E-code H4 headlight conversion with comparison pics Cheaper than Silverstars

[magimerlin]

I know it's best to upgrade the harness, but it's not something I want to do, so therefore, what is the most I can use and still be safe with the factory harness? Thanks in advance!

Keep in mind, these will be used for extended periods of time in BOTH low and high beam modes.

Well if you are not willing to ugrade the wiring then you might want to stick to the 60/55w bulbs. Upgrading the wiring is easy and not an exspensive thing to do. You can easily make the harness for not alot of money or buy one that is ready to go. The bigger the bulb the more strain on the factory wiring(more heat generated in the wiring). I you are going to use these an extended amount of time you might want to rethink not doing the wiring. The wiring is cheap insurence so this does not happen:flame:

 

[Daedalus454]

For a lower wattage bulb I would recommend some of the European +50 or +80 bulbs, which are a LOT brighter than stock but are still stock wattage. I'm using the Philips X-treme Vision +80, they are great, but I had to order them from England and they cost 25 pounds (about $50USD) per pair including shipping. The Osram Night Breaker is supposed to be good too, it's just a little bluer than the Philips, but you can find the H4 Night Breaker on eBay for a reasonable price.

 

[rcmf5525]

How about IPF fat boys? They are low draw and tremendously bright. Expensive though...

 

[lawsoncl]

How about IPF fat boys? They are low draw and tremendously bright. Expensive though...

So do they run cooler than stock? That's the only way they're going to put out more lumens using less current, right? Some of the specialty bulbs are cheating when they quote higher lumens. They change the filament location or length just enough to make the center spot brighter than a stock bulb, but actually throw less light elsewhere. Of course the final verdict is whether it throws the light where you want it and you like that particular beam pattern. For me, I like the $10 Napa house brand 80/100 H4s better than some of the other "bright" bulbs I've tried.

 

[Vanquish]

I just recently did the wiring upgrade(10 gauge, overkill but :worship: ), and put some Hella 80/100 bulbs into my autopal e-code housings and am incredibly disappointed. Mind you I went from 8000k HID's to these(one of my bulbs cacked)

I had decided to do this since it was cheaper than going HID again...seems like a big waste of my time now. I havent even bothered wiring the high beams yet, and dont think I will.

From how everyones talking about how theres so much more light compared to stock, and this and that, I had expected it to be MUCH better than this. Driving on the road, comparing my headlights to everything else that stops beside me or drives past, mine are still really dim. Housings are clean and bulbs are getting the same voltage my alternator makes so I have come to the fact that H4 bulbs blow for the most part.

I do know there are 'fancy' H4 bulbs, such as the PIAA super plasmas, for example, but at the cost of these 2 regular bulbs...I can buy another entire HID kit...

(Yeah yeah, not legal, blinding others...I'd had the setup for close to 2 years. Never been pulled over once, and only got flashed when coming over a hill. The e-codes have a good enough cut-off that it's not blinding opposing drivers. Theres still some glare when you look in the direction of my truck, but no more than stock BMW's and Cadillacs are putting out.)

 

[comanche91]

AssUme you wired the low and high beam circuits through relays?

 

[NickThePyro]

Where are you guys buying these at?

Thanks,
Nick

 

[comanche91]

Where are you guys buying these at? Thanks,
Nick

Buying what Nick? Relays? E-codes? :dunno:

 

[NickThePyro]

Buying what Nick? Relays? E-codes? :dunno:

Everything needed to do the conversion

 

[DanMan2k06]

Ebay, Advance auto, Napa, Pep Boys, theres a bunch of places. The housings can be bought off ebay, wiring and such at any auto store, relays get from the same - or from a scrap yard for cheap. And bulbs can be bought at napa or susquahenna motorsports (sp?). Look around.

Vanquish - first off why would you get 8000k? You lose a substancial amount of lumens over say 4300 or 5000k. All for some retarded bluish/purplish headlights. As for glare, on a projector there is no such thing. That only happens in a relective housing, whereas a projector simply pushes light through a lens. No reflections. So yes yours DO have more than a bmw or cadillac. I dunno it sounds like you just did something wrong, or got some bad bulbs or something. Put your stock lamps back in, drive around for a day. Then put the autopals back in and see if there is a difference.

 

[fiyerbirdie]

Here is more proof that these lights are awesome.

2 Silverstars, one with stock harness.... one with home made harness/relays

One silverstar/ stock harness and one h4/ upgrade harness

here is the h4 vs the silverstar in the same upgraded harness..

Wow these are killer... very even spread light.

 

[sbxj]

Here is more proof that these lights are awesome.

2 Silverstars, one with stock harness.... one with home made harness/relays

One silverstar/ stock harness and one h4/ upgrade harness

here is the h4 vs the silverstar in the same upgraded harness..

Wow these are killer... very even spread light.

you're joking...right?

 

[fiyerbirdie]

you're joking...right?

I'm not joking, the lights may look dim to you because I wasn't going for long camera exposure I wanted to show the light pattern. You can clearly see the out put differences and the beam shape differences. If you want me to retake them at 2 sec shutter speed I can make em look ungodly bright. but then again I can make the moonlight look like midday, it is all in the exposure.

I know you have some HID, and I bet yours are brighter than mine. but for $40 dollars installed w/heavy guage relay-harnesses I'm doin fine. I'm also using the 60/55 H4's and if they ever burn out I guess I'll go with 100/80 optilux for 10 bucks. I don't know if the 130/90's are needed.

How much were your hid's?

 

[1bolt]

I can't believe this thread is at 19 pages.

Yeah you can make 8 year old Wagner sealed beams look like 120,000 candle KC's if you put even a cheap digital camera on "night" setting with no flash and hold the camera still.

tiny uneven hot spots like those silverstar pics are great if you live somewhere
with no wildlife... curves.... people... signs... you know like the arctic circle?

 

[DanMan2k06]

Let me reiterate... HID>all

 

[1bolt]

also > expense than all If that's your thing though more power to you. I'll take the low buck E-codes for a bolt in huge upgrade over sealed beams.

 

[sbxj]

It's not about about who's got the brightest lights but about educating everyone to the best, safest lighting they can afford and stopping the proliferation of the chinese made crap

 

[1bolt]

It's not about about who's got the brightest lights but about educating everyone to the best, safest lighting they can afford and stopping the proliferation of the chinese made crap

Exactly... Although there's no one here installing Chinese headlights.

 

[DanMan2k06]

... Don't the chinese version xj's have composite housings? Sounds like they've got us one-up'd already.

 

[Jonathan]

Quick questions for those of you who have upgraded the wiring harness:

Does anyone know of a reasonably cheap source for multiconductor wiring that's comparable to GXL?

Has anyone implemented a solid-state relay system rather than mechanicals?

One more question that's less directly related: I've seen lots of talk about "DOT legal" etc, but I've never seen that statutes that specifically address headlights. Maybe it's just the fact that I live in fairly regulation-free Montana, but we have nothing in our state laws regarding watt limits etc. What's the source for the legality claims?