Lights in Blue.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Lights in Blue.
I want to get headlights that are bright but also look blue when turned on. I'm thking about getting the PIAA's, do these bulbs have a blue lighting to them? Also how much power do they use (alot or not that much from the stock?) and do I need to take them to a mechanic to install or can I do em myself?
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Most of the headlights that are bright (around 4000K) do have a bluish tint to them. PIAA's should give out a bluish tint, however they are expensive. Another good set of bulbs are the Silvania Silverstars. The only place that I've seen them has been Walmart and they are always sold out of the 9004 bulbs. They cost around $37 and you won't need to upgrade the wiring harness. You won't have to upgrade the wiring harness for the PIAA's either, or any set of bulbs that put out 65/45 watts which is the stock rating. If you go with a higher wattage, then you will have to upgrade the harness or you'll melt it and your lights won't work at all.
Whatever you do though, don't get the cheap bulbs that say they put out a blue light. Those bulbs have the same temperature light (around 3000K) as the stock light bulbs. The only difference is that they add an artificial blue filter that gives the light it's blue color. Those bulbs are not as bright as 4000K bulbs to begin with and adding the blue filter further decreases the light output. You'd be better off sticking with a regular set of bulbs. Also, most of those bulbs are not street legal. PIAA's and Silvania Silverstars are perfectly street legal.
As far as installation, anyone should be able to install them. You just have to twist the bulb out of the housing, pull the old bulb out and put the new one in. You don't have to rip apart the headlight housings or anything like that. Just make sure you wear a set of latex gloves or something similar when you touch the new light bulb. Moisture and grease will decrease the life of the bulb.
Although not necessary, you may want to take the time to make sure your headlights are properly aimed, especially if you go with a bright set of bulbs. You'll have to consult a Chiltons/Haynes/FSM for the details. It involves turning the two adjusting screws, but you'll probably also have to put some tape on a garage door and measure everything out according to the manual to get the proper aiming. If you don't want to do all of that, a mechanic should have a mechanical aimer and can quickly determine how the lights are aimed.
-C-
Whatever you do though, don't get the cheap bulbs that say they put out a blue light. Those bulbs have the same temperature light (around 3000K) as the stock light bulbs. The only difference is that they add an artificial blue filter that gives the light it's blue color. Those bulbs are not as bright as 4000K bulbs to begin with and adding the blue filter further decreases the light output. You'd be better off sticking with a regular set of bulbs. Also, most of those bulbs are not street legal. PIAA's and Silvania Silverstars are perfectly street legal.
As far as installation, anyone should be able to install them. You just have to twist the bulb out of the housing, pull the old bulb out and put the new one in. You don't have to rip apart the headlight housings or anything like that. Just make sure you wear a set of latex gloves or something similar when you touch the new light bulb. Moisture and grease will decrease the life of the bulb.
Although not necessary, you may want to take the time to make sure your headlights are properly aimed, especially if you go with a bright set of bulbs. You'll have to consult a Chiltons/Haynes/FSM for the details. It involves turning the two adjusting screws, but you'll probably also have to put some tape on a garage door and measure everything out according to the manual to get the proper aiming. If you don't want to do all of that, a mechanic should have a mechanical aimer and can quickly determine how the lights are aimed.
-C-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Do the silverstars give out a bluish tint? And whats a Chiltons/Haynes/FSM? A manual? I saw a guide about leveling a while ago but I don't see it now and the search function is down so...
Originally posted by Charles Bisel
Most of the headlights that are bright (around 4000K) do have a bluish tint to them. PIAA's should give out a bluish tint, however they are expensive. Another good set of bulbs are the Silvania Silverstars. The only place that I've seen them has been Walmart and they are always sold out of the 9004 bulbs. They cost around $37 and you won't need to upgrade the wiring harness. You won't have to upgrade the wiring harness for the PIAA's either, or any set of bulbs that put out 65/45 watts which is the stock rating. If you go with a higher wattage, then you will have to upgrade the harness or you'll melt it and your lights won't work at all.
