Re: 3:car needed+headlamp sockets+head gasket?(quite long)

[Lawrence C Leung <l.leung@juno.com>]

Allen,

I have an '85 GTI with the sockets that you speak of. They look no
different than the sockets that I just thoroughly fried on my 2CQ. I am
about to replace the Audi's sockets with the GTI's but I'm going to try
the Xenon type 9007 bulbs instead. I have found that even with the
80/100W type 9004, the lighting still stinks, so if the type 9007 bulb
fixes the lighting pattern, the loss of wattage (I am under the
impression that the candlepower output of the Xenon charged bulbs
approaches standard halogen 80/100's) will matter much less than the
improvement of lighting distribution. Note 1: Even the 55/60W H4s on my
GTI outperform the type 9004 80/100W, add in the H1 100W driving beam and
there is NO comparison), Note 2: the direction of the filaments of the
type 9007 bulbs is along the longitudinal axis of the car, instead of
across as in the type 9004. I have read in some previous site that this
change of orientation improves the light distribution of the DOT lamps.
>From Note 1, I surmise that ANY improvement in distribution will help the
car more than the extra wattage. I will be trying this and will get back
to you on results. I rather guess that the GTI/Jetta sockets are no more
capable than any of the other DOT fitments for handling extra wattage,
but since I haven't tried this (and I'm not about to, the ratings for the
Xenon bulbs are 55/60W) I really don't know. 

Larry - '89 2CTQ, '85 GTI (Solo2 w/Euro's - why can't we have these as a
matter of course?)

P.S. - If you want GTI sockets anyway, try a boneyard. A2 (post '85)
Jetta's share the same socket and harness.

>2)CGT/4K headlight sockets burning/VW fix?
>
>I'm runnin' higher wattage bulbs(80/100) and the sockets can't take 
>it, as
>most of you probably know.  I have relays installed already, but they 
>still
>burn. My question: I heard VW GTI headlamp sockets work as a fix for 
>this
>problem - Is this true?