Accord headlights are weak

josiah

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Hey folks! I have a 1992 Honda Accord that the headlights leave something to be desired, especially the low beams. (9006 type) I think the last time I replaced them I just threw in the cheap Napa generics. I've been reading up on some options, and am wondering if anyone has any input.

Out of standard 9006 bulbs, it seems like a couple types are the most popular. Sylvania Silverstars have a lot of followers, but I don't like the idea of the blue tint. GE NightHawks had a couple of good recommendations. One poster on a different forum noted that the Nighthawks were the only bulbs that Consumer Reports recommended as significantly better.

Another option I'm considering is modifying the 9005 high beam bulbs and putting them in place of the low beams. The 9005s run at 65 watts emitting ~ 1700 lumens compared to the 9006s using 55 watts and emitting ~ 1000 lumens. I found the mod here. Pretty attractive and easy.

However, I'm guessing this mod is probably not legal. It sounds like most people that do it have great results and doesn't seem to bother many people. A couple forum posters warned that it could be dangerous and cause extra glare.

A couple questions...has anyone tried doing this? Would running the 65w lamps in place of the 55w lamps cause any circuit problems? Would I run the risk of getting pulled over or endangering other drivers?

Thanks for any input. I've learned a lot from this forum. I'll try to take before and after pictures once I've decided on a solution.
 

scott.cr

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Have you considered a pair of low-mounted auxillary driving lights? I have the OE driving lights on my Audi (e.g. conservative) and they really "brighten up" my driving field. And, they're legal.

I've tried screwing around with the regular driving headlamps before; can't say they improved visibility much unless I was really banging on the night vision of other drivers.
 

josiah

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Are they similar to foglights? I wonder if they would be easy to install on my Honda. Maybe I'll look for some kits.

Part of my goal is to keep costs low, so I'm certainly not looking at HIDs or anything. =)
 

turbodog

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On a car that old your outer lexan (the front part of the light assembly) may have 1)gotten misaimed through the years and/or 2)gotten cloudy and/or 3)gotten scratched.

Check these things.

But if you're looking for an excuse to put in bulbs that will blind oncoming drivers, possible endangering them, their children, and yourself, I can't help you there.
 

brent878

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I put hid's in my s-10 truck which used crappy sealed beam head lights. Made a huge difference. I know you said you didn't want to spend that much but i don't see any regular bulb coming close to it. I got mine for $150 through a connection but I have been seeing them lately for around $200-250 now which isn't that bad.

But if you insist on trying to make yours work you should buff out your plastic outer lens. If its pitted, scratched or dulled it makes a huge difference. I did that on my girlfriends corolla and it got twice as bright. I would try that first, its cheap and it will help any bulb you decide to put in. In my experince changing to different brands of hallegen bulbs didn't make a huge difference. Usually just change the color of the light.

Also you might want to compare your lights with another accord. Maybe something is wrong with your circuit or electrical system where you are not getting enough juice to the bulbs and causing them to be dim. Also honda made OEM fog lights for your year you might want to look into. But generally fog lights are pointed low and have more spill than throw so if your looking to project farther out its not going to improve that much.

Hope this info helps alittle.
 

da.gee

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I've used the Silverstars on several vehicles. They are not blue and significantly improve lighting. You can also look for H3 replacement bulbs/lights from manufacturers like Hella. Not sure though if they would have applications for an Accord but worth a try. I replaced stock lights in my Jeep with them and they were awesome.
 

Flummo

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Start the car, turn on the lights
Measure the voltage on the battery (should be around 14V)
Measure the voltage on the lamp when it is turned on

Most likely the voltage at the lamp will be 5-15% lower om the lamp than on the battery, and that kills ALOT of light! If you rewire using suitably thick wires and relays getting the power straight from the battery you should get a pretty big improvement.
 

greenLED

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I used Silverstars in my car a couple of years ago. Yes, they do improve output significantly.

