i hate the light output on the cl's, but was wondering if the aftermarkets would be brighter then the oem ones? i didnt want to pull the oems and do the swap with the aftermarket then find out its exactly the same..... i figure the oem ones are old and the output is fading...?

 

you can try different bulbs, that might help.

aftermarket kits are not going to be any better unless you get a 55w kit. how much better would a 55w kit be? i dunno, never used one.

 

Honestly I think the oem are the brightest just make sure you get new bulbs. I used to have 8500k and those suck compared to the oem ones that i bought a new set of. I get complements all the time now saying how bright my headlights are.

 

OEM>Aftermarket.

 

yea i would just get new oem ones unless you replace with a 55w kit

 

wont that melt the housings?

 

nope, i dont think so
at least neva heard of tht in the head lights , may b in the fogs and tht is a whole other Story.

 

Yes 55w ballasts will damage the headlight. If they dont melt it, the chrome will burn off. It even happens on projectors.

Stick with OEM ballasts. How old are your bulbs? New bulbs may be in order. Check eBay for D2R Phillips/Osram bulbs. Dont get aftermarket shit.

 

i was gonna do 55w kit...but like you said, it might burn off the chrome.... so i dont wanna take the chance unless someone had this done already.... and a lot of 55w kits dont last that long from what ive searched up on....

but does the oem bulbs make that much of a difference compared to aftermarkets?? i have 6k right now from here:

http://www.xenonlink.com/HID+Bulbs/D...282+pc%29.html

i got these a few months back...ive went through atleast 3 pairs of diff lights throughout the year.... i started with 8k, but i didnt like them anymore because theyre too dim and ricey.... then i went with different 6k's.... and the ones i have right now are ok, but i want them brighter.... 4300 is too stock looking, kind of looks purplish white.

and projectors are not going on my list of mods... too much work but they look nice... so my option is an aftermarket kit which i thought might be brighter.....

 

what temp do you have now, and what kind of bulbs?

 

get 5000k. that's what i'm running right now. not too stock looking, but definitely good road visibility

 

I just got new oem bulbs and adjusted them to point up more

 

I dont even know who makes those.

The problem with alot of aftermarket bulbs is the manufacturing process. The bubble may not be in the correct location or the bulb itself may sit crooked on the base.

Get a quality set of Phillips or Osram bulbs if you want stock lighting (which new bulbs will make a difference, just make sure you have them aimed properly - 2" lower then the height of the light on a wall 25' away).

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BRAND...ht_3108wt_1165

Another quality company is Morimoto but I dont know if they make anything other then D2S bulbs.

Dont buy into that whole Kelvin rating. Its purely to measure the color. You want the bulb with the most lumens, which anything higher 5000k will not give you. A 4300k bulb will give you the most brightness. Color =/= brightness.

 

doesnt that kill the light output on the ground?

 

do you remember where you got your bulbs from?

 

civicdrv, yea i know the kelvin rating is purely with colors.... i just dont like the oem purplish/white.... i like a slight blue but more of a cool white..... which is why i was wondering about the ballasts....

 

slight blue/cool white is 5000-6000K 5000 is much brighter than 6000K though

If your stock bulbs have a purple color to them, they're going bad

 

i might have to try 5k then... any specific brand?

 

BTW, you dont want light right in front of the car. You want it further down the road. Thats why the hotspots on projectors should be right at the cutoff. Thats where most of the light is being focused. If you want light in the foreground (right in front of the car) get fog lights. I dont suggest raising the lights above where they should be (2" lower then the height of the light on a wall 25' away). You will be blinding oncoming traffic.

 

i have custom fogs done for a long time now.....but i want the headlights brighter, so ill be looking into 5k most likely

 

i got mine from HIDextra. but some people swear by Kaixens

 

any pics of w/ them on?

 

if your looking for a different color then go with a HID kit, but oem is usually best

 

not true, just change bulbs for different color, no kit needed.

 

my headlights aren't aligned right i'm too embarrased to show my beam pattern. just know that they are white, with a slight bluish tint

 

Id post pics of my 4300k bulbs but its not exactly a good comparison.

 

ooops, i lied, i found a pic with my lights on, but if you really want to see the light output you'd have to wait till it gets dark.

 

i think the cl has poor cut off lines and weak output when i had my 2nd gen tl the light output was crazy straight with or without fogs on wish i could afford a 2nd gen tl front end hahaha.

 

thats my thought exactly...low output and poor cutoff lines....its pretty much just dim and isnt as strong as other headlights....

 

looks pretty good, its hard to judge from seeing pictures though, looks kind of like what i have now...not sure, but looks nice

 

thanks. i have 3000k fogs too. i drive a lot of backroads here in kentucky and i can't afford to hit a deer, so output is very important to me.

 

wow...3k fogs? i have the same setup...haha..ill get a pic of mine soon

 

You need projectors.

 

sell me yours

 

Im starting my new set tomorrow

 

yes.... i.... do.....

 

can i get dibs on your old ones?

 

I think everyone has dibs on them

I think the only way I can keep it fair is just posting the FS thread in the BM and having it first come first serve.

I thought about doing retros on the side, but I dont want to step on JnCs toes.

 

shit, ill pay you right now if the price is good..lol..no joke

 

Sort of off-topic, but how do we aim the stock headlights? After I lowered my CL, my headlights were aimed very close to the road, and I can't figure out how to adjust them.