2022 Dodge Charger 9005 headlight upgrade?

[ChargeMe]

I have a 2022 Dodge Charger GT with Halogen headlights. 9005 bulb that is used for lo and hi beam. I guess it has a flap to switch between lo and hi? Not sure.

I've read through some threads here, many of them years old. From what I've read, it seems like what is recommended, at least in some instances, is to get a 9011 and adapt its base. Some brands and models of 9011 I think are discontinued. I read someone (not sure if here or another forum) but somewhere I read it claimed that currently the Sylvania 9011 is the best for 9011 bulbs. Is this correct?

What color temperature is generally recommended? That is, if you have a choice which you might not. It is my understanding that lower temperatures in the 3k range are better for fog or rain, while higher temperatures in the 5k range are best for clear night driving. Is this correct? Though it doesn't seem like halogens go that high, generally.

 

[Sadden]

9011 will be a large upgrade.
You want a bulb with untinted glass. Due too the output the 9011 tend too be a bit "whiter" than a standard longlife bulb.

ACDelco ones at an gm dealership are 25ish apiece and are Philips units iirc.

As always make sure your headlamps are in good condition and aimed correctly.

 

[ChargeMe]

You want a bulb with untinted glass. Due too the output the 9011 tend too be a bit "whiter" than a standard longlife bulb.

You mean the bulb itself might have tint on it? Any 9011 bulbs that do, so I would avoid them? Or you mean you don't recommend tint film on the headlights? I never saw the appeal to tinting headlights anyway. Clear protective film makes sense. But I just used a ceramic coating. I don't really know the longevity of that.

ACDelco ones at an gm dealership are 25ish apiece and are Philips units iirc.

Any brand specifically recommended? Somewhere I read the Sylvania is the best but, don't really know.

As always make sure your headlamps are in good condition and aimed correctly.

The car has about 5k miles, no accidents. So, should be fine. Do people go to get their headlights aimed? If so, where, any car shop? How often? I remember that actually being not uncommon in the classic old days with the old round or square standard headlights every car had back then. And I think car shops tended to have a thing that they would aim the headlight at to check alignment. But since the advent of the modern integrated headlights, I just don't ever hear about having your headlights aimed.

 

[RHS-113]

I think the Korean made Osram/Sylvania 9011 would be your best choice, as according to this test on tacomaworld the Sylvania 9011 beats the long recommended Toshiba 9011. There's also a second reason you shouldn't go with the Toshiba 9011, and it's that the Toshiba 9011 is not a direct plug and play swap for at least some 9005 headlamps and may require you to grind down a molding ridge in the 9005 bulb hole (and risk getting dust in your headlamps) to fit correctly. See this post for more details. The Sylvania 9011 (and Philips 9011) don't require any modification to the 9005 bulb holes to fit properly.

Skip the Philips 9011, as according to Virgil the Philips 9011 is barely better than a high performance 9005.

I would recommend you read Read Daniel Stern's page about headlamp aim.

 

[ChargeMe]

I personally think the Korean made Sylvania 9011 is your best choice, as according to this test on tacomaworld the Sylvania 9011 beats the long recommended Toshiba 9011. There's also a second reason you shouldn't go with the Toshiba 9011, and it's that the Toshiba 9011 is not a direct plug and play swap for at least some 9005 headlamps and may require you to grind down a molding ridge in the 9005 bulb hole (and risk getting dust in your headlamps) to fit correctly. See this post for more details. The Sylvania 9011 (and Philips 9011) don't require any modification to the 9005 bulb holes to fit properly.

I thought the Toshiba was long discontinued. I saw that thread on the Ram and read through it before posting. But I thought all 9011 bulbs were like that, needing to be modified. The Sylvania doesn't? And I thought I had read the Phillips 9011 was discontinued. In any case, I will get the Sylvania.

I would recommend you read Read Daniel Stern's page about headlamp aim.

I read that, thanks. I was under the apparently mistaken impression that cars come from the factory properly aimed. And I knew that headlight aiming stations were much less common these days. That article makes it sound like finding a shop with the right tools is like finding a unicorn. But yeah, I remember that being common back in the day.

Makes me now think that state inspections should go back to checking headlight aim. And legal lighting equipment check as well. Maybe need to raise the cost of a state inspection a few bucks, but probably would be worth it.