The only complaint I have is they burned out within a few months of installing them (yes, I kept my paws outta the glass, etc.). I reverter to the stock headlights, which have been going "strong" for more than 6 years now.
 

josiah

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Thanks for the thoughts, guys. I'll definitely start with buffing and see what happens from there. Too bad I don't have a buffer right now and it's dark, cold and rainy outside. Winter seems to be coming early here in Portland.
 

chmsam

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OK, first some simple things to check -- clean the bulb and socket contacts, be sure that the wiring is intact and not corroded from 15 years of use and weather, and check the ground wiring. Failing relays and alternators can also be a problem. Remember that it's an old(er) car, right?

As for high wattage bulb replacements vs. the DOT reg's, check the DMV laws (there's probably a copy of the condensed DMV laws at your local library -- give 'em a call).

Going with higher output would be my second or third choice after at least first making sure that the lights were properly aimed and also thinking about cleaning and polishing the lenses. Higher output bulbs that are poorly aimed just tick off other drivers. Higher output bulbs that are behind cruddy lenses waste your money and tick off other drivers. So do overly white and/or blue bulbs.

Ah, well, the lenses are cleaned, the lights are aimed, the wiring and contacts are good. They are still dim. Can you live with it? If not, go to the library and research headlight comparisons (somebody should have done one, right?). There are better bulbs and then there are bulbs that are whiter or bluer. I'd look for better. Also, how hard are you driving a 15 year old car? I have an old car and like to have as much light in front of me as I can, but I also realize that it wasn't a Ferrari even when it was new so I admit that I do just settle for some things about it.
 
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Diesel_Bomber

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Start the car, turn on the lights
Measure the voltage on the battery (should be around 14V)
Measure the voltage on the lamp when it is turned on

Most likely the voltage at the lamp will be 5-15% lower om the lamp than on the battery, and that kills ALOT of light! If you rewire using suitably thick wires and relays getting the power straight from the battery you should get a pretty big improvement.

+1, and aim your lights properly. Go to danielsternlighting.com or rallylights.com for a kit if you're not electrically inclined. Stay away from any bulb that has a coating on it, a coating will only reduce light output.

:buddies:
 
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BytorJr

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I'll second that vote for Daniel Stern lighting. I bought some Cibie lights and Narva bulbs from him. Narva bulbs are fantastic.
 

spock

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josiah, you might want to try HIR bulbs (halogen infrared reflecting). http://www.hirheadlights.com/ they reflect infrared back causing the filament to get hotter and output more. 55 watts, but about 50% brighter. developed for john deere combines to avoid the cost of HID. one "tab" has to be modified slightly(look online)to fit the housing. 9005 uses HIR1(90011). 9006 uses HIR2(90012). the bulb has a bulge in the middle like a marble. bought mine at a deere dealer for $10 each. the part number is 1-AH211917. i also have a honda. hope to try them soon.
 

picard

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josiah, you might want to try HIR bulbs (halogen infrared reflecting). http://www.hirheadlights.com/ they reflect infrared back causing the filament to get hotter and output more. 55 watts, but about 50% brighter. developed for john deere combines to avoid the cost of HID. one "tab" has to be modified slightly(look online)to fit the housing. 9005 uses HIR1(90011). 9006 uses HIR2(90012). the bulb has a bulge in the middle like a marble. bought mine at a deere dealer for $10 each. the part number is 1-AH211917. i also have a honda. hope to try them soon.

what kind of modification does one have to do? I am confused. Does this bulb produce more light?

How about PIAA bulb 9000 series bulb? it produce a lot of light similar to HID.
 

spock

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hello picard. the piaa 9000 bulbs are standard halogen with a "blue" coating to look like hid lights. by standard, i mean their wattage is about the same as the ones in your car. never tried them, but they are expensive. the hir bulbs are reasonable and claim to be 50-70% brighter. since i haven't put mine in yet, i cannot comment on the actual improvement. the mod is to trim one of the three alignment tips on the bulb so it will go in your socket.
http://shnu.us/HIR Trimming Stock.htm this should show how to do it.
if, i can find the time, i will try to do the mod this weekend.
 

