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.

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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.