car headlight

[rayearth]

I have used the search function but have a hard time finding any suitable previous messages. I need to get some replacement headlight bulbs in the 9003 size for a 98 Camry. They are still on the original bulbs and are quite dim. I figure that there has to be something better than OEM replacements that are DOT approved (i.e. street legal). Although HIR is nice, they are in the wrong form factor completely. HID is too expensive and is not street legal.

I have looked at many of the lights being sold and too many of them come with a blueish to deep blue tint. Although it makes the color temp higher, light output is way too low. Has anyone suggestions or experience in this manner? Google is not much help either, so I'd figure, go straight to the light experts [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

BTW, I am replacing the plastic headlight lenses already as they are very pitted and yellowed from use and age.

[Lurker]

If your lenses are yellowed, you can gain a lot of brightness by just polishing them with a plexiglass polish/scratch remover available at auto parts stores. That will probably do more than any bulb replacement that is DOT legal.

[rayearth]

I would do that (clean/polish), except that they are very pitted on the surface, dirty inside, and the plastic is mildly yellowed as well. Considering aftermarket price of about $25, it is much cheaper/easier for me to replace the lenses as well. I'm still looking for replacement bulbs ...

[ACMarina]

Well, do the lenses first. That will make a heck of a difference already.

As for the best bulbs for the money, I like Sylvania XTraVisions. There are better bulbs out there, but for the price they're about the best deal I know of.

[VWTim]

The main problem with the light output is the DOT beam pattern of US lights. The Silverstar bulbs, can't remember if they're Osram or Sylvania, are a decent color and have good output, without being blue.

By far the best way to go, is to get a set of European spec headlights from Germany, or another country where they drive on the right side of the road. The European outputs are much better.
hth, ~Tim

[zespectre]

I would try the Sylvania Silverstar bulbs and see how they work for you. I have a 97 jeep that has the sealed bulb type headlights so my case was a little different but replaceing the OEM lights with Silverstars made a significant difference.

Oh, and PLEASE remember to re-aim your headlights correctly after you finish with all the cleanup/upgrades.

Aiming Headlights

[Vortex]

I'm not a big fan of 9003 bulbs because they are a 2 in 1 function lamp because both low beam and high beam filaments are in the same bulb. Because of this your car's reflector has to do two jobs, provide a low beam and a high beam patern out of the same reflector.

I've had many cars with 9003 bulbs they are also known as H4 bulbs as well. I have lots of experience with automotive lighting so here are some suggestions.

As mentioned by lurker make sure that the lenses are not too yellowed, if they are try polishing them or go to a scrapyard and look for clearer ones.

Get a fresh set of 9003/H4, the standard wattage for those bulbs is 60/55W (60 for Hi-beam and 55 for low) The best 60/55W bulbs you can get come from Europe and are only available from Europe. They are the Philips Vision Plus 50% greater output and the Osram/Sylvania Silverstar 50% (note that the European silverstars are Clear not blue like the american silverstars. You can get them here: http://www.autolamps-online.com/prod...pluscentre.htm Personally I preffer the Philips Vision plus.

This should help a bit. A major factor of that affects car headlights is voltage drop, this happens from aging/weathering of the wirring system and also OEM headlight wiring is usually skimpy 16-18 Guage wires. Take a Volt meter and check your voltage at the alternator, record that value and then with the headlights ON, pull the headlight socket back just a bit to expose the bulbs prongs then check the voltage accross the bulb. If you have more than .5V-1V difference (assuming your Alternator is functioning propery) Ideally you should have about 13.2V to 13.8V at the lights with the lights turned on. A 1V difference has a huge impact on brightness. If you are getting less then you will need to upgrade your wiring with thicker wires. Fortunetly there are plug and play upgrade wiring kits available on the internet for around 55$. They are super easy to install and come with relays and everything. I buy mine from here: http://www.autolamps-online.com/prod...pluscentre.htm The owner's name is Jen and he is a top gun Seller.

Now by installing an upgrade harness, you can now explore the world of higher wattage bulbs safely [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] You can try some Hella 100/80W H4 or the Philips ralyee 100/90W I have used both for at least 4 years now without a problem, I get the Hella 100/80W for about $12 U.S. at my local auto parts store.

If you have anymore questions feel free to PM me.

[VWTim]

THe problem I've been finding with Hella H4 bulbs is lack of quality control. Since Hella doesn't actually manufacture the bulbs, they buy them from toher companies. Making some wattage Hella H4's high quality German bulbs, while others are Korean with poor reflectors for the low beam element.

I've had good luck with the Phillips Rallye bulbs as well, 85/110 IIRC, bought from ww.powerbulbs.com Looks like they're selling 90/100's now.

The problem with putting high wattage bulbs in US DOT spec light housings, will be the increase in glare put out. DOT lights have a very bad glare even with stock bulbs, and aimed correctly. Running higher wattage bulbs just increases that glare, making it more dangerous for those around you.
hth,

[Vortex]

Yes the added glare could be a problem for on coming traffic. every vehicle is different but the newer vehicles especially imports seem to be using a harmonised beam pattern that is somewhere between E-code and DOT. Personally I preffer E-code (european) beam patterns due to their sharp horizontal cutt off. They E-code beam is much better for foggy and snowy situations.

[VWTim]

I forgot about that Vortex, the newer cars are coming with better patterns than before. Still not an E-code tho [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

FWIW, my Cibie 7" E-codes with Hella Yellowstar (actually Phillips bulbs) are excellent in rain/snow/fog. You really can't see the moisture until it hits your window.

[Bob Snow]

Two vs. Four lamp systems:

Two lamps bad, four lamps good. Two lamp systems use bulbs with two filaments. This is bad because the reflector and lens must do double duty as both high and low beam depending on which filament is lit. The designs are typically a compromise and only one filament is lit at a time. With four lamps, the high and low beams can be designed separately and both can be illuminated when the high beams are on. Four lamp systems are typically wider but less tall, a benefit for aerodynamics.

Headlamp types - projection and reflector:

Reflector headlamps are the oldest type and relatively efficient. They typically have a parabolic reflector and a lens with some cast in ridges to correct and touch up the beam pattern. A variation of this is the newer complex shape reflectors with clear lenses. Some have facets in the reflector that do all the correction without the need for anything but a clear front lens. They are faceted for the same reason the stealth fighter is all flat surfaces and the stealth bomber is compound curves. Newer reflectors can be compound curves because the computer programs and manufacturing can now handle the complexity. The other option is the projector beam headlight. They are actually less efficient but have greater control. They use an elliptical reflector and lenses and the control is usually a metal cutout that is inserted in the optical path to form the shape of the beam. Manufacturers like this because they can just change the cutout to make the lamp conform to DOT/EC-left/EC-right standards. One other negative is the lack of visibility by other cars. It is typically harder to see cars with these headlamps because of the size and curve of the small front lens. You may have noticed that some BMW's have "angel eyes" or glowing rings around the headlamps to make them more visible to oncoming cars.

EC vs. DOT standard:

EC good. DOT bad. The DOT standards require too much light above the cutoff and cause glare to oncoming traffic. This is done purposely to allow for illumination of overhead signs that are unlit. The rationale was that the US was rural and had many signs that were not illuminated. Thing have changed quite a bit since this standard. Reflective paint is far better and the US is not quite so rural. In fact Europe is eliminating illuminated signs to cut light pollution and save energy. The EC standard puts far less light up into the glare zone and more on the road. Finally, the US aiming standards make no provision for headlight height. The angle is fixed, so the higher the headlight, the farther it projects out. With so many SUVs, this is a huge problem. The driver sits high, so glare from oncoming cars and trucks is minimized and the SUV headlights project out much farther with far more glare to cars with low seating height. The US also does not require automatic aiming of lights to compensate for loads.

Bulb types:

Incandescent bulbs are the most common. Since sealed beams stopped being required, quartz replaceable bulbs have become the norm. The new HIR Halogen Infra-Red are the most efficient and are allowed higher output by the DOT. Headlights designed for HIR will start to proliferate as the bulbs go into mass production. The DOT regulates the output of bulbs because a brighter bulb not only puts more light on the road, but puts more light into the glare zone. It is not legal to make bulbs that put out more than the regs allow. Most of those expensive high performance bulbs that are DOT legal are hype. Tinting a cheap bulb cuts the output and is dangerous. Some manufacturers put a purple or blue coating on the bulb and then make it more efficient by using Xenon gas which allows a hotter brighter filament. These put out a "whiter" light but typically are much shorter lived and much more expensive. Output is still limited to DOT regs by the coating which filters out yellow light, reducing output. DOT also requires headlights to be white. Too much yellow or blue and it no longer meets the DOT definition of white. Blue is a bad color in rain and fog. The difference in color temp makes very little difference to vision and slightly yellow is actually better for night vision and depth perception.

Halogen low beam - 9006 - 55 watts - 1000 lumens
Halogen high beam - 9005 - 65 watts - 1700 lumens

Halogen Infra-Red (HIR) low beam - 9012 - 55 watts - 1870 lumens
Halogen Infra-Red (HIR) high beam - 9011 - 65 watts - 2350 lumens

HID lamps are even more efficient. Since they put out so many more lumens, they are designed to put more light on the road and the just the required amount of light up high for overhead signs. They are all projector beams so far and of course the color is a purplish white, just like the light from an electronic flash gun. Expensive, but the only legal way to get a lot of lumens down in the seeing area. Problem is when they do shine into oncoming traffic, they are much brighter. An undulating road surface, sharp curves, heavily loaded trunk can all cause headlights to shine into oncoming traffic and with HID, that is a lot of light.

D2R HID low beam capsule - 35 watts - 2800 lumens

Glare:

Obviously, mounting height and lighting standards play a critical role, but the another thing that is important is dirt on the lens. Dirty lenses cause glare by making the beam pattern more diffuse and putting more light up into the glare zone. Dirt also cuts overall output. US cars typically do not have headlight cleaning systems. Yellowing of plastic is even worse than dirt. I use plastic polish occasionally to clean the lenses. Incorrect aiming can contribute to glare or poor seeing. Foglamps are another big problem. They cause a lot of glare, and should not be run in clear weather.

Ways to get around the poor performance:

When I had my VW Rabbit, I put in a pair of Cibié Z-beams. These were far superior to the sealed beam units that came on the car. There was nothing I could do with my Audi, since it only had a two lamp system. The Honda Accord I have right now has tons of options. The cheap fix for a four lamp systems is to put a high beam bulb in the low beam socket and I have done this for years. You must remove some of the plastic base and then you have a bulb that will fit in either socket - great for carrying spares. The high beam bulb is shorter lived because it is assumed that the high beams are used infrequently. It is not just the 10 watt difference that accounts for the 700 lumen increase, the filament is run hotter as well. The high beam bulbs do not have painted ends and this is not a problem for headlights that have glare caps built in like the Hondas. I have also run 100 watt bulbs in the high beams. Now I am running HIR 9011 bulbs in all four lamps and they work great. The Hondas have excellent beam patterns, so I am not too concerned about the glare to oncoming traffic, which is certainly not as bad as an SUV with high mounted headlights. The lower your lights, the less they bother oncoming traffic. You can put an HID capsule and ballasts into a car with a four lamp system. The problem is that the HID capsule can be fit, but the light is emitted from a much larger area than the filament in an incandescent bulb. Putting HID bulbs into the Hondas would put a huge amount of light up into the glare zone because the lumen output would be high and the beam pattern would be degraded. This is also an expensive conversion with the cost of capsules and ballasts.