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lights not bright

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Old Nov 12, 2004 | 05:57 AM
  #1  
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Default lights not bright

I have a 99 lx470 and my low beam lights are terrible (IMO) They do not seem bright enough as I can only see about 5 feet ahead of me in the dark. They seemed to be pointing too low and I asked the dealer at the last check up to bring them up for me. I was told the tech said the lights were within the range of where they are supposed to be. But I am constantly flicking my lights from high to low for oncomming traffic. Does anyone have any suggestions (that won't kill me in cost) on how to get my lights brighter when in low beam? Or...if I have to go the expensive route, what do I do and how much does it cost? This is very bothersome to me. Thank you for your time.
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Old Nov 12, 2004 | 07:30 AM
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I just noticed last night that there is an enormous difference between the low beams and the high beams on my '04. Maybe what we're seeing is normal, but it seems to me that the low beams should be brighter and focused further out.
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Old Nov 13, 2004 | 06:11 PM
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Glad im not the only one who thinks this...me and my wife both believe the low beams on our 04 lx470 are just too dim. We drive as much as possible with the hi beams on.
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Old Nov 13, 2004 | 06:22 PM
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I hate my lights both my low and high beams, I thought it was only a problem on Lx450's. I feel your pain.
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Old Nov 14, 2004 | 08:51 AM
  #5  
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How about some silverstars or retrofit some HID's. I have silverstars in both of my cars because im to cheap to mod in HID's, and I think they work pretty well. Some say they suck in the rain, but I havent had a problem. Try out silverstars or something similar like PIAA. How about your foglights? Try turning them on. It'll give you more light up close but not down the road.
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Old Nov 15, 2004 | 12:43 PM
  #6  
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I posted the same question on the "lighting" site (not knowing it existed till I already posted here). Someone else suggested Sylvania Superstars. Does anyone know if there are any modifications needed to do this or can you just pop out the bulb and replace them with the superstars?
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Old Nov 15, 2004 | 03:13 PM
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The Silvania Silverstars are a direct replacement for the stock bulbs, I did this myself not too long ago. If I remember right the low beams are H1ST and the fogs are H3ST. There are some pics floating around too.

Here's the old thread
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...hreadid=133223

Last edited by ShadyJC; Nov 15, 2004 at 03:16 PM.
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Old Nov 15, 2004 | 03:27 PM
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Here is a side-by-side look at the stock bulbs vs. the Sylvanias (hopefully if I can get this upload picture function to work)
Attached Thumbnails lights not bright-lexusswap.jpg  
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Old Nov 15, 2004 | 04:35 PM
  #9  
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Get HID's. I have them in my 99 lx470 and i constantly get told that my lights are better than anything on the road. I can see forever with my low beams and i have terible vision. I called suvlights.com and got the kit for like $450. Its the best money i have spent on the truck thus far. The install is easy and takes about 1 hour to do it right.

Last edited by bsjoiner; Nov 15, 2004 at 04:36 PM.
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Old Nov 15, 2004 | 09:08 PM
  #10  
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I have 99 LX. It was only after installing (low beam) HID I realized (due to their brightness and clarity) that both the left and right lights are not parallel. Are there any instructions on how to adjust the lights (up/down) and (left/right).
Thanks
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Old Nov 16, 2004 | 07:24 AM
  #11  
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I would like to use the HID's, but am not all interested in doing any modifications.

However...the sylvania silverstars seem like a good idea for me. Let me make sure I have this straight. The picture above...the sylvanias are on the right side of the picture, right? Also, the silverstars...i need two for each side, a hi, and lo beam, correct?? Also, what about the fog lights, do those also get replaced with silverstars??
Has anyone heard of any problems using the silverstars with lx470????
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Old Nov 16, 2004 | 07:33 AM
  #12  
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The silverstars don't even compare to HID's. They are slightly better than stock because that is what i used for a while before i got my HID. The silverstars have a whiter light and they are higher wattage than stock which means they will not last very long. I had one of mine burn out about every 4 months. The HID's use only 5 watts total for both and should last 8-10 years.
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Old Nov 16, 2004 | 07:34 AM
  #13  
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Can the dealer put in the HID's????
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Old Nov 16, 2004 | 08:51 AM
  #14  
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No they will not because they are not factory parts. The install is really easy though. There is no splicing its all plug and play.
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Old Nov 17, 2004 | 10:12 PM
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Originally posted by pemarsh
I would like to use the HID's, but am not all interested in doing any modifications.

However...the sylvania silverstars seem like a good idea for me. Let me make sure I have this straight. The picture above...the sylvanias are on the right side of the picture, right? Also, the silverstars...i need two for each side, a hi, and lo beam, correct?? Also, what about the fog lights, do those also get replaced with silverstars??
Has anyone heard of any problems using the silverstars with lx470????
No, wait, you have it backwards. The new Sylvanias are in the left side of the picture (passenger side) and the stock bulbs are on the right side of the picture (driver side). The Sylvania Silverstars are the same luminosity as the stock bulbs (i.e. they produce an equal amount of light) but the difference is that the light they put out is much whiter, which is supposed to result in greater visibility. I replaced my fog lights as well. Hopefully you can see that in the picture.

As someone else said, they are nothing compared to real HIDs but then again, a HID kit will cost you somewhere around $275-300 whereas a bulb replacements will cost you $35 for a pair.
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