whats the best headlight bulbs to uprate to? am fed up with the crap stock lights!! and cant afford a HID upgrade as yet!!!

 

anyone

I tried the one where you put an extra wire, to enable you to

use uk spec higher wattage bulbs...didn't work well for me, just zapped the power...wouldn't idle properly etc....maybe i did it wrong.. :confused:

Lights worked better though.. ;)

Try http://www.elta.co.uk for uprated bulbs.....i'm presuming yours is

a jap spec!

Hi mate

 

Do the UK-spec conversion first so you can fit H3 bulbs.......

 

....I have tried a few types in my UK ZX (not higher wattage versions though - didn't want to fry the wiring :o ), Halfords +30%, Phillips +30% Osram super +30% and PIAA Platinum white.

 

PIAAs are good but cost around £30-£40 a pair and TBH are not worth it.

 

Halfords are OK but shite compared to the others mentioned Phillips are better but the Osrams are better IMO. Light dispersion is better than PIAAs as PIAAs have a blueish coating that loses light through the opaque lenses of the ZX dipped beam. Plus the PIAAs give too much glare in fog/bad weather. Osrams are only £14.50 from http://www.powerbulbs.com which is also less than half the cost of PIAAs.

 

It also helps if you get the aim set correctly as well :D

 

If you want a pair of Phillips +30% you can mine free of charge - I bought them 2 weeks ago, I put them in for 2 days then found I already had a set of Osrams I bought earlier, which I'm now using.

 

PM me your address - I'll cover the post too as it's Christmas.....:)

 

Richard :smw:

http://www.powerbulbs.co.uk/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=132&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=87

 

Richard, are these the Osrams you mentioned ? They are the only ones I could find in H3 fitment on thats site.

http://www.powerbulbs.co.uk/product.asp?numRecordPosition=1&P_ID=132&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&SearchFor=&PT_ID=87

 

Richard, are these the Osrams you mentioned ? They are the only ones I could find in H3 fitment on thats site.

 

No, those are the horrid yellow tinted ones for fog lamps.

 

I guess they have sold out of the "super" H3.

 

Try either http://www.autostylin.co.uk or http://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk instead

 

HTH

 

Richard :)

This is the right one!! :cool:

 

 

http://www.autostylin.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=81_84&products_id=122

 

Richard :)

Hi Richard,

 

Can you tell me if you tried the 55W or 85W PIAA Super White bulbs?

Hi Richard,

 

Can you tell me if you tried the 55W or 85W PIAA Super White bulbs?

 

Hi Mark

 

I tried the 55w that are supposed to give the output of 85w jobbies.

 

Richard

This is the right one!! :cool:

 

 

http://www.autostylin.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=81_84&products_id=122

 

Richard :)

 

xcellent thanks :) Ordered. Free shipping too :)

 

Let there be light :cool:

Nice one guys! I've just ordered a set too :)

Rich YGPM ;)

Philips GT150 bulbs are the latest from Philips and replaced their Vison Plus bulbs, which were about the best in independent tests in Autocar and RiDE magazines.

I think

http://www.nippynormans.com/products.asp?dept=165

 

They're regular power (so legal and won't damage wiring / headlight units), They claim to give 50% more light which I don't believe but think they do give a bit more.

I did the upgrade to UK H3 bulbs with the "extra wire" technique. That'll do for me £4.50 a bulb thankyou very much ;)

PIAAs have a blueish coating that loses light through the opaque lenses of the ZX dipped beam.

I was wondering about this the other day. If the lenses were 100%clear, wouldnt they emit light more efficiently??

I've just fitted the Philips +30% and find they're a lot better than the original ones. Still need to adjust the beam correctly as its shining to much to the left. Only a tenner each too! :cool:

Philips GT150 bulbs are the latest from Philips and replaced their Vison Plus bulbs, which were about the best in independent tests in Autocar and RiDE magazines.

I think

http://www.nippynormans.com/products.asp?dept=165

 

They're regular power (so legal and won't damage wiring / headlight units), They claim to give 50% more light which I don't believe but think they do give a bit more.

 

 

The only downside is that they don't come in H3 which I think is the correct bulb for when you have done the conversion, someone tell me if I am wrong?

I have a pair of 80w (or is it 85w) bulbs as supplied by Leigh in the traders section. That along with the internally cleaned lenses and reflectors means that my dipped lights are fine. I have had cars with better lights (not new HID ones admittedly) but they are perfectly adequate 99% of the time.

