amperage and that is why it is normal for them to heat up like this.

That said, in the Trophy if you let the engine run for a while (not too long). The bulbs will eventually burn out some of the headlight optics, leaving small marks on the headlight. This means that its necessary consumption must be about 4.5 Amps and makes the bulb heat up abundantly.

On the other hand, if you change a bulb in either of the two headlights, it is highly recommended to replace both bulbs, since both bulbs are connected in parallel and one can draw more amps than the other and in the short term it will end up damaging the other bulb.

Thanks, Digital. I am leaning to trusting the specification inscribed on the bulb rather than the one displayed on the packaging, but it the bulb were actually 12.8v 67/60.5W would that harm the bike which calls for 12v 60/55W?

[Coconut]

I would be very wary of using a bulb with a higher wattage as it is likely to run hotter, and there is a risk of the plastic headlamp unit melting !

Even with the stock headlamp bulb I would not recommend leaving it switched on for very long if the bike is standing still, such as during routine maintenance tasks, and recommend pulling the fuse.

There was a Triumph Service bulletin mentioning damage from headlamp bulb excessive heat - when I get back from my holiday next week I’ll see if I can find it and post the details.

Cheers