PICS: Upgraded headlights (Osram Hyper and Toshiba HIR)

[jingjing]

^ Hard to say..... If you're satisfied with the way your headlights are, now - as I am - then the Osrams might be a good upgrade for you.

 

But if you'd like a much-whiter color temperature, along with perhaps more foreground lighting, more throw, and an even sharper cut-off, then the benefits of upgrading to an optics-matched set of HIDs becomes more of a debate - both in terms of technical concerns (i.e. the "trouble" of doing the retrofit) as well as in terms of cost (a full set of the higher-output incandescent lows and highs will run you close to $100....retrofit hardware should be able to be had for around $300, if you *really* bargain-hunted).

 

Certainly, a "plug-and-play" set of 4300K HIDs isn't un-doable, either - our factory optics will do OK with even such an "improper" setup, and should not generate undue glare for oncoming drivers. This would of course eliminate much of the technical concerns, as well as further cut the cost-difference...but its viability will then become a personal issue for you, especially if you're a "lighting purist."

 

 

 

agreed, i like the way the stock lights are now. more lighting wouldnt hurt i dont want to spend too much on just lighting when i can use the money for other stuff.

[TSiWRX]

I'm just gonna pull my foot out of my mouth now.

 

Yeah its true that optics make up 99% of the equation to getting your output.

 

Well said above.

 

^ Don't worry about it - it's all too easy to overlook - and heck, no-one can be constantly expected to keep everything in-mind....it wasn't long ago that I totally mis-quoted the output of the average household 60W bulb. None of us are perfect, which is why a community such as ours, who can each spot the deficits and mistakes of another, is so helpful.

 

God knows I need such corrections/back-up whenever possible.

 

Don't sweat the small stuff, bro!

[GTS Jeff]

what Item numbers?

Low beam H7 Osram Hypers = CP64217

High beam 9005/9011 HIRs = CP9011

Instructions on trimming, but don't worry, when you order from rallylights.com, the material to remove is clearly marked with white-out. I used a pair of nail clippers then smoothed the surface with the file on the back.

http://shnu.us/HIR%20Trimming%20Stock.htm

[GTS Jeff]

Why don't they just make them to fit?

Because the HIRs are so much brighter that they don't adhere to the standards for 9005 bulbs, so they're sold as a different bulb with a different base. They just made it easy for people like us to modify.

[A_Tang]

Looks like a pretty significant difference. For $50 its definitely more bang for your buck compared to an HID kit.

1: lowbeams, Osram Hyper vs. OEM H7

http://www.ualberta.ca/~jkm1/pics/headlights/comparo1.jpg

[kanoswrx]

I just put in my Osram Hyper low beam bulbs last night. Did it in the freezing cold weather at 12:30 am, haha I really wanted to put them in that night and test them out. Anyways I was throughly impressed with them, they are noticeably brighter then stock and a bit whiter in color temp (maybe thats just because they are brighter). I almost spent 200 dollars on some HID's, which I am sure would have been sweet. but with money tight this was a great upgrade. Does Osram make some Yellow fog lights like this?

[TSiWRX]

OK, I'm back, and I'm here to eat my words.

 

Yes, the Osram Hypers (65W) are indeed noticeably brighter, to my eyes, than the Sylvania SilverStars. I'm impressed.

 

But onto something which I actually thought/predicted correctly about.....

 

The HIR highs are well-worth the investment (and the literally 2 seconds it took for me to "clip" the offending tab) - truly is night-and-day, versus conventional incandescents in that application!

[GTS Jeff]

Glad you guys are enjoying them as much as me.

[fatbastard]

I was so set to get teh HIR bulbs and H9 burners a while back butlike usual I couldn't get off the pot....now I hear all these great things and I probably still won't get them till next fall since the days are getting longer and I want to do some suspension work this spring.

[sirsimon]

Wow - I need to at least upgrade to these lowbeams. Will there ever be HIR lowbeams available, or am I missing the point of the technology?

[VTsullyman]

Nice i am gonna have to look into doing this soon. I am assuming that the same lights are used on the 07s and the part numbers are right?

[fatbastard]

Wow - I need to at least upgrade to these lowbeams. Will there ever be HIR lowbeams available, or am I missing the point of the technology?

Probably not for a while if at all. It is a new technology and I think the DOT forces them to use a different mount just so they can't be put in other housings, hence the reason you have to cut the tabs. But, with that said I beleive teh low beams people are picking up are actually H9 bulbs (65W highbeams) that are put onto the H7 base. So if people will mock up those who knows if they could do the same with the HIR's. I guess someone would have to look at the dimensions to see if it locates the hot spot of the bulb in the right spot for the projector.

[GTS Jeff]

Probably not for a while if at all. It is a new technology and I think the DOT forces them to use a different mount just so they can't be put in other housings, hence the reason you have to cut the tabs. But, with that said I beleive teh low beams people are picking up are actually H9 bulbs (65W highbeams) that are put onto the H7 base. So if people will mock up those who knows if they could do the same with the HIR's. I guess someone would have to look at the dimensions to see if it locates the hot spot of the bulb in the right spot for the projector.

The Osram Hypers use H9 filaments in an H7 bulb AND base, it's not simply a base retrofit...if it were, the filament would be in the wrong place and the optics wouldn't focus the light properly.

 

Osram Hypers are currently only available in H7 and H4 sizes. Perfect for both my cars.

[fatbastard]

The Osram Hypers use H9 filaments in an H7 bulb AND base, it's not simply a base retrofit...if it were, the filament would be in the wrong place and the optics wouldn't focus the light properly.

 

Osram Hypers are currently only available in H7 and H4 sizes. Perfect for both my cars.

Do you know if the HIR filaments are in the right spot or could be made to be for an H7? From what I have seen in pics I don't think it can be but I have no measurements.

[GTS Jeff]

Update. If you guys look at my pictures of the beam pattern on the wall, you'll notice a small cloud of light above the cutoff, which is designed to allow some light above the cutoff to light up overhead signs and whatnot. But I think that because my bulbs are now way brighter, that little cloud is causing excessive glare to oncoming traffic. I just drove to Vancouver and back and I was getting flashed quite often. Does anyone know how to get rid of that light cloud? Is it a hole in the projector shield or something?

 

Or maybe my lights are just aimed a bit too high...who knows.

[jigelow]

Does anyone know how to get rid of that light cloud?

 

 

http://zenstoves.net/PotAccessories/Rustoleum.jpg

[jazzymt]

I thought I'd offer up my comparison since there seemed to be enough interest in this thread & I forgot to post this separately before. I purchased an Apexcone 4500k HID kit awhile back and although it was brighter than stock, I just was not happy with the color & distribution. There was too much foreground lighting and even at 4500k, the color seemed to get soaked up by the road in bad weather (put them in right as winter geared up).

 

Immediate thing I noticed about the 65 Osrams? Hrm, they are just as bright as the HID's! They did not have *quite* as much blinding foreground lighting, although it is still a fair amount more than stock. They also seem to be slightly better focused and throw a *little* more light into the distance. The color is something that definitely helped though - the road no longer seems to soak the light - it's actually illuminated by it! Imagine that...

The HIR's are overkill however. With the 65W lowbeams, I can hardly tell the difference between stock & HIR's. I think you're probably better off with only the lowbeams IMO...especially for the price.

 

Comparison pics (these are all with no white balance, manual shutter, ISO, apeture, etc. so they should be fairly comparable)

As you may or may not have noticed - they are also through the windshield at eye level for the most accurate representation.

Apexcone 4500k HID's

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c161/JazzyMT/HID4500k.jpg

Osram H7 65W Rally

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c161/JazzyMT/Osram65W.jpg

Osram H7's w/stock Highs

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c161/JazzyMT/Osram_OEMHighs.jpg

Osram H7's with HIR's

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c161/JazzyMT/Osram_HIR165.jpg

Looking at the histogram in Photoshop, the HID's definitely show higher intensity areas than the Osrams; "hot spots" that are not friendly on the eyes. I'll miss the bling a bit, but ultimately I'm a pragmatist - I need to be able to see when I'm in my car & the HID's were not the best solution for me.

 

Incidentally, I didn't say much about the PIAA Crystal Ion fogs, but they are awesome. Out of all of the lights, I would probably recommend these the highest - they are excellent bulbs, although somewhat of a pain to change.

 

Also - I should add that I never had any problems with glare w/the retrofit kit - I won't mind seeing you on the road if you've got a properly aimed HID kit, but ultimately, I think I can see better with Halogens (yes - I admit a FULL OEM HID swap may be still better than the Osrams, but I just don't think it's worth it - price or (especially) effort).

[GTS Jeff]

http://zenstoves.net/PotAccessories/Rustoleum.jpg

Would someone else care to elaborate?

