kingjoker

Hi everyone, I am a newb to cars and I just got my 2010 sh-awd last month.If you don mind i would like to ask a few questions:

For the fog lights, what are the best white light bulb out there that will match the TL's headlights? lifetime, price, legal issue or any pros and cons?

I heard if i install HID i will need to put a kit somewhere so is there any good substitutions beside hid? i am no that pro so just looking for an easy solution with bulb-switching.

i read some posts here that there's an argument about it's needed to remove the bumpers for the foglight installation. Do i really need that?
Some friends told me to get a PIAA lights and i checked online with osram, i don know which products is good, can anyone give me some suggestions?

Appreciate for any reply.

PetesTL

If you're just putting in regular halogen bulbs, you don't really need to remove the bumper.....it's still not that easy as you need to squeeze your hand inside the wheel wells (the passenger side is especially difficult because the washer fluid is in the way).

As far as color matching the low beam HID's, no halogen bulb is ever going to match it exactly unless you get another HID system. That being said, you can try and experiment to see which halogen bulb comes closest. Piaa's and Hoen's are all good but you have to also remember that any blue-colored bulb is not going to last as long as the stock bulbs.

Takehold66

you can use a Piaa H11 fog or the Luminics H11 Ultra white fog bulbs. I used the Luminics and they match really well and look great. No bumper removal. just some clips and moldings in wheel wells. the instructions on how to do it are in the manual.

KeithL

I love the Luminics, they look so close to the HIDs and far better than the stock bulbs. They are also rated at stock wattage (55). Some bulbs will draw 80-110 watts and you risk melting wires over prolonged use. Changing them on the AWD is a bitch to tsya the least. The 3G was easy, the brake ducts makde it harder and the right side sucks worse becasue of the washer fluid tank. You don't drop the bumper, you take off the 2-3 wheel well black fasteners that hold the wheel well in place. You can then pull back the wheel well and reach in. Hopefully you have long thin arms ;-) The right side I found it benefical to drop 1 or 2 of the 10mm bolts on the bottom of the bumper that hold in the air/splash pan. 3G woudl take me maybe 15 min, the AWD took me about 30. You will need to turn the wheels full right and left to make it easier in each wheel well to get in there.

Kingmeow

How are the life of the Luminics? Do they burn out quickly?

PetesTL

Go with HID's for the fogs. I've tried pretty much every blue-colored bulb there is for the past 10 years and all of them are just crap.

KeithL

I have my car 16K miles and 14 months, had the bulbs within the first month. They are on whenever my HIDs are one, virtually every morning on my 35 minute commute and then during winter on the way home too and in all bad weather. They look as good as new. I do hear that anything other than stock temp Halogen bulbs will have a shortened life from any maker, but if I have to change these every 18-24 months I'm fine with that. They look WAY BETTER than the stock bulbs and damn near match to the HIDs.

Takehold66

^ I agree! The Luminics look great and only cost $30 for two bulbs and you can