Do you have 9003/H4 bulbs and are too cheap to buy real HIDs?

And no, not in the lighting industry...just spent a lot of time trying to improve on a pair of 6054 sealed beams and learned a lot doing so.



One note -- while upgrading bulbs, upgrade your reflectors first. DOT was designed to throw light upwards to illuminate street signs, but it creates glare for oncoming drivers and less road illumination for you.



European reflector designs (E-code) put all the light on the road, allowing a stronger beam with less glare. Not legal in the U.S. (Canada accepts both DOT and E-code) but anecdotally, police in most states won't complain about a superior beam pattern. Just don't drive like an idiot and give them a reason to check.



A good reflector will get the most out of your bulb. A better quality bulb will get the most out of your reflector.



Osram and Philips +30 and +50% bulbs are at the top of the game. They're both DOT, but because they're designed to work best in an E-code housing with more carefully defined beam patters they work better than a standard bulb even in a DOT housing.
 
Welcome to Autopia Galcobar, and very informative first posts. I'd have to agree with you on just about everything you said. Prior to me buying my HID kit, I did tons of reading and looking up. I use to think HID life was greater than halogen, but truth be told, i've been seeing cars now with oem HID with a blown bulb. You also really have to be careful with aftermarket kits, they don't last as long. I though I was buying a complete Hella kit but my bulbs are made in korea :o . I've had them out(removed) since September when I sold my truck, i'm just hoping they work in the spring when I get my new car. If not i'm hoping I can buy just the bulbs.
 
Galcobar said:




One note -- while upgrading bulbs, upgrade your reflectors first. DOT was designed to throw light upwards to illuminate street signs, but it creates glare for oncoming drivers and less road illumination for you. European reflector designs (E-code) put all the light on the road, allowing a stronger beam with less glare. Not legal in the U.S. (Canada accepts both DOT and E-code) but anecdotally, police in most states won't complain about a superior beam pattern. Just don't drive like an idiot and give them a reason to check.
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That is the nice thing about 9003/H4 bulbs...at least the Vision Plus version-they have a very sharp cut off on low beams, very similar to the cut off line on HIDs. I guess that is because they are European spec. :)
 
Hmm I guess mine aren't that bright.

IMG_0522.jpg




Time to upgrade a little I suppose.
 
One thing about upgrading is figuring out what you want. For halogens, If you want the most light output and at least decent bulb life, go with Sylvania XtraVision or Osram Silverstars (European Silverstars are not the same as US Silverstars). If your looking for color appearance, don't care about actual light performance, and want to replace expensive bulbs often, go with Sylvania Silverstars or PIAAs.
 
How much are XtraVisions usually?



I really don't care about the color. I'd like more performance. Plus long life is fairly important as I have ot take my right coolant overflow tank out to access that headlamp.
 
Galcobar said:
And no, not in the lighting industry...just spent a lot of time trying to improve on a pair of 6054 sealed beams and learned a lot doing so.



One note -- while upgrading bulbs, upgrade your reflectors first. DOT was designed to throw light upwards to illuminate street signs, but it creates glare for oncoming drivers and less road illumination for you. European reflector designs (E-code) put all the light on the road, allowing a stronger beam with less glare. Not legal in the U.S. (Canada accepts both DOT and E-code) but anecdotally, police in most states won't complain about a superior beam pattern. Just don't drive like an idiot and give them a reason to check.
Click to expand...



Again very informative. Most people can't glean that much knowledge from just trying to improve something that they own, they actually have to be in the business.



I have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder. Where would I find information about upgrading the reflectors as I'm not happy with the output of the Osram Silverstars that I upgraded to?



Thanks
 
I just purchased PIAA starlight replacement bulbs for my Dodge Ram which uses 9004. The Dodge has the worst lamp system ever designed. I was wondering, are ya'll saying the PIAA bulbs are not very good. I'm bummed out. I payed 65 dollars for a pare. I have not installed them yet so I don't know how much of an improvement they are. Wes
 
fryebaby said:
I just purchased PIAA starlight replacement bulbs for my Dodge Ram which uses 9004. The Dodge has the worst lamp system ever designed. I was wondering, are ya'll saying the PIAA bulbs are not very good. I'm bummed out. I payed 65 dollars for a pare. I have not installed them yet so I don't know how much of an improvement they are. Wes
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PIAAs are premium bulbs with a one year warranty. I have had mine for over two years with no problems.
 
Corey Bit Spank said:
How much are XtraVisions usually?



I really don't care about the color. I'd like more performance. Plus long life is fairly important as I have ot take my right coolant overflow tank out to access that headlamp.
Click to expand...



Xtravisions are more expensive than regular bulbs, but about half the price of Silverstars. I'm thinking they're about $10 per bulb, but I don't remember exactly.
 
E-codes are legal in Canada and, of course, Europe. In the U.S., the only legal headlight reflector standard is DOT -- if the reflector isn't stamped DOT, it's illegal.



Remember, both the bulb and the reflector have to be legal, though it's hard to find a good quality (emphasize good) bulbs that are illegal. Reflectors are another issue -- it's very easy to find illegal (for off-road use only) housings. Watch for the ones that give you a clear lens when the factory was a faceted prism.



For bulbs, the legality issue is largely measured by light output. That's why a blue-tinted bulb can be legal, because it's technically white and just barely strong enough to meet the minimum output of 850 lumens.



High-wattage (80-100W) bulbs are typically illegal because they put out too much light -- there are limits on how brightly you're allowed to light up the road, both from individual lights and total vehicle lighting.



