04SeaFive

I want to install brighter headlamps in my '04 Convertible. I've found LED, Xenon, Halogen HID, and Halogen non-HID replacement lamps, some have ballasts or other conversion parts, and some claim to be just plug and play replacement bulbs. There are several different wattages and different ranges of K (what is the K range?)

I'm confused and would appreciate some guidance on the best simple solution for brighter lights that is easy to install and will work well with my car, and doesn't cost a fortune.

4XLR8N

If you are looking for a nice upgrade over stock without going full out HID projector lights, I can recommend what I did: PIAA Extreme White Plus headlights and Philips 893 CrystalVision driving lights.

Definitely an improvement that you will notice. However, I do not do much driving at night. If I did, I would be in on the radioflyer set up for sure.

JR-01

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/mor...332&cc=1368356
Try these for 20 bucks. They might just be good enough for you.

c4cruiser

It's not that hard to replace the existing bulbs with PIAA, Phillips, or Sylvania SilverStars, any of which will give you improved lighting without worrying about the OEM wiring being up to the task.

I did the Radioflyer ACA/HID upgrade this summer and I am very pleased with the HUGE improvement in lighting. One thing I had found with the original lap housings was that the right side high beam socket was molded incorrectly and the high beam was pointed a full 5 FEET higher at 25 feet than the left side.

The Radioflyer kit comes with new ACA lamp housings and they are perfect in terms of left and right side alignment. The other thing that came in the kit was the "Hi-4" solenoid so that when I turn on the high beams, the low beams stay on. Now, because that particular solenoid can be found in kit form, I would highly recommend that if you aren't going with a HID conversion. Summit Racing has them from Painless Wiring.

joe's98

I was able to get mine through Radio Flyer. Very easy install.

xs-style

Has anyone tried sylvanias zxe line with our cars? I work pt for an auto parts store. We had a customer swap in a set in his silverado in the parking lot. It was a huge difference. At 60 dollars a pair its not super cheap, but it is more budget minded than the radioflyer or jm setups.

GCG

Light color is measured on a temperature scale referred to as Kelvin (K). Lower Kelvin numbers mean the light appears more yellow; higher Kelvin numbers mean the light is whiter or bluer.

Sent from my DROID TURBO XT1254 using IB AutoGroup

Jeff T.

Obviously there are plenty of options depending on how much you want to spend. Change the bulbs, change the entire system...

There is a thread on putting high beam bulbs into the low beam lights. It requires a little trimming and I'm going to try this route first.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...ms-suck-2.html

john8642

I went with 9011/9012 HIR bulbs and a Hi-4 harness, which turns on all four bulbs when you switch on your hi beams. The HIR bulbs are brighter than Silverstars, and made a big improvement over the stock bulbs. If you do a lot of night driving, your best bet would be install either the Radioflyer projectors, or the European OEM headlights, which have glass lenses and a single 90/130 watt low/high bulb. Both of these options cost around $600. For the limited amount of night driving I do, the HIR bulbs are fine.

Hi-4 Harness:
http://shop.radioflyerinnovations.co...?categoryId=-1

9011/9012 HIR bulbs:
http://store.candlepower.com/hirlighting.html

Modifying 9011/9012 to fit for 9005/9006

SG Lou

One thing to consider...the higher in "power" you go with a OEM style replacement the less hour usage you get out of it. Something to consider if you do a lot of night driving.

I'm not the author of this comparison, just found the info on the interweb.

Any of the blue-glass "extra white" bulbs are an absolute nonstarter as far as seeing better is concerned. Sylvania Silverstar/Ultra, PIAA, Hoen, BlueVision, CrystalVision, TruView, Nokya, Polarg, etc. -- all a scam. Such bulbs produce significantly less light than even a standard bulb, so we'll start our comparison with standard bulbs.

Osram Silverstar, Narva Rangepower+50, and Philips VisionPlus are all "Plus+50" H7 bulbs. Philips Xtreme Power and Osram Night Breaker are both "Plus+80"/"Plus+90" bulbs. They are, as a class, the best 55w H7s you can buy. But, Osram offers (and I stock) an even better option with higher output and longer life. Here is the comparison (figures at 13.2 volts):

Standard H7:
55w, 1500 lumens, 500 hours

H7 ultra "Plus+50" (any brand):
55w, 1580 lumens, 225 hours

H7 Xtreme "Plus+80" (Philips) or "Plus+90" (Osram):
55w, 1620 lumens, 200 hours

H7 rallye+65 (Osram only):
65w, 2100 lumens, 500 hours, obvious choice.