Whatever you do though, don't get the cheap bulbs that say they put out a blue light. Those bulbs have the same temperature light (around 3000K) as the stock light bulbs. The only difference is that they add an artificial blue filter that gives the light it's blue color. Those bulbs are not as bright as 4000K bulbs to begin with and adding the blue filter further decreases the light output. You'd be better off sticking with a regular set of bulbs. Also, most of those bulbs are not street legal. PIAA's and Silvania Silverstars are perfectly street legal.
As far as installation, anyone should be able to install them. You just have to twist the bulb out of the housing, pull the old bulb out and put the new one in. You don't have to rip apart the headlight housings or anything like that. Just make sure you wear a set of latex gloves or something similar when you touch the new light bulb. Moisture and grease will decrease the life of the bulb.
Although not necessary, you may want to take the time to make sure your headlights are properly aimed, especially if you go with a bright set of bulbs. You'll have to consult a Chiltons/Haynes/FSM for the details. It involves turning the two adjusting screws, but you'll probably also have to put some tape on a garage door and measure everything out according to the manual to get the proper aiming. If you don't want to do all of that, a mechanic should have a mechanical aimer and can quickly determine how the lights are aimed.
-C-
Most of the headlights that are bright (around 4000K) do have a bluish tint to them. PIAA's should give out a bluish tint, however they are expensive. Another good set of bulbs are the Silvania Silverstars. The only place that I've seen them has been Walmart and they are always sold out of the 9004 bulbs. They cost around $37 and you won't need to upgrade the wiring harness. You won't have to upgrade the wiring harness for the PIAA's either, or any set of bulbs that put out 65/45 watts which is the stock rating. If you go with a higher wattage, then you will have to upgrade the harness or you'll melt it and your lights won't work at all.
Whatever you do though, don't get the cheap bulbs that say they put out a blue light. Those bulbs have the same temperature light (around 3000K) as the stock light bulbs. The only difference is that they add an artificial blue filter that gives the light it's blue color. Those bulbs are not as bright as 4000K bulbs to begin with and adding the blue filter further decreases the light output. You'd be better off sticking with a regular set of bulbs. Also, most of those bulbs are not street legal. PIAA's and Silvania Silverstars are perfectly street legal.
As far as installation, anyone should be able to install them. You just have to twist the bulb out of the housing, pull the old bulb out and put the new one in. You don't have to rip apart the headlight housings or anything like that. Just make sure you wear a set of latex gloves or something similar when you touch the new light bulb. Moisture and grease will decrease the life of the bulb.
Although not necessary, you may want to take the time to make sure your headlights are properly aimed, especially if you go with a bright set of bulbs. You'll have to consult a Chiltons/Haynes/FSM for the details. It involves turning the two adjusting screws, but you'll probably also have to put some tape on a garage door and measure everything out according to the manual to get the proper aiming. If you don't want to do all of that, a mechanic should have a mechanical aimer and can quickly determine how the lights are aimed.
-C-
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 273
I think silverstars are pretty white, might wanna try sylvania cool blue, they have a slight blue tint to them. Also when installing the bulb don't touch it with your bare fingers, use a clotch or a tissue or something.
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Posts: n/a
The Sylvania Cool Blues use a blue coating to give them that blue color. They are street legal though because they are a 3500K bulb instead of the 3000K ones that some manufacturers use. However, since they do have that blue absorption coating, don't expect to get any more light output than your standard headlight bulbs, the only difference will be the color. The Silverstars don't have any coating and they are 4000K bulbs, so you will not only get brilliant lighting but you will also get a nice HID look. The higher temperature is what gives the bulb it's color. Low temperatures are on the red end of the spectrum, higher temperatures are on the violet end of the spectrum. 4000K will look like a really bright white but there should be some hint of blue. To go with a true blue look without filters, you'd have to get real HID lights that have a 6000K temperature. The most important thing you should be looking for is the luminosity, not the color.
Chiltons, Haynes, and FSM are the three manuals that you can get for this car. The FSM is the Factory Service Manual and it's the best one you can get, however it is the most expensive. You may be able to pick one up on Ebay, if not you can get one from the Nissan dealership. One thing to keep in mind though is that you have to get the one for the year your car was made. The Chiltons is the second best manual and it's the one that I use. It's pretty cheap too, I picked mine up at a bookstore that sells surplus and older books for around $5. I heard the Haynes manual isn't very accurate, so you might not want to get that book. Both the Chiltons and Haynes cover all of the 2nd gens and the 3rd gens up till '92, so you don't get all of the specifics for your particular vehicle, however it's good enough to do diagnosing and repairs.
-C-
Chiltons, Haynes, and FSM are the three manuals that you can get for this car. The FSM is the Factory Service Manual and it's the best one you can get, however it is the most expensive. You may be able to pick one up on Ebay, if not you can get one from the Nissan dealership. One thing to keep in mind though is that you have to get the one for the year your car was made. The Chiltons is the second best manual and it's the one that I use. It's pretty cheap too, I picked mine up at a bookstore that sells surplus and older books for around $5. I heard the Haynes manual isn't very accurate, so you might not want to get that book. Both the Chiltons and Haynes cover all of the 2nd gens and the 3rd gens up till '92, so you don't get all of the specifics for your particular vehicle, however it's good enough to do diagnosing and repairs.
-C-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Thanks for that very informative post. Why ca't someone just make 4000k bulbs with that look blue. Well the brightness is my main concern so I think I'll go with the silverstars.
Originally posted by Charles Bisel
The Sylvania Cool Blues use a blue coating to give them that blue color. They are street legal though because they are a 3500K bulb instead of the 3000K ones that some manufacturers use. However, since they do have that blue absorption coating, don't expect to get any more light output than your standard headlight bulbs, the only difference will be the color. The Silverstars don't have any coating and they are 4000K bulbs, so you will not only get brilliant lighting but you will also get a nice HID look. The higher temperature is what gives the bulb it's color. Low temperatures are on the red end of the spectrum, higher temperatures are on the violet end of the spectrum. 4000K will look like a really bright white but there should be some hint of blue. To go with a true blue look without filters, you'd have to get real HID lights that have a 6000K temperature. The most important thing you should be looking for is the luminosity, not the color.
Chiltons, Haynes, and FSM are the three manuals that you can get for this car. The FSM is the Factory Service Manual and it's the best one you can get, however it is the most expensive. You may be able to pick one up on Ebay, if not you can get one from the Nissan dealership. One thing to keep in mind though is that you have to get the one for the year your car was made. The Chiltons is the second best manual and it's the one that I use. It's pretty cheap too, I picked mine up at a bookstore that sells surplus and older books for around $5. I heard the Haynes manual isn't very accurate, so you might not want to get that book. Both the Chiltons and Haynes cover all of the 2nd gens and the 3rd gens up till '92, so you don't get all of the specifics for your particular vehicle, however it's good enough to do diagnosing and repairs.
-C-
The Sylvania Cool Blues use a blue coating to give them that blue color. They are street legal though because they are a 3500K bulb instead of the 3000K ones that some manufacturers use. However, since they do have that blue absorption coating, don't expect to get any more light output than your standard headlight bulbs, the only difference will be the color. The Silverstars don't have any coating and they are 4000K bulbs, so you will not only get brilliant lighting but you will also get a nice HID look. The higher temperature is what gives the bulb it's color. Low temperatures are on the red end of the spectrum, higher temperatures are on the violet end of the spectrum. 4000K will look like a really bright white but there should be some hint of blue. To go with a true blue look without filters, you'd have to get real HID lights that have a 6000K temperature. The most important thing you should be looking for is the luminosity, not the color.
Chiltons, Haynes, and FSM are the three manuals that you can get for this car. The FSM is the Factory Service Manual and it's the best one you can get, however it is the most expensive. You may be able to pick one up on Ebay, if not you can get one from the Nissan dealership. One thing to keep in mind though is that you have to get the one for the year your car was made. The Chiltons is the second best manual and it's the one that I use. It's pretty cheap too, I picked mine up at a bookstore that sells surplus and older books for around $5. I heard the Haynes manual isn't very accurate, so you might not want to get that book. Both the Chiltons and Haynes cover all of the 2nd gens and the 3rd gens up till '92, so you don't get all of the specifics for your particular vehicle, however it's good enough to do diagnosing and repairs.
-C-
I did the PIAA Xtreme White route....but that's because I need the best light I can get, because of my partial nightblindness. So I spent some money and got the best bulbs I can get for the job. The PIAA bulbs have a gas in the bulb that makes the bulb burn at 4000k. It will give extremely white light, but at the end of the bulb is a blue tip that glows so it gives that blue effect when you look at the bulb from certain angles. It also looks blue when the bulb is turned off. Silverstars use a combination of a gas and glass coating to achieve thier color, which will give you a bright white with a purplish, red, and green hid effect. Either bulbs will work well.
S
S
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I finally found a set of Silverstars at Advance Auto Parts, I got the last set. I've been looking for about a month at various locations and no one had them.
Anyway, they work great, they put out an intensely bright white light. As Sarin mentioned, they do have a purple/green effect when looking at it from an angle.
These bulbs are so bright that a few people thought that I had my high beams on. They really brighten up the road at night and make it easier to see. It's good if you live out in the sticks, that way you can spot deer so you have enough time to stop. They also work really well when the roads are wet.
Well, I highly recommend these bulbs. They look like the HIDs that are in some Audis and Acuras. The ones in BMWs and MBs are a lot brighter though, but at least they do look like some HIDs out there as advertised.
-C-
Anyway, they work great, they put out an intensely bright white light. As Sarin mentioned, they do have a purple/green effect when looking at it from an angle.
These bulbs are so bright that a few people thought that I had my high beams on. They really brighten up the road at night and make it easier to see. It's good if you live out in the sticks, that way you can spot deer so you have enough time to stop. They also work really well when the roads are wet.
Well, I highly recommend these bulbs. They look like the HIDs that are in some Audis and Acuras. The ones in BMWs and MBs are a lot brighter though, but at least they do look like some HIDs out there as advertised.
-C-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Cool! How much were they. I wonder why there in such limited supply. I might just buy some tomorrow.
Originally posted by Charles Bisel
I finally found a set of Silverstars at Advance Auto Parts, I got the last set. I've been looking for about a month at various locations and no one had them.
Anyway, they work great, they put out an intensely bright white light. As Sarin mentioned, they do have a purple/green effect when looking at it from an angle.
These bulbs are so bright that a few people thought that I had my high beams on. They really brighten up the road at night and make it easier to see. It's good if you live out in the sticks, that way you can spot deer so you have enough time to stop. They also work really well when the roads are wet.
Well, I highly recommend these bulbs. They look like the HIDs that are in some Audis and Acuras. The ones in BMWs and MBs are a lot brighter though, but at least they do look like some HIDs out there as advertised.
-C-
I finally found a set of Silverstars at Advance Auto Parts, I got the last set. I've been looking for about a month at various locations and no one had them.
Anyway, they work great, they put out an intensely bright white light. As Sarin mentioned, they do have a purple/green effect when looking at it from an angle.
These bulbs are so bright that a few people thought that I had my high beams on. They really brighten up the road at night and make it easier to see. It's good if you live out in the sticks, that way you can spot deer so you have enough time to stop. They also work really well when the roads are wet.
Well, I highly recommend these bulbs. They look like the HIDs that are in some Audis and Acuras. The ones in BMWs and MBs are a lot brighter though, but at least they do look like some HIDs out there as advertised.
-C-
Guest
Posts: n/a
They were $38 for the set, about as much as Walmart is charging for them. I've seen them on the net for $50, so I decided to keep searching the stores till I found a set.
I don't know why they're hard to get though. Some places that I went to didn't carry them and the stores that I did check, like Walmart, were out of the 9004 bulbs. They had the other sizes like the 9005 and 9006.
I guess part of it has to do with the fact that they are really good bulbs for a reasonable price. Sylvania probably didn't anticipate the demand. Also, most of the ones at Walmart were probably lifted, which means the store has no clue that they're missing so the computers don't reorder more of them. They had the bulbs in the light bulb section in the back of the store where anyone could have grabbed them. Advance kept the Silverstars at the counter, they didn't have them mixed in with the rest of the light bulbs, so at least they're aware that theft could be an issue with these bulbs.
-C-
I don't know why they're hard to get though. Some places that I went to didn't carry them and the stores that I did check, like Walmart, were out of the 9004 bulbs. They had the other sizes like the 9005 and 9006.
I guess part of it has to do with the fact that they are really good bulbs for a reasonable price. Sylvania probably didn't anticipate the demand. Also, most of the ones at Walmart were probably lifted, which means the store has no clue that they're missing so the computers don't reorder more of them. They had the bulbs in the light bulb section in the back of the store where anyone could have grabbed them. Advance kept the Silverstars at the counter, they didn't have them mixed in with the rest of the light bulbs, so at least they're aware that theft could be an issue with these bulbs.
-C-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Wow you got them cheap. The cheapest I found was 50 bucks at pep boys. I'm going to Walmart tomorrow though.
Originally posted by Charles Bisel
They were $38 for the set, about as much as Walmart is charging for them. I've seen them on the net for $50, so I decided to keep searching the stores till I found a set.
I don't know why they're hard to get though. Some places that I went to didn't carry them and the stores that I did check, like Walmart, were out of the 9004 bulbs. They had the other sizes like the 9005 and 9006.
I guess part of it has to do with the fact that they are really good bulbs for a reasonable price. Sylvania probably didn't anticipate the demand. Also, most of the ones at Walmart were probably lifted, which means the store has no clue that they're missing so the computers don't reorder more of them. They had the bulbs in the light bulb section in the back of the store where anyone could have grabbed them. Advance kept the Silverstars at the counter, they didn't have them mixed in with the rest of the light bulbs, so at least they're aware that theft could be an issue with these bulbs.
-C-
They were $38 for the set, about as much as Walmart is charging for them. I've seen them on the net for $50, so I decided to keep searching the stores till I found a set.
I don't know why they're hard to get though. Some places that I went to didn't carry them and the stores that I did check, like Walmart, were out of the 9004 bulbs. They had the other sizes like the 9005 and 9006.
I guess part of it has to do with the fact that they are really good bulbs for a reasonable price. Sylvania probably didn't anticipate the demand. Also, most of the ones at Walmart were probably lifted, which means the store has no clue that they're missing so the computers don't reorder more of them. They had the bulbs in the light bulb section in the back of the store where anyone could have grabbed them. Advance kept the Silverstars at the counter, they didn't have them mixed in with the rest of the light bulbs, so at least they're aware that theft could be an issue with these bulbs.
-C-
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 62
Originally Posted by Niku-Sama
you *******!....my walmarts only have GE bulbs or those ricer colored ones....they on the same isle as the rest of the bulbs or are they packed away some place special?
ok finally they have them...$37, a buck cheaper i dont think thats worth bragging over but the fact i dont have to pay sales tax is HAHA...no it isnt never mind...
these things are extremely white right...then why do they have a blue coloring in them?
these things are extremely white right...then why do they have a blue coloring in them?
That is because of the temperature of the color. The higher the color temperature, the more violet it goes. And from and amber color, you have to go through blue in the color spectrum.
S
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