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Hi Beam bulb upgrade

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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 03:51 AM
  #1  
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Default Hi Beam bulb upgrade

Hey guys
wife and i just moved into our new house and its in the sticks
which requires alot of hi beams at night
what do you recommend i replace the current hi beam bulbs with?
what bulb # does it take and what do you recommend that will make a BIG difference

im thinking of maube doing an HID kit for the hi beams but i need something in the meantime. as bright as possible

thanks

Erick
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 04:34 AM
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The bulb # is 9005.
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 04:51 AM
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get PIAA 9005 mean while.. but i'd go with 8000k HIDs
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 08:42 AM
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Yep, bulbs are 9005's. I really like my Razo premium white zero bulbs, quite bright and have a good distribution pattern. Of course you can always pursue the mod that allows your fogs to stay on when you switch on your high beams... that'll give you plenty of light! Sorry to ramble, but I read about a guy that lived out around Vegas and did lots of high speed night runs in his Mustang. He actually found a way to use aircraft landing lights as his fogs, and even had them connected to a motor so he could rotate them out to the sides more using a joystick on his center console
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 10:09 AM
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Originally posted by mumbles
Of course you can always pursue the mod that allows your fogs to stay on when you switch on your high beams...
how?
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 12:28 PM
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From: Lovely OC
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my concern is daytime driving light. it's low voltage high beam basically. if you put in superwhite, during day time it will be very blue, bad idea..... and what i am wondering too is, what if you have hid in high beam and supply a low voltage to the ballasts?!?! i am not sure if it will even be able to ignite the bulbs....
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 12:32 PM
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Originally posted by brendanlim


how?
i'd like to know that too

Last edited by alexus; Sep 13, 2002 at 12:32 PM.
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 01:17 PM
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daytime running lights are seperate from hi beams
so i dont think it affects anything
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 05:42 PM
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Nope, during the day, the high beams are the DRLs, just with low voltage. When you turn the headlights on, the wedge bulb takes over. At least this is for a 2k1 GS with HIDs. If someone can figure out how to get HIDs to work in the high beams, please post. There are some models coming with HIDs for both high and low beams but it looks like in California either the high beam HIDs are removed and go back to normal bulbs for the DRL function, or they use a different lamp for the DRLs, like GM does on some models. I have put the PIAA's in to replace the high beams and their color during the day is much better to my eye than the stock bulbs (although definitely not HID blue) and they do a better job as high beams as well.
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Old Sep 13, 2002 | 05:45 PM
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From: Lovely OC
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nop i am pretty sure for the gs the DRL is low voltage high beam. there are two bulbs in the highbeam housing, the highbeam / DRL and also the 5w weld bulb that comes on with your low beam.

cars like the bimmer 3 series has bi-xenon for low beam and high beam, but i don't think they have DRL at all. like i said i wonder if the ballast will be able to ignite the hid when you apply a low voltage.

you can ALWAYS get hid for high beam, just get the 9005 type. but whether it will work with DRL i am in doubt
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Old Sep 14, 2002 | 05:21 AM
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all the bimmers have the DRL on the inside, and are also yellow like the toyotas/lexus
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Old Sep 14, 2002 | 05:24 PM
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im just gonna upgrade the bulbs for now
need to find me the brightest bulbs available

thanks

erick
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Old Sep 14, 2002 | 05:30 PM
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Default wattage

If you go more than about 20 to 25% higher in wattage be used and use a relay to bypass the already marginal wiring in the Lexus. I have also seen bulb sockets melt, throughout the market, from higher wattage bulbs in the range of 85 watts and above.
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Old Sep 14, 2002 | 05:41 PM
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will piaa platinum super whites melt?
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Old Sep 14, 2002 | 06:05 PM
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E, some bash PIAA, but thier 55W bulbs are very bright, brighter than most other 55W (I can vouch from experience with their 9006s), and of course, you do not run the risk of melting anything.

http://www.digitalsimple.com/Fog%20L...Comparison.htm

I'd try their Extreme White (4150) or Platinum Spark (4100 ) since this most closely matches the spectrum of true HIDs (4200?) and since this is usually the best spectrum of light to aid in true vision, not just appearance (blue crap).


lex400sc can help as well, but he doesn't care for PIAAs. Not sure what he likes. Maybe I can get him to ad his comments for us. Let me try.....
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