The extra 10w is of no consequence as far as electrical power or heat --
those 80w to 100w bulbs are a different story, and they produce less light
and have a shorter lifespan than the Osram 65w item.



Here is some more detailed info:

For reference, here's manufacturer data, from internal engineering databases, for output and lifespan at 13.2v for standard-wattage H1 bulbs. The numbers here are a composite of values applicable to the products of the big three makers (Osram-Sylvania, Philips-Narva, Tungsram-GE). Each manufacturer's product in each category is slightly different but not significantly so. I picked H1-type bulbs for this comparison, and while the absolute numbers differ with different bulb types, the relative comparison patterns hold good for whatever bulb type you consider. Lifespan is given as Tc, the hour figure at which 63.2 percent of the bulbs have failed.

H1 (regular normal): 1550 lumens, 650 hours

Long Life (or "HalogenPlus+") 1460 lumens, 1200 hours

Plus-30 High Efficacy (Osram Super, Sylvania Xtravision, Narva Rangepower, Candlepower Bright Light, Tungsram High Output, Philips Premium): 1700 lumens, 350 hours

Plus-50 Ultra High Efficacy (Philips VisionPlus, Osram Silverstar, Narva Rangepower+50, Tungsram Megalicht, but not Sylvania Silverstar): 1750 lumens, 350 hours

Plus-80/90 Mega High Efficacy (Philips Xtreme Power, Osram Night Breaker): 1780 lumens, 340 hours

Blue coated 'extra white' (Osram CoolBlue, Narva Rangepower Blue, Philips BlueVision or CrystalVision, Tungsram Super Blue or EuroBlue, Sylvania Silverstar or Silverstar Ultra, which is just a rebrand of the Silverstar product, also PIAA, Hoen, Nokya, Polarg, etc): 1380 lumens, 250 hours

innerconx

I stuck some ZXE's in both the hi and low beams - pretty marked difference over stock. Nice bright and white - not as white as the LED's on my Jeep - but they will fit the bill for this car - closest thing
I've seen to HID's

john8642

How do these compare to the 9011/9012 HIR bulbs?

innerconx

Isn't that an article written over 10 years ago in 2005?
Just saying.

dhfva63

I just installed the HIR 9011/9012 as well. Purchased the set from Candlepower. Easy to modify and install, much better light than stock. I did install the Hi4 relay as well, lows stay on when highs are on. Very easy to install, something like 70% more lumens then stock, and much longer life.

SG Lou

I dunno if it was or not...I'm just pointing out what I have heard and read. If things have changed and they last longer then fine. I, for one, would not spend $60 for a pair of bulbs only to have to replace them every couple of years.

john8642

$60 is a small price to pay for being able to drive safely at night for "a few years".

JBird3

Does the Hi-4 relay work with stock bulbs? Upgrading bulbs and using the relay would be perfect for me if it functions. I don't see why it wouldn't but I'd love to be sure before ordering.

john8642

Yes it does. Basically, you tap into the engine compartment fuse box to add a relay that switches on the low beams when the high beam circuit is switched on. Very simple installation and no cutting of existing wires.

Edit: Here's a link for Radioflyer's Hi-4 harness. If you click on the picture in the link, there are installation instructions.

http://shop.radioflyerinnovations.co...?categoryId=-1

2FAS4UU

In regards to your statement about the original lamp housing, both of my housings for high beams must share the same flaw. I posted a thread asking about this issue awhile back and only received reply's that I must have installed bulbs incorrectly, Not!. Upon using my high beams it illuminates lower branches of trees as if I'm looking for owls. So I am basically relegated to only using my low beams. Thanks for your comment on this issue, I thought I was going nuts and was the only one experiencing this issue.

DaveOstrow

I have a 2004 C5 I'd like brighter headlights in. Are these osram lights the ticket? How much are they and how do you and I connect so that I can buy them from you?

Dave