What's the best way to get brighter headlights?

[Chiggles]

I'm not sure what to search for on this matter so I've just been browsing through this forum trying to get an idea of what to do, but I'm still lost. :p

At the very least, I know I'm not looking to do anything fancy like a projector conversion or any sort of re-fitting. So what other alternatives does a noob like me have to make my headlights brighter??

Can I replace the regular halogen bulbs with those xenon/krypton ones and will they fit/work in the stock projector?? Or will I have to also invest in some sort of HID lighting kit to get those xenon bulbs to work??? If I'm limited to the stock projectors cuz I can't afford a HID kit, what are the best halogen bulbs to get?? :p I'm sure somebody's reading this and probably thinking STFUN, but hey, how else am I supposed to learn, right? Please help. Thanks for your patience.

[jumboplay]

Polish your headlights with Plastx polish (there's an example on my website at http://www.tommyv2.com/august2.htm -shameless plug, don't hate- ), then good a good bulb like Sylvania Silverstar. Makes quite a big difference, but it's no miracle. It's still 9004 technology, and it still sucks...but it *is* better.

Worth a shot, though!

Oh, and DOT (department of transportation) Approved means that the government confirms that it sucks and it's underpowered.

<small>[ December 02, 2004, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: Tommy v2 ]</small>

[papa roached]

Originally posted by Tommy v2:

Oh, and DOT (department of transportation) Approved means that the government confirms that it sucks and it's underpowered.

werd

[Chiggles]

So if 9004 tech sucks so bad, what's the next best thing above them in the line of evolution? The xenon bulbs or HIDs???

[Taras]

NO pain, no gain. Do what the other guy told you. That's the best you can do if you want to keep stock lights.

Just FYI, your headlights are reflector based and are not projectors, just a technicality.

DOT approved means that the company producing the units did so to conform to the government issued standard FMVSS108 that defines all kinds of things like: beam pattern, amount of glare, beam distribution, brightness in various sections of the beam, size of the lights, position, adjustability, dust/moisture and shock tolerances, etc, etc. Depending on when the unites were designed, that particlar version of the standard was used. The standard in not precise, there are variations. Then, the company put a DOT reg number on them to say that they comply. Government chooses to see if they do or not, but this does not necessarily mean that they did test them. Government can't test eveything out these. If you decide to make headlights, you can also put a DOT sticker on them if you have produced and tested them according to the rules. Government might test them to see if you did a good job. That is why APC lights say DOT-approved, but in reality they may not be until the govenment test them. If they find uncompliancem they will recall them, just like they did a year ago with APC, because they were missing an orang/red side reflctor and that was obvious.

I guess back in early 90's when our stock lights were produced by Ichikoh they were smoking something funny and made the lights at the bare minimum standards and I bet these days they would not even pass. May be they just lied that they met DOT standards and no one bothered to check. May be Mazda just cheaped out and hired Ichikoh to do our headlights instead of Koito, Stanley, Hella or Bosch. Who knows, I do no think any sane lighting company in the world uses 9004 bulbs anymore, it was a popular choice back then, God knows why. H4 was already widely used in Europe for years and E-spec and J-spec lights of Mx-3 got it. Blame the archaic FMVSS108 lighting regulations in those days. They are getting better to "harmonize" them with ECE regs.

[bubbaflaat]

I still I'm toying with the idea of putting H4 bulbs in my stock lights. The way the bulbs are designed it will still project the light correctly right?

[Taras]

I do not know if it will, you can only try and see. May be a glare monster....

[Custommx3]

Originally posted by Tommy v2:
Polish your headlights with Plastx polish (there's an example on my website at http://www.tommyv2.com/august2.htm -shameless plug, don't hate- ), then good a good bulb like Sylvania Silverstar. Makes quite a big difference, but it's no miracle. It's still 9004 technology, and it still sucks...but it *is* better.

Worth a shot, though!

Oh, and DOT (department of transportation) Approved means that the government confirms that it sucks and it's underpowered.

BTW.. its in the faq.

[Taras]

You could also run your lights through a designated relayed harness. This way your bulbs will be getting not 12v but full 14v or so whatever your battery is at.

[bubbaflaat]

Won't that burn through bulbs like crazy? Aren't they only designed for 12v?

[mx3frik]

Originally posted by Bubbaflaat:
Won't that burn through bulbs like crazy? Aren't they only designed for 12v?

That's a yes and no question. You are right the bulbs are built for 12V system, but the forward voltage put on the battery can be as high as 15 on some cars. 14.5V seems to be the nominal value the bulbs are designed for.

EH