Best headlight options?

So I'm sick of not having decent lights and looking for some options. Price is a small consideration, but if they're worth it, I'll spend it. I'd also like to keep them close to the same color temp. I'm really not a fan of the blue lights I see people going for. They might be the best out there for the person in the car, but I'm also not trying to annoying every car I pass at night. I don't know much about HID's, but maybe they're the obvious answer, I dunno...

I'll also be doing the "big 3" upgrade at the same time. Will be picking up some of those parts this week to get it ready for that upgrade. I don't have a system in my car and probably won't down the road, just a decent head unit and some speakers. I don't want anything to worry about when I'm not with the car.

So yeah, hit me with some suggestions. I'll probably do a little scanning on honda-tech and google, but wanted some first hand experience from fellow wagon owners since most of you seem to be level headed folks :)

Comments

  • CharbCharb Administrator
    Retro fit your low beam so you can use a better bulb. I use the high beam bulbs. Sorry numbers aren't coming to mind.

    If you want to give it a try, just pull your high bulb (and socket) and plug into your low. I did this for a blown light once, and was a fan. You'll be surprised. Then use a decent bulb.

    Obviously if your lamps are foggy and the reflector is all busted, restore or replace. simplyhonda did a write up on restoring.

    This is coming from 'the old man' who hates aftermarket HIDs...
  • Charb wrote: »
    Retro fit your low beam so you can use a better bulb. I use the high beam bulbs. Sorry numbers aren't coming to mind.

    If you want to give it a try, just pull your high bulb (and socket) and plug into your low. I did this for a blown light once, and was a fan. You'll be surprised. Then use a decent bulb.

    Obviously if your lamps are foggy and the reflector is all busted, restore or replace. simplyhonda did a write up on restoring.

    This is coming from 'the old man' who hates aftermarket HIDs...


    I saw the restore, I'll take a closer look at mine to see. I know one is a little better looking than the other, but I have two parts cars to pull from to match if I need to before going to that trouble. I remember reading about the high beam swap. I'll do some research in that direction. I did some quick searches on HID's, but the color really bothers me enough to avoid them. I may also look into mounting some lights on my roof rack or bull bar (if I can track one down) for offroad action or country roads when I'm the only one out, heh.

    Thanks for the simple options, I like that!
  • oddomatikoddomatik New Wagonist
    Don't get HIDs. That's top on my short list of things the PO did to reverse.
  • This old man likes HID, specifically....http://www.tspny.com/ I have them on three Hondas. One has been running for 4 years now with no issues. I also hate the colors so I just go with the 6,000K model. Night and day difference in visibility :rolleyes:. Pro tip: Do not pay extra for the slim ballast, that is what you will get anyway.
  • 3rd4ce3rd4ce Council Member
    This old man likes HID, specifically....http://www.tspny.com/ I have them on three Hondas. One has been running for 4 years now with no issues. I also hate the colors so I just go with the 6,000K model. Night and day difference in visibility :rolleyes:. Pro tip: Do not pay extra for the slim ballast, that is what you will get anyway.

    just my two cents ...
    ok guys ive done years of research and must chime in on this one ..... a simple pair of 35watt hid 6k is a good pick ive sold and installed a few hundred pair as you can see my wagon has lots of lights facing all directions

    keep in mind a pair of fog lights with hid will also add lower light and illuminate the ground but i recommend using the same 6k

    AND MAKE SURE to check the alignment of the headlights so oncoming traffic wont think your high beaming them.
  • 3rd4ce3rd4ce Council Member
    oddomatik wrote: »
    Don't get HIDs. That's top on my short list of things the PO did to reverse.

    if your serious about removing HIDs i will gladly take them off your hands..
  • man, you guys are killing me. I've seen those tspny kits in the past and read good things about them, but damnit, I don't want to like them, lol...

    PS Just ordered a hitch for my car, summer is looking better and better already!
  • NZ-DB8RNZ-DB8R Moderator
    Dont put HID its into non HID housings, they are shit and they blind every single person driving towards you as the beam is not focused like it should be.
    Its illegal in my country for a good reason
  • 3rd4ce3rd4ce Council Member
    geezfools wrote: »
    man, you guys are killing me. I've seen those tspny kits in the past and read good things about them, but damnit, I don't want to like them, lol...

