Go JayBee
New member
Just got my H9's & 9011's last Friday. Did the bulb mods but got rained out this past weekend. The bulb mod was very easy...think it took a total of 10 minutes for all 4.
Hopefully will catch some dry skies next weekend.
H11-H9 9005-9011 Headlight Mod
- Thread starter Kraeken
- Start date
Just got my H9's & 9011's last Friday. Did the bulb mods but got rained out this past weekend. The bulb mod was very easy...think it took a total of 10 minutes for all 4.
Hopefully will catch some dry skies next weekend.
eddiebx
New member
If I may ask, what exactly does color temperature apply to then?
Last I checked halogen produces light within the visible spectrum
diverscale
Member
:focus:
Kraeken
New member
I do notice a difference. What strikes me the most is how much more useful the low beams are now! After Sandy hit, I was in hurricane affected areas a lot at night. It was totally dark. I found that I needed to use at least my high beams, as well as driving lights, to get sufficient illumination as to not drive over anything I shouldn't. It kind of bothered me that I the low beams weren't that great, and it stayed in the back of my mind. That's why I jumped on this mod when I read about it. Its real, useful light.
Keemonrunnin
Member
Completed this mod tonight. Very happy with the out come. The white road paint stands out more, the street signs are illuminated more when approaching them from a distance. I bought the Sylvania H9's at $15ea and the 9011 HIR's at $22ea. Purchased these lights from pep boys. Now to see the life span of these lights. If they last for 2yrs+ I will definitely replace them with the same brand.
Go JayBee
New member
They should last as long as you were careful not to touch the glass. I actually cleaned my lamps with rubbing alcohol after modding cuz I thought I might have touched them, even though I was extremely careful.
Might actually get to install them if the weather holds up here in the PNW.
Keemonrunnin
Member
Yes, I was careful not to touch the bulb. I actually wore 2 pairs of surgical gloves while installing them just incase I accidentally touch or bump the bulb with my hands.
Go JayBee
New member
Finally had a dry day (yesterday) and relaced the stock lamps with the modded ones.
All I can say is "Holy Carp"! Da, da, da ,da ,da...I'm lovin' it.
Much more light out in front, signs lighting up much better, and as others have said, nobody flashing their brights at me. Can't wait to do the Fog Lights next.
All I can say is "Holy Carp"! Da, da, da ,da ,da...I'm lovin' it.
Much more light out in front, signs lighting up much better, and as others have said, nobody flashing their brights at me. Can't wait to do the Fog Lights next.
ThirdToy
New member
I can attest that this mod will cause ZERO damage to any factory wiring, sockets, relays, ect and have been suggesting this now for a couple years to fellow board members. I had bought the H9's and the HIR's before I even took delivery of my '11 Limited. Bottom line, I run my fogs and lows with the H9's and couldn't be happier! I had to replace the lows about 2 months ago as both of them burnt out (about 3 days apart from one another). The original replaced H9 bulbs lasted about 25 months and 63k miles. Well worth the price of the bulbs! It is a crazy easy mod to do, and the light output is light and day (haha). The lows are so damn bright, you rarely even need the highs!
Oh and one last thing, do everybody else on the road a favor though and aim the lights (especially the fogs) down just a tiny amount. These new bulbs are seriously bright and the last thing you want to happen is to partially blind oncoming traffic. :thumb3:
Oh and one last thing, do everybody else on the road a favor though and aim the lights (especially the fogs) down just a tiny amount. These new bulbs are seriously bright and the last thing you want to happen is to partially blind oncoming traffic. :thumb3:
Hawaiian4runner
New member
If I may ask, what exactly does color temperature apply to then?
Last I checked halogen produces light within the visible spectrum
Color temperature that people refer to are Xenon equivalents. Used for comparison and discussion but they are not the temperature of the halogen light. Halogen bulbs have a temperature but the color of the light is changed by filtering out different wave lengths of light. The more you filter, the less useable light. Halogens produce a hell of a lot of useable light. They do run hot and draw more current than HIDs. Most people like the look of the whiter lights but they do not necessarily produce more useable light.
eddiebx
New member
I don't really want to keep debating this with you in someone else's thread, but could you please read up about the actual science behind various light sources before you continue to try to push your misinformation based on advertisements you see in car magazines.
Color temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hawaiian4runner
New member
I don't really want to keep debating this with you in someone else's thread, but could you please read up about the actual science behind various light sources before you continue to try to push your misinformation based on advertisements you see in car magazines.
Color temperature - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
What are we debating about?
Laubage
New member
Just did this mod and it is really a big difference. I had my doubts because usually I don't notice things like a few lumens.
When I first replaced one side, I couldn't tell too much of a difference , but as soon as I fired up the engine with both and started driving, it was like night and day. LOVE IT!
Maybe the fogs will be in my future too. Let me know what you guys think about replacing the fog lights with H9's.
When I first replaced one side, I couldn't tell too much of a difference , but as soon as I fired up the engine with both and started driving, it was like night and day. LOVE IT!
Maybe the fogs will be in my future too. Let me know what you guys think about replacing the fog lights with H9's.
Laubage
New member
I raised them instead... I want to show everyone how awesome my new lights are.
Nah really, I did raise them but that was because I overcompensated on the low side when I installed my lift.
eddiebx
New member
Same dramatic difference as the low beams--I noticed significantly more immediate foreground lighting and off to the sides as well; but there's also definitely more glare present. Probably not enough to blind on-coming drivers, but maybe just a bit annoying for them?
The fogs don't have the little front shield to cover the tip of the bulb, and unlike the H11s, the H9s don't have that paint on the tip to shield the glare.
Me personally I can live with it, but I am also in a big city where every other idiot on the road has retrofit HID kits in every single lighting position imaginable; so I have very little sympathy for their nighttime driving comfort
Kraeken
New member
My H9's just burned out after 11 months. If they didn't both burn out at the same time, it was within a day or two of each other. I am going to replace them with H9's again. Not in the mood to dremel and screw around in the freezing rain today, but they are WAY more useful than the stock headlights...
KVA
Member
Forget the dremel and other crap...just get some wire cutters and "snip...snip" the use a razor blade (box cutter) and start slicing the internal tab down - super easy and extremely fast. Took me like 2 minutes each bulb - if that.
This mod is totally worth the 2 minutes.
My .02 cents
This mod is totally worth the 2 minutes.
My .02 cents
Hawaiian4runner
New member
Do you use your headlights a lot? 11 months seems fast but those bulbs are inexpensive so they're still probably the best overall way of getting more quality light IMHO. I've tried high output halogens, VLED LEDs and the H9s and by far, the H9s were the brightest while still maintaining a nice cutoff.
