These bulb types come from owners, not a manual, and the threads disagree in places (marked below). Check the old bulb, or the handbook, before you buy. The front fog bulb has been confused before: see Replacing a front fog light bulb.
Which bulb goes where
| Position | Bulb | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dipped beam | H1 (448) | One owner confirmed the old bulb is a 448 H1. The 2010 thread quotes the VX220 wiki for H1 low beam. |
| Main beam | H7 (499) | Also from the wiki, as quoted in the thread. |
| Front fog | H3 | Not H1, even though bulb finders listed H1. An owner who bought H1 first found they didn't fit and kept them as spare headlamp bulbs. |
| Front indicators | PY21W | From one owner's full list (2009). |
| Front side lights | T4W (BA9s / 233) | Two owners agree. |
| Side indicators | W5W | From the 2009 list. Another owner wrote "indicators = 501", which is the number for a W5W wedge bulb, so that probably means these. |
| Tail / brake lamps | P21/5W | 2009 list. |
| Reversing lamp and rear fog | P21W | 2009 list. The author had no front fogs (his car has brake cooling ducts there). |
| Number plate lights | C5W | Mentioned in the 2009 list, not changed by the author. |
The courtesy light and boot light were not listed. Your car's equipment may vary, so check yours.
Brighter halogen bulbs
- Philips Xtreme Vision (+80%) and Osram Nightbreaker / Silver Star (+50% and up) are the usual upgrades. One owner fitted Philips Extreme Vision +80% in the H7 main beam and found a huge improvement over standard, a good beam pattern from the standard reflector, and instant on/off. Another recommended Xtreme or Racing Vision, which have always been good on his cars.
- Philips Racing Vision GT200: available in H7 (main beam) but, in 2021, not in H1.
- Dipped beam (H1): one owner who tried all sorts found very little difference. Another said the Extreme H1 is a good starting point, but at about £30 a set against £44 for an HID kit (2009 prices), there wasn't much in it. A third said Nightbreakers made only a minimal difference.
- Side lights: Philips Blue Vision side light bulbs (about £4) made the side lights look bright white instead of dull yellow.
- Trade-offs: high-output bulbs have a shorter life, so expect to swap them more often if you drive with your lights on a lot. One owner has found Osram bulbs have a very short life and tend to explode when they fail, which is messy to clean up. The reflector matters too: they oxidise and lose reflectivity, which can make the road beam dimmer than the bulb deserves.
HID and LED conversions
The legal and MOT position is unclear, and the threads are old. In 2009 owners said HID is a grey area for aftermarket fitment, and that a letter from the Department for Transport said it is technically illegal but wouldn't be pursued. In 2021 one owner said new MOT rules from January 2021 mean HID or LED conversions are no longer possible. Another replied that his car passed an MOT the previous year with them fitted. Check the current MOT manual or ask your test station before you rely on either.
- HID in the dipped beam (H1): an owner who fitted 6000K HID said it made a big difference. Another found HID kits "night and day" compared with Nightbreakers.
- Beam pattern. With non-projector headlights, aftermarket HIDs can give an erratic beam pattern, and that would fail an MOT (one owner). The thread doesn't say whether the VX220's lights are affected beyond one owner who had no MOT trouble. Light alignment matters.
- HID on main beam: they take a few seconds to reach full brightness, which matters if you flash other drivers. One owner prefers instant-on main beams for this reason. Another said his HID main beams are fine for flashing because there is plenty of instant light.
- LED tail bulbs: one owner fitted LED tail lamps, which come on brighter and faster. His high-level brake light then glowed faintly all the time, below braking brightness. He expected this to be a problem at MOT.
- LED conversion bulbs (for example Philips Ultinon Pro5000 and Pro9000) are mentioned as easy to swap back to standard for an MOT. That is one owner's remark, not a statement that they pass.
One owner's full change (2009)
One owner changed every bulb. The set he chose was: HID 6000K in the dipped beam, Philips Xtreme Power +80% in the main beam, Philips Silver Vision front indicators, Philips Vision Plus tail and reversing/fog bulbs, Philips Blue Vision side indicators and LED front side lights. The cost was about £117 including postage, and he kept the old bulbs as spares. He reported a big gain in the main beam and a whiter flash from the indicators, but little visible change at the rear. He also felt he might have tried HID main beams.
Help wanted
There are no photos, the part numbers for LED and HID kits aren't given, and nobody confirms the bulb types from a manual. If you have the handbook bulb list, an up-to-date MOT position, or can confirm which upgrade bulbs fit and work well, please tell us.