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Feb. 19, 2010 1:13 a.m. neon4891 UberDork
Ok, this may be borderline ricer, but... I need to improve my lighting. As it stands my original headlights are hazed, and in general in not too good of a condition. Also I am currently running standard bulbs. Currently, half my driving is at night. As it stands I am considering 3 options.
1. Just install some Silver Star or similar high temp bulbs. On my last car I had APC(I know, I know...)super blue(?) bulbs. Those worked VERY nice and cost about 1/2-1/3 of similar Silvanias.
2. Option 1+ a lense polish kit. I have found a few different kits in the $20 range, some are one time use, others are reusable and attatch to power drills. This still leave me with half disintigrated gaskets and a few broken mounting tabs.
3. If I replace the headlight assemblies I'm thinking Projector units like this. Used headlight units will run me $50 and be in only marginally better condition than what I have now(and still hazed over), and new OE type units will only cost about $20 less than the projectors.
Thoughts on this?

Also, I have finaly fixed my door switch issue and am ready to reinstall the dome lamp bulb, but I can't find the 578 bulbs in any stores. I haven't had time to run out to the parts yard to pull one so a search of ebay has turned up a few interesting LED ones, this 36 LED bulb takes the cake.

Sorry to suggest rici-ness on the main board, but thanks for your time and thoughts
Feb. 19, 2010 4:48 a.m. foxtrapper UltraDork

Thoughts on this?
It would help to know what kind of car we're talking about. The oem lights on a 86 Honda ain't the same as the oem lights on a 02 BMW. I guess we're talking about a Neon, but I don't know for sure.

I tend to lean to cheap. A little standard rubbing compound or toothpaste, and clean the existing lenses. No need for a special kit.

Duct tape and glue can hold any lens in place.

Better bulbs are always a good idea. If you've used and liked APC bulbs, go get another set.

Projector lights frequently toss a lousy light pattern. You're rolling the dice buying something like that from E-bay. Try it if you wish, but I can't think of any reason to believe it will be an improvement.
Feb. 19, 2010 4:51 a.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork

+1 for cleaning up the stock housings and throwing in a bulb of your choice.

That said, Eagle Eyes might make a copy of the OEM housing for pretty cheap.

The projectors are also a cool idea if you can aim them well, but that'll be a toss up.
Feb. 19, 2010 5:55 a.m. DrBoost Dork

Have you guys ever lived with the headlights on a Dodge product? They SUCK. I'd go with the projo beams and ditch the stock stuff. I've owned soo many dodge/chrysler products and they are all sub-par as far as the headlights are concerned.
Feb. 19, 2010 6:04 a.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork

DrBoost wrote:

Have you guys ever lived with the headlights on a Dodge product? They SUCK. I'd go with the projo beams and ditch the stock stuff. I've owned soo many dodge/chrysler products and they are all sub-par as far as the headlights are concerned.

Ah. So it's like the lighting on early/mid 90s Ford products, yes?
Feb. 19, 2010 8:16 a.m. DrBoost Dork

93celicaGT2 wrote:

DrBoost wrote:

Have you guys ever lived with the headlights on a Dodge product? They SUCK. I'd go with the projo beams and ditch the stock stuff. I've owned soo many dodge/chrysler products and they are all sub-par as far as the headlights are concerned.

Ah. So it's like the lighting on early/mid 90s Ford products, yes?

Sucks doesn't it? I have a 2005 dodge minivan and a 98 forester. The low beams on the forester are as effective as the high beams on the minivan (I'm talking country roads here, no street lights). I've installed running lights on the dodge/Jeep products I've owned and it doesn't do much.
Feb. 19, 2010 8:24 a.m. Gearheadotaku HalfDork

I used a bottle of headlight polish from blue coral with good results. Cost me 4 bucks. Wet sanded with 2000 grit then buffed w/ headlamp polish. Yes, they did buff right out! Somewhere on the market there is a plexiglass polish for boat windows that works wonders too.
Feb. 19, 2010 8:36 a.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork

DrBoost wrote:

93celicaGT2 wrote:

DrBoost wrote:

Have you guys ever lived with the headlights on a Dodge product? They SUCK. I'd go with the projo beams and ditch the stock stuff. I've owned soo many dodge/chrysler products and they are all sub-par as far as the headlights are concerned.

Ah. So it's like the lighting on early/mid 90s Ford products, yes?

Sucks doesn't it? I have a 2005 dodge minivan and a 98 forester. The low beams on the forester are as effective as the high beams on the minivan (I'm talking country roads here, no street lights). I've installed running lights on the dodge/Jeep products I've owned and it doesn't do much.

The Escort is borderline dangerous to drive at night, in my opinion, and that's even with brand new housings.

Of course, again, i'm comparing to the Celica, which has some of the best lighting i've experienced in ANY OEM vehicle.
Feb. 19, 2010 8:47 a.m. Stealthtercel Reader

+1 on the "polish and get good bulbs" route. This worked great on our workhorse MPV. Optics are more complicated than one would expect, so I'd give the OEM engineering a chance with non-beancounter bulbs before trying an Ebay alternative.

And yes, I had a 95 Voyager whose lights could have been improved by duct-taping a Thomas the Tank Engine nightlight to the hood.
Feb. 19, 2010 8:51 a.m. instructor74 None

I would also steer clear of the aftermarket projector lamp assy I have seen a lot of really bad ones esp from ebay. I would polish them out add a good bulb and see where you stand. polish them for and replaceing the bulbs for around $50 sounds like a deal to me
Feb. 19, 2010 8:57 a.m. pres589 Reader

Maybe add something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/ABL-Intensity-Halogen-Pencil-Light/dp/B000W4K20M/ref=sr_1_1?...
Feb. 19, 2010 9:02 a.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork

At least 8 of those...

4 across the bumper in between the two headlights, and 4 on a light bar on the roof.

Raise the car, add mudflaps and a skidplate.
Feb. 19, 2010 9:19 a.m. MadScientistMatt Dork

A lot of the cheap aftermarket "upgrades" in headlights really, really suck. You get things like blue bulbs that put out less light than stock, poorly designed HID conversions put together with no regard to beam pattern, and a bunch of other atrocities. Your best bet would be to polish the stock lenses and use some good quality bulbs that don't play silly games with the light color (any attempt to change the light color with a filter on the bulb gives you less light). I've seen some people use relays to get less voltage drop along the wires to the bulbs, and if there's a voltage drop issue that can make a real difference.
Feb. 19, 2010 10:32 a.m. neon4891 UberDork

polish and silver star it is
Feb. 19, 2010 11:05 a.m. Keith PowerDork

foxtrapper wrote:

Thoughts on this?
It would help to know what kind of car we're talking about. The oem lights on a 86 Honda ain't the same as the oem lights on a 02 BMW.

Lemme tell you, you do not want to have to buy a set of OEM lights for an 02 BMW. Ouch.
Feb. 19, 2010 12:44 p.m. bluesideup New Reader

I tried polishing the lights on my Grand Cherokee which worked ok. The real problem was the deterioration of the silver reflector, a set of new Depo lights from the junkyard fixed the problem and put out twice as much light as my 17 year old oem lights. Poor bastard who had the lights before me must have been rear ended right after installing these things.
Feb. 19, 2010 12:52 p.m. daytonaer Reader

MadScientistMatt wrote:

I've seen some people use relays to get less voltage drop along the wires to the bulbs, and if there's a voltage drop issue that can make a real difference.

I would suggest this. Check the voltage at the plug with the car running. My jeep was getting 9.8 volts to the bulb with 13.5 volts running through the system.....

Also, you should be able to get higher wattage bulbs for the stock housing "for off-road use only." I have done this in the past with luck in 90's mopars. Mail ordered from JCWhitney but I never upgraded the wires.

So if you find too much voltage drop, I would re-wire (use a relay triggered from the OEM wiring, new heavier gauge wire directly to battery with fuse) and the re-wire will tolerate a higher watt bulb.

Yes to cheap polish, probably have to re-polish every 6 months or so.

No, IMO to the silverstars. I have seen SO many sylvania bulbs last 6 months to a year. They look great but just don't last.

Good brand but don't think they are much brighter: PIAA

or these? Hella

I think 55/65 watt bulbs are stock, 80/100 watt should be available. That's a 9007 bulb? If it takes H4's, they sell 150 watt bulbs to replace the 55 watt bulbs.... just be considerate to oncoming drivers if you go this route. Blue/White upgrades are more likely to get you harassed by the cops then brighter "yellow/stockish color"
Feb. 19, 2010 1:18 p.m. MadScientistMatt Dork

Silvania Silverstars are literal examples of the candle that burns twice as bright but half as long. I wouldn't run them. Confusingly, there are also Osram Silverstars which are quite good.
Feb. 19, 2010 1:31 p.m. neon4891 UberDork

Makes me wish I could have pulled the bulbs from my last car. VERY bright and they had lasted over 3 years when I had my accident, but the hood wouldn't open afterwards
Feb. 19, 2010 1:36 p.m. alfadriver Dork

If you are thinking of replacing some of the alternate lights with LED's, I've bought from the sponsor that GRM uses on the main page. Good stuff.

And you have to remember to change the turn signal relay if you use LED- the relay uses the resistance of the light to switch- LED's make that not work.

They look good, and, more important, are super bright- which is important IMHO- especially the brake light.

E
Feb. 19, 2010 1:53 p.m. Spinout007 HalfDork

Look at your low beam bulbs and high beam bulbs, I put silverstar high beam bulbs in my low beam sockets just by shaving a pin outta the highbeam sockets. Just a thought, of coarse I'm lazy and got tired of polishing housings.
Feb. 22, 2010 8:45 a.m. neon4891 UberDork

So I picked up a headlight restoration kit and some new bulbs, sylvania xtravision. Those are listed as one step above standard bulbs, worth a shot. I'll update once I have it done.
Feb. 22, 2010 8:54 a.m. mad_machine PowerDork

even looking at chrysler headlights, I could tell they were utter crap. the "cloud cars" were the worst were you could tell that making the car look sleak won out over being able to see at night.

Here is what I would do... Get the clear headlight housings from ebay.. and gut them. You do not want the crap reflector and cheap wiring that go with them. Do a google search for HID retrofits.. and go to the yard and grab some projectors off of any number of cars there with them.

A little bit of wiring, some fibreglass work, and a good alighnment on the lights.. and you should be ready to see EVERYTHING on the road.
Feb. 22, 2010 8:57 a.m. DrBoost Dork

alfadriver wrote:

If you are thinking of replacing some of the alternate lights with LED's, I've bought from the sponsor that GRM uses on the main page. Good stuff.

And you have to remember to change the turn signal relay if you use LED- the relay uses the resistance of the light to switch- LED's make that not work.

They look good, and, more important, are super bright- which is important IMHO- especially the brake light.

E

Eric, what did that whole conversion cost you and what kind of car if you don't mind my asking? I have been wanting to do that on the 05 caravan
Feb. 22, 2010 3:21 p.m. neon4891 UberDork

Finnaly got off my lazy @$$ and did the headlight restoration. This one used 2 stages of wet sanding and 2 types of polish over 3 stages. Due to weather I had pulled the units and did it inside. I am about to head back out and reinstall them with the new bulbs.

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