Changing OEM to Whiter Halogen Bulbs
 

Does anyone have the standard halogen bulb from either the base or premium pkg ES350, and changed them to look more like HID? I've read that HID conversion kits are unsafe and not worth the trouble they can cause (probably voids warranty too). Can anyone suggest a good halogen bulb that retains good output while having a whitish color? Any experience with Philips WhiteVision H7?

That's why I got HIDs on the ES. On my RX, I used Silverstar halogens. They seem a bit brighter and whiter than the OEM, but looks about 70% of HIDs. Also since they're brighter, I've found that they also burn out sooner.

Totally agree on the Silverstars. I used them on one of my old SUV's. They would burn out in less than 6 months. Finally gave up and went back to stock.

The ES is actually my mom's car, that we bought over the weekend. She is a very practical woman, so she didn't care for paying extra for the HID or getting the Luxury package. She wanted the right color combo for her, and a good deal. It just looks odd to me when I see the halogen yellow main beams with the white LED strip underneath. Also, the stock bulbs are not as bright as I want them to be.

Brighter bulbs = burn out sooner? Does the brand play a role in how quickly they burn out?

Not sure if brand or brighter. Maybe someone else can chime in from experience.

Just bougt a base 2015 ES350 yesterday without HID and I'm already wanting to change out my bulbs as well for a brighter crisp white look to match the daytime LED strip.

Is the fog light same bulb as the low beam headlight? Are they both H11? I was thinking about this
Or should I do the HID route? From the posts I'm reading they look like plug and play and find a good place for the balast. It seems like there were a couple diffirent vendors including HIDextra, and the seller on eBay...Which ones did you all decide is the best HID and is it worth the sacrifice of reliability?

Thanks all.

I've used aftermarket HIDs on my other car and never had a problem. Some people are bitter about aftermarket HID's because they blind oncoming traffic. Just dont get those blue tinted 55w bulbs

Which ones did you use and where did you get? I was thinking about this one

I've used xenondepot in the past but I've left negative review on their error canceler and it was removed right away. So that kind of undermined their credibility.

I have used Silverstars in my Mazda for years and there is night and day difference between them and the standard halogens. They greatly improve night vision and were worth their replacement costs many many times in terms of safety. They are not too expensive and easy to replace. I highly recommend them over halogens, unless you decide to go the hid route.

You will get really good at replacing them, too. :p I was an expert at replacing the fogs on my old SUV. I just got tired of doing it every few months, so went back to stock after a year.

Yep. That's my experience too. You pay for the extra brightness in extra parts and labor.

There is a viable substitute for the standard halogen "yellow" light headlights. Check out halogen infrared bulbs AKA HIR bulbs from Phillips. They are 75% as bright as HID's and last 5 times longer than the silver star white headlights. I believe that they are available for our cars and they cost approximately $25.00 each. They just plug into the factory socket. I started to look into changing my headlights until I found out that they were HID (thanks Mike 728) after 2 years. A big DUH!

So are the low beam bulbs same as the fog lights in a 2015 es350? Is it a H11 bulb?

Seems very interesting. Is it a H11 bulb for es350? Same for low beams as for fog lamps?