For reference, a standard headlight is supposed to produce 1000 lumens, +/- 15 per cent (850-1150 lumens).



The Osram Silverstars and Philips VisionPlus are ultra-high efficiency bulbs, putting out about 50% more usable light. The condition is usable -- where the light goes is vital. Just increasing total light output by 50 percent would actually be illegal. It's a matter of filament geometry and gas content that creates a legal improvement.



However, the higher the light output, the shorter the life -- even with improved technology. Sylvania Silverstars and Osram Silverstars are the same bulb internally, the only difference is the Sylvania's light blue tint. They will not last as long as standard bulbs but produce a lot more light. CoolBlue produce a weaker, bluer beam (abour 3800K colour temp). XtraVision produce more light, and last somewhat longer than standard. LongLife produce the usual amount of light, but last a lot longer. XV, LL and standard all operate at 3200K -- the XV looks a little whiter because it's a stronger light.



PIAAs are overpriced. As I said before, any company that promises 85W=55W is relying on your ignorance rather than their product to win sales. They look nice, and you pay the price, but you can get better light output and longer life for less money.
 
Corey Bit Spank said:
How much are XtraVisions usually?



I really don't care about the color. I'd like more performance. Plus long life is fairly important as I have ot take my right coolant overflow tank out to access that headlamp.
Click to expand...



I believe I paid $28 shipped from the UK. I got the bulbs in a week.



I have to take out my coolant reservior to access the passenger side bulb, but it is only two 10mm bolts. Maybe adds a minute to the time it takes to change bulbs.



The Phillips Xtravision are great in dark areas, very wide and long beam pattern. Very white light too.
 
Fryebaby,



I'm not familiar with Nissans, but since the 2001 Pathfinders came with the complicated shape reflectors, you're pretty much out of luck for a legal North American source upgrade.



Your complicated lens shapes are already DOT/SAE approved, so really the only upgrade beyond bulbs would be to a European beam pattern.



IF the Pathfinder was sold in Europe, you might be able to have a set of E-code lenses shipped here by a European Nissan parts dealer. Just be sure to get it from a country where the driver sits on the left, as E-code beam patterns are designed to illuminate the road shoulder. Getting a set for the UK or Japan will result in light being cast up into oncoming cars.



Just to confirm, you've got the Osram Silverstars (clear bulbs, +50% output) ordered from Europe and not the Sylvania Silverstars (tinted, +20%) from North America?
 
Here is the link for specs on Sylvania 9006 bulbs:



Sylvania 9xxx Specs



It has some good information. The 9006 ST (Silverstar) has a rated life of only 150 hours compared to the 9006 LL which is 1,500 or 10 times more. The 9006 XV are the bulbs I use. The figure for MSCD is the light output which is more applicable to headlight bulbs than lumens. As you can see all bulbs produce the same output, however some bulbs can produce more useable light by focusing the beam better which gives you more light where you need it most rather than in the periphery.



PIAA doesn't release specs for their bulbs, at least as far as I know. I would expect them to have very similar characteristics as Silverstars.



You can buy higher wattage bulbs, but I don't recommend it. You run the risk of damaging your lamp when you use them due to overheating and I've heard of some people catching their cars on fire. They also throw too much light in the passing driver's eyes which definitely makes you less safe and is why they're illegal to use.
 
Galcobar said:
Fryebaby,

Just to confirm, you've got the Osram Silverstars (clear bulbs, +50% output) ordered from Europe and not the Sylvania Silverstars (tinted, +20%) from North America?
Click to expand...



That is correct. I ordered the bulbs from Europe and they are Osram's.



Thanks for the input on the reflectors. Sounds like I'll just settle with what I have although I'm a little disappointed with the difference between them and the standard bulb.



Thanks again.
 
I have a 95 Acura Legend, and well the stock USDM lighting for those is just horrible. I upgraded from standard halogens to the Sylvania Silverstars and noticed a great improvement. Whiter light, better 'usuable' light. It was not quite the jump that I was hoping for though, considering it was close to $50 for the two of them at a local Pep Boys. So I decided to go with HIDs. I got a kit for about $300 at 10,000K and wow what a difference. Now I have 'seen the light' as others who have done the upgrade have said, and will always have HIDs on any car I drive from now on. Expensive yes, but IMO worth the money. Not DOT approved I know, but I have not had any problems with police. My next step is to do a projector retrofit to it so that i can have a more proper setup using the H2S bulbs with a projector system from a BMW or Audi. Just my $0.02 about lighting for cars.
 
10,000K?



That's the colour of light in about five metres of water -- people use it in their tropical fish tanks. What type of bulb are you using?



And since you need a projector retrofit, exactly how are you managing HIDs without projectors?
 
in my car i had oem lights which were pretty good.. i attribute that to the style of the headlamp/lens. anyways, i got bored and just put in some silverstars yesterday.. i have to say, quite an improvement.. alot whiter, and i did notice an increase in lighting on the road. well i found a sale on quality McCulloch HID's and decided to pick up a 6000k kit (i know the lower ones are brighter, but i wanted the bluish tint). anyways, i confirmed with acura, that my headlights are the exact same as the jdm integra, except for the color (which i knew). i just wanted to find out if the lighting pattern, or reflectors in the headlamp assembly were somewhat different, since that car is running hids without projector style lamps. since they are the same i assume the hids will look really good, and now i wont have to do a projector retrofit.. which would have been a pain in the ***...



i will post pics to compare...
 
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