bill99gxe

iTrader: (1)

I guess I might as well dive in while the water is warm....

So I'm going to help purchase Mom a new Grand Marquis for Mother's Day since I have X-plan at work....In looking at them around town, I notice their headlight reflective housings are sing are similarly shaped, but 'taller' than the max.

So, I look up on PIAA's website and find out they take 9007 headlights. According to the numbers, 9004 lights output 45W on low and 65W on high, while 9007 lights output 55W on low and 60W on high.

I realize that the actual beam pattern changes when the extra filament kicks in, but what's the deal with the different wattages. I'm unaware of how well 9007 lights are beam pattern wise relative to the 9004s......

What does an addition 10W on the low end and a subtraction of 5W on the high end give you?

Mustang1999

Probably a good amount. The problem however is that the beam pattern will be really messed up. I've wanted to try this for a while (since deanne's on 9007) but just have not had time. I might do it today since there's nothing ele to do.

-Shing

Mike S.

Well....

I've got a 93 with the standard 9004's(not that bad really as shing said in his numerous posts last night)

BUT my moms got a 98 Altima SE with 9007's. They are the "jewl" style light. Honestly....they are pretty good...but I'm used to the 9004's. The 9007's DON'T put a spot on the road the way the 04's do. They do also put kind of a sharp line on the side of the road(pass side) that sometimes catches my eye at night(I notice it I mean). However...its not as dramatic of an upswing as the h-4 bulbs do(you know...the 15 degree angle that sweeps up to the right side of the beam.

Highs are basically the same as the lows but more power. They do bascially "flood" the road with light. Where my 9004's on high but a brighter beam farther out on the road. With the 9007's there is no spot. I'd probably see a person standing on the side of the road first with my moms car.

Mike S.

Albertt

In terms of beam pattern. When a filament is mounted axially (9007, 9003, 9005) it can spread light within the reflector with more efficiency. Remember those CADAM sketches I put together showing how light is reflected in a parabolic reflector? I think that it is an industry standard that low beams are 55W and highbeams 60W. This is the way H4/9003 bulbs are setup also. A 9005 highbeam bulb is even lower...at 55W. Basically, it boils down to this. Since an axial filament bulb spreads light more efficiently, it only needs 55 to 60W to be an effective highbeam. Other than that, I feel that the decision to use 45/65 versus 55/60 is probably arbitrary.