    PS Just ordered a hitch for my car, summer is looking better and better already!

    ok so pick a color of HID i have 6k in 2 civics low beam and 8k in my wagon high beam and 8k low with a halogen low beam
    276.jpg
    and this is the halogen bulb color chart...
    a stock normal off the shelf halogen is around 3500 to maybe 3800 pretty much has a yellow or doo doo brown color in my opinion thats not effective or efficient
    plus its 55 watts times 2 for low beam then add the 65 watt times 2 for high beam
    277.jpg
    but not very good for actually illuminating the road or animals/kids on bikes that get in front of our car
    NZ-DB8R wrote: »
    Dont put HID its into non HID housings, they are shit and they blind every single person driving towards you as the beam is not focused like it should be.
    Its illegal in my country for a good reason
    i agree with you to a point but also disagree ive been installing first the blue glassed halogen then hid and led into over a thousand different sockets head light, fog light, door clearance lights, parking light, tail lights, map lights, dome lights, reverse lights, even have 8 lined up to replace the roof lights on Scrappy ..... but i always re aim the lights individually as soon as i install them ...

    check out the LED Headlight by Truck Lite : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JhdBPNPLYAU

    as for blinded by oncoming cars the high up cadillac suv and trucks, lincoln navigotor and many more oem installed vehicles have done far worse to my eyes than any vehicle i have installed ......
    i know the studies say that all the old headlight assemblies made for the old halogen to reflect the light of the back and bounce it out front cant use hid but i disagree 100% our 2012 civic hybrid came with clear glass halogen and i put the 6k into and the beam cuts off correctly and ive NEVER had any oncoming traffic flash high beams plus i have driven towards the hybrid in my lowered 96 honda odyssey and doesnt bother me one bit

    but again i pull every vehicle to a wall and flat parking lot to check the aim so i dont blind others because i get migraine headaches and dont like being blinded myself :hopelessness:
  • NZ-DB8RNZ-DB8R Moderator
    This is what I am referring too, the beam is not focussed with HID bulbs put into normal non HID housings and is blinding. Projectors fitted into OEM housings or OEM HID are focussed and nice to people coming towards you

    347.jpg

    I have OEM HID in my ITR and they are great, Ive driven a car with aftermarket HID and they were terrible
  • NZ-DB8R wrote: »
    This is what I am referring too, the beam is not focussed with HID bulbs put into normal non HID housings and is blinding. Projectors fitted into OEM housings or OEM HID are focussed and nice to people coming towards you

    347.jpg

    I have OEM HID in my ITR and they are great, Ive driven a car with aftermarket HID and they were terrible


    Do we have any options for fitting projectors into our housings? From the bit of searching I did, it's all DIY shit correct? Like hacking into them, JB weld, etc...
  • quartersquarters Council Member
    The 9006 to 9005 mod is fitting a high beam bulb (no glare shield coating on the tip, 10w more) into the low beam housing. I did it, worked pretty good, not MIND BLOWING, but you can see the difference. Free cuz i snagged some 9005's out of a civic at the wrecking yard. Worst case, you don't like it, you have spare high beam bulbs. Keeps OEM color shades. Took about 5 minutes with a dremel.
  • 3rd4ce3rd4ce Council Member
    they make a projector assembly for our wagons ... ive got one on Scrappy check build thread ...

    ok so the picture cant be even compared ...... where is the halogen image for the neon ..... the hid and halogen do the same thing REFLECT the light out of the assembly ........ no matter if euro guys put yellow bulbs or rednecks add 100 watt clear bulbs its the same result reflecting out only difference is the color ....
    377.jpg

    still all boils down to the operator AIMING there headlights correctly ...!!

    ive had people with the higher watt halogen installed into there headlights blind me ... with the doo doo brown colored light ..


    my real question is people dont like the PURE WHITE light of an HID
    or
    is it the blue they cant stand ..?????

    a 35 watt hid > 55 Watt halogen any day ...

    the hid is lower watts and draws less power but just a clean light that penetrates the night and teh

    tomorrow im thinking about using Maria's 2012 ciVic Hybrid and doing some night time headlight pictures with halogen (blue glass & clear oem glass) and also the 6k she daily drives with and i might be able to scrounge up a single 8k left from an accident ....

    i will reply back
  • AbideAbide Council Member
    I have a 55W DDM kit in mine and I'm not proud of it, It's super glary and bright like any HID in a reflector but its also 4200K so it doesn't look like one. If i have time and the budget i'll probably do a projector retrofit with something bi-xenon like the TL or an EVO lens.

    you can find some 70W-100w halogens in 9006 but i would upgrade your stock wiring or make a relay or something first


    It's the glare people dont like when you put HIDs into halogen reflectors. Youll never get that sharp cutoff like you do with the projector lens. Ive also had some projectors that took halogens and it was worse than any other combination ive experienced.
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