CM

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On a car that old your outer lexan (the front part of the light assembly) may have 1)gotten misaimed through the years and/or 2)gotten cloudy and/or 3)gotten scratched.

Check these things.

But if you're looking for an excuse to put in bulbs that will blind oncoming drivers, possible endangering them, their children, and yourself, I can't help you there.

DITTO!

On the lexan cloudiness, I've seen many solutions to this problem, including some auto detailing places that will polish them up for you. I think they're worth it.
 

-Virgil-

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Contrary to marketing hype, Sylvania Silver Stars (and all other bulbs with blue-coloured glass) do not improve headlamp output or seeing ability. They tint the light. That's all they do. The legal ones (like Silver Star, TruView, CrystalVision, etc.) don't tint it deeply enough to violate the allowable range of "white" light — even though the light is tinted blue, it's lightly enough tinted that it's still legally considered "white" — but the fact is, whenever you add a filter to the optical system that alters the visible SPD, you are blocking light that would otherwise reach the road and help you see.

For reference, here's manufacturer data, from internal engineering databases, for output and lifespan at 13.2v for standard-wattage H1 bulbs. The numbers here are a composite of values applicable to the products of the big three makers (Osram-Sylvania, Philips-Narva, Tungsram-GE). Each manufacturer's product in each category is slightly different but not significantly so. I picked H1-type bulbs for this comparison, and while the absolute numbers differ with different bulb types, the relative comparison patterns hold good for whatever bulb type you consider. Lifespan is given as Tc, the hour figure at which 63.2 percent of the bulbs have failed.

H1 (regular normal):
1550 lumens, 650 hours

Long Life (or "HalogenPlus+")
1460 lumens, 1200 hours

Plus-30 High Efficacy (Osram Super, Sylvania Xtravision, Narva Rangepower, Candlepower Bright Light, Tungsram High Output, Philips Premium):
1700 lumens, 350 hours

Plus-50 Ultra High Efficacy (Philips VisionPlus, Osram Silverstar, Narva Rangepower+50, Tungsram Megalicht, but not Sylvania Silverstar):
1750 lumens, 350 hours

Plus-80/90 Mega High Efficacy (Philips Xtreme Power, Osram Night Breaker):
1780 lumens, 340 hours

Blue coated 'extra white' (Osram CoolBlue, Narva Rangepower Blue, Philips BlueVision or CrystalVision, Tungsram Super Blue or EuroBlue, Sylvania Silverstar or Silverstar Ultra, which is just a rebrand of the Silverstar product, also PIAA, Hoen, Nokya, Polarg, etc):
1380 lumens, 250 hours

Now, looking over these results, which one would you rather:

(a) Buy and drive with?
(b) Sell?

The answer to (a) depends on how well you want to see versus how often to change the bulb. If you want the best possible seeing, you pick the Plus-50 or Plus-80/90. If you don't care as long as it works and you don't want to hassle with it, you pick the long life.

The answer to (b) is determined by how rich your company's shareholders want you to be, and is obvious: You want to sell the bulb with the shortest lifespan, highest promotability and highest price. That'd be the blue unit, e.g. Sylvania Silverstar.

Depending on the bulb format in question, there are sometimes better options than the Plus (30-50-80-90) bulbs. H7, HB4/9006 and HB3/9005 all have more effective, longer-life upgrades available than the plus-bulbs. The HIR 9011/9012 bulbs already mentioned in this thread are the ones to pick for upgrading most high and low beam headlamps, though contrary to the hirheadlights guy's claims, they are not suitable for any/every application that originally calls for 9005/9006. Some lamps' optics are poorly focused and cannot candle the extra light effectively; you wind up with too much glare and backscatter. They're also often not a wise choice in fog lamps for the same reason.

The $10 John Deere price is old info; you can't get that bulb at a John Deere dealer for less than about $30 these days. Candlepower has them for under $24. Make sure you're getting Toshiba-made bulbs; the others on the market (IPF and a bunch of no-namers out of China) are junk. The tab modification isn't difficult; see here for dimensional diagram and instructions.

And the advice to check bulb operating voltage is right on target, too. Usually you can pick up a lot of headlamp performance when you stop starving the bulbs.
 

Daekar

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DITTO!

On the lexan cloudiness, I've seen many solutions to this problem, including some auto detailing places that will polish them up for you. I think they're worth it.

I found some stuff by Meguiar's that did pretty well for my headlights. It didn't get them perfect, mind you, but vastly improved, for a very low price. I think it's worth giving it a try if you haven't done anything else to the lenses.

@ Scheinwerfermann:

Thanks for all that information! I have Silverstars in my car right now, and it's weird because they seem brighter to my eye - I can actually see deer on the road further away now - but numbers don't lie, I guess it's a function of the color temperature. I'm getting a multimeter for Christmas (hopefully) so I'll be able to test the voltage outputs at the bulbs and see if there's any improving to do there. When these bulbs burn out (which from your information will be a fairly short time) I guess I'll switch to... well, whatever you guys would recommend for 9007 combination High/Low bulbs and 9006 fog lamps. I don't mind changing the headlights every now and then, but I would like to minimize cost while getting near-maximum output. Any suggestions? I have a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback, if that helps... :twothumbs
 

-Virgil-

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Scheinwerfermann: Thanks for all that information! I have Silverstars in my car right now, and it's weird because they seem brighter to my eye - I can actually see deer on the road further away now

No...actually, you can't. I don't doubt that you think you can, but in fact you cannot. The market success of Silver Stars (and the blue-glass bulbs like them from other makers) rests on the fact that the human visual system is a very poor judge of its own performance. It's very easy to create situations in which we feel our ability to see is much better or much poorer than it actually is. Within a certain range of intensity, artificially increasing the apparent CCT of a light source is a simple and cheap way of making it appear "brighter". However, "bright" is like "loud": both are subjective judgements with little correlation to the underlying quantities, which are intensity and sound pressure, respectively.

I guess it's a function of the color temperature.

See above. "Color temperature" / "Kelvin rating" (correct terminology: CCT) is of course a real phenomenon, but its use in the advertisement of automotive lighting products is largely fraudulent. Blue-glass bulbs, contrary to misinformed and disinformed advertising hype, do not produce light "closer to natural daylight" and do not help you see better in any way. They do, however, produce significantly worse seeing performance in inclement weather. All higher-CCT light does is change the appearance of the operating headlamp and, outside of a very small range created by different surface luminance characteristics of different legitimate bulb designs, increase glare and reduce total and usable light output.

I'm getting a multimeter for Christmas (hopefully) so I'll be able to test the voltage outputs at the bulbs and see if there's any improving to do there.

Make sure to test with all bulbs connected and powered. Testing the voltage at the unplugged socket doesn't tell you anything useful.

When these bulbs burn out (which from your information will be a fairly short time)

Maybe and maybe not. Many of the "Wow, the headlights are so much whiter, and I don't know what you're talking about on short life; they've lasted over a year so far!" types of reactions to Silver Star (etc.) bulbs come from people with cars on which there's significant voltage drop across the headlamp circuit. The blue glass bulb covers up the brownish output of a starved bulb. Remember, bulb life changes with input voltage exponentially to the power negative 13, and light output changes with input voltage exponentially to the power 3.4.

whatever you guys would recommend for 9007 combination High/Low bulbs and 9006 fog lamps. I don't mind changing the headlights every now and then, but I would like to minimize cost while getting near-maximum output. Any suggestions? I have a 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback, if that helps...

As a Subaru owner myself, I can tell you a few things about the lamps on that vehicle: (1) They're starved by very marginal headlamp wiring, and (2) Subaru took a bunch of money out of the Legacy headlamps for the 1998 model year. The same-size/same-shape '96-'97 headlamps were a more costly, better-engineered design with considerably greater performance potential when fed properly and equipped with carefully-selected (H4) bulbs.

The best 9007 bulbs on the market at the moment are GE Night Hawk and Philips Vision Plus, both of which have untinted (colorless) glass.
 
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