Anyone upgraded them? Mine are OK, not that bright though. Could do with an upgrade, Halogens?
I upgraded mine to a HID setup using mini ballasts on the underside of the housing and have been nothing but pleased with the results. They are a perfect match.
I also upgraded mine to HID, again using mini-ballasts. For High Beam I changed the bulbs to a brighter white as the contrast between the HID Low Beam and the standard yellowish High Beam was too great. In reality, and although they are correctly aligned, the Low Beam is more than enough for 90% of the time. High Beam only on country roads due to a high number of deer in the area that I live.
If you do a search there is other bulbs available and they make a huge differance. I put them in without hid and they work very well. THe originals were so bad that I would not drive a night. They were bad.
Great I have 5 headlights for my 355, I know don't say it. So where to buy HID kits ? Company/store part numbers so I can take a look at the options, cost ? Difficult to change over ? don't drive after dark either ........ If I switch then I can sell all these headlights for half of what I paid for them.
There are thousands of vendors, just look at the bulb number (I don't recall what it is) and order the plug and play set for that bulb type. The plug that went to the OEM bulb will plug into the harness for the ballast and the ballast will plug up to the HID bulb that replaces the OEM bulb. I ordered mine with the slim ballast from here: DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits
quite useful info from another post.. OEM low beams are 9006/H4 bulbs. Light rating: 15 GE NightHawks "9006." Light rating: 25 GE/Toshiba HIR 9012. Light rating: 80 Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 80. OEM high beams are 9005/H3 bulbs. Light rating: 120. GE Nighthawk "9005." Light rating: 150. Toshiba HIR 9011 180 Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 200. HIR bulbs are pretty much what im after. I also want to upgrade my sidelight bulbs.
In summary, 348 and 355 Brothers have a variety of lighting options for our head lamps. OEM low beams are 9006/H4 bulbs. Light rating: 15 GE NightHawks "9006." Light rating: 25 GE/Toshiba HIR 9012. Light rating: 80 Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 80. OEM high beams are 9005/H3 bulbs. Light rating: 120. GE Nighthawk "9005." Light rating: 150. Xenon bulb/ballast kit installations. Light rating: ?? Unknown, but estimated above 200. __________________ [The 348 Primer] -- [ Drifting ] >>> My Sled Brake Patent <<< >>> [ Brake Steering Wobble Patent] Thanks to no doubt I used the 9012 and the 9005 for. Hibeam actually I used a 9011 for hi beam
It sounds like only the Phillips are available now. The go by hir1 and hir2. A google search will get you to the candle power store that sells them. I am very happy with mine.
You can get the HIR 9012s from Amazon: Amazon.com: Philips 9012 Standard Halogen Headlight Bulb, Pack of 1: Automotive They fit the electrical connector, but you must modify one of the spades on the bulb for it to fit into the housing. It's easy though requiring only a pair of wire cutters, or a blade. They are a huge improvement over the horrible OEM low beams, a must have mod IMO and < $50 too.
Great, thanks guys. Im going to do my high and lows. I would also like to do my side lights and fogs. Anyone done these? what bulbs are they?
A while back, I upgraded my low beans to 6,000K HID low beams. Just wondering if anyone thinks that the following H3 LED replacement would be a good replacement for my high beams? or should I use HID for high beams, too? Thx! OPT7 Fluxbeam LED Headlight Kit 9006 9007 H1 H3 H4 H7 H10 H11 H13 6000K Bulb | eBay
Be aware that Xenon/HID headlights are not legal for use on the public roads in the UK without an automatic self levelling system and a headlamp wash system on the car. They are also not legal for use in a car whose headlights were originally designed for Halogen bulbs only. If you fit HID's to a 348/355 in the UK, then you run the risk of failing your annual MOT test! (And testers are now being advised to check for ignitors/ballast packs if they are not sure if Xenon/HID bulbs are fitted)
So here we are again, awakening an old thread. Has anybody upgraded their headlights lately ? Seems the HIR 9011 was one of the choices. This is something I need to do this year, so any current suggestions would be appreciated. Brand and part number would be much appreciated, low and high beam. A link to see and/or purchase would also be nice. Thanks in advance.
Ive used dozens and DDM and Innovited kits over the years, all have failed after a few months. Innovited at least replaces them quick and free. Stay away from DDM at all cost. Now i buy Morimoto and they are great. Having said that, I went with LED in my 355. great output, easy install.
I recall that they were about $90 and they do have a ballast. I don't know how they will compare with LED but today with prices dropping, I would consider the LED route if I didn't already have the HID. The LED are usually a direct replacement and don't require the extra attachments like the small ballast.