 

[John_Galt]

Sadden and rhs-113 have you covered. The Toshiba 9011 is the OG, with the IR reflective coating. Other manufacturers have managed to reach the 9011 level of performance without the coating, and a more traditional cylindrical bulb envelope shape since the Toshiba bulb was developed, but some are better than others. Rhs-113 linked you to the same test I was going to. The toshiba is still a great choice, and is still able to be sourced as an AC Delco bulb with a GM part#, which generally has a competitive/slightly better price than just finding the same bulb as a toshiba offering (or at least as of the past few times I sesrched around). The korean/Osram manufactured Sylvania 9011 beats the toshiba, but not by much, and is harder to find. I've found a handful of them over the past year by dilligently checking the offerings at various local chain parts stores. Most of the sylvania 9011s that trickle out are not the white based Osram/korean manufactured bulbs, so I've grabbed them when I see them.

Headlight aim is always a good thing to check, most dealers don't use a real aiming machine, even if they claim to have them, and they're not going to have a tech take the time to do dan sterns style of aim checking and adjusting. Best to try to find a parking garage or back of a mall to do it yourself. You may be surprised just how low or high your headlights were aimed from the factory, if you've never adjusted them.

 

[RHS-113]

But I thought all 9011 bulbs were like that, needing to be modified. The Sylvania doesn't?

All 9011 bulbs need to have their top tabs trimmed, but the Toshiba 9011 requires additional modification to work correctly in at least some 9005 headlamps. The problem is the plastic area just above the O ring seal (circled in red by me). Notice how on the Toshibas the plastic area just above the o-ring seal is thicker than on the Sylvania bulbs. That thicker plastic area is going to create issues when you try and push the bulb into the bulb hole as some 9005 bulb holes have a molding ridge that will contact with that thicker plastic area and will prevent the Toshibas from being able to be pushed in all the way. But you don't have to deal with that as long as you get a 9011 designed more like a 9005, i.e. the Philips or Osram/Sylvania 9011.

And I thought I had read the Phillips 9011 was discontinued. In any case, I will get the Sylvania.

You can still get the Philips 9011 on Amazon, either in a plastic bubble package or a paper carton. But it's better to get the Sylvania bulbs at your local autoparts store.

I read that, thanks. I was under the apparently mistaken impression that cars come from the factory properly aimed.

Part of the reason why the IIHS started testing headlight aim was to encourage car manufacturers to pay attention to headlight aim. From the IIHS:

Headlights are tested as received from the dealer. Although many headlight problems could be resolved by adjusting the aim of the lamps, IIHS doesn't change headlight aim. Few vehicle owners adjust the vertical aim of their headlights, so leaving the aim the way it was set at the factory makes the testing more realistic. Horizontal aim also is important, but in most vehicles it can't be changed after the initial factory setting.

And speaking of headlight testing, if their Dodge Charger headlamp test is accurate then your car's headlamps need all the help they can get (best possible headlight aim and bulbs).

 

[Autolamps]

Toshiba HIR1 is the best choice for that application. Email Dan Stern for a turn-key option.

 

[hamhanded]

I’m not certain the HIR1s on the market now are genuine. But, they do still seem to work well, even if they’re fake. Whatever you get, and wherever you get them, make sure there’s a faint multicolored band of haze around the fat part of the bulb and it’s probably good to go.

 

[EJR]

I’m not certain the HIR1s on the market now are genuine. But, they do still seem to work well, even if they’re fake. Whatever you get, and wherever you get them, make sure there’s a faint multicolored band of haze around the fat part of the bulb and it’s probably good to go.

Sylvania HIR1 sold at Autozone and Oreilys auto part stores are real. And the Philips HIR1 found online at reputable dealers are also real. Their both the latest Korean made version sourced by the same supplier.

The Toshiba HIR1 sold on ebay from Mitchell Auto Lamps is also legitimate.

 

[EJR]

Toshiba HIR1 is the best choice for that application. Email Dan Stern for a turn-key option.

No doubt the Toshibas are better but they have a flaw and that is a slightly too large shank diameter. This requires either the 9005 bulb hole to be bored out a few tenths of a mm OR the bulb shank sanded down.
.