[MiniStiGuy]

you don't use that to cover the holes. you can use some exhaust sealing clay to seal it up. You'll have to take the headlights apart to do this but it works like a charm. I can't remember which brand of the clay I bought (something steal). I'll take a pic this weekend of what you'll need to do and post it up with my whole thread on Rx330 retroing.

[TSiWRX]

GTS - Are you at stock ride-height? If so, I'd first make *sure* that your lights are properly aimed. That might be the issue, and it would prevent you from having to "bake-and-shake" the lights. Perhaps even experiment with the aim lowered just a hair, too?

 

I am slightly lowered, and I have yet to get flashes from oncoming.

 

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jazzy - Those are some *really* nice beam-shot pictures. Are you a flashlight enthusiast, by any chance?

[TRS]

I went with the Toshiba HIR high beam bulbs (9011 replacement for 9005) and have a pair of Philips Xtreme Power H7 bulbs, stated as plus 80%, on back order.

 

http://www.xp-lamp.com/images/background_home.jpg

Philips Xtreme Power +80% xenon bulbs

Thanks to new technology developed by Philips, drivers can see and be seen like never before! X-treme Power headlamps project up to 80 per cent more light on the road ahead (depending on the type of head lighting unit used in the car).

The light is powerful and intense, and the extra quality and quantity of light provided by X-treme Power lamps make them ideal for drivers who want their cars to stand out in a crowd, while ensuring driver and passenger safety is of the highest priority.

X-treme Power is fully homologated for use in all European countries without restriction as replacement for conventional lamps. It is compatible with most head lighting units, including today's modern complex-shape headlights

• Philips X-treme Power delivers up to an astounding 80% more light than standard halogens,
  
• DOT legal and come with the same quality and performance we put into the lighting we sell to OEMs around the world.
  
• X-treme Power is a new “must-have” for motoring enthusiasts and high performance drivers.
  
• Interchangeable with existing H4 and H7
  
• Legal for road use and safe to use with plastic lenses

Here’s what Auto Express had to say about Xtreme Power:

This is so new, we could not randomly select test samples, so can’t include it in our assessment. Yet performance of our pre production unit was staggering. Even compared with the current benchmark Plus per cent bulbs, the difference was immediate and dramatic. Philips claim an 80 per cent improvement over standard units, but we think that this is conservative.

 

The results have been achieved in the same way as the 30 and 50 per cent lamps-by taking the allowed tolerances right to the edge. This time though as well as reducing the filament and burning it hotter, Philips has shrunk the glass casing.

As a result, the gas pressure can be increased for better light output. Engineers have also optimised the geometry and shield position to focus the light where it is needed.

[jazzymt]

jazzy - Those are some *really* nice beam-shot pictures. Are you a flashlight enthusiast, by any chance?

I have to say - I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or not - but no, I'm not on any flashlight enthusiast sites. The reason I took the shots was because I was not confident that I would be able to tell the difference, or confident that the Osrams would be an improvement & I wanted an unbiased record of the differences so I could compare them back to back.

 

The photos confirmed what my subjective judgement was though - the HIDs put too much light up close & the halogens put out just as much light, but distributed it better (in the stock projector housing).

[ATB]

The HIR's are overkill however. With the 65W lowbeams, I can hardly tell the difference between stock & HIR's. I think you're probably better off with only the lowbeams IMO...especially for the price.

 

If you are only driving on well lit or arrow straight roads, I would agree with this.

 

For my case, where I am on narrow, winding back roads packed with hidden deer, the high beams are well worth it. I have always installed separate driving lights on all previous vehicles but the HIR high beams are good enough by themselves. May be pricey, but cheaper than installing driving lights.

[GTS Jeff]

GTS - Are you at stock ride-height? If so, I'd first make *sure* that your lights are properly aimed. That might be the issue, and it would prevent you from having to "bake-and-shake" the lights. Perhaps even experiment with the aim lowered just a hair, too?

 

I am slightly lowered, and I have yet to get flashes from oncoming.

 

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jazzy - Those are some *really* nice beam-shot pictures. Are you a flashlight enthusiast, by any chance?

I can tell that the cutoff is below the oncoming traffic's eyes, but I'll still try aiming the lights a bit lower. Maybe I'll aim them slightly to the right too. I'm at stock ride height - c'mon I'm not modding a 2.5i haha!! This car is just supposed to be the daily/winter beater.

[fatbastard]

Is there a way to aim the lights side to side? I thought I remember reading somewhere it didn't have an adjustment. I never really looked but it would be strange if it didn't, every other car I have had has both.