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-   -   Auto Lighting thread : Post all queries about automobile lighting here (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifications-accessories/93908-auto-lighting-thread-post-all-queries-about-automobile-lighting-here-610.html)

1. Your car will mostly have inbuilt relays which can handle a bulb upgrade. To verify this do check the fuse box in the engine bay or the fuse box inside the cabin for the relay. Else try switching beams in a silent place. You will hear clicking if the relay is located in the cabin.

2. Even if you insist on adding a relay, you can use the normal H4 relays, just that the wiring, holders and connectors should be custom made to suit the bulb type. You can use any automobile relay rated for 30A too without issues.

3. There are HID kits but they are better off with a projector to throw the light where it is supposed to go.

Try sourcing HB3 and HB4 of higher wattage. IIRC they are available at 80W ratings and not 100/90W like H4. Hence the increase in wattage will be quite less which the relay already installed will handle without issues.

I am already running higher wattage HB4 and HB3 bulbs (Philips, made in Germany) but the throw is worse than my Nano which is running 100/90 bulbs. Making a custom relay wiring with suitable holders is again something that will take time.

So I can't just swap out all these bulbs with H4 all around?

Ah, not so easily. The Hb3 and HB4 bulbs have holders that are perpendicular to the bulb capsule and are single filament ( 65 and 55W respectively ), the H4 is dual filament 60/55W. You could remove the holder, fit H4 holder and solder the connections, but the filament positioning is a bit different.

Check visual comparison:
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/show...l=1#post287622


EDIT : Yes, there are aftermarket projectors available - from cheap ones for much under 10k to FXR kits which cost 25-30k.
For Honda Accord and other premium cars like Cruze, there would already be ready-made full headlamp assembly drop in replacements with projectors, you may have scour your city's automotive spares market - and online is always there.

Do bear in mind, many people find HID and similarly colored "white" bulbs dismal in rains , not universal - so YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary). Wet tarmac absorbs most of the light and reflects little, so no matter what, available/reflected light will be lower than in dry conditions.

Dang, I knew there was a catch!

Any idea if halogen projectors are available as aftermarket? I desperately need to work on the lights and will only have a couple of hours in the next couple of days to make a choice. If all else faila, I shall have to go with HIDs in the low beam. I have a long drive coming up on this weekend and with rains, I don't want to be feeling my way in the dark.

Hey Rohan did you get the Morimotos? How does it function? Any errors?

Hi Aditya, I have not gone for the Morimotos. Instead upgraded the bulbs(100/90) with the relay.

I shall be taking the plunge tomorrow with HIDs in the low beam. The dealer will be fitting 55w bulbs, no projectors. Will check the throw and then take a call if projectors should be fitted instead. Total damage is around 6k with a one year warranty.
I asked for 4300k, if not in stock, have to go for 6000k.

You said youre doing this for driving in the rains and in the dark.
If you receive 6000k, its going to be a painful drive.
I dont know the technicalities(acknowledging lack of technical knowledge here, since that is a bone of contention), but my own experience with 6000k in projectors, and without saw hazardously low visibility under yellow streetlights, and with rains. Much worse than stocks.

HIDs without projectors is not a good idea, and this has been mentioned time and again. Reflectors are designed for a transverse filament, while the HID's electrodes are aligned longitudinally and the light source is at a different point. High chance that the beam pattern will be nothing close to being useful - you may get an ultra bright foreground or a badly focussed beam that'll blind oncoming motorists.

6000k is not the best colour temperature, as it'll cause a dazzling effect in rains and fog. A lower colour temperature would help us see through fog.

INR 6k for a set of HIDs, two ballasts and the harness is mouthwatering, but reliability is a suspect - unless it's a reputed manufacturer and not some cheap knock-off.

I always wanted to change the low beam in my TLC as I was not happy with the looks of the normal halogen bulb. I already had the Philips DRL on and wanted something which would complement the looks of with the same color temperature. High Beam already had a HID as factory fit and that is good enough in late night rural drives. I thought of having a HID installed in the low beam, but thought of the irregular beam pattern and spread with HID in a normal lens and dropped that idea.

The most easiest option was to go for Xtreme Vision H11 as it would be brighter than the halogen bulb I had. For some reason that bulb is not available with the dealer in UAE and I searched almost every outlet they had. Ended up buying a Philips Diamond Vision bulb and Xtreme Vison T10 LED. The results were good, especially the T10 which was extremely bright.




I was happy, not for long. While browsing web I came to know about the Philips Ultinon Xtreme Vision LED H11. Searched for reviews and found that it is a plug n play conversion and does not involve any additional harness or fans. Good for me! Decided to go for it and found one in Amazon for 134.12 USD. (Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...ilpage_o02_s00) Including shipping it was 150 USD and delivered to my office right before the weekend.



Fitted it in the evening itself and adjusted the spread and cut-off manually at an empty parking against the wall. Below pictures will give you an idea of how good it looks.







As expected, the performance in fog is not great with the 6000k color temperature. I can live with that as the fog lamp is still the factory halogen.

As per all your experienced suggestions, I plonked a pair of Philips Extreme Visions. Currently on the car, I see only very marginal improvement.

Thinking about going with Projectors and HID. Again, Im confused. Theres so much information on the net, I really can't wrap my head around all that.

Want to know :-
1) Should I get a complete projector headlight assembly ???
(For e.g - http://www.performancezoneindia.com/...eadlights.html)

2) Should I source parts (Ballasts, shrouds etc.) and get it retrofitted ??? If so, where in Bengaluru.

I can manage in the city, but on highways it is really inadequate.

Thanks again,
Aniketh

It's just that I don't think anything could be worse than the stock, and I just happen to be driving over the weekend, so needed something better pretty bad.

Concerns noted and will try best to ensure I get the benefit of the extra output. It's some local brand but the seller is a known one and should stand by the warranty.

As I said, it's a last ditch effort, so worst case it will be a costly lesson learnt and I can always switch back to stock.

The bulbs are of a Chinese brand called GM. The installation was quick and my first opportunity to test the bulbs was last evening.

The spread of the light is much better than the halogen bulbs. While trailing other cars I observed the light didn't get upto the rear windshield, and a few hours ago while parking, I could see the reflection of the headlights in a shop window and the reflection didn't blind me.

So right now I think this is a good upgrade. In fact I am wondering if I should also go the same route for the high beams.

I am thinking of replacing my Honda City's bulbs. Any idea which ones are better. I need a better spread. Osram or Philips and which model ?

You could go for stock wattage bulbs such as Philips Extreme Vision or ClearVision or Osram Nightbreakers. These come in the regular 55/60 wattage but claim to give more light output.