Boring out the lamp is definitely not a great option as many vehicles have limited space or access to be able to perform such a modification. And then there are lamps with halogen projectors made from metal (versus others made from a plastic composite). Yeah, not happening.

I've successfully sanded the shank using a thin strip of sandpaper wrapped around the base. I do a "shoe shine" technique around 4 equal parts to ensure uniformity. And while this isn't necessarily a super difficult job, its just easier to swap in the Sylvania or Philips 9011 which have no fitment issues whatsoever. They'll still have more output than a 9005 and only 15% less output (roughly) then the Toshiba.

 

[hamhanded]

Sylvania HIR1 sold at Autozone and Oreilys auto part stores are real. And the Philips HIR1 found online at reputable dealers are also real. Their both the latest Korean made version sourced by the same supplier.

View attachment 38837

The Toshiba HIR1 sold on ebay from Mitchell Auto Lamps is also legitimate.

I was thinking of the Toshibas, thanks, that’s good to know.

 

[theory816]

I upgraded to 9011 bulbs before and they made the headlights way too bright for others. You'll be blinding incoming drivers.
Stick to the OEM bulbs. Halogen projectors are actually really high performing but of course they arn't as aesthetic as HID or LED. My advice is don't mess with the lighting on the car because its very technical(not in the sense of mechanically)

 

[alpg88]

I’m not certain the HIR1s on the market now are genuine. But, they do still seem to work well, even if they’re fake. Whatever you get, and wherever you get them, make sure there’s a faint multicolored band of haze around the fat part of the bulb and it’s probably good to go.

Yea, they work, sometimes at higher wattage, and destroy your headlights with excessive heat, just recently we had an old pathfinder with cooked headlights, someone installed those blue tinted no name bulbs and they destroyed the headlights. I felt sorry for a girl that bought it, she just bought that car, came to replace 1 bulb that was out, and was told the previous owner destroyed the lights. and she needs both to be replaced, we found lights for her at a junkyard, the cheapest option, (actually took us a while to find a passenger side, driver side we found right away) . So be careful with fake bulbs.

 

[EJR]

I upgraded to 9011 bulbs before and they made the headlights way too bright for others. You'll be blinding incoming drivers.

What vehicle make/model/year might this be?

 

[John_Galt]

I upgraded to 9011 bulbs before and they made the headlights way too bright for others. You'll be blinding incoming drivers.
Stick to the OEM bulbs. Halogen projectors are actually really high performing but of course they arn't as aesthetic as HID or LED. My advice is don't mess with the lighting on the car because its very technical(not in the sense of mechanically)

Headlight aim is critical, regardless of the performance of the headlamp. Your admonishment to "not mess with" the headlamps is a bad one. Correcting mis-aim and replacing a lower performing bulb with an appropriate high performance alternative is not something out of the reach of anyone will ing to ask a good question in the right place and spend some time learning a good procedure.

 

[theory816]

Headlight aim is critical, regardless of the performance of the headlamp. Your admonishment to "not mess with" the headlamps is a bad one. Correcting mis-aim and replacing a lower performing bulb with an appropriate high performance alternative is not something out of the reach of anyone will ing to ask a good question in the right place and spend some time learning a good procedure.

Its far from a bad admonishment and I'll explain why.

Headlight aim is just one factor to take into consideration when you switch out the bulbs. The aim is rarely off either way if it's stock because aim isnt affected by driving and vibration. What affects aim is when you remove the entire headlight housing and install a new one. Replacing the bulb has no effect on aim.

Secondly, a brighter bulb in place of the stock bulb means you'll have too much light in certain areas where there wasn't meant to be that much light. This will cause a patchy light pattern.

Thirdly, some cars have squirrel finders(lights that light up signs) built into the projector. If you put in a brighter bulb, this squirrel finder will increase in lumen intensity and, as a result, blind others.

Lastly, messing around with the aiming of a headlight without proper equipment and methods is surely the quickest way to misaim the headlights for a layperson, causing one to blind others or not get maximum performance from their headlights(by underaiming)

In short, everything becomes out of spec when you put in the incorrect bulb.

 

[EJR]

Secondly, a brighter bulb in place of the stock bulb means you'll have too much light in certain areas where there wasn't meant to be that much light. This will cause a patchy light pattern.

Which areas of the beam are you referring to and which type of lamp?

With these common bulb upgrades below (in a PROJECTOR lamp), you will NOT see "patchy" light patterns. There are no adverse effects by doing these upgrades.

H11 > H9
9005 > 9011
H7 > H7 65w rally
9012LL > 9012 high performance

Thirdly, some cars have squirrel finders(lights that light up signs) built into the projector. If you put in a brighter bulb, this squirrel finder will increase in lumen intensity and, as a result, blind others.

This doesn't occur to the extent that you think it does. A correctly matched high flux bulb replacement (as shown above) does not blind others. That comes from improper aim and/or hazy lenses.

 

[John_Galt]

Its far from a bad admonishment and I'll explain why.

Headlight aim is just one factor to take into consideration when you switch out the bulbs. The aim is rarely off either way if it's stock because aim isnt affected by driving and vibration. What affects aim is when you remove the entire headlight housing and install a new one. Replacing the bulb has no effect on aim.

Secondly, a brighter bulb in place of the stock bulb means you'll have too much light in certain areas where there wasn't meant to be that much light. This will cause a patchy light pattern.

Thirdly, some cars have squirrel finders(lights that light up signs) built into the projector. If you put in a brighter bulb, this squirrel finder will increase in lumen intensity and, as a result, blind others.

Lastly, messing around with the aiming of a headlight without proper equipment and methods is surely the quickest way to misaim the headlights for a layperson, causing one to blind others or not get maximum performance from their headlights(by underaiming)

In short, everything becomes out of spec when you put in the incorrect bulb.

>the aim is rarely off

Having owned more than a fair number of vehicles for someone my age, and been responsible for several more through various employers, I'm going to stop you right there.

Appropriate/correct headlight aim is The Exception not the rule, by a mile. even in a new right off the dealer lot. Even in states that require motor vehicle inspections, headlight aim usually comes down to "do both lights work high and low? If customer says they can't see -Crank Them Skyward. Customer complains of flashing: -Aim Them At The Ground.

>replacing the bulb has no effect on aim

Can also be incorrect. Correctly inserting the bulb, which is usually very easy to identify in a pass/fail manner, with an in-spec bulb of the correct (or appropriate substitute) type should not have an effect on the aim.

>brighter bulb ... too much some areas... too little others... patchy beam pattern...

Incorrect. Now, if you go sticking a completely correct bulb type, e.g. substitute a h13 for an H4, or a H2 for an H1, etc etc etc...

With the recommendation to substitute the 9011/HIR1 bulb for a 9005 bulb, or a 9012/HIR2 for a 9006 bulb, situationally an H9 in place of an H11, etc... we're talking about bulb types that are effectively compatible. In the HIR1/HIR2 situatiom, these bulbs were literally designed to be a completely compatible replacement type bulb. H9 for an H11 has a higher output, higher intensity filament that is placed in the same position as the H11 filament, the bulb bases are compatible with minor modification, and the H9 does not present auch an increase in power draw as to present a risk to an OEM electrical circuit.

>some cars have squirrel finders

All headlamps are required to have a certain range of light above the hprizontal low beam cutoff for signage and road illumination. Squirrel finders are principally found in Halogen projector lamps only. Typical HID projectors do not have them at all. The small increase in extra output from swapping (appropriately, as the bulb was designed) a 9011/9012 for the older 9005/9006 is not going to create excessive glare in the vast majority of lamps, especially if the headlamps are aimed correctly. Which is never a waste of time to properly check and adjust.

>layperson is incapable of properly adjusting headlamp aim.

By this logic, most of the vehicles that roll off the lotnwith misaimed headlamps straight from the factory prove that it's too complex a task even for the manufacturer! (New York Accent) The HoorrroooA!!!

Anyone who can find a remotely flat parking lot and a wall can check their headlamp aim and get it *pretty damn close*

>everything becomes out of spec when you put im the wrong bulb

Only arguably true if substituting a completely incompatible bulb type.

9011/HIR1 for the outdated 9005, and 9012/HIR2 for the outdated 9006 is not such an example.

In many instances, an H9 for an H11 is not such an example.

Etc etc

 

[theory816]

Which areas of the beam are you referring to and which type of lamp?

