Recommendations for headlight bulbs?

I have 35w AC ballast HIDs on our 2011 and they're great. 4300K color temp.

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I have a 2011 Model 3 and this is the first I've heard about headlight problems as you describe. My model has the halogen projector lamps for low beam. At nearly 150K miles the lamp color temperature is turning a bit yellow, but still more than adequately illuminates the road. I do remember reading a thread about someone replacing bulbs and somehow not getting the lamp properly seated in the housing which affected the illumination pattern. I had HID on my 2008 and really liked them, until I had to replace a bulb. $$

 

I'm using a dual relay HID harness like this DDM HID Xenon Conversion Kit Dual Relay Harness Dual In Dual Out, Fit All Bulbs | eBay which bypasses the factory lowbeam wiring for supplying the power to the HID ballasts. The factory lowbeam wiring circuit is only used to activate the relays in the harness, which operates at very low current levels. So it mitigates the voltage problem, if the have it, because the relays can operate in the ranges that are encountered in the Prius electrical system.

I have a 2011 level 3.

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The real explanation is nearly the opposite: all those highly touted "best bulbs we make!!1!" bulbs have, in effect, a lower voltage requirement than a bog-standard H11. They have a filament designed to make the tradeoff aggressively for light output at the expense of longevity (which is what you get by building, effectively, a slightly lower voltage filament). Combine that with the unexpectedly higher voltage arriving at the bulb in the 2010 or '11 Prius, and you get a super short lifetime.

If you don't swap out for wholly different technology, or get the wiring modification done, your best bulbs will be the bog-standard H11 ones. In the auto parts stores they are usually on the lowest level of hooks down by your ankles where management hopes you won't see them, and they sell for a fraction of the price of "best bulbs we make!!1!"

Mine are still going strong at 17 months ...

-Chap

 

I upgraded my 2011 Prius Three to OPT7 55W AC Bolt series, 5000K color. They run off the factory headlight wiring just fine without using a relay. The factory voltage issue isn't a problem because a little bit higher voltage/lower resistance going to the ballast won't hurt anything. It is a fantastic conversion kit, in my opinion. On both sides of the engine compartment, on the inside of the fender are plastic shields. Be careful to squeeze the clips with needle nose pliers to remove the shields, and the backside of the shields make a great place to mount the ballasts.

Just stay away from the cheap/generic/Chinese kits off Ebay and go with a good name conversion kit. I also replaced my fog lights with 6000K LEDS and in the turn signal housing I have switchback LEDS that are connected to the parking lights - white DRLs when the parking lights are on and flash yellow on the turn signal. I just leave the switch in the parking lights position all the time.