Stock headlights, disappointing lighting at night

[ryu_haneda]

I noticed lately that my stock headlights are dim. I usually buy the "usual" halogen bulbs for the car and do the bulb replacement myself.

I replaced both bulbs back in 2007/08 as far as I can remember, and usually ride around with a set of bulbs in my trunk, ready to replace them when necessary.

I would not be surprised at all if my replacement efforts have made my headlights go out of alignment.

I am also interested in re-doing the finish on my headlights, and may just go ahead and look up the DIY/sticky for clearing headlights of the yellow stuff they get over time.

Questions:

1. How easy is it to align stock headlights? What am I looking for when I do the alignment myself (or should I have a garage do it for me)?

2. How often do you replace the bulbs on your car? Do you wait until a bulb burns out?

3. What materials are required to clean headlights of yellow fade?

4. Is there a particular brand of headlight you recommend? Is it worth the money to get expensive lamps? (Not talking about getting a JDM headlight system, just talking about getting better bulbs to put in them.)

Thanks for your time, as always.

God bless you...
-ryu_haneda

[chuckthefuk]

Questions:

1. How easy is it to align stock headlights? What am I looking for when I do the alignment myself (or should I have a garage do it for me)?

2. How often do you replace the bulbs on your car? Do you wait until a bulb burns out?

3. What materials are required to clean headlights of yellow fade?

4. Is there a particular brand of headlight you recommend? Is it worth the money to get expensive lamps? (Not talking about getting a JDM headlight system, just talking about getting better bulbs to put in them.)

1) Very easy as long as your adjusters are not rusted. They look like long metal bolts with a Philips end on it.

2) Usually both at the same time since the life of one is going to die before the replacement .

3) Read the DIY.. but since your lazy you wetsand with 1200+ then polish with your favorite brand.

4) knockoff HID's are inexpensive these days $80-100. If its to rich for your blood Sylvania Silverstars are the best but cost $20-30 each.

No matter what you do the light pattern is going to be awful since the stock lense reflects the light in a strange pattern. If you have the $$$ JDM Projectors are the best for lighting cutoff's and distance.]
-=Chuck

[decke48]

sliverstars burn out fast for some reason.. and improve light to much in these lamps. i would just buy cheap sylvina's. hid kit is ok. 5k is the best for output in aftermarket kits, but headlights still scatter the light everwhere. cleaning lamps, i buy those 3m drill kits and just use the foam pad and some rubbing compound, works almost like sanding quality but its easy as pie. JDM projectors are nice well worth the money. have good outputs and distance. morrette's are awesome if you can find a set and like the looks have the best output and throw light forever clear and crisp.

[anothernord]

PlasticX is great stuff to clean the yellow off headlights. You just rub it on, then wipe it off. Lots of auto parts stores sell it.

Edit: Aiming the headlights is easy, park 25ft from a wall on a level surface, measure distance on your car from ground to headlight, then aim the light blobs until they are about 2 inches lower than the headlights are off the ground.

[Grafton]

4) knockoff HID's are inexpensive these days $80-100. If its to rich for your blood Sylvania Silverstars are the best but cost $20-30 each.

No matter what you do the light pattern is going to be awful since the stock lense reflects the light in a strange pattern. If you have the $$$ JDM Projectors are the best for lighting cutoff's and distance.]
-=Chuck

NO NO NO NO NO /end rant ;)

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech ... /good.html (http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/blue/good/good.html)

hid kits are
1 illegal in halogen housings
2 will glare the be-jesus out of oncoming drives if used in halogen housings ( even jdm projectors )*

Sylvania Silverstars suck, they have a blue coating that makes the output sifted more toward the blue end of the light spectrum which makes the light appear 'whiter' and they burnout quicker because they have to pump out more light to get to the legal level of 'brightness' (lumens) because of the blue coating

the best bulbs you can get are osram silverstars,
for the money get the plain jane sylvania bulbs and you'll be set

then get jdm projectors i have them but they are set up for right hand drive which can glare on coming drivers ( aim them correctly and you'll reduce the chances of that happening)

*the best option is refitting a set of jdm projectors with the HID projectors from a BMW you'll have awesome light output, correct beam pattern for LHD and no blinding your fellow drivers, oh and a huge dent in your wallet :)

[Plays_with_Toys]

Don't get silverstars. They absolutely suck in any kind of wet condition. I liked the middle range of bulbs, not the base sylvanias.... I think they're called xtravisions.

No matter what you won't get anything out of the stock lights. Even my hella foglights outshone my headlights... It's sad when a fog light puts brighter light for a longer distance in front of your car. Either save for the JDM lights (they really are worlds better, and I have only been flashed once with them on, and it was on a mountain road, with no other light around, when I was coming down a hill... I've had mine on for over a year.

If you can't afford the JDM lights, you might look at getting some hella fog lights. The hard part about these is unless you have an outback, it's hard to make these lights look good on the bumper. You need a light bar or something, which might not be the look you're going for.

[anothernord]

Also check out blazer fog lights, they are really small and of the projector variety, so they can sit inconspicuously in your bumper. Plus, they are only about $40 shipped on eBay. Search for "clear projector fog lights". They are the most popular foglight in the retrofitting community (HIDplanet.com).

[1-3-2-4]

Don't put a hid bulb in the USDM housing.. that headlight (both of them) are fluted and it would scatter light like mad.. try wet sanding..

[rougeben83]

on the +50% headlight bulbs (silverstars, nighthawks, etc, they're all pretty much the same, just try to avoid the blue tinted ones as someone else said), I found I would replace them when they started to get dim, not necessarily when one burns out. I had osram silverstars on the minivan for about a year and a half until I replaced them due to this.

You can also try an aftermarket wiring harness for your headlights, it should improve electric current flowing into your bulbs, leading to a brighter light.