So I've found a pretty good assortment of better-than-OEM headlamp bulbs... But I don't want my headlamps really bright and my perpetually 'on' fogs looking weak.

Anyone have personal experience in finding/using better bulbs for the stock fogs?

 

you need to upgrade the wiring if you want brighter stock fogs.

Some lower wattage aftermarket (PIAA type) are much brighter than stock.

 

upgrading the wiring doesn't seem like a problem. I just kinda like the look of stock, so I didn't want to put on aftermarket.

You change out the entire harness in a positive-earth '61 MG and swapping out a little fog lamp wire is negligible. But would I need to upgrade the bulb recepticle also or should it be able to stand up to it?

 

OK, so I checked out the PIAA line and it seems to meet all my qualifications. I do alot of night-time small road driving and the brighter the better.

Does anyone have any personal experiences?

 

More research...

PIAA 9004 Xtreme White Plus.. $91 for a 2 pack.
45/65W, 4000°K

OSRAM Sylvania Silverstar... $39 for a 2 pack.
45/65W, 4000°K

So same specs, same lifetime rating, PIAA's are a little bluer (which I don't care for) and they're more than twice as much. What gives? Are they that much better?

 

Eh...any blue makes me worry about being pulled over, so I'd go with the Silverstars if anything.

 

I agree. I actually got pulled for blue LED accents in the headlamps.

 

if you can find them my favorites are wagner britelights
they're a xenon bulb so they work pretty dam well and don't use any extra wattage to increase their ight output, but they are definately an increase

 

Thanks, I'll have to check into them.

I don't want anything too fancy, I just want alot of frikkin light. Hwy 17 along the chesapeake gets darker than you'd believe. And deer... i like to see the deer before I "find" the deer

 

Two suggestions.

1. E36 + covers
2. This link http://www.rallylights.com/hella/9005.asp#9011

That outta do it.

 

i'm using silverstars...i like them. i also tried some XD5s which were higher color temp...but didn't provide much usable light.

 

I was at the Hella site as you posted that. Looking for something with a little hotter whiteness. Both the PIAA and the Sylvanias I was looking at are at 4000°Kelvin... Hella can only get my 2000...

Unless I go to Xenon... and with xenon being 100/80W I would most definately have to step up all that wiring.

 

On another note... If i'm not satisfied with the light output, I was thinking of adding additional lights to the car...

Does anyone know if there are regulations concerning how many lights can be on a vehicle? I mean, Mini's will have 2 headlamps and up to 4 rallye lamps... would this be illegal for on-road driving?

 

Do you want useable light or "white light" that dosent help anything?? After rather exhaustive searches, and hours online, there is NO proof that "whitelight" helps anything. In fact I have found more often than not the white lights put out less useable light than the equilivent stock bulbs. I've spent the cash on aftermarket lights, and really no real gain.

 

Yes there are, that is one reason why your driving lights go off when your brights go on. But noone cares or will care if you put a bizillion lights on your car. Just dont have them on when you get your car inspected.

 

If it's just brighter lights, Sylvania Xtravision bulbs are a good choice and cheap too. I used to have Sylvania Cool Blue lights before and the Xtravisions are much much better as I have better peripheral lighting as well.

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProd...ce/Xtravision/

I tried all kinds of fogs, but it's still your headlights that provide the primary lighting.

What I use are small rectangular fogs (made by Blazer, if I remember correctly) similar to the SE foglights that you can buy at just about any parts store.

Combined with the Xtravisions, it works just fine. Just make sure everything is aimed perfect. That makes a huge differece.

 

Yes. Dont be terrorist on oncoming traffick. Who cares how many collisions it will cause... at least I do.

Let the current lamps have the current they want. Current needs thick wires.

Shiny lights legally: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/11

1. Wire to RH lamp relays, 2. Wire to LH lamp relays, 3. Wire to LH foglight relay, 4. Wire to RH foglight relay,

 

I don't want to be a terrorist to traffic... I said on-road because it's an area that would be considered "off-road" if it wasn't a highway. It's a little paved piece of a forest and there is no traffic. I just know I had a friend get pulled over for having all 6 of his KC lights on on his pathfinder because apparently they're for off-road use only...

 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/product_test/

 

A comparison shot I took back then of the XD5's and Silverstars. Notice the XD5s are whiter (claimed 5800K color temp) and the Silverstars are at 4000K. The Silverstars throws more light onto the road, even though they're not as white.

 

ouch that hurts

 

That's what I want to see... Silverstars it is.... After payday. I just spent the last of the change in my car on ramen.

If i don't like the silverstars, I'll try the wagners and I'll give the set I like less to my sister, her sentra uses 9004/H3.

 

um H3 is not a 9004

 

I think he is saying 9004 headlights with H3 fogs..

 

no they aren't you dipshiet
ricer parts store guy, riiicccerrrrrr





oh and I'm pretty sure redSeraph was just saying 9004 headlights and H3 foglights



Personally I'm done with silverstars, in my experience they have an extremely short life. XD5's are nice to match HID's, but I wouldn't use them as my headlights unless I just didn't drive that much at night. I mean it's not *that* bad, but meh, I think we need all the help we can get lol. I've heard good things about wagners, most people seem to like them and they last a long time from what I've seen with other people's experience.

Personally, Projectors only for me here on out. You don't even have to use HID's, projectors with halogen bulbs are still miles ahead of reflectors.

 

I haven't seen wagners in a store in yrs.....anyone know who carries them?

 

Hmm, that's funny http://www.federal-mogul.com/cda/con...4_7602,00.html


Brighter, wider beam pattern for maximum viewing safety

*
Equipped with Xenon gas and high powered 55 watt low beam filament
*
Creates a 30 degree wider beam pattern and delivers 80 percent more light on the road

 

just because it has Xenon gas in it doesn't mean it's a Xenon light

 

Napa

 

so then what makes a xenon light?

an HID doesn't neccessarily mean it's Xenon
Xenon is a gas, nothing more nothing less.
any other use of the term is inaccurate

 

you can also call them noble gas bulbs...

 

Some thoughts...

The ligtin issue & regulations is somewhat farisean... Used by gvmts to milk car industry = we pay. Nissan as any other has to pay very FAT license fees for every lamp -type globally. Every lamp type has to be inspected and get accepted, permission and stamped (look at your lamp lenses). Thats why EU lamps cannot be u$ed in US & vice v€rsa.

Our police get promotion based on ticket$, they have to reap certain amount a day from us under criminal law (=owner is always criminal in socialism). This 'blood money' is budgeted in state budget. Lights is the 'only' issue besides speeding that pliis can figure out. Thereby ticketing fog lights ON daytime is a top cop top priority, me criminal caught in act, pay 120$... (If youre murderer helper, get 20$ fine)

Getting blinded is dangerous for others. Still lamps dont blind ppl, its how you use/align them. Police couldnt care less... 'Normal' acceptable things do turn around weird if judges/prosecutors get their hands on issues after some kind of incident. Then its better to have bits fillin (the mostly stupido) regulations...

 

for the guy who originally started the thread, i got two words for ya: SILVER STARS

 

... IMO i think the only practical way to increase light output without going HID is to up the voltage of ur headlamp system.

u can build a 12V-20V conversion circuit and wire that up to ur headlights and switch it with a relay so that it will be separate from the car's other circuits and won't fry ur fuse. but it will shorten the life of ur bulb by quite a bit...

 

The only practical way to increase the voltage, is via wire thickness. To ctrl that current, relays are needed:

details at http://www.cardomain.com/ride/748507/11

 

Woah, woah... How can you say you have to increase wire gauge to increase voltage?

Amperage I can understand, in fact, if you increase amperage, you really ought to increase wire gauge. But voltage is merely a measure of the potential energy. However, current is only drawn as needed so i could theoretically support a higher current with a larger wiring scheme, but if the bulbs I installed don't require a higher current, the upgrade will go largely unused.

 

Ohms law doesnt listen to me...

Empirical tst :
1. take a 10$ multimeter and measure voltage at u headlight skinny wire end. NOW.
2. Add som real man wiring.
3. THEN. Measure again...

3 - 1 = x

x = THE iNcrease. This transforms into zillions more actual photons hittin the rad.

 

If Xenon's are gas filled, how come I never have to refill them at the pump?

Sorry.

I am not a fan of SilverStars. I think they are good, and among the best options for a bulb swap, but still don't satisfy my need for better lighting.
I think the best alternative without question is an e36 conversion. Personally I haven't made the conversion, because I prefer the look of stock, but e36's can not be beat in the dismal 3rd gen lighting category, other than flipping the high-beams on permanently and re-aiming them downward so as not to blind oncoming drivers.
Now silly/stupid/ridiculous as that may sound, I have done just that.
In the few months since I tried this approach, I have not had a driver "flash" to let me know my high beams are on (and I have been flashed before under normal aiming when I simply didn't realize they were on).
It allowed me to keep my stock look.
And I can see the road amazingly well at night.
To further the question of "blinding", I was pulled over for speeding recently at night, and the officer made no mention of my lights being too bright. So to some extent, I feel this issue is addressed.
My main concern about this setup is, can I drive for extended periods with it set in constant high-beam mode, or does the potential exist that I am putting too much strain on the wiring harness?
I've had no problems so far - but I guess the jury is still out on that.
The setback to this setup is, I can't high beam anyone now when I want to alert an oncoming driver, or if I am cut off, or want to flash that Yugo to get the out of the fast lane - because... I'm already in high beam mode.

 

 

I dont think so. However, nissan originals wire gauge is on par with hilarious xmas deco. Try enforcing the wirings... darkness will be smashed even with lo beam.

Maybe buy/install auto hi/lo switch?