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Hi Kindofhandy,
So 9004 LED bulbs from Super Bright LEDs you tried were those that convert from 9004 to 9007?
The 700-900 Series FAQ Entry on Exterior Lighting:
https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/ElectricalLightingHorns.htm
It concerns be a bit that the LEDs are placed in such a way as to beam light into the reflector more directionally versus all around as with halogen versus the bulb tip painted with black or silver. The led element beam width angle is not very wide.
I've not peered into a North America market US DOT 700-900 series bulb assembly recently. Yet an image search shows the 700-900 headlight assemblies are like those on 1986+ USDOT plastic lens. No baffle for low beam. The beam pattern is sort of (very) terrible on 1986+ 240. Better on your Volvo model. Better with glass lenses from the factory from more recent model years.
Super Bright LED bulb search link (copy and paste):
https://www.superbrightleds.com/search/led-products/9004/
I've not used 9004 LED bulbs USDOT 1986+ 240 headlights yet.
I'd rather have very white headlights. Though you find Sylvania (now owned by Osram) and Phillips make a host of halogen bulbs. Some have a partial blue color coating. Some don't.
Halogen bulb brightness fades. I though it was my eye-bulbs with my 1992 240 GL a year ago. I installed new 9004 Sylvania Silver Star bulbs in 2009; the date on the bulb.
I installed the Sylvania 9004 SilverStar Ultra Halogen in the orange labelled two bulb pack got from Walmart in the 1992 240. A little more $ at the store than online. It was a new day at night. These bulbs have some blue color around the glass near the mount with a silver color paint on the tip. Very white and bright with out bothering others yet not blue or overly white. The 9004 SilverStar Headlight Bulb is warmer. The warmest is the 9004 Basic Headlight Bulb. I installed all of these.
The fancier / more $$ the 9004 bulb model the fewer hours they last and dim sooner when you read the specification info where you can find it.
The priciest is touted as HID-like yet is halogen. I'm unsure if we can use 9004 HID lighting systems with plastic lenses.
Sylvania auto bulb finder:
https://www.sylvania-automotive.com/apps/vlrg-us/Vlrg/
I've not used Phillips, yet their auto bulb finder:
https://www.automotivebulbfinder.com/philips/
The reviews are equally good between the two for halogen bulbs. Phillips provide better tech-spec info, though. Phillips is harder to find in real stores. Read the reviews where you can.
Agree with you folks on LEDs for brake, reverse (brighter), turn, and parking / position running light. The 240 tail lights with flexi circuit boards are terrible. Yet prior owners will incorrectly install bulb holders and bulbs, hyper heating the lens and the housing. I have several boxes of six panel flexi tail light wrap around and restore them when the current set are done.
Sort of off-topic, yet worth a mention ....
When the grey glue that seals and secures the plastic lens to the reflector body embrittles, I cleaned these and resealed them. The reflector was perfect after years of moisture intrusion. Though at some point the 700-900 headlights used additional steel clips if I recall unless FWD/AWD? 700-900 used the same grey factory adhesive sealant and it also embrittles and loses seal. Something to check for and treat.
Moisture intrusion into the headlight chamber with a hot halogen headlight bulb can cause it to explode and ruin the reflector.
Another solution to improve brightness, as Michael Yount and other advocate here is wiring in a relay so the low / high beam voltage controls the relay and the high current side is fused from the B+ directly from the B+ junction block.
I've also bypassed the bulb failure / bulb out sensor on my 1992 240 GL as both Art Benstein and Dave Barton detail at their site and other posts. All exterior lighting brightness improved greatly. I also clean the from corner light assemblies and taillights with simple green. These lighting fixtures (and lenses) collect dust and grime inside in spite of the seals between lens and fixture. Some thermal silver paint that does not eat the plastic can also help when the factory reflective coating fails (not the headlights)!
It would have been nice if the US market received better headlight lenses from the factory to cast a proper pattern. The 9004 bulb / headlight assembly is an economy design so I read. Can't find the article.
Another article I cannot find is how higher wattage headlight use in 9004 headlight assemblies does not help with the not well defined headlight beam pattern cast through the lens.
Like fresh DOT-4 brake fluid every two years or so, I get a little tense with exterior lighting issues whether in Spokane WA or St. Louis MO.
Sorry to go on so long. Hope that helps.
--
7 240s total since 1984. 3 240s today and rotting away.
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