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brighter headlights

23K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  Ceezer 
#1 ·
We have a 2011 Kia Sorento EX. Has anyone replaced the base headlight lamps to get better distant illumination. On high beam the co
verage is great but on low beam it is marginal at best.
 
#3 ·
1--Check the aim. I park on a level surface in front of a blank wall and make sure both are at the same height. Then I raise both a bit and drive to see how they illuminate the road. Raise a bit more, check. If drivers flash their highs at me, I lower a bit and consider the job done.

2--I converted H9 bulbs to work in place of the H11. H9 is slightly brighter but with a shorter life. They work well.
H11 to H9 conversion. DIY with temps - NASIOC
DIY: Converting an H9 bulb to fit H11 fog light socket. - RX8Club.com
(This is for rx8 fogs, but our low beam headlights work the same. There is no good brighter bulb for our fogs.)

3--Consider a HID high intensity discharge system. Here is one example:
DDM Tuning 35W and 55W HID Kits
I'd select 35 watt, 4300K or 4500K color temperature. I do not want a blue or purple color.

PIAA bulbs are not my favorite. They tend to be short lived, and I do not like the color. In a conventional reflector light, they tend to focus more light in the center to get their advertized brightness and shortchange the sides where ample light is also needed. Note that all brighter halogen bulbs will have somewhat shorter life spans, burning the filament hotter to get more light. Here's why I don't like blue bulbs: Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply
 
#5 ·
I know how bad HID lights in a reflector headlight can be--looks like a ball of glare coming down the road toward me. Are the HIDs in projector headlights--our low beams--as bad?

The reflectors are designed for the bulb filament to be in a specific position. This even considers the direction the filament is mounted inside the bulb. The light source in a HID bulb is different than the filament in a halogen bulb, so there is no way a HID retrofit can work right. Some seem to be almost close enough, and some are horrible.
 
#6 ·
I have seen quite a few 2011-2013 sorentos with HID bulbs in the projector housing and also many santa fe's as well (assuming they use the same projectors). I have never been blinded by it and it never looked out of place.

With that said, the light output from my point of view looked to be quite poor. Another member on bere, Kobi, replaced his projectors in his sorento with lexus rx350 projectors and installed HID's and from the pics it looks amazing.

I am no expert but i read something about how HID bulbs have a different light projection than halogen bulbs where the HID's shoot lights in a narrow line and the halogens are a wider line.

On a personal note, I would replace the halogen bulbs with HID bulbs on any vehicle I owned with projectors just for the good look factor.
 
#8 ·
i would try 2 brands
philips xtreme vision h11
osram night breaker unlimited h11

they are the best in the halogens right now.. i would replace the halogens every 6 mos if you do lots of night driving, though hids are not bad idea 4300k/5000k are good.. you just need to aim them properly

IMG_4595 by kenn_ex82, on Flickr

find a flat surface.. get the car as close as possible to the wall (1ft is fine) mark it, like the white line i had in the pic.. then back off for 25 ft. and it should 2 inches below the step of the light's cut-off; is where the light should be at..(yellow mark in the pic)

hope this helps
 
#9 ·
Osram NightBreaker Unlimited H11
Osram Night Breaker® Plus "Unlimited" Ultra High Output 55W H11
"Osram NightBreaker "Unlimited" Ultra High Output +110% H11 bulb puts up to 110% more precision-focused light on the road ahead, while maintaining stock 55w power. Crystal-clear bulb glass in the primary optical zone for maximum output, with a cobalt-blue tinted peripheral glass for 20% whiter light without the reduced intensity common to other extra-white bulbs. 3600K Color Scale. Manufacturer claims up to a 15 yards longer beam length than an original bulb. -- "

(Osram is the German owner of Sylvania; Osram is the brand name used in Europe.)

As Kobi alludes, all these extra bright bulbs are also shorter life than stock--burning the filament hotter is one way to get the extra light output.
 
#11 ·
I bought Philips X-tremeVision for wife's Forte, it's an H11 bulb rated at 3400K color.
The bulbs are still in the mail and to be tested.
There is also H9 bulb which puts out 2100 lumens as opposed to 1200 lumens for H11 bulb. H9 is very easy to mod to go into same housing and to plug into same bulb harness, so no mods on the car are required.
I got the bulbs from Amazon USA. They are now $24 for a pair with free shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQWQN1Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here is Philips link:
Philips car lights: Halogen headlight bulbs
 
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