I have a pair of 80w (or is it 85w) bulbs as supplied by Leigh in the traders section. That along with the internally cleaned lenses and reflectors means that my dipped lights are fine. I have had cars with better lights (not new HID ones admittedly) but they are perfectly adequate 99% of the time.

 

Andy,

 

Question for you ... without taking the lights out and apart - how the h*ll do you clean the inside of the dipbeam lenses? I can only manage to get a very thin coathanger in there and that's without a rag or tissue attached. Can this only be done with the light units out and taken apart?

 

Thanks mate.

 

Danny

 

PS - for the record - I've had 100W bulbs in with the extra wire soldered on for over 2 years now. Only one has blown so far and the wiring is perfectly intact. Am now wondering if the inside of the lenses are "burned" and therefore can't be cleaned any more ...

I took the headlights out, took them apart, fixed the adjusters, and cleaned everything - took ages.

 

I had 100w bulbs and one of then blew after about 15mins. I also have a few small holes drilled in the top of the headlamp casing to let some of the heat out.

I had 100w bulbs and one of then blew after about 15mins. I also have a few small holes drilled in the top of the headlamp casing to let some of the heat out.

 

Hmmm ... good idea. Sound's like I'll have to take the units out and apart then - task number 852 on my To-Do List ;)

 

Regards,

 

Danny

Andy,

 

Question for you ... without taking the lights out and apart - how the h*ll do you clean the inside of the dipbeam lenses? I can only manage to get a very thin coathanger in there and that's without a rag or tissue attached. Can this only be done with the light units out and taken apart?

 

 

In japanese, but pictures are helpfull. Cleaning, without removal :

 

http://www14.synapse.ne.jp/falcon/club/diy/clean.htm

pics of OEM vs 85w vs PIAA here:

http://www.300zx.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=25170&page=2&pp=15&highlight=bulb

 

let search be your friend!

I know the topic of lighting comes up again & again, but there are some articles on the following site that might be interesting - http://www.DANIELSTERNLIGHTING.COM. I have no idea if this guy is correct but he is VERY critical of a lot of lighting upgrades available. EG. He points out that a more intense light naturally tends to look more blue BUT giving a standard (weakish) light a blue tinge does NOT make it a better light. (In fact probably poorer, since the blue coating filters out other hues).

This includes the so-called 'superwhites' from PIAA - which many members on here don't rate very highly either.

An Auto Express test gave top score in the +50% group to the Osram Silverstar (narrowly beating Philips VisionPlus). You can get H1 version but not H3. For the H3's the best are (apparently) the +30% Philips Premium (narrowly beating Osram Super). These are all clear white bubs - no blue tinges. Beware both suppliers do other bulbs that are +50% or +30% - so look for these product names, not just the percentages.

One final point - that Daniel Stern bloke is also pretty down on HID upgrades. Doesn't concern me right now, but would be interested to hear any counter-arguments to his points!

I know the topic of lighting comes up again & again, but there are some articles on the following site that might be interesting - http://www.DANIELSTERNLIGHTING.COM. I have no idea if this guy is correct but he is VERY critical of a lot of lighting upgrades available. EG. He points out that a more intense light naturally tends to look more blue BUT giving a standard (weakish) light a blue tinge does NOT make it a better light. (In fact probably poorer, since the blue coating filters out other hues).

This includes the so-called 'superwhites' from PIAA - which many members on here don't rate very highly either.

An Auto Express test gave top score in the +50% group to the Osram Silverstar (narrowly beating Philips VisionPlus). You can get H1 version but not H3. For the H3's the best are (apparently) the +30% Philips Premium (narrowly beating Osram Super). These are all clear white bubs - no blue tinges. Beware both suppliers do other bulbs that are +50% or +30% - so look for these product names, not just the percentages.

One final point - that Daniel Stern bloke is also pretty down on HID upgrades. Doesn't concern me right now, but would be interested to hear any counter-arguments to his points!

 

I do indeed agree with much of this mate especially the blue bulbs bit. Save them for the Max Power brigade ;)

 

I've tried PIAA, Phillips +30% (H3) and Osram +30%. In conclusion the PIAAs are pretty good, but as they cost shedloads compared to the others I don't rate them nearly as high.

 

The Phillips may have won the Auto Express test for +30% but that was for H4 size. In the ZX the Phillips were nowhere near as good as the Osrams, which I conclude are the best stock bulb upgrade for a ZX.

 

I now have upgraded to an HID conversion and it really is the b0ll0x - not necessarily brighter, but clearer and more defined. Night driving is really so much safer now, I'd recommend this to any ZX owner :bow:

 

Richard :hyper: