Help with lighting upgrade

IMO PIAA are too expensive. I put some Sylvania Silverstar zXe H11 bulbs in my low beams and really like the output.

They run stronger, so don't expect super long life though. It's a tradeoff output vs longevity.

Go to the Sylvania website. They are the closest thing to HID you can get while still using halogen bulbs. The output is nice and white, not yellowish like conventional halogen.

SCH-I535

 

what are the bulb types in the high beam. low beam as I guesed from your post is H11 and also the fog lights.

 

Highbeams are 9005 bulbs.

SCH-I535

 

It's funny, I'm driving with HIDs but I remember when these new fangled 50 watt quartz iodine (the original name for halogens) lights were so white and bright compared to the standard 35 watt incandescents.

 

I've been thinking of an HID upgrade but frankly am wary of ballast/bulb failures. This is a rather interesting topic for those wanting HID output without the worry of cheap craftsmanship, and it keeps it all DOT legit, which is bonus!

Thanks for the tip re: Sylvania zXe, though your comment re: durability is concerning. Does anyone have any experience with the PIAA night vision? Which bulb in the PIAA line would most resemble HIDs? They do cost more but might be cheaper in the end if they also last longer.

 

All halogen lights get dimmer as time goes by because molecules that burn off the tungsten filament get deposited on the walls of the bulb.

Pull a halogen bulb thats been in use for a while and you can see that the bulb is darker from these deposits when compared to a new bulb.

The addition of inert halogen gas inside the bulbs slows down the reactivity of the tungsten filament and makes it last longer.

You won't find a halogen bulb that approaches the light output of HID, let alone one that also lasts a long time. Like I said, it's a tradeoff.

SCH-I535

 

Fair. Of course they will never approach the light output of HID, but they will certainly be better than stock, are cheaper, with less potential headache.

With respect to the Sylvanias, how much longevity are we talking about?

 

When I bought the car I was doing a lot of night driving plus using low beam as DRLs. I was replacing halogens every 10,000 kms or sooner. I've had approx 70,000kms of trouble free HID driving since I upgraded. However it is worth spending extra for quality. Several threads where this is discussed. I did a direct swap with H11s. I've had no trouble with the OEM projectors.

 

I've only had my zXe bulbs in a few months now. However, I've had good experiences with Sylvania Silverstars too. The zXe bulbs are the latest and brightest halogens from Sylvania.

I just wanted to be straight up with you about the fact that they may not last as long as conventional halogens. Even Sylvania's website indicates the zXe have less than optimal service life when compared to their other lower output bulbs. However, they do have the best lumen output. I'm willing to take that tradeoff.

SCH-I535

 

PIAAs will still look yellow, but they're very reliable. If you want whiter but no blue, go with a good quality 5000K HID kit.

 

I'll let others chime in as I have no personal experience with a kit because I have LED headlights. However, there are numerous threads on this subject if you'll do a search.

 

All Fives come with LED headlights, not just those with the ATP package. But, yes, it's cheaper to stick HIDs in the stock projectors as LED headlights are $800 MSRP per unit plus more for the conversion.

 

I have an HID kit from hidextra.com. The work great. I have them on my old Saturn, my wife's Civic and my mom's Prius. They are a plug an play with no modifications. If you want a white color, use the 5000K color. I had the 6000k in my Saturn, and they are too blue.

 

No problem. I hope you made sure not to touch the bulbs with your fingers when installing them. The oils from your hands create a hot spot on the bulb leading to premature failure.

Handling them on the base only is the way to go. If you did touch the bulbs, clean them off with a soft cloth and some rubbing alcohol.

SCH-I535