Headlight bulb recommendations?

"RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars" (rallydarkstrike) 04/03/2020 at 13:49 • Filed to: Headlights

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Hi all - it’s been awhile since I’ve driven my car due to the lockdown, so I took my mom’s ‘10 Accent sedan and my ‘09 Accent hatch for a 15 minute drive last night to get them both up to temp and give them each a workout.

One thing I noticed is that, in comparison, the headlights on mom’s car are SO much brighter than mine...it was almost scary, but I’d never really noticed as I only really drive my car at night so never clued in.

My car takes 9003/HB2/H4 bulbs. I have some Philips X-traVision bulbs in my car now, but they’ve been in there for a few years now, so I guess their effectiveness has faded.

Time for a replacement! Would give me something to do while I am stuck here at home due to COVID! I need to swap my rear turn signal bulbs as well...the amber coating has been wearing off and they are more white light then amber at this point...

I’ve used Sylvania and Philips in the past and am fine with either of them. I don’t want LEDs as, although Philips now sells H4 LED bulbs that would be great quality (compared to those cheap Amazon LED headlight bulbs) , I’m still not sure how well they would work in reflector housings and they are still marked as ‘off-road use only’.

Anybody have any suggestions for trustworthy, bright (I live in a semi-rural area and drive a lot in the dark for school in the mornings....when school gets back going again after all this COVID stuff...) and preferably white-biased headlight bulbs (to contrast with my Selective Yellow fog light bulbs) ?

:)

Nibby > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 14:01

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get ones that blind everyone else and don’t bother adjusting them

Tripper > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 14:15

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The chinsy LED bulbs are actually legit. You do however have to do a “retrofit” (add projector lenses) or its basically like driving with your high beams on.

I did a retrofit for under $100 on my wife’s forester and they’re brighter and better aimed than even the factory projectors.

Full disclosure: Doing the retro fit is a BITCH and slightly scary. Baking your headlights in the oven and all. In addition the entire front bumper had to come off to get the lights out of our forester.

I probably would pay someone to do it next time, making it a lot more expensive.

AlfaCorse > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 14:15

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Yeah if the headlight lenses aren’t foggy, just replacing the bulbs should give some improvement.  It seems they dim over time even if they are still working.  If the lenses are getting foggy, polishing them makes a huge difference in the effectiveness of the headlights.

jimz > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 14:20

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I’m still not sure how well they would work in reflector ho usings

they won’t so don’t.

Philips Xtreme Vision, or GE/Tungsram Nighthawk. no others.

and make sure your headlamp outer lenses aren’t clouding. Also check for corrosion at the headlamp connectors. 

facw > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 14:53

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I use Philips X-treme Vision. They seem fine to me.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Nibby 04/03/2020 at 14:55

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Naw, I like being not a jerk. :P

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Tripper 04/03/2020 at 14:56

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Yup, I’ve thought about doing it, but I don’t think it would be legal here, even if the projector retrofit housings are ECE or DOT approved, the HEADLIGHT as a whole wouldn’t be as I’d have modified it.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > AlfaCorse 04/03/2020 at 14:58

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Drivers’ side lense is fine as that headlight assembly is only 3-4 years old. The passenger side is original and is slightly foggy - I actually had it polished when I had my car detailed in the fall, but I don’t think he put any UV protection on it afterward as it’s already starting to go a bit yellow again. Still not terribly foggy though.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > jimz 04/03/2020 at 15:02

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Connectors are fine. Drivers’ side lense is perfectly clear (that assembly is only 3-4 years old). Passengers’ side lense is a LITTLE yellow, but barely as I had that lense po lished to improve it in the fall when my car was detailed. I don’t think he put any UV protection on it afterward though as it is already starting to yellow a little bit again, but not really cloudy.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > facw 04/03/2020 at 15:03

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Yeah, I am contemplating going with them again perhaps....any specific recommendation for model?

PlaysWellWithNOthers > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 15:03

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The Philips Vision +30 has a much better lifetime at 700 hours vs. about 350 hours for the usual “high output” bulbs and has close to the same width and length as well as evenness of the field of vision. That would be my choice for an H4 bulb.

Sovande > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 15:06

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Osram Nightbreaker. 

Thisismydisplayname > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 15:17

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Time for an LED upgrade.  They make some nice bulbs now that will fit without issues and not blind incoming drivers.  I’ve done two sets, one for my MILs Pacifica and one for our Pacifica.  I’ll get a set for my Dakota as well once we get out of lockdown.  There is a good online store for them that has good reviews on a YouTube channel.  Headlight Revolution is the channel.  Good stuff, they don’t even dick around with the junk bulbs out there.  

facw > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 15:53

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Not really, these are what I got last time: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NMEEV9W

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > PlaysWellWithNOthers 04/03/2020 at 16:51

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Cool, I’ll look into them!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Sovande 04/03/2020 at 16:51

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Cool, thanks! I’ll look into them!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Thisismydisplayname 04/03/2020 at 16:52

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Cool! I think LED bulbs are illegal here unless they are ECE or DOT certified though :(

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > facw 04/03/2020 at 16:58

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Just looked it up, those are what I bought last time! :)

RacinBob > Thisismydisplayname 04/03/2020 at 18:58

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https://www.lasfit.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwvZv0BRA8EiwAD9T2VbUXW7q2gok1DJ306ey4OLlZm4T3O8cDVKRbwKbF3EZLVNafEt0GgxoCcnEQAvD_BwE

I use LASFIT LED bulbs in my 2007 Civic Si for three + years. They are bright and they are optically correct. T he leds are located where the filiment is. The first time you use them at night, you will know y ou made the right decision. They are better than most night endurance racing lights I have had.

These units have cooling fans so you will hear the fans run with the engine off. But driving with the interior fan or radio on, you can’t hear the fans.

The second thing is for whatever reason, when I installed them the optical pattern was higher than before.

My bet is they are actionally the same as the original bulbs but because they are so bright, the top of the spread becomes objectional. L ighting the back of peoples heads on the interstate i s not a way to make friends s o I got a long screwdriver and 3 1/2 turns down on the adjusters and they were fine. Highly recommended.

pip bip - choose Corrour > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 20:10

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RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > pip bip - choose Corrour 04/03/2020 at 20:19

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Don’t think my car could run those....HB2 bulbs here are 60w/55w, so I am not sure the wiring could handle the amp draw of bulbs that bright.

pip bip - choose Corrour > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/03/2020 at 20:21

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just  run an extra relay

PlaysWellWithNOthers > Sovande 04/04/2020 at 13:05

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The Nightbreakers are awesome. But they have the same problem with the lifetime at only bout 350 hours. I use those for the H1 high beams on our van, because they don’t run as much there. They make a lot more light with much better distribution than the factory bulbs did.

Thisismydisplayname > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 04/04/2020 at 17:41

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They’re probably illegal here too, but so is asspacking somebody on a non-lit backroad, so I’d rather be able to see.  And the good bulbs look like HID colored lights, but they don’t make the glare that HID retrofits do in reflector housings.  In the Pacificas, they are projectors anyway, so the added lumens don’t spread out all over the place and they look just like I have the OEM HID bulbs.  

Thisismydisplayname > RacinBob 04/04/2020 at 17:45

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Those are a  pretty reasonable price for my application.  I’ll have to check them out a bit closer.

RacinBob > Thisismydisplayname 04/04/2020 at 20:32

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They are really good, and have lasted well. In fact as I recall, they were a deal advertised on Jalopnic.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > RacinBob 04/04/2020 at 20:50

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Cool, may look into them!

RacinBob > Thisismydisplayname 04/05/2020 at 10:17

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Here they are