Headlight frustrations
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Headlight frustrations
Well I've been searching for 2 hours here and on the net but to no avail. Since the Intellectual Giants at GM decided to put an H9 into our cars rather than a Normal 9005 light bulb it seems Impossible to find a decent replacement bulb to be similar to the Low Beam without going to an HID application. I would love a Silverstar Ultra bulb like I have in the Z28 but they do not make them, of corse not that would be too simple. I saw some Hella bulbs but they do not tell you the K rating. Has anyone found an acceptable replacement bulb? By acceptable I mean something similar to a Sylvanis ZXE or Silverstar Ultra. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 237
From: Murphy NC
What is wrong with HID?
I love mine.
The driving lights are H10...
I would have thought GM would do this configuration:
H9 - Headlights
H10 - Driving lights
H11- High beams
It would be nice if they were all the same flavor.
I love mine.
The driving lights are H10...
I would have thought GM would do this configuration:
H9 - Headlights
H10 - Driving lights
H11- High beams
It would be nice if they were all the same flavor.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
I read that the High Beam was an H9, did i not get that right?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 237
From: Murphy NC
H9 Fitment is correct for the High beam...
The H9 is a very good bulb.
However, they are not rated to last a long time.
You can always replace the socket and plug and install which ever bulb you like.
The H9 is a very good bulb.
However, they are not rated to last a long time.
You can always replace the socket and plug and install which ever bulb you like.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
So then you are saying that I can just replace the sockets and use H11 bulbs in my high beam? Does the H9 & H11 both have the same base that plugs into the housing or do I need to modify the housing to accomodate the H11.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 237
From: Murphy NC
The little metal prongs/tabs are different, you would have to clip/adjust them to get them to fit.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 26
From: Austin Texas
C6's have Low beam headlights.
High beam headlights.
and Fog lights.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 237
From: Murphy NC
Driving Lights / Fog lights on my C6 Base are H10.
I only know that because I am replacing them with HID and the H11 would work but I need the H10 base to make them twist into the housing.
Jokingly I posted the H9, H10, H11 bulbs.
Why wouldn't GM just use the same bulb in all the lights and just change the position of where the light beam is pointing?
I only know that because I am replacing them with HID and the H11 would work but I need the H10 base to make them twist into the housing.
Jokingly I posted the H9, H10, H11 bulbs.
Why wouldn't GM just use the same bulb in all the lights and just change the position of where the light beam is pointing?
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 191
Likes: 43
From: MN
Umm, I thought the stock bulbs are HID. I got a set of 6000K's from corvettemods and they look great. It's plug and play, no cutting wires. Getting to the bulbs through the front wheel wells is a bit if a PITA though.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 2,576
Likes: 237
From: Murphy NC
The Driving lights and High beams are just Halogen.
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 4,024
Likes: 13
From: Loveland CO to Central Coast CA
Are both low-beams not working? It's unlikely both would fail at the same time.
Instead, it's possible you have a bad low-beam relay. Other possibilities include a damaged multi-function stalk switch or a BCM malfunction.
But I bet the real problem is a broken wire in the fuse block!
DIY fix: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1582973586-post85.html
Related thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eadlights.html
Instead, it's possible you have a bad low-beam relay. Other possibilities include a damaged multi-function stalk switch or a BCM malfunction.
But I bet the real problem is a broken wire in the fuse block!
DIY fix: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1582973586-post85.html
Related thread: http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eadlights.html
Last edited by CO Lightfoot; Mar 28, 2013 at 08:52 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 10,399
Likes: 26
From: Austin Texas
Driving Lights / Fog lights on my C6 Base are H10.
I only know that because I am replacing them with HID and the H11 would work but I need the H10 base to make them twist into the housing.
Jokingly I posted the H9, H10, H11 bulbs.
Why wouldn't GM just use the same bulb in all the lights and just change the position of where the light beam is pointing?
I only know that because I am replacing them with HID and the H11 would work but I need the H10 base to make them twist into the housing.
Jokingly I posted the H9, H10, H11 bulbs.
Why wouldn't GM just use the same bulb in all the lights and just change the position of where the light beam is pointing?
Fog lights are low intensity lights mounted and aimed low and flat to penetrate fog for close viewing the road at lower speeds.
Driving lights are high intensity lights mounted and aimed high for distant viewing at higher speeds.
They are not interchangable.
C6 has Fog lights.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
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From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Typical halogen lights have a max. color temp. of 3200K.
Hella offers a "Xenon Blue" H9 lamp that is advertised as having a 4200K color temp. via blue tinting on the glass.
This is very close (if the claim is legit.) to the 4300K OEM HID D1S low beams.
Hella offers a "Xenon Blue" H9 lamp that is advertised as having a 4200K color temp. via blue tinting on the glass.
This is very close (if the claim is legit.) to the 4300K OEM HID D1S low beams.
Last edited by Knob Jockey; Mar 28, 2013 at 09:41 PM.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 11,367
Likes: 211
From: Edgewood Washington
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15
I didn't get a part number. The site I was looking at said they were out of stock.
The HID upgrade for the high beams won't damage anything or void your warranty. Light bulbs/etc. aren't normally covered.
However HID's take time to fire up so the flash-to-pass capability is diminished somewhat.
Regardless, this is a fairy popular mod given the number of accounts here on the Forum and low cost offered by Forum Vendor corvettemods.
I bought Sylvania H9 high beam lamps that were supposed to be a closer color match to the OEM low beams. Unfortunately there wasn't much difference from stock.
The HID upgrade to my fog lights, on the other hand, is a very significant improvement in overall lighting.
The HID upgrade for the high beams won't damage anything or void your warranty. Light bulbs/etc. aren't normally covered.
However HID's take time to fire up so the flash-to-pass capability is diminished somewhat.
Regardless, this is a fairy popular mod given the number of accounts here on the Forum and low cost offered by Forum Vendor corvettemods.
I bought Sylvania H9 high beam lamps that were supposed to be a closer color match to the OEM low beams. Unfortunately there wasn't much difference from stock.
The HID upgrade to my fog lights, on the other hand, is a very significant improvement in overall lighting.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 8,049
Likes: 330
From: Charlotte NC
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
The car is my DD and i travel the highway at night going home after work and want to see as much as I can. There are a lot of dead deer on the road where I live and I don't want to hit one in my plastic car.