I drive a 1998 Honda Accord LX sedan and I'm tired of not being able to see at night. I'm going to replace my headlight housing but I know nothing about bulbs. What is the most reliable brand and how do I go about picking one?
What Brand Headlights Should I Get?
- Thread starter Ashe
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RedRyder
Save the manuals
Bulbs will not change much in terms of visibility. If your headlight lenses are oxidized/yellowed I would start there. I used a headlight lens restoration kit on our 2010 Odyssey recently and it did wonders for both daytime cosmetics and light output at night.
If you want more, you are looking at doing a headlight projector retrofit. There are many DIY guides here, though some photos links have stopped working over time. There is also good info on HIDplanet, etc. There should be enough overall info to piece together your own retrofit. Projector headlights on Ebay will do more harm than good.
If you are completely against doing a retrofit, you could also try using an HID kit in your OEM headlights, but to avoid blinding other drivers please please be considerate and properly aim the reflector buckets and use a 35w kit (not a 55w kit).
If you want more, you are looking at doing a headlight projector retrofit. There are many DIY guides here, though some photos links have stopped working over time. There is also good info on HIDplanet, etc. There should be enough overall info to piece together your own retrofit. Projector headlights on Ebay will do more harm than good.
If you are completely against doing a retrofit, you could also try using an HID kit in your OEM headlights, but to avoid blinding other drivers please please be considerate and properly aim the reflector buckets and use a 35w kit (not a 55w kit).
BlkCurrantKord
Super Moderator
Have them clearcoated professionally helps too
Volo
Member
Instead of creating a new topic, could I continue the HID topic here?
I was thinking to install new HID lights, since mine are suck. So I have couple of basic questions for someone who dealed with that:
1. Do you normally install HID lights on your low beam or high beam?
2. How to proper adjust the beam light, so Im not blinding the upcoming cars? I was surfing this topic on YT, however no one actually shows how to adjust the HID lights.
Will appreciate the thoughts someone who did it on his/her car!
I was thinking to install new HID lights, since mine are suck. So I have couple of basic questions for someone who dealed with that:
1. Do you normally install HID lights on your low beam or high beam?
2. How to proper adjust the beam light, so Im not blinding the upcoming cars? I was surfing this topic on YT, however no one actually shows how to adjust the HID lights.
Will appreciate the thoughts someone who did it on his/her car!
RedRyder
Save the manuals
If you install an HID kit it should only be in the low beams (9006) in your car, and it should be a 35watt kit (not 55watt) to better avoid blinding oncoming traffic (also helps with heat in your housings). I recommend 4100k-6k for bulb temperature to have the best visibility. Do not install an HID kit in your high beams (9005). The only time imo high beams should be HID is if it is through a projector, like bi-xenon.
Anyway there is a headlight aiming guide in your owners manual I believe. Or you can find the procedure online somewhere. You park a certain distance from a wall and the low beam spot on the wall should be a certain height off the ground, something like that. The correct values may even be on this site somewhere.
I aimed my low beams a little lower than what the factory ones were, just to make sure I did not cause someone else any trouble. Then I eventually got projector retrofits and my world change forever haha.
Anyway there is a headlight aiming guide in your owners manual I believe. Or you can find the procedure online somewhere. You park a certain distance from a wall and the low beam spot on the wall should be a certain height off the ground, something like that. The correct values may even be on this site somewhere.
I aimed my low beams a little lower than what the factory ones were, just to make sure I did not cause someone else any trouble. Then I eventually got projector retrofits and my world change forever haha.
Volo
Member
Thank you RedRyder!
Why wouldnt you install HID on your high beams? Because of the high hit the bulb produces in that small space of the headlight? Or its something different? Whats the reason that you wouldnt do that?
OK, I will look for the specs on adjusting your headlights here. I didnt see it my manual though.. gotta check it again.
Also, whats a projector retrofits you were talking about?
Why wouldnt you install HID on your high beams? Because of the high hit the bulb produces in that small space of the headlight? Or its something different? Whats the reason that you wouldnt do that?
OK, I will look for the specs on adjusting your headlights here. I didnt see it my manual though.. gotta check it again.
Also, whats a projector retrofits you were talking about?
RedRyder
Save the manuals
The optics in these headlights were not engineered for HID lighting, like the ones in the 01-03 Acura CL or TL which came with HID low beams from the factory. Putting HID kits in headlights that were not engineered for them results in scattered and uneven light output that is not well controlled due to the "reflector buckets" that are reflecting the light from the bulb out onto the road. However, certain cars handle this better than others...6GA is somewhere in the middle maybe IF it is using factory headlight housings. Aftermarket headlight housings have even worse optics than factory, usually.
For low beams you can get away with it since it is lighting up the environment immediately in front of you, and since low beams are aimed downward. But with high beams being for illuminating objects further out and higher up, an HID kit is useless and a hot mess. Also since high beam buckets are aimed higher to achieve their purpose, an HID kit in high beam reflector bucket optics is going to be blinding oncoming traffic like crazy in a 6GA.
Projector retrofit headlights are factory reflector bucket style headlights that someone has taken apart, cut up, and modified to mount projects inside of. I went from stock 6GA headlights with an HID kit to a TSX retrofit I bought off an old member on here, difference was literally night and day. Still running them to this day, actually.
For low beams you can get away with it since it is lighting up the environment immediately in front of you, and since low beams are aimed downward. But with high beams being for illuminating objects further out and higher up, an HID kit is useless and a hot mess. Also since high beam buckets are aimed higher to achieve their purpose, an HID kit in high beam reflector bucket optics is going to be blinding oncoming traffic like crazy in a 6GA.
Projector retrofit headlights are factory reflector bucket style headlights that someone has taken apart, cut up, and modified to mount projects inside of. I went from stock 6GA headlights with an HID kit to a TSX retrofit I bought off an old member on here, difference was literally night and day. Still running them to this day, actually.
Hondatuner86
Well-Known Member
I want to go with the black housing headlights and LED Kit
Volo
Member
The other question in terms of installing HID lights: can I install HID lights without a harness and relay? Just plugging in the ballasts straight to the car bulb connector? Would it work properly without causing any power loss in the system, shut the car off, etc?
Maybe @RedRyder might know it. Will appreciate the help, guys!
(I have 35W HID Xenon ballasts for my 2002 honda accord coupe V6)
Maybe @RedRyder might know it. Will appreciate the help, guys!
(I have 35W HID Xenon ballasts for my 2002 honda accord coupe V6)
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