With these common bulb upgrades below (in a PROJECTOR lamp), you will NOT see "patchy" light patterns. There are no adverse effects by doing these upgrades.

H11 > H9
9005 > 9011
H7 > H7 65w rally
9012LL > 9012 high performance



This doesn't occur to the extent that you think it does. A correctly matched high flux bulb replacement (as shown above) does not blind others. That comes from improper aim and/or hazy lenses.

The way headlights are designed is this, they design the reflector around the light distribution pattern of the light source and collimate that light into segments with different lumen intensities. A light source from an LED chip may have a pattern of say 0. A light source from a halogen bulb may have a pattern of say 8.

Since light pattern is divided into segments with different light intensities, say:

1 1
123454321(with 5 being the brightest at the center and the two ones above being the squarel finders)

if you stick in a bulb with a different higher flux rating or a different form factor(0 or 8), that light pattern is now different, say:

2 5
134843412

it is simply out of spec. This does not matter if its a projector or reflector.

>the aim is rarely off

Having owned more than a fair number of vehicles for someone my age, and been responsible for several more through various employers, I'm going to stop you right there.

Appropriate/correct headlight aim is The Exception not the rule, by a mile. even in a new right off the dealer lot. Even in states that require motor vehicle inspections, headlight aim usually comes down to "do both lights work high and low? If customer says they can't see -Crank Them Skyward. Customer complains of flashing: -Aim Them At The Ground.

>replacing the bulb has no effect on aim

Can also be incorrect. Correctly inserting the bulb, which is usually very easy to identify in a pass/fail manner, with an in-spec bulb of the correct (or appropriate substitute) type should not have an effect on the aim.

>brighter bulb ... too much some areas... too little others... patchy beam pattern...

Incorrect. Now, if you go sticking a completely correct bulb type, e.g. substitute a h13 for an H4, or a H2 for an H1, etc etc etc...

With the recommendation to substitute the 9011/HIR1 bulb for a 9005 bulb, or a 9012/HIR2 for a 9006 bulb, situationally an H9 in place of an H11, etc... we're talking about bulb types that are effectively compatible. In the HIR1/HIR2 situatiom, these bulbs were literally designed to be a completely compatible replacement type bulb. H9 for an H11 has a higher output, higher intensity filament that is placed in the same position as the H11 filament, the bulb bases are compatible with minor modification, and the H9 does not present auch an increase in power draw as to present a risk to an OEM electrical circuit.

>some cars have squirrel finders

All headlamps are required to have a certain range of light above the hprizontal low beam cutoff for signage and road illumination. Squirrel finders are principally found in Halogen projector lamps only. Typical HID projectors do not have them at all. The small increase in extra output from swapping (appropriately, as the bulb was designed) a 9011/9012 for the older 9005/9006 is not going to create excessive glare in the vast majority of lamps, especially if the headlamps are aimed correctly. Which is never a waste of time to properly check and adjust.

>layperson is incapable of properly adjusting headlamp aim.

By this logic, most of the vehicles that roll off the lotnwith misaimed headlamps straight from the factory prove that it's too complex a task even for the manufacturer! (New York Accent) The HoorrroooA!!!

Anyone who can find a remotely flat parking lot and a wall can check their headlamp aim and get it *pretty damn close*

>everything becomes out of spec when you put im the wrong bulb

Only arguably true if substituting a completely incompatible bulb type.

9011/HIR1 for the outdated 9005, and 9012/HIR2 for the outdated 9006 is not such an example.

In many instances, an H9 for an H11 is not such an example.

Etc etc

I have not runned into a car with the headlights have been improperly aimed because of normal use. But I will get you the benefit of the doubt here since headlights are screwed on.

All manufacturers aim their car headlights with proper tools before leaving the assembly line. There's no if's or butts about this.

Squirrel finder design may differ from car to car. And their lumen intensity level is not allowed to go past a certain spec. If you stick in a bulb with a higher flux, that spec is going to be out of spec and will blind others. There's no if or butts about this either.

Correct headlight aiming cannot be done by eye. You need a level ground, a tape measure, and knowledge. Aimed passed a certain height and you'll blind others. Aimed just a tad bit too low and you'll lose several feet of light. Im not saying that correct headlight aiming can't be done. It can be done.