New Philips HIR2 scrutinized

[SirMack]

I got around to trimming the bulbs and installing them, and they work great!

The trimming was actually surprisingly easy, with the fingernail clipper making very nice, clean cuts.

I do have a question though. My car has DRLs, and it seems to utilize the High Beam bulb in a dimmer setting for DRLs. Does this use up the 300 hour lifespan of the 9011 or does it actually last longer since it is dimmer?

Just wondering, because if the DRLs/9011s are only going to last 300 hours, it might be more economical to use the normal headlights while driving during the day, or perhaps not using any lights at all if it is a relatively clear day.

Thanks again for all the excellent input!

 

[MichaelW]

Do you live in Canada?
If not you can disable them.

 

[-Virgil-]

Bulb lifespan varies exponentially to the power -13 (negative thirteen) with input voltage, which means operation at roughly half rated voltage will not materially affect lifespan. A lot of high beam bulbs used as DRLs build up a brown-gray stain on the inside of the bulb glass, because the bulb doesn't get hot enough for the halogen tungsten recycle effect to work, but the stain clears up with several hours of normal-voltage use.

 

[Mdinana]

Going a bit OT here, but do are the HIR1 and HIR2 both single filament bulbs?

I was looking at my GF's car, and I think it had both 9005 and 9006 are replacements... leading me to believe she might have 2 bulbs in her headlights. Which seems wierd (an 05 Civic). But if true, then I really need to buy 4 bulbs to get her headlights replaced, correct? Also, will running the HIR bulbs make her fail any state inspection (ie, too bright)?

I plan on checking the lamps a bit closer when it warms up past 40...

 

[-Virgil-]

are the HIR1 and HIR2 both single filament bulbs

Yes.

I was looking at my GF's car, and I think it had both 9005 and 9006 are replacements... leading me to believe she might have 2 bulbs in her headlights.

That's correct. 9006 low beam, 9005 high beam.

then I really need to buy 4 bulbs to get her headlights replaced

Correct.

will running the HIR bulbs make her fail any state inspection (ie, too bright)?

Not if they're aimed correctly and used appropriately (no high beams in traffic).

 

[MrCal]

... I think it had both 9005 and 9006 are replacements... leading me to believe she might have 2 bulbs in her headlights. Which seems wierd (an 05 Civic). But if true, then I really need to buy 4 bulbs to get her headlights replaced, correct? ...

I recently replaced only the 9006 bulbs with the Philips HIR2 bulbs in my '08 Accord. I happen to live in the metropolitan Los Angeles area where I rarely need to use my 9005 high beams due to the abundance of city lights, highway lights and oncoming traffic. In my case, I saw no need to pay the increased cost of HIR1 bulbs to replace 9005 high beam bulbs I rarely use anyway.

 

[SirMack]

I recently replaced only the 9006 bulbs with the Philips HIR2 bulbs in my '08 Accord. I happen to live in the metropolitan Los Angeles area where I rarely need to use my 9005 high beams due to the abundance of city lights, highway lights and oncoming traffic. In my case, I saw no need to pay the increased cost of HIR1 bulbs to replace 9005 high beam bulbs I rarely use anyway.

I agree completely, as when I lived in the city I very rarely ever used the high beams. But now that I live in the country, I use the HIR high beams often. It makes a huge difference and helps me to see a lot farther and has even saved me from hitting deer on more than one occasion and I've only had it for a few weeks.

 

[Mdinana]

I recently replaced only the 9006 bulbs with the Philips HIR2 bulbs in my '08 Accord. I happen to live in the metropolitan Los Angeles area where I rarely need to use my 9005 high beams due to the abundance of city lights, highway lights and oncoming traffic. In my case, I saw no need to pay the increased cost of HIR1 bulbs to replace 9005 high beam bulbs I rarely use anyway.

That's a good point. We're kind of suburban in a place that goes very quickly from urban-esque to country in a few miles.

Plus, she is from Wisconsin, so when she goes back home, it's dark-central. And deer-happy.

I'll probably hold off the brights until her next driving trip home though.

And I miss LA - won't be back til at least Sept :mecry:

 

[MikeF]

Scheinwerfermann,
I have a 2006 GMC Yukon Denali that uses 9005 (HB3) lamps for both High and Low beam fixtures. The low beams are projectors and the high beams are clear front reflectors. My question for you sir is would I be better off with the Narva RangePower30+ 65w Bulbs in 9005 style or with modifiyng the Toshiba HIR1 9011 to fit the 9005 sockets. My concerns are with not incresaing glare to oncoming cars with low beams and increasing my viewing range on both low beam and high beams. If the 3G Phillips lamps were available in a 9011 style the choice seems like it wouild be simpler and go with the new Phillips lamps.
Thank you sir!

 

[-Virgil-]

Scheinwerfermann,
I have a 2006 GMC Yukon Denali that uses 9005 (HB3) lamps for both High and Low beam fixtures. The low beams are projectors and the high beams are clear front reflectors. My question for you sir is would I be better off with the Narva RangePower30+ 65w Bulbs in 9005 style or with modifiyng the Toshiba HIR1 9011 to fit the 9005 sockets

Definitely 9011 in low and high.

My concerns are with not incresaing glare to oncoming cars

Make certain the lamps are correctly aimed per this procedure (pretty sure the Yukon Denali lamps are VOR type, but check the lens markings to make sure).

 

[MikeF]

Thank you sir!

 

[VegasF6]

From looking at the quotes in posts 1 and 5 below, first there is no coating, then there may be a coating. But, by post 95 it is mentioned there is a coating. The description on the candlepower sales sight also mentions the coating. Where in this long thread did I miss the revelation though?

Greetings, all.

I've just had a close-up look at the production version of the new Philips HIR2 bulb, and it looks really good. . The bulb envelope is made of quartz, and there is no IR-reflective coating on it;

Correct, I think. I need to do some more digging to see if they have an IR-reflective coating on the tubular glass or not. .

No and no.

New philips HIR2 does have the IR coating
philips also makes a HIR1, but that doesn't have the coating

toshiba hir2 is discontinued, not sure about hir1

 

[-Virgil-]

Probably what you're seeing is the filling in of details and the correcting of misapprehensions as more information becomes available through additional scrutiny.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

Yeah, I think I remember Scheinwerfermann getting a first-hand look at these bulbs before specs were publicized.

 

[-Virgil-]

I see the problem (and have fixed it) -- in my first post in this long thread, I wrote "production version" and meant to write "preproduction version".

 

[mikered30]

I received the new HIR bulbs today. When I looked at them, I thought I saw something wrong with them. The tips of the bulbs look like they were broken. They came from candlepower packaged nicely and there were no glass fragments in the bulb box. I checked the candlepower website, and they now have a picture of the bulb on the site and my bulb looks like their bulb. Just a FYI. I would think this would distort the beam pattern.

Also, I am still unclear whether or not these bulbs have an IR coating. They do not have an obvious coating like the Toshiba bulbs. The candlepower site claims they are IR coated.

 

[-Virgil-]

The bulb tips are not "broken". What you are seeing is completely normal on a bulb envelope made of fused quartz, such as this one. They look different at the tip from bulbs made of hard glass.

The coating on the Philips bulb is a lot harder to see with the naked eye, because it's a much more advanced coating, i.e., much more optically transparent to visible light. You will notice a difference in the color of reflected ambient white light on the main area of the envelope (reddish) vs. down at the pinch.

 

[mikered30]

The bulb tips are not "broken". What you are seeing is completely normal on a bulb envelope made of fused quartz, such as this one. They look different at the tip from bulbs made of hard glass.

The coating on the Philips bulb is a lot harder to see with the naked eye, because it's a much more advanced coating, i.e., much more optically transparent to visible light. You will notice a difference in the color of reflected ambient white light on the main area of the envelope (reddish) vs. down at the pinch.

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[grndslm]

So have these bulbs been scrutinized to the point where one could make a comparison between these and the Toshiba HIR9012s??

I really need some new headlights, but I'm not sure which ones to go with -- Philips or Toshiba.

One's been time tested. The other looks better on paper.

What does CPF think? Durability isn't of utmost concern to me (tho, it'd be nice); quantity & quality of lighting is top priority.

 

[MichaelW]

Do you have projector low beams or reflector low beams?
I would go with the new Philips for reflectors (assuming you have an integral glare shield)

If you are looking for the utmost in stealth, and you have reflector high beams (I am recalling the dual projector Lexus ES300 of ten years ago or so), you want the Philips(if you can find it)-because the Toshiba will get noticed (round looking bulb vs. cylindrical), say if you have vehicle inspection.