H3 converted to.....

I think this will be my first question asked on this board lol.

Ok, heres the deal. On another thread, someone suggested converting bulbs for higher brightness. Never really thought about different bulbs having different brightness. I just always figured an 80w bulb is an 80w bulb no matter what kind of bulb it is. Ok, if this isnt true, and some bulbs have higher brightness, then I might consider converting my bulb.

I have H3 bulbs in my car and I hate the light output of it. Never really cared to change it to HID because when it came down to it, I didnt want to spend the money if I wasnt sure I was going to keep my car for much longer. But converting it would be alot cheaper. What are my options as far as doing this? The factors I'm looking at would be the change in the harness and maybe modification for the housing to hold a different bulb. Would anyone care to further elaborate on this modification?

you know, you could get an HID kit an then just switch it out to your new car, provided the bulb types are the same in the two cars. if not, you could always sell it and prolly make atleast half of what you paid.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?cgiurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcgi.ebay.com%2Fws%2 F&krd=1&from=R8&MfcISAPICommand=GetResult&ht=1&SortProperty=MetaEndSort&query=H3+HID+kit

and im pretty sure the light output is the same between all types(as long as the power is the same), it just may appear brighter because of the way the bulbs project it.

I'm buying the G35 coupe, which already comes with HIDs... and I dont want to spend the extra money on a mod that will just be temporary... and I'll have to worry about selling it.

I'm buying the G35 coupe, which already comes with HIDs... and I dont want to spend the extra money on a mod that will just be temporary... and I'll have to worry about selling it.

Well, if you are getting a G35 soon and arn't wanting a spend much money since it will be temporary, my advice is just live with it. Not excactly what you want to hear I am sure, but that's my advice. You selling your Honda when you get the G35 I take it?

Most likely... but I'm keeping it for probably 6 months. Thats soon, but long enough to still play with. I'd just rather do low level mods.

Most likely... but I'm keeping it for probably 6 months. Thats soon, but long enough to still play with. I'd just rather do low level mods.

Yea, I understand that. No one want's to spend a lot of $$ if they are going to sell the car. However, HID's will solve the lighting problem. I am guessing you have projectors or "angel eyes"? I know H3's are normally a fog light or driving light bulb. The housing of the projecotr used can detrime the beam pattern with these. If a cheaper fog light type housing is used (which is normal), you get the wider beam pattern (like a fog light), which seems to be simlar to the way people discribe the problem of "not enough light output." Two solutions I have found. 1) Spend $70 and get PIAA high output bulbs (extreme white, super plasma). They have a 1 year warrenty, so sicne you'll have the car only about 6 months, this should throw a little more light out. Also, I have noticed when you aim the low beam projector a little high, it helps too. These are the only 2 cheap and inexpensive solutions I can think of to your dilema. SOrry I can't think of anything else easy to do that might help. I do know, however, that these 2 things do help out a bit. I know running the higher output bulbs and aiming a little high can help. What is the color temp of the bulb you are using? A lower color temp (around 4-4.5K is a good medium, if you don't care about output color) usually renders a little more useful light. I hope I helped a bit.

PIAA... hmm... never really considered them since I saw them as being overpriced. But if they have a 1 year warrenty on them, then the extra cost makes sence. I can just always purposely blow out the bulbs to get a new pair lol.

The bulb I'm using is 7k. What are the differences when it comes to this? 5k vs 7k? I once used a set of bulbs that were 8500k... it was horrible. Supposed to have a purplish blue tint to look more like HIDs,but it turned out more Pink than anything.

k is like the intesnity of the light i think. the hihgher it goes, the closer it gets to the intensity of the sun. do a search on ebay for eurodesignz bulbs. they have a lifetime warranty...if they burn out, send them with 5 bux for shipping to eurodesignz, and they will send you new bulbs.

PIAA... hmm... never really considered them since I saw them as being overpriced. But if they have a 1 year warrenty on them, then the extra cost makes sence. I can just always purposely blow out the bulbs to get a new pair lol.

The bulb I'm using is 7k. What are the differences when it comes to this? 5k vs 7k? I once used a set of bulbs that were 8500k... it was horrible. Supposed to have a purplish blue tint to look more like HIDs,but it turned out more Pink than anything.

Okay, with headlights, K refers to the color tempature. So 5,000K = 5,000 degree's Kelvin (another temputure scale, 0 degree's Kelvin is absolute zero, the coldest possible temp, the temp where all movement of molecules stops).

So, a 5,000K headlight has a lower color temp than a 7,000K headlight. This means it burns a little cooler first off. The difference in the temp produces the change in color. In general, the higher color temp headlights have LESS usable light. The color output at 7000 or 8000K might look cool, but the usable light output is less than 5000K or 4000K. Of course, this means the road doesn't appear as bright with these bulbs, since the color temp throws out less usable visable light. This is why the output you saw in terms of lighting up the road REALLY sucked with that 8500K bulbs. My friend once bought a pair of 8000K bulbs. I tired to talk him out of it. He put them in, and the light output was AWFUL! The usable light from low beam to light up the road was cut way down, and the high beam was much less effecient. Luckjly, it blew out, and he put in a 4000K set. Kind of a soft white (a bit of yellow, but a lot less than stock). It didn't look "as cool" but the visable light output was far better than those high color temp "high wattage bulbs" he had in previously. I would suggested a color temp NO HIGHER than the PIAA Super Plasma's 5130K I believe. It's a whitish-blueish/purple tint, it looks good. The light output is MUCH BETTER than the higher color temp bulbs. I find it a good medium better visable light output and color temp. The Extreme White burns at around 4300K I believe, so it's mostly a whiteish light. It should have a little more visable light output, though the color isn't as pretty (it's still a nice white though). I would reccomend one of these. Also, yea, the warrenty is nice, whenever mine blows a bulb, I just take the recipt and the blow bulb back to the shop and exchange it for a new one. That one year warrenty ROCKS. Just make sure to ask the shop before you buy it, make sure they honor this warrenty. There is one shop here that won't honor any warreny, you have to take it to the manufactorer (that way with any product). Needless to say, that's one to aviod. But that 1 year warrenty has saved me many times. And when you factor that the cheap brands only last maybe 3 months or so, at $30 a set...that like $90 or more a year, which is more money in the end than a set of the PIAA's with the one year warrenty cost up front. And of course, save the recipt, and your good for a year. I would recommend that though, the 4300K Extreme White (Super Plasma (5130K)rocks if you want the blueish purple color without the loss of visable light you get with the cheaper bulbs that run at like 8000k). Just remember, the higher the color temp, the less light is visable as helpful light output on the road. That's why those 8500K bulbs lit the road like crap. The PIAA's will help a lot. Like I said, if you don't mind pissing drivers off a bit, aiming the lights a little high also helps a bit too.

Very nice info!

Eckoman, make a thread informing other members about everything you just shared to me. Share your knowledge about aftermarket bulbs and I'll make it a sticky... so you can have credit for it too :D Just post a new thread and when I see it, I'll make it a sticky thread.

Very nice info!

Eckoman, make a thread informing other members about everything you just shared to me. Share your knowledge about aftermarket bulbs and I'll make it a sticky... so you can have credit for it too :D Just post a new thread and when I see it, I'll make it a sticky thread.

Okay, I'll get to work on it right now.

Okay, I'll get to work on it right now.

Stick! ;)

Stick! ;)

Impressive! He knows his bulbs as well as I used to know my body kits! lol

Impressive! He knows his bulbs as well as I used to know my body kits! lol

Why thank you :) I do try, lol. Just like body kits, there seems to be a misconception among tuners where they act like/think all bulbs are created eqaul. Very simliar to bosy kits in that regard. You see people only concerned with price, kind of assuming all are similar because they look that way. As we all know with body kits, lights, and many other things, this is far from the truth. Thanks for the vote of confindence, both you and SilverY2KCivic.

No thanks required.. you more than than blew me away with your knowlegde of bulbs!

Impressive! He knows his bulbs as well as I used to know my body kits! lol

Or as well as I know suspension. :p


Thanks for the vote of confindence, both you and SilverY2KCivic.

No thanks needed here as well, it's good to have extensive knowlege in a widely discussed and often misconcepted subject such as headlight bulbs. :cool:

Or as well as I know suspension. :p
No thanks needed here as well, it's good to have extensive knowlege in a widely discussed and often misconcepted subject such as headlight bulbs. :cool:

No thanks required.. you more than than blew me away with your knowlegde of bulbs!

You do know suspensions quite well Matt, like Silverbolt and bodykits. I agree also, bulbs are indeed very misconceived subject. It's funny, people buy what's cheap, thinking all this the same or it won't matter. Then they can't understand why it doesn't work and it blows out in 3 days. To me, it's just like what I call the Gen 3 complex. People buy Gen 3 tails, they leak, and the seals break with time, and half the friggen cover ends up loose. Then they go out and buy gen 3 projectors or angel eyes, and can't understand why the wiring is fried and the low beams don't work. It's all the same in a sense, with all 3 of these...bodykits, suspension, bulbs (and the gen 3 example). Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it's the same qaulity. In a lot of ways, you get what you pay for with things to a certain extent. Hopefully, this will help people better understand bulbs and help sqaush some of the misconceptions.

You do know suspensions quite well Matt, like Silverbolt and bodykits. I agree also, bulbs are indeed very misconceived subject. It's funny, people buy what's cheap, thinking all this the same or it won't matter. Then they can't understand why it doesn't work and it blows out in 3 days. To me, it's just like what I call the Gen 3 complex. People buy Gen 3 tails, they leak, and the seals break with time, and half the friggen cover ends up loose. Then they go out and buy gen 3 projectors or angel eyes, and can't understand why the wiring is fried and the low beams don't work. It's all the same in a sense, with all 3 of these...bodykits, suspension, bulbs (and the gen 3 example). Just because it looks the same doesn't mean it's the same qaulity. In a lot of ways, you get what you pay for with things to a certain extent. Hopefully, this will help people better understand bulbs and help sqaush some of the misconceptions.

:werd: :iagree: