2014 Elantra (Coupe) non-projector

[tshephard]

Time to prep for wife's car service.

As above, the car has H11 (from Osram) for low, with what looks like an acorn nut (centered, probably a reflector from front back towards rear reflector system), but no interior lens.
So, research indicates H9 mod - except to ask about car-to-car variations for acceptable.
This car a candidate?
And of course for Spring 2021, best H9 or H11 if not a candidate?


The high lamp is a H7 (also Osram, believe it was a Korean build).
Spring 2021 - ask Mr Stearn for (H9 on) H7 base (Osram 65W alternate)?
Otherwise Extreme Vision 130 or 100 still the advice?

Thank, guys!

 

[-Virgil-]

what looks like an acorn nut (centered, probably a reflector from front back towards rear reflector system)

This is a common misunderstanding of that item. It's actually a bulb shield, not a reflector. The inside surface (cupping the end of the bulb) is usually a flat black, to make sure it's not a reflector. Its purpose is to block uncontrolled light from travelling directly from the filament out through the headlamp lens. The reasons for doing this include controlling upward stray light which would cause objectionable backscatter in bad weather (US requirements control upward stray light much more strictly than the European/rest-of-the-world regs) and to block the filament from causing bright reflections on bezels and other internal parts of the lamp, which in turn could cause the lamp to fail various glare-zone intensity limits. The opaque coating on the end of the H11 bulb does a minimal job of these two tasks, and in some headlamps it's enough, but in others it's not. In still others, it's enough but the automaker wants to hide the bulb for esthetic/design reasons.

The H9 swap can't be recommended in these lamps (too much glare). Stern's got some H11s a little better than the premium commodity items, or at least he did late last year; check with him. The 65w H7 is a no-drawbacks choice for the high beam.

 

[tshephard]

OK, thx.
(The 'probably' was in a line mainly trying to suggest a visual reference with words, as I described what I could see.)

Lows - no H9 swap (lamp too 'simple'), I am trying Stern for H11.
Other than that - best H11?

Highs - after working on the car, I see that there will be NO field repairs / swaps on the high beams H7.
(When I upgrade I generally lose 'life' so I store spares in the car. There is a screwed in, clip mechanism here I don't wanna' mess with again in the garage, much less in the dark.)
So, service life criteria rises substantially for this particular position.
As a CPF reader, I believe the 65W H7 would have to sacrifice some service life - correct?
If service life, then output were the priority, which bulb should I seek?

THX again!

 

[-Virgil-]

If longest possible service life is the criteria, then you'd want these. But most people put such little usage on their high beams that even a bulb with a short life rating lasts a long time, which (at least in my view) moves lamp performance back to the top of the list. If you lose a high beam bulb, you've still got the other one plus both low beams working for you.

Best H11 on the US open market is going to be these.

As a separate matter: pay careful attention to lamp aim. "Close enough" really...isn't!