I am 54 and my night vision is going. I own a 2006 Toyota Corolla
XRS.
I figured my best upgrade path is to replace the existing 9005/HB3 (high beam)
and/or 9006/HB4 (low beam) bulbs with Toshiba 9011 and 9012 bulbs . They employ a technology called HIR, Halogen Infrared Reflection.
From what I understand, the mechanical dimensions of the bulb are all identical to the 9005 and 9006 bulbs, but the bulb glass is spherical instead of tubular, with the sphere centered around the filament. There is a multilayer coating on the bulb glass, which is transparent to visible light but reflective to infrared. Infrared = heat, so the coating causes heat to be reflected back to the filament at the center of the sphere. This causes the filament to become much hotter (producing more light) Here's the comparison of these bulbs to standard and high-performance 9005 and 9006 bulbs.
I will give you my experience on HIR. They kick ass on high beam, but I did not notice much of a difference on low beam. Trimming the tab was easy with a dremel. I never used HID, but I know they can be pricey.
intriguing, I'm going to order a pair of high beam bulbs right now!
As you probably know by now, they aren't cheap ($55/pair) either and you have to trim the tabs, but that is marked when you buy it.
I just saw the his listing on ebay, he really jacked up the price of the low beams but dropped the price of high beam and shipping went way up. I guess I should buy an extra high beam pair or wait until he puts them up for sale again. In the past around holidays he offered free shipping. There is no way it should cost $15 to ship two bulbs.
Let us know what you think. I noticed that signs extremely far away were much more reflective and brighter. I was genuinely happy with the performance of the high beam HIR, especially living in an area with a lot of deer.
I use Philips Vision Plus bulbs on low beam, they work good for me.
yea, i spoke too soon. after seeing the price of shipping... nah. and the regular list price being for just one bulb. maybe I can wait for the holidays.
The HID claim 1850 lumens on low beams, up from 1000, which is 88% more light. So I am surprised to read the low beams are the same.
HID claims 3600 Lumens. Which is why I inquired if anyone has used HID. The kit was a bulb, wire harness and some sort of converter. Plug in installation. Looked simple. However, at the car show, you can’t return to a vendor who may not be back next year. The kit went for $125.
I've used a lot of bulbs in mine in the past. I've used GE Nighthawks, Toshiba HIRs, and Sylvania Xtravisions.
I saw a marked difference in the low beams with the Toshiba HIRs, but the light was pretty yellow. The light color was better with the GE Nighthawks, but light output was similar. I'd rate the two about on par with each other. The ticket, for me, is using 9005 high beams in the low beam socket. I have Sylvania Xtravision highs modified to fit into the lows. The light is very white (I'd say 3800-4000K), and the actual light output is very good (around 2000 lumens probably). It does increase the wattage from 51W to 60W. That's a small difference; it's actually a change in current (amps) from 4.25A to 5.00A -- certainly within the stock wiring's capability. In the 4-5 months I've had them in my car so far, no issues. The white light really lights up the road signs, but the light pattern remains the same as stock, since the halogen filament remains in the same position as stock.
I think this is a better solution than HIR, and costs less as well. I'd actually sell you my old HIR bulbs. They work fine...I just don't use them anymore.
In order to properly do HID, you'll have to change the light housings to projectors, which would be expensive. I don't like the light quality of the HID bulbs either. Color seems washed out to me, and it's harder for my eyes to read texture. Very similar to how things look almost black and amber under a sodium street lamp (which is an HID lamp). Color definition and texture goes away with those types of lights; some folks don't notice a difference, but I prefer the light quality of a halogen bulb.
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