My headlights are yellow, and cleaning doesn't work well enough.

Are there any good headlights that people use on this car? Also, is the trend now to use LED bulbs? What would be a good lamp / bulb combo? I want them to be brighter than original lamps.

 

I usually just grab a pair of headlights from ebay. Something like this.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/For-97-99-M...kAAOSwsyNeat4O

For headlight bulbs and fog light bulbs I'm using LED's. Here's what I have in right now.



Really pay attention to the total lumins! I originally put some in there that were WAY too bright. They enraged people and I switched them out to the ones I posted above.

 

I was thinking of putting those super bright 12k lumin ones. Did you adjust the headlights so they aimed down when you had the super bright bulbs? Or where they still blinding drivers even when you adjusted the headlight angles?

 

It was the 12k lumins that I had in there before and I can honestly tell you people lost their minds. People would slam on their brakes if I was behind them and get on my butt with their brights on. I constantly got flashed by oncoming traffic as well. I did not aim them down but I don't think that would have mattered. The way our headlights are designed (with the bulb reflecting back to the housing and back out) just seems to create glare.

Up to you but I would stay away from the 12k lumins. The ones I linked you are 5k lumins and they are plenty bright.

 

Hi again,
I got the bulbs you recommended. The Sealight S1 low lumen one. Unfortunately the low beam isn't focused and points high and will blind oncoming traffic. And it also doesn't shine far down the road like the halogens. I think I installed them properly too... there is only one way everything could fit.
Did you encounter the same issue?
I think I will have to return them.

 

To answer your question, there really is only one way to put them in. They slide into the slots, twist and bam they are in.
As far as the beam is concerned, the higher the temperature of the bulb ie 6000k, the shorter the light wave length is. So if you are used to your old halogens which have a color temp of roughly 3000k. They have a longer light wave and will project much further than 6000k bulbs (which is what those LED's are). The way modern headlights get around this problem is with the housing. The lights are focused through a projector. Our headlights are not designed like that. So when you put a high lumin high color temp bulb in them, it just creates glare.
If you really want the best bulbs to see with at night without modifying your headlight housing with projectors, you should just use a good halogen bulb. Hope that helps.

I just really like the crisp look of the LED bulbs and I can see just fine at night as I live in the city and there's always street lights around. As long as I'm not blinding oncoming traffic I'm good.

 

You're not going to use LED bulbs without blinding oncoming traffic, no way around that without replacing the whole housing with a compatible (usually projector) type.

Have you tried the 3M headlight kit? It comes with various grades of sandpaper, down to a super fine grit for wet sanding, and then some rubbing compound. Everytime I've ever used this kit on yellowed lenses, they coming out looking brand new. Only thing you need is a decent cordless drill with good batteries. I'm fortunate I have the glass headlights on my '96, but I've used this kit with all sorts of different cars and I'm amazed how well it works.

Here's an example

As far as good halogen bulbs, I bought a set of Wagner Tru-View from Rockauto recently for my Max, they're on clearance right now for about $1 a bulb. Best halogen bulbs I've ever used by far. You won't mistake them for HID bulbs, but the color is much whiter (or less yellow) than a standard halogen bulb, and brightness is improved over stock in my opinion. They also have a Truview PLUS bulb for more $, I suspect that one might be ever better.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...amp+bulb,11701

 

Putting anything but a halogen bulb in the stock housing is asking for trouble. Either do a proper retro fit with projectors or get a stock replacement bulb and move on in life.

I use Sylvania XtraVisions. Silverstars look pretty (but actually perform worse in rain as do all blue coated bulbs) but blow in a few months.

 

Ain't that the truth!

The 9004 platform was the weakest link in the 4TH gens. Underachiever bulb platform.

Get new headlight assemblies with flat lens screens and fit with FX-R 3.0 Projectors and all the other parts for a nice system. Bulbs in the 3000K range, so you can see in the rain. Humans use yellow light better than blue. Gives more 3 dimensional resolution. Blue looks like an old black and white movie.

 

Go to Hidplanet.com and you'll learn a ton about lighting, the only way to get a real lighting upgrade is to retro projectors in your housing and I would stay with a yellow/ white kelvin range for best output, usually that's around 4300K. Anything higher you're not getting the best usable light output.

I went with Acura TL projectors but there's so many options today that I didn't have back when I did mine, smaller projectors will make the install easier unless you plan to pay someone to do it. I would reach out to 13 superior mobile. His work is amazing, pricy, but you get what you pay for. He'll set you up with headlights like no other. website "bythirteen.com"

 

damn, some old school orgers must be bored hopping into a headlight thread, or it's been so long since someone asked about headlights and they got all excited. just do a retrofit like some orgers have done, o and like me. look at my sig

 

That’s what this website is for. I’m definitely not bored. Just like to offer useful information like I’ve always gotten here myself. Since I made my own headlight retro.. Who better to offer advise.

 

Exactly! Plus I just dealt with this a few months ago and it was fresh in my head.

 

Does anyone know who makes SR headlights with black housings. Seems like there's only for S SL and SR.

 

Just grab this. It comes with the lights installed. Drop in replacement, easy as can be.