HIR1/9011 recommendation?

Virgil,you are now recommending this this over the standard 9011 Philips bulb? How do the 2 compare,other than the GM part looks like the old Toshiba design,and according to some online reviews ,IS a Toshiba made in China part?

It is a genuine Toshiba HIR1 (9011) bulb. Toshiba moved all production of those bulbs to China in 2007 or '08.

I remember reading here that those China based Toshiba bulbs were no good,and the Philips bulb was better? Has that changed,and if so,why?

Maybe they had some teething problems with the new China factory, or maybe something else happened, but the last batch of these bulbs Toshiba sold through aftermarket channels in '08 or so were of uncharacteristically inconsistent quality. The ones they sold through OE channels were fine, and still are -- they meet Toyota's and GM's quality requirements for original equipment (you can also get it from Toyota as part number 90981-13066, but then it's more expensive than getting it in the GM box). These bulbs have better luminance, lifespan, and output than the Philips 9011/HIR1, so now that they're available at a cost-effective price point...why not!

When did these become available?

Some questions RE the Toshiba HIR1 Bulbs

-Do they share the bulbous shape with the originals?
-Do they have the IR coating?
-How much of an improvement are they over the Phillips HIR1?

Ordered from the local GM dealership. They have to come out of the states so they are 10 days away

Sadden said:

-Do they share the bulbous shape with the originals?

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-Do they have the IR coating?[/quote]

They are the "originals", not different from past-production Harison-Toshiba HIR bulbs. Same shape, same HIR coating. At least, that's what arrived for me in the GM box. Please let us know what arrives for you.

-How much of an improvement are they over the Phillips HIR1?

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I don't have results I can share.

So,are these "old stock" or has Toshiba began producing these again?

There is no "again" about it. They never went out of production; Toshiba just stopped selling them through aftermarket channels.

They are the "originals", not different from past-production Harison-Toshiba HIR bulbs. Same shape, same HIR coating. At least, that's what arrived for me in the GM box. Please let us know what arrives for you.

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I will be posting pics for sure.

I don't have results I can share.

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Well be sure to let us know when you do!

There is no "again" about it. They never went out of production; Toshiba just stopped selling them through aftermarket channels.

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I didnt think these were available through OEM channels either. The Bonneville guys hunted these down relentlessly when they became unavailable years ago. They were OEM on GXP models, and an upgrade on lower submodels taking a 9005

The pair I ordered had to come from the states, so they arent in GM's warehouses here yet...

Sadden can you check a John Deere dealership? AH211917 is low beam.

I wouldn't hunt down the Toshiba HIR2 low beam; the Philips LL beats it, and the Vosla +30 beats the Philips, and both of those are widely and inexpensively available.

I was under the impression Toshiba moved production to China,then sometime later,stopped producing them-at least thats what I was told by at least 2 former retailers.Many have said,including on this forum,the Philips 9011 was a better bulb than the Toshiba,higher luminence and no shadows that the spherical shaped Toshiba exhibited.....guess that was just marketing to sell the philips bulb since they could no longer supply the Toshiba? I will dig thru the old threads and see if I can find that discussion,.

Qship1996 said:

I was under the impression Toshiba moved production to China,then sometime later,stopped producing them

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Well, No. Would you like me to say it again...maybe ten or eleven more times oughtta do it? ;-) Production never stopped. What stopped was sales by Toshiba through aftermarket channels.

at least thats what I was told by at least 2 former retailers

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I know it might seem unbelievable, but retailers are sometimes known to say things that aren't entirely true, to shush away questions that have long, complicated, or difficult answers. Sometimes they even tell fibs and make stuff up that sounds good and attracts buyers (like the "third-generation HIR bulb!" baloney on the Candlepower store, or Rallylights' hallucinatory comparison of H4 headlamps to sealed beams).

Many have said,including on this forum,the Philips 9011 was a better bulb

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The Philips 9012 is better than the Toshiba was. There's a lot of ignorant noise on the internet about how the Philips 9011 "isn't a real HIR1 bulb", it's really just a 9005, etc etc. None of that is true.

shadows that the spherical shaped Toshiba exhibited

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The spherical shape of the Toshiba bulb does not cause shadows. It never has.

Production never stopped. What stopped was sales by Toshiba through aftermarket channels.

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Where have these been available for the past few years if they didnt stop production?

Sadden said:

Production never stopped. What stopped was sales by Toshiba through aftermarket channels.

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Where have these been available for the past few years if they didnt stop production?

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Production never stopped. What stopped was sales by Toshiba through aftermarket channels. GM and Toyota part numbers have already been provided in this thread.

So they have been available through gm for all these years?

Sadden said:

Some questions RE the Toshiba HIR1 Bulbs

-Do they share the bulbous shape with the originals?
-Do they have the IR coating?
-How much of an improvement are they over the Phillips HIR1?

Ordered from the local GM dealership. They have to come out of the states so they are 10 days away

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Were you able to install these bulbs? What is the GM part number? Where were they made, China or Japan?

mikered30 said:

Were you able to install these bulbs? What is the GM part number? Where were they made, China or Japan?

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Gm P/N
25770739

They arrived this week but I have not had a chance to go pick them up yet.

No idea where they were made. If Virgil says they outperform the Phillips in every single aspect then it doesn't really matter too me either.