E-Code Headlight Kit - Huge Upgrade!

Replace your stock headlights with high-performance E-codes! Complete kit Includes left and right complete outer headlamps, H4 Bulbs, City Light bulbs, sockets, and wiring - everything you need to upgrade to FAR better nighttime visibility, along with simple instructions. Click on the pics of them in actual use to see how good your night vision could be!
Part Reference Number
255941105KIT
Availability: Usually ships in 1-3 working days (sooner if Expedited/Express shipping is chosen)
$399.95
Sale

It's no secret that the '86-up rectangular Vanagon headlights stink. That's because the U.S. market got markedly worse outer headlamps than the European spec E-code ones sold in the rest of the world. For a while American Vanagon owners paid big money to get European spec headlights, plus the cost to ship them here from Germany, until they were discontinued and the supply dried up. For the last ten years no '86-up headlights have been available new at all, E-code or otherwise, leaving '86-up owners with few options to improve their night visibility. Until now. We now have brand new repros of the original Hella/VW E-code outer headlamp assemblies, imported from Germany, which simply bolt on in place of your existing outer headlamps. These meet strict European E-code standards for performance (widely considered to be far superior to U.S. spec). They also accept readily available H4 headlight bulbs - of which there are many choices on the market - so the sky is the limit in terms of upgrading your lighting either now or in the future. Plus, they include European style City Lights, small lights built into the outer edges of the main headlights. The included 4 watt clear bulbs can be wired as daytime running lights, or wired to turn on automatically with your parking lights. (Or you can leave them disconnected if you prefer not to use them.)

You can buy a basic kit, or upgrade it ...

Basic Kit: Includes the complete outer headlight assemblies, 55/60 watt H4 bulbs, splice-on bulb sockets to replace your stock ones (since they don't accept H4 bulbs), city light bulbs and sockets, and all the necessary plugs, boots, etc.

Upgraded Kit: This kit is worth the small $20 upcharge over the basic kit. It uses upgraded high-temp ceramic headlight sockets with thicker 14awg wiring in place of the standard sockets. All other components are the same as in the Basic kit.

Ultimate Kit: For just $99 over the Basic kit, this kit includes the better harnesses found in the Upgraded Kit, and also adds relays and much brighter 90/100 watt German H4 outer bulbs. With this design your headlights are powered directly from your fuse box rather than being routed through your headlight switch, which dramatically improves available current (and is necessary for using bulbs this bright). Wiring instructions are included. You won't believe how good your Vanagon's headlights can be - while still keeping the stock look and not blinding oncoming traffic. Buy once and done. (NOTE: If you have a Canadian spec van with factory daytime running lights, you'll need lower wattage bulbs; let us know.)

Yes, they're LED-Ready. These headlights accept all LED H4 bulbs, but we're including high-output Halogen bulbs instead. Why? Because retrofit LED's (for vehicles not factory-equipped with LED headlamps) aren't quite ready for prime time yet. There's a reason why the major bulb suppliers (such as Hella and Sylvania/Osram) are not offering them yet, but off-brand Chinese companies are. The beam pattern tends to be irregular (either blinding oncoming traffic, or not illuminating the road evenly), and reliability, QC, and lifespan are inconsistent. (Also they don't generate heat so they're poorly suited for cold weather; they won't melt snow that hits your headlights.) At this time we are not recommending switching to LED, but when that time comes all you have to do is plug in LED bulbs in place of the included halogen ones, it's that simple. By the time the included German H4 bulbs burn out it may be time to go LED, but if not, replacement halogen bulbs are only $8 a pair and are a huge improvement over what you're using now.

Buyer Beware! There are two completely different E-code kits in production. This one is harder to come by and we have to import it from Germany ourselves, but it's the better choice when we can get it. It is NOT the same one sold on other websites. Those kits are not German and use nonstandard components.  If you crack a lens, for example, you have to buy the whole kit again. Not only does this kit have superior German made lenses, but it is a direct factory replacement, so any part can be replaced individually (one headlamp, one adjuster, etc.). Also it iincludes all of the parts necessary for the conversion; the other kit does not.  To be fair, the other kit does include inner lamps, but they are not E-code because there is no such thing; only the outer lamps differed in the US and Europe. So basically if your inner lamps are good, by buying the other kit you'd be replacing your existing genuine Hella inner lamps with aftermarket knockoffs - not an upgrade at all, at best a sideways step. If you do need inner lamps because your existing one(s) are damaged, we sell them separately below (and you can buy either or both, since they interchange with the originals).

 

Fits Vehicles:

  • Vanagon
    • 2.1 Liter: 1986-1991
    • Syncro: 1986-1991
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