405 Headlight Upgrade to Twins

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

I know I remember chatting to someone about whether or not a 405 Headlight Upgrade will work, 'Singles' to 'Twins'

I've checked mine out today and they will, but with a Caveat...

Even though there's wiring behind the Dashboard for the little wheel thing that adjusts the Beam for instance if you're loaded up or towing, there's no wiring at the front to actually power the Up/Down mechanism.... surprising, really

There is however a manual Allen Key adjust on the Up/Down mech to set it at 'neutral' if its not already and forget about it. The necessary wiring for the extra Head Bulb (2 spades) is also there and 'Live'. I wired up & tested mine briefly.

I've gotta sort out the broken Grille mounts on mine (anyone know whether Epoxy or Body Filler will work?), or create new Grille Mounts from some suitably bent shaped & drilled metal; before fitting them and then be keen enough to remove Road Wheels, Arch Liners on both sides and Bumper as I'm not willing to 'fight' with the inaccessible bottom bolt.

I'll effectively have six lights up front, already having Driving Lights in the valance, and me thinks best not to run all six at once; as I'm really not keen enough, or flush enough, to upgarde the Alternator.

[spider]

I've never tried this.

MK1 306's at least had this too, double parabolilc (I think its called that??) on the higher spec models, in effect two bulbs per unit.

[white exec]

Interesting. Tell me more about those twin-bulb units... Both bulbs within the dip unit, main unit, or one bulb for each beam? H1 55W, or something else?

[Stickyfinger]

Amazing how large headlamps from this time period are, lighting really has moved forward a LOT !

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

I'm not sure how to differentiate between Dip unit & main unit, so might only partly answer your question.

The Dip Beam (headlight) Bulb is your regular H4 (that's the larger, outer housing)
The smaller and less used housing is an H1 operating on Main / Full Beam, the join between the two is pretty much directly below the inner top clip on the OS lamp.

In terms of motorisation, the whole unit goes up & down. The join between the static and Dipping part is fairly clear on the offside unit, less easy to see on the NS coz of the angle of the photo. You could, if you could be bothered, manually raise & lower it with the Allen key.

The sidelight by the way is in a totally different location, just inboard and below the H4; and a damn sight easier to get at for it. Its on the very inside on the Singles and a proper pain in the proverbial to change on the NS especially, with the air filter behind it.

[spider]

I can't honestly remember where the specific bulb locations were on these.

I think the GTX tended to have the twins and the LX single.

Later (as in P and R plate 'last of' models) could be anything. They fitted for instance the plush velour grey interior GTX trim to the GLX model on the later P and last R plates. R plate quite rare, estate only.

Regarding the sidelight, they learnt a bit about this. 406 ones are on a kind of plastic 'stalk' so you have something to actually grab ahold of.

[white exec]

So it's 1 x H4 (twin filament) for main/dip, plus 1 x H1 for main . . . i.e. two lamps for main, one for dip . . . And lower spec cars had just the H4 ?

[spider]

So it's 1 x H4 (twin filament) for main/dip, plus 1 x H1 for main . . . i.e. two lamps for main, one for dip . . . And lower spec cars had just the H4 ?

I'm not 100% on the bulb types.

But lower spec tended to have singles and higher spec had twin.

306 (first shape at least) is the same in this regard.

[Oldpug]

So it's 1 x H4 (twin filament) for main/dip, plus 1 x H1 for main . . . i.e. two lamps for main, one for dip . . . And lower spec cars had just the H4 ?

Your correct,my MI16 was like that,so was the SRi`s.

[spider]

So it's 1 x H4 (twin filament) for main/dip, plus 1 x H1 for main . . . i.e. two lamps for main, one for dip . . . And lower spec cars had just the H4 ?

Your correct,my MI16 was like that,so was the SRi`s.

Back in 1997 (yes I know) I was car hunting and the choice came down to either a lovely white 405 1.9 SRi J plate (first shape) or ahem *something else not PSA so I won't mention it J plate* , I chose the J plate. I still sort of wished I'd had that 405, was low miles and spotless.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

So it's 1 x H4 (twin filament) for main/dip, plus 1 x H1 for main . . . i.e. two lamps for main, one for dip . . . And lower spec cars had just the H4 ?

indeed Chris
(twin filament, not a clue, did have a gander at the bulb, but it ain't like a Stop/Tail is it. Far as I know there's only one type of H4 though).

These came off a TD Estate on an 'L' plate, couldn't tell you the trim level as the tailgate trim was missing, but must've been towards the top of the range as the spec included leccy rear windows. Honestly, some of the un-necessary toys, even back then. Mine's an N plate LX.

Wouldn't mind a new drivers seat (black fabric, the common one), as mine's showing its mileage, should anyone know of one. Minimal £'s, money's tight.

An aside: the rear window switches on such an equipped 405 are correct for the front leccy windows on the 106 Mk2 (405 front switches are different

[spider]

Seats: You could do what I did with the 205 as I had the rarer STDT / DT seats. Obtain passenger seat and swap frames (so that the stalk fitted) The only downside was the backrest adjuster wheel was on the wrong side. You might have issues with the heigh adjuster but I think that's part of the frame on the 405.

Your miles might vary, as they say with this, but its a thought as passenger seat should be a bit easier to find without too much excess wear and tear.

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

not a bad idea that Spider, thanks. Didn't realise it was possible.

Very rare I use the Back-Rest adjust anyway, and I'd prefer not to have the Lift/Lower mech' anyway, as doing without it 'd probably gain me a useful inch or so of headroom.

The old red 405 had a Sunroof and I didn't actually 'fit' for height partic well. Can't 've been too bad as I did 45k in it in 2 years, but defo the 'upside' of not having the sunroof.

[spider]

It is the easiest way of going about it (at least on older cars without side airbags!) There is another way of doing this to obtain a seat with the back-rest adjuster correctly positioned but tis very expensive, as it involves buying a seat from a breaker in Europe (LHD car) and having it posted to you. The costs are a bit prohibitive to do that though in 99% of cases...

[Pug_XUD_KeenAmateur]

they're in!

including fibreglass repair to the Grille fixings (first time ever fibreglassing, its quite easy)

I'd not rushed to fit them as its a 'bumper off' job on these, but seeing as I was reinstating the original McPhersons, I was 'halfway there' with both front wheels off. And I'm even back to having twin horns (woo-hoo); one of them went west - dirty connection - ages ago but wasn't worth bothering to fix.

Photo could be better really, could've got the full width of the car in.


NB: isn't there a new way of attaching photos directly to a post now?

NB2: there's at least two variants of McPherson on the 405, one has a Ball Joint with a 38mm thread & 16mm taper, the other a Balljoint with a 40mm thread & 18mm taper. Don't mix em up