LS - 1st and 2nd Gen (1990-2000) Discussion topics related to the 1990 - 2000 Lexus LS400

Headlight bulbs

Old 10-01-11, 10:29 PM
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dtLS400
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Default Headlight bulbs

What type of headlight bulbs have you guys put on your 1st gen ls400's, I know the bulbs are 9004 , and I'm not trying to convert to HIDs. I am looking to get a white beam, any suggestions...? Thanks
Old 10-01-11, 11:52 PM
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vutown
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I use to run Silverstars which were white, but found that the bulbs would burn out in less than 2 years. Kind of frustrating to change them out when you need them most. I hear PIAA are worth the money.

I recently switched back to the standard ones that have a longer life span. Check the back of the labels and they will tell you the brightness along with the longevity of the bulbs.
Old 10-02-11, 12:07 AM
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with incandescent bulbs, the "whiter" you get the less actual light output you get.

in the past i've used Silverstars and Silverstar Ultras with good results.

Last edited by PureDrifter; 10-02-11 at 01:24 AM.
Old 10-02-11, 12:26 AM
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I'm running Sylvania Silver Star Ultras in my '97 for lows and plain Silver Stars in my highs. Light output is fantastic and the light produced is definitely a purer white than the factory.
Old 10-02-11, 01:42 AM
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I know I'm going to get bashed for this, but I twice ordered a set of "9004 6000k" bulbs (that's that I searched for on ebay motors), I loved them, they were brighter than the pair of silverstars I had prior to that. They looked super nice. Just make sure you order from a seller thats in the states, if you order from hong kong or something you're not going to have them for two or three weeks if you're lucky.

I forgot to mention, they can be had for 5-10 dollars a pair. Which is the reason you A) won't be mad when one goes out in less than a year and B) can afford to order two pairs so you don't have any downtime! :P

I ordered from "Forumula-J87" (http://stores.ebay.com/formulaj87). Cool story, when I got my first pair from them one of the bulbs had about a 1000k variance from the other bulb color, I emailed them and offered to send the defective one back and they responded telling me to hold on to the old one and they would send a new one, which was at my door in a few days (and I had a backup! woo!)
Old 10-02-11, 02:15 AM
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this works the bulbs just have lower light output (any coated bulb will vs. uncoated) but you HAVE TO MAKE SURE you get the same wattage as stock otherwise you'll burn out your harness.
Old 10-02-11, 03:23 AM
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I was running 55/65s. But I've always been a wild child.
Old 10-02-11, 05:48 AM
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There have been a bazillion past threads about headlight bulbs. As I said in some of them, I did a lot of experimenting with bulb brands, types and wattages during the 13 1/2 years I drove a 90 LS400. The best I found were the uncoated Sylvania XtraVision with the Wagner Brite Lite in 2nd place. The light from XtraVisions is a bit whiter, output is better, the bulbs last well and they are relatively cheap at less than $20 for a 2-pack. The XtraVision bulbs in our Camry are probably three or four years old.

I know you are asking only about whiter light, but when I last checked a few months ago, Sabersport was still selling Eagle Eyes headlight units on eBay for about $200 for a complete set. Here is one of several threads that show them in python's car: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/lig...t-on-ebay.html

You would have to splice in H4 bulb connectors to get Eagle Eyes to work on your 92 LS but that is easy to do. Eagle Eyes with XtraVision bulbs would be a nice combination.

Edit: I just checked and found that there are now a number of companies selling Eagle Eyes for the gen 1 LS400 on eBay.

Last edited by Kansas; 10-02-11 at 06:11 AM.
Old 10-02-11, 06:00 AM
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Does anyone have any experience with either PIAA Intense White or Extreme white bulbs?
Old 10-02-11, 08:08 AM
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Thanks everyone, those eagle eye units look sweet. Definitely added on my list to do along with getting rear curtains and window visors. Watt is the watt output on the stock bulbs, and can I get those bulbs you guys mentioned at a local autoparts store?,, I'm not tryin to order online because of the wait. I live in northern California between interstate 5 and 205, anywhere local from there.
Old 10-02-11, 08:46 AM
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Originally Posted by dtLS400
Thanks everyone, those eagle eye units look sweet. Definitely added on my list to do along with getting rear curtains and window visors. Watt is the watt output on the stock bulbs, and can I get those bulbs you guys mentioned at a local autoparts store?,, I'm not tryin to order online because of the wait. I live in northern California between interstate 5 and 205, anywhere local from there.
The wattage of standard 9004 bults: 45 on low beam, 65 on high beam.

Sylvania bulbs, both Sliverstar and XtraVision, are usually available at discount stores like Walmart. Look to buy bulbs in a 2-pack since they are cheaper than buying them individually.

Higher wattage bulbs can be very bad. I once tried 80/100 watt bulbs in my 90 LS and a bulb explosion really messed up one light unit and was very difficult to clean up. The higher wattage bulbs mainly just caused more glare.
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