How To: Headlight Bulb Conversion (H11 to H9 & 9005 to 9011)

This thread is great, thank you! I will be ordering some bulbs this week...

What's the overall consensus for swapping out fog lights? stick with halogen or go to LED? i am looking to do yellow/amber for the fogs either way.

TIA
 
Did the h11 to h9 conversion for low beam with hella h9 standard bulbs and 9011 (Wagner's) for high beams in our 2018 limited.
Low beam upgrade is better, would like a little more white spectrum, high beam upgrade turns night into day. Very cost effective upgrade over stock setup.
 
2012 TE:

I did this install yesterday. I tried to fit the H9 without trimming and was unable to. I cut down the one metal tab at the top and got it to fit. Prior to that I cut out the little plastic tab inside the plug area by putting the base in a vice and using a square edged x acto blade and a rubber mallet to basically shave it down. worked perfectly.

The install is pretty easy. one note which i failed to follow in the low beams: no need to take the engine compartment off as it says in the manual. there is no clear advantage to this. i was able to fit my hand back there to turn the base and remove the bulb. on the drivers side, keep the bulb and base together, but on the passenger side, remove the base first to take out and install the new bulb, then hook it back up after it is in. thats what worked for me.

put the Hella yellow fogs in as well. I was able to reach straight up between the fender liner and bumper to unhook the base then take the bulbs out. then just swap them with the new ones. incredibly easy and i love the results!
 
Also want to say thank you VERY MUCH to all the contributors to this thread. The research and information was on point and made everything simple. Excellent work, all around!
 
Long term update: converted the high beams to 9011's, they throw a lot of light and have good distance, a very worthwhile, cost effective upgrade over stock!

HID's in the low beams are worth spending the extra on IMO.
 
My Philips 9011 HIR bulbs both failed around the same time at the 2 year mark. I'm back to my stock 9005 and wondering if I really need the extra light since I'm 95% a city driver with plenty of ambient light.
 
IanB said:
Long term update: converted the high beams to 9011's, they throw a lot of light and have good distance, a very worthwhile, cost effective upgrade over stock!

HID's in the low beams are worth spending the extra on IMO.
Click to expand...

ill be getting the 9011's in very soon.
 
Did the low and high beam swaps over the weekend. It was pretty straightforward, although the metal base on a Sylvania H9 is quite stout, the Philips might be easier to trim.

They do appear brighter all around using the "back wall of the garage" test, but I actually haven't had any reason to drive after dark since I swapped the, so I can't speak to actual on-road performance yet.
 
Decided to do the H9 to H11 lowbeam bulb conversion last night. The internet said it would only take about 5 minutes. It went something like this:

Try to use clippers to trim inner tabs
Can't, material too hard
Try a small file
This is getting nowhere
Get dremel
Mom calls
Talk to mom for half hour
Dremel inner tabs
Test fit bulb
Doesn't fit, need to trim outer tabs
Get called in for dinner by GF
Eat pizza, realize I'm outta beer
Kinda sad :(
Go back, start trimming outer tabs
Get metal filings all over bulbs
Look for 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean
We're out
Run to CVS
Get complemented on my beard
Get back
Step in dog poop
Clean dog poop from boots
Spend 10 minutes looking for clean microfiber
Clean bulbs
Install bulbs
They fit!
Marvel at the brightness!
Back out of the garage to adjust cut-off
Tape the cut-off on the garage door
Get 8mm socket to adjust cut-off
Socket doesn't fit, can't reach
Get 8mm wrench
Can't turn wrench enough adjust
Get screwdriver
Too small
Get different screwdriver
Too big
Get another different screwdriver
Just right!
Adjust lights down 2"
Success!
Elation!
Close hood
Get in truck to take test drive
Get halfway up the driveway
Hear a clank
Realize I left socket and wrench under hood
Get out, look on the ground
Nadda
Drive down neighborhood street
Listening for another clank
Nadda
Turn around, go home
Pull back into garage
Grab flashlight
Crawl under truck
Spot socket resting on skid plate!
But where is 8mm wrench?
Crawl under truck again
Crawl under other side of truck
Crawl out, scratch head
Check engine bay
Crawl under again
Spin around
Look all over
For 20 freakin minutes
Realize 8mm wrench is in hoody pocket
Pull truck out of garage
Close garage door
Step in dog poop again

All told it only took about 3 and a half hours.
 
baldrik78 said:
Decided to do the H9 to H11 lowbeam bulb conversion last night. The internet said it would only take about 5 minutes. It went something like this:

Try to use clippers to trim inner tabs
Can't, material too hard
Try a small file
This is getting nowhere
Get dremel
Mom calls
Talk to mom for half hour
Dremel inner tabs
Test fit bulb
Doesn't fit, need to trim outer tabs
Get called in for dinner by GF
Eat pizza, realize I'm outta beer
Kinda sad :(
Go back, start trimming outer tabs
Get metal filings all over bulbs
Look for 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean
We're out
Run to CVS
Get complemented on my beard
Get back
Step in dog poop
Clean dog poop from boots
Spend 10 minutes looking for clean microfiber
Clean bulbs
Install bulbs
They fit!
Marvel at the brightness!
Back out of the garage to adjust cut-off
Tape the cut-off on the garage door
Get 8mm socket to adjust cut-off
Socket doesn't fit, can't reach
Get 8mm wrench
Can't turn wrench enough adjust
Get screwdriver
Too small
Get different screwdriver
Too big
Get another different screwdriver
Just right!
Adjust lights down 2"
Success!
Elation!
Close hood
Get in truck to take test drive
Get halfway up the driveway
Hear a clank
Realize I left socket and wrench under hood
Get out, look on the ground
Nadda
Drive down neighborhood street
Listening for another clank
Nadda
Turn around, go home
Pull back into garage
Grab flashlight
Crawl under truck
Spot socket resting on skid plate!
But where is 8mm wrench?
Crawl under truck again
Crawl under other side of truck
Crawl out, scratch head
Check engine bay
Crawl under again
Spin around
Look all over
For 20 freakin minutes
Realize 8mm wrench is in hoody pocket
Pull truck out of garage
Close garage door
Step in dog poop again

All told it only took about 3 and a half hours.
Click to expand...

Moral of the story, pick up your dogs poop!
 
baldrik78 said:
Decided to do the H9 to H11 lowbeam bulb conversion last night. The internet said it would only take about 5 minutes. It went something like this:

Try to use clippers to trim inner tabs
Can't, material too hard
Try a small file
This is getting nowhere
Get dremel
Mom calls
Talk to mom for half hour
Dremel inner tabs
Test fit bulb
Doesn't fit, need to trim outer tabs
Get called in for dinner by GF
Eat pizza, realize I'm outta beer
Kinda sad :(
Go back, start trimming outer tabs
Get metal filings all over bulbs
Look for 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean
We're out
Run to CVS
Get complemented on my beard
Get back
Step in dog poop
Clean dog poop from boots
Spend 10 minutes looking for clean microfiber
Clean bulbs
Install bulbs
They fit!
Marvel at the brightness!
Back out of the garage to adjust cut-off
Tape the cut-off on the garage door
Get 8mm socket to adjust cut-off
Socket doesn't fit, can't reach
Get 8mm wrench
Can't turn wrench enough adjust
Get screwdriver
Too small
Get different screwdriver
Too big
Get another different screwdriver
Just right!
Adjust lights down 2"
Success!
Elation!
Close hood
Get in truck to take test drive
Get halfway up the driveway
Hear a clank
Realize I left socket and wrench under hood
Get out, look on the ground
Nadda
Drive down neighborhood street
Listening for another clank
Nadda
Turn around, go home
Pull back into garage
Grab flashlight
Crawl under truck
Spot socket resting on skid plate!
But where is 8mm wrench?
Crawl under truck again
Crawl under other side of truck
Crawl out, scratch head
Check engine bay
Crawl under again
Spin around
Look all over
For 20 freakin minutes
Realize 8mm wrench is in hoody pocket
Pull truck out of garage
Close garage door
Step in dog poop again

All told it only took about 3 and a half hours.
Click to expand...

Thank you this post, I'm laughing my ass off!!
 
baldrik78 said:
Decided to do the H9 to H11 lowbeam bulb conversion last night. The internet said it would only take about 5 minutes. It went something like this:

Try to use clippers to trim inner tabs
Can't, material too hard
Try a small file
This is getting nowhere
Get dremel
Mom calls
Talk to mom for half hour
Dremel inner tabs
Test fit bulb
Doesn't fit, need to trim outer tabs
Get called in for dinner by GF
Eat pizza, realize I'm outta beer
Kinda sad :(
Go back, start trimming outer tabs
Get metal filings all over bulbs
Look for 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean
We're out
Run to CVS
Get complemented on my beard
Get back
Step in dog poop
Clean dog poop from boots
Spend 10 minutes looking for clean microfiber
Clean bulbs
Install bulbs
They fit!
Marvel at the brightness!
Back out of the garage to adjust cut-off
Tape the cut-off on the garage door
Get 8mm socket to adjust cut-off
Socket doesn't fit, can't reach
Get 8mm wrench
Can't turn wrench enough adjust
Get screwdriver
Too small
Get different screwdriver
Too big
Get another different screwdriver
Just right!
Adjust lights down 2"
Success!
Elation!
Close hood
Get in truck to take test drive
Get halfway up the driveway
Hear a clank
Realize I left socket and wrench under hood
Get out, look on the ground
Nadda
Drive down neighborhood street
Listening for another clank
Nadda
Turn around, go home
Pull back into garage
Grab flashlight
Crawl under truck
Spot socket resting on skid plate!
But where is 8mm wrench?
Crawl under truck again
Crawl under other side of truck
Crawl out, scratch head
Check engine bay
Crawl under again
Spin around
Look all over
For 20 freakin minutes
Realize 8mm wrench is in hoody pocket
Pull truck out of garage
Close garage door
Step in dog poop again

All told it only took about 3 and a half hours.
Click to expand...
Too funny!

Were the results worth the struggle?
 
Axix23 said:
has anybody tried h9 led upgrades for lowbeams? Any better or same as h11 leds?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure they would just be the same LEDs, but with the H9 base. In my experience, they don't really make higher powered H9s than they do for H11 in LEDs .
 
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