Cheapest Headlight + Foglight up grade(bulbs)

[McWatters]

Whats the cheapest ugrade for bulbs for our cars, hid require kits right?? are there any alternatvie bulbs ,

cheers

J.McWatters

[ThoreauHD]

I just installed these today. They seem to be a bit brighter and they have a lifetime warranty. Was recommended by a fella on the board here.

$30.00 USD for 2 bulbs

http://xenonexpert.com/xtechalogenbulbs.html

"Xtec HIDMatch™ halogen bulbs that match your HID are made to remove that "yellow" color stock bulbs have. They are rated at 4000K giving you a nice white color that can match your HID bulbs or even your other Xtec halogen bulbs.

These bulbs carry the same lifetime warranty the Xtec products are known for. That's right. A bulb burns in 3 months? We send you another one for free.....Nobody does that."

[McWatters]

Hmm seems very good, and u didnt have to mod them or anything stupid for ur car????

also what lights did u put your bulbs in

cheers

J.McWatters

[SchnellE34]

I went with the Sylvania SilverStar. (http://www.streetracersonline.com/articles/silverstar/) I remember someone on the board mentioning that they didn't like them. I think they are great. I get compliments all the time on how bright my lights are. Of course that is partly the German engineering of the lighting system. But seriously the high beams are realy f'in bright.

[ThoreauHD]

Um, I did my low beams which are 9006's. The high beam are 9005's I think- although I'm not sure. The fog lights, I didn't check what my model was. No, it's just a replacement part that works better and lasts longer. I also didn't want to modify anything. I had regular Sylvania's in there previously. I was looking at the Sylvania silverstar (3800K)but I've heard from my mechanic that they fry after awhile and they don't have a warranty worth spit. When I found a cheaper and brighter option with a forever warranty, I went with that.

I just want what I have to work the best that it can stock. I like stock. I wasn't comfortable with retrofitting a 9005 onto the 9006 headlamp. While this seems insanely minor compared to everything else that folks do here, that's just how I want to handle this car.

[McWatters]

so what would i purchase for the fog lights same as lows?

cheers

J.McWatters

[Rustam]

Whats the cheapest ugrade for bulbs for our cars, hid require kits right?? are there any alternatvie bulbs ,

cheers

J.McWatters

I think Philips makes bulbs that approach 4000K (HID domain) for e34 application - 9006 and 9005 may be the ones, ~$30US

[CharlesAFerg]

I went with the Sylvania SilverStar. (http://www.streetracersonline.com/articles/silverstar/) I remember someone on the board mentioning that they didn't like them. I think they are great. I get compliments all the time on how bright my lights are. Of course that is partly the German engineering of the lighting system. But seriously the high beams are realy f'in bright.

Basically those are extremely white, and the author adds that the only thing with these is you don't get the "aftermarket" (dunno) blue look.

What would give you a blue look anyways? Phillips?

[632 Regal]

no one listens to me but ill waste bandwidth anyways.

Wagner Brite lights. havent replaced one yet, going on 3 years.

want info? google them, want a link to cheap wagner bulb supplier ask.

[bfd]

Charles asks:

<What would give you a blue look anyways? Phillips?>

Why would anyone want "blue" looking headlights? Is it to pretend you have actual Xenon HID lights? Or do you just want that "look" so you can show off?

If you want Xenon HID, then spend the $$$$ and do it! Otherwise, it appears tha the 9005 bulb conversion that Bruno's site recommends is no longer necessary as equivalent 9006 bulbs for Sylvannia, Wagner, etc. are now available. Get a set of those and enjoy!

[CharlesAFerg]

I think Philips makes bulbs that approach 4000K (HID domain) for e34 application - 9006 and 9005 may be the ones, ~$30US


What should I search for specifically, I'm in the market for these now. :-)

What specific wattage or model number will work on my E34?

[shanek]

I have HIR9012 bulbs and they are a huge improvement over stock and the sylvania silverstars I had before. You have to trim them with a dremel to get them to fit but it took me about 5 mins.
Check out this site http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html it has a tonne of info on bulbs. Also google HIR9012, there is a few sites with reviews and info on them. I have driven a couple cars with HID and you will never come close to it with halogen but I am very impressed with these bulbs.

[ThoreauHD]

OK, tested out those bulbs again tonight. The are very bright. I'm happy. And it's white instead of yellowish, which is what the ad said so yay for me.

[ThoreauHD]

You need a set of 9005 and a set of 9006. And the wagner brite lights look just like what I have but are cheaper! 20 bucks per set. Nifty.

http://www.brandsport.com/w9006.html

Jeff is so smart. He's right on both counts. I didn't listen to him either.

[632 Regal]

not many do.

[Paul in NZ]

whats that jeff...you say somethin.?

[zmuff]

I'll second the motion for HIR9012 bulbs mentioned by shanek. I've had mine in for over two years and I am still pleased. A little pricey but excellent light output.

[Jon K]

what's halogen?



Joke.

[632 Regal]

your going to do the swap for better light? You dont need both 9005 and 9006, just the 9005s for low and high beams.

You need a set of 9005 and a set of 9006. And the wagner brite lights look just like what I have but are cheaper! 20 bucks per set. Nifty.

http://www.brandsport.com/w9006.html

Jeff is so smart. He's right on both counts. I didn't listen to him either.

[bfd]

Jeff states:

<You dont need both 9005 and 9006, just the 9005s for low and high beams.>

One question, according to Bruno's website the 9005 bulb needs to be modified. It doesn't look to difficult, but if the stock bulb is a 9006, why get a 9005?

Further, is the Wagner, which seems like a very good deal, available for both the hi/low AND the hi beams? Thanks!

[liquidtiger720]

because the 9005 bulbs put out more lumens. ^^



BTW:, if anybody wants....I have a set of phillip d2s bulbs (4300k) and hella ballast...all brand new...for sale....PM me an offer.

[bfd]

<because the 9005 bulbs put out more lumens>

Interesting. The Wagner bulb claims to put out 4000K; while the D2s bulb, which I presume is a 9005 bulb(?), puts out 4300K. Is the difference noticeable? Is it worth the hassle of modifying the 9005 bulb to fit?

[liquidtiger720]

d2s bulb is an HID bulb.

And, when did Kelvin become a measurement of lumens? Higher kelvin = less output. 4300k is what most if not all OEM car makers use in their HID setups.

kelvin is the heat at which the bulb runs at...a lumen is a measure of the flux of light. If I'm wrong...please inform me...for I may have been mis-educated?

[joshua43214]

Kelvin relates to the color of the light.
Lumens relates to the amount of light output.

The higher the kelvin, the more blue and less red the light is. the lower the kelvin, the higher the red and the lower the blue.
daylight is aprox 5000kelvin
white light(studio reference) is 3200k
incadescent household bulbs are about 2800kelvin

kelvin has nothing to do with how much light is emited or how bright it is. It does however affect the eyes ability to pick out detail. Our eyes work best in daylight, so we will see better with 5000k bulbs even if there is no gain in lumens.

You have all heard of infra-red and ultra-violet light?

[liquidtiger720]

This is what I meant by less output...

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=21521

thanks for that clarification.

[bfd]

Interesting. But the question remains, what is the difference between a 9006 4000k light bulb, like the $20 Wagner, and a 9005 light bulb, like the modified one on Bruno's E34 site, that may or may not put out more Ks.

I'm not comparing Xenon HID lights to either the 9005 or 9006 bulbs as that's not a fair comparison. I just want to know if there's a reason to hassle with the 9005 bulb as oppose to just buying and installing a 9006? Thanks!

[SchnellE34]

These 9006 have a cap on the end. The new 9006 bulbs you are looking at don't and produce more and better light. The bulbs Bruno's site talks about are an older style. I believe this procedure is outdated now that the 'non-capped' bulbs are for sale. (I hope he doesn't mind I borrowed this image for a visual aid)

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h314/cpurcell34/3bulb3.jpg

-cP

[McWatters]

Okay so now you guys have me really confused.,
From what i can tell. Low beams = 9006. Hig beasm = 9005
so what are the Fog lights???

cheers

J.McWatters

[Felixdacat]

I installed a set of Euro smileys, and and the guy upgraded the ceramics with red ones. What is the difference? My lights are H1's with city lights also, and they are very very bright.

[632 Regal]

there is a plastic tab in the socket section of the bulb you pop off with a small knife ir whatever to fit in the low beam connector.

Using the high beam bulbs in the low beam location accomplished the absence of the front bulb refractor so that the hidden light now shines forward, The wagners are brighter than regular bulbs also and combined without the refractor your gonna freak at the night time driveability with just the low beams.

Im not real impressed with the mod cause I have to clean the ozone from the inside of the bulbs still but the improvement is very dramatic.


Jeff states:

<You dont need both 9005 and 9006, just the 9005s for low and high beams.>

One question, according to Bruno's website the 9005 bulb needs to be modified. It doesn't look to difficult, but if the stock bulb is a 9006, why get a 9005?

Further, is the Wagner, which seems like a very good deal, available for both the hi/low AND the hi beams? Thanks!

[SchnellE34]

Okay so now you guys have me really confused.,
From what i can tell. Low beams = 9006. Hig beasm = 9005
so what are the Fog lights???

cheers

J.McWatters

http://www.sylvania.com/ConsumerProducts/AutomotiveLighting/LampReplacementGuide/

Also, I agree with Jeff (um listening to ya buddy) cleaning the glass on the lamps dramatically improves the quality of the light.

[joshua43214]

3 pages and no one has answered your question.

I shot over to the sylvania webpage to have a look.


These are the standard buld line
bulb kelvin lumens msrp
9005 3200 1700 $16.00
6006 3200 1000 $16.00


The silverstar line
Bulb kelvin lumens msrp
9005 4000 1700 $50.00
9006 4000 1000 $50.00


Philips 4100k(HID)
kelvin lumens
4100 3200


As you can see, the 9005 bulb provides 70% more light for the same cost, upgrading to the silverstar provides a 25% increase in kelvin for a 300% increase in cost.

Upgrading to HID provides a very small improvement in color over the premium bulb, but almost 2 times the lumens of the 9005 and over 3 times that of the 9006.

there are HID lights that go all the way up to 7000k.

My opinion for what its worth, doing the mod to the 9005 bulb is worth the effort. upgrading to Silverstars approachs diminishing returns when you consider it is $100.00 for both headlamps. Upgrading to HID is worth the money if you have it to spend, other wise use the Ultravision(30% more lumens than standard. $25.00) modified 9005.

[SchnellE34]

I picked my Silverstar's up for $30 a pair.

[liquidtiger720]

Okay so now you guys have me really confused.,
From what i can tell. Low beams = 9006. Hig beasm = 9005
so what are the Fog lights???

cheers

J.McWatters


depending...your fog lights are either 9006 or h1.

if you have freeform foglights....9006
ellipsoid foglights, h1.

[liquidtiger720]

Interesting. But the question remains, what is the difference between a 9006 4000k light bulb, like the $20 Wagner, and a 9005 light bulb, like the modified one on Bruno's E34 site, that may or may not put out more Ks.

I'm not comparing Xenon HID lights to either the 9005 or 9006 bulbs as that's not a fair comparison. I just want to know if there's a reason to hassle with the 9005 bulb as oppose to just buying and installing a 9006? Thanks!



like i said before...9005 has more lumens than the 9006's.

[tasman]

there is a plastic tab in the socket section of the bulb you pop off with a small knife ir whatever to fit in the low beam connector.

Using the high beam bulbs in the low beam location accomplished the absence of the front bulb refractor so that the hidden light now shines forward, The wagners are brighter than regular bulbs also and combined without the refractor your gonna freak at the night time driveability with just the low beams.

Im not real impressed with the mod cause I have to clean the ozone from the inside of the bulbs still but the improvement is very dramatic.

Does this mod cause all oncoming traffic to think you have your highbeams on and keep flashing you??

Thanks
TasMan

[Gearhead]

Josh,

Great analysis, but you shouldn't factor in MSRP in this equation as the street prices are much less. I just picked up a pair of Silver Stars at the local parts store for $36. and change (http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductList.aspx?parttype=301&ptset=A&searchfor=Headlamp). What's that, more than $60 off MSRP?

Don't think you're hitting the law of diminishing returns with this new figure, but I totally understand where you were going. Anyway, I'm really happy with these silverstars! Talk about night and day difference between these and the OEMs. Had I come across this thread before buying the silverstars, I probably would have modified some 9005's.

Now, about my high beams..... This is my first Bimmer, and I've only had it for a month. OMG, the high beams flat out scared me the first time I used them at night. It's like the sun came up or something. Going back to the low beams was then like driving in the dark. I checked and found stock/OEM replacement 9005 bulbs currently installed. Did I just get lucky or something?!? Do the rest of you have such bright high-beams?

[632 Regal]

nope
Does this mod cause all oncoming traffic to think you have your highbeams on and keep flashing you??

Thanks
TasMan

[tasman]

nope

Thanks
Sounds like this will be a must doooo:D !!

[SchnellE34]

Did I just get lucky or something?!? Do the rest of you have such bright high-beams?

My silverstar high beams are bright as hell (or heaven) haha

[SC David]

Any recommendations for good H1 bulbs? I've got some cheapo ones in my low beams right now which still have much better output than the stock 9006 headlights, but there's gotta be some nice reputable brand for them. Any of you Euro/Aussie guys have an opinion?

[Traian]

I think the 9005/9006 conversion trick has one big drawback and that is the much shorter life of 9005 bulbs vs. 9006 (about a quarter as long). This might be an issue in places like here in Canada, with daytime running lights.

Although I am not currently running this setup, when I will be upgrading my headlights I'll most likely go for a HIR 9012 low beam / 9011 high beam, which should give give nearly the same lifespan as 9006/9005, and be 2/3s of the way there to HID bulbs in terms of light output (lumens). Not only that but one thing to think about, of which I am not certain the effect, is that 9012/9011 are 55W and 65W respectively, same as 9006/9005, whereas doing the 9005 low beam conversion will draw 65W instead of the original 55, which suggests more heat. Not sure if this will have any effect, but with HIR it's not an issue.

Price is not bad either: $27 on ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/TOSHIBA-HIR-9011-9012-BULBS-THE-BRIGHTEST-AVAILABLE_W0QQitemZ8060455494QQcategoryZ33710QQssP ageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I hope that didn't read like an advertisment :D

[tasman]

I have HIR9012 bulbs and they are a huge improvement over stock and the sylvania silverstars I had before. You have to trim them with a dremel to get them to fit but it took me about 5 mins.
Check out this site http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html it has a tonne of info on bulbs. Also google HIR9012, there is a few sites with reviews and info on them. I have driven a couple cars with HID and you will never come close to it with halogen but I am very impressed with these bulbs.

Shanek
What did you have to dremmel to get them to work? The actual bulb??

Thanks
TasMan

[fkong777]

I went HID and never have to look back.
Benenfits:
amazing Bright output
excellent light quality
updated colors

Bads:
$200 Plus for a kit.
Mounting the balast
some extra wiring.

look for a 9006 kit on ebay. some goes for about $200. regards to colors.. most HID warms up to good usable light. My 8000k kit warm up to a good bright white with a little purple tint. Halogen bulb coloring are just tints they mostly filters out some usable light.

[Paul in NZ]

the h1 bulb can be upgraded to plus versions i think there are plus 30 and plus 50 versions,manufactured and sold by the usual suspects,phillps,hella ,narva,etc...
I have said it before and i will say it again....there is nothing wrong with the main beams on my e34,the low beams are average.Dont forget we have the euro/H1 setup albeit in RHD form