Need help with my vehicles headlights?

adirondackdestroyer · Feb 25, 2009

I drive a 2002 Honda CRV 4 door, and am looking to get some new headlights. The stock ones are actually pretty good, but I know there are better bulbs out there.

I'm having a hard time figuring out exactly what kind of bulb my car uses. It would be great if someone could tell me what kind of bulbs my car uses.

I read a bit about the best types of Incan car headlights and the Toshiba HIR bulbs seem to be really popular (and really expensive compared to most). Do these bulbs fit my car?

I also read about the Philips Xtreme Power bulbs, and they seem to be really nice as well. Do they sell these anywhere in the U.S? The two places I found them online were both overseas.

Thanks a lot for the help. :twothumbs

rushnrockt · Feb 26, 2009

It really shouldn't be that hard

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerPro.../LampReplacementGuide/AutoLRG-ModelSelect.htm

9003/HB2

Hardtec2012 · Feb 26, 2009

High & low beam headlamp
9003/HB2
9003SU Silverstar ULTRA for Ultra Night Vision - The Whitest and Brightest Halogen
9003ST Silverstar High Performance Lighting: The Whiter and Brighter Halogen
9003XV XtraVision Halogen - The Brighter Light
9003CB Cool Blue Halogen - The Whiter Light

Night Vision ! Hard out !

adirondackdestroyer · Feb 26, 2009

Thanks for the replies.

Are 9003/HB2 the same thing as H4? It appears that they are, but I want to make sure before I go out and order something.

-Virgil- · Feb 26, 2009

Hmmm...does parroting Sylvania's advertising really help the guy? They're putting maximum push on their costly blue-glass Silver Star bulbs, which over their short lifespan produce equal or less light compared to an ordinary, regular bulb — there's still no such thing as getting more light from a filtered bulb than from an unfiltered bulb. It's against the laws of physics. This has been covered in great detail in a bunch of threads on here, such as this one and this one (the first thread contains a comparison of the various types of bulbs, grouped by what the various brands call the different types)

Adirondackdestroyer: Philips Xtreme Power is the best (highest output, best beam focus) stock-wattage bulb you can get. Osram Night Breaker is second best; about equal on low beam but poorer on high beam because while there's a clear-glass "window" around the low beam filament, the glass is blue-coated around the high beam filament. That's not the case on the Xtreme Power, which gets its styling elsewhere (shiny silver tip, etc.). 9003, HB2, and H4 are three designations for the same kind of bulb; see discussion here. I know Candlepower has the Night Breakers and the Osram 70/65w bulbs, and I think they now have the Xtreme Power 9003, though it's not yet up on their website…maybe send 'em an e-mail and see what they say.

adirondackdestroyer · Feb 27, 2009

Scheinwerfermann said:
Hmmm...does parroting Sylvania's advertising really help the guy? They're putting maximum push on their costly blue-glass Silver Star bulbs, which over their short lifespan produce equal or less light compared to an ordinary, regular bulb — there's still no such thing as getting more light from a filtered bulb than from an unfiltered bulb. It's against the laws of physics. This has been covered in great detail in a bunch of threads on here, such as this one and this one (the first thread contains a comparison of the various types of bulbs, grouped by what the various brands call the different types)

Adirondackdestroyer: Philips Xtreme Power is the best (highest output, best beam focus) stock-wattage bulb you can get. Osram Night Breaker is second best; about equal on low beam but poorer on high beam because while there's a clear-glass "window" around the low beam filament, the glass is blue-coated around the high beam filament. That's not the case on the Xtreme Power, which gets its styling elsewhere (shiny silver tip, etc.). 9003, HB2, and H4 are three designations for the same kind of bulb; see discussion here. I know Candlepower has the Night Breakers and the Osram 70/65w bulbs, and I think they now have the Xtreme Power 9003, though it's not yet up on their website…maybe send 'em an e-mail and see what they say.

Thanks for the reply!
I'm going to try to get some of the Philips Xtreme Power bulbs. I'll give Candlepower a call sometime today to see if they have them. Worst comes to worst, I'll pick up the Night Breakers.

-Virgil- · Feb 27, 2009

You're welcome, and I found the Xtreme Powers on their site here.

Taliano · Mar 1, 2009

Scheinwerfermann said:
there's still no such thing as getting more light from a filtered bulb than from an unfiltered bulb.

Incorrect. Although most filter bulbs are ineffective, it IS possible to improve light output with a filter.

If the additional brightness (aka high-output) of the filament overcompensates for the inhibition of the filter, then boom... its brighter than it's non-filtered counterpart.

I've demonstrated this with the PIAA bulbs, so I'm certain about this statement's validity.

It is the case that MOST filtered halogen bulbs are worthless, but PIAA tends to be an exception to this.

So, to improve light output, PIAA is the only brand I've seen that does a good job. See if PIAA has the size/type you need... which seems like 9003 based on others' posts so far. I'll take a look on the web later to corroborate. OR, look around for another brand. I'm sure PIAA isn't the only one.

Good luck OP with your car modification.

Diesel_Bomber · Mar 1, 2009

Are you kidding?

That's like modding the engine in your car for greater horsepower while at the same time adding sand bags to the trunk. Sure you're making more HP, but you've wasted a lot of it hauling sand. Same with filtered bulbs. Why mod the bulb for more light output then neuter it with a filter?

Leave the sandbags/filter out.

:buddies:

LEDobsession · Mar 1, 2009

Taliano said:
Incorrect. Although most filter bulbs are ineffective, it IS possible to improve light output with a filter.

If the additional brightness (aka high-output) of the filament overcompensates for the inhibition of the filter, then boom... its brighter than it's non-filtered counterpart.

:thinking: Tell me if I'm understanding you correctly. Are you saying that if you had a 100w bulb with a blue filter, it would be brighter than a 50w bulb without the filter? Umm, yeah that would be brighter. Now how about if you have that same 100w bulb w/filter versus a 100w without the filter? Hmm... I'd have to go with the filterless bulb.

Taliano said:
overcompensates for the inhibition of the filter

Re-read that. Overcompensating? Why would you have to overcompensate if it increased the light output?

Diesel_Bomber said:
Are you kidding?

That's like modding the engine in your car for greater horsepower while at the same time adding sand bags to the trunk. Sure you're making more HP, but you've wasted a lot of it hauling sand. Same with filtered bulbs. Why mod the bulb for more light output then neuter it with a filter?

Leave the sandbags/filter out.

:buddies:

+1 on that
Filters are just plain stupid. If you want to make your headlights look blue to be cool, just get a set of 5mm blue LEDs and jury rig those as your headlights. Then youll get that "awesome" blue color and have just as much light as any HID! :crackup:

Leave filters for the photographers.

270winchester · Mar 12, 2009

all sorts of fail here, diesel bomber nad LEDobsession covered it pretty well.

Taliano said:
Incorrect. Although most filter bulbs are ineffective, it IS possible to improve light output with a filter.

If the additional brightness (aka high-output) of the filament overcompensates for the inhibition of the filter, then boom... its brighter than it's non-filtered counterpart.

I've demonstrated this with the PIAA bulbs, so I'm certain about this statement's validity.

It is the case that MOST filtered halogen bulbs are worthless, but PIAA tends to be an exception to this.

So, to improve light output, PIAA is the only brand I've seen that does a good job. See if PIAA has the size/type you need... which seems like 9003 based on others' posts so far. I'll take a look on the web later to corroborate. OR, look around for another brand. I'm sure PIAA isn't the only one.

Good luck OP with your car modification.

Need help with my vehicles headlights?

adirondackdestroyer

Flashlight Enthusiast

rushnrockt

Newly Enlightened

Hardtec2012

Newly Enlightened

adirondackdestroyer

Flashlight Enthusiast

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

adirondackdestroyer

Flashlight Enthusiast

-Virgil-

Flashaholic

Taliano

Newly Enlightened

Diesel_Bomber

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LEDobsession

Enlightened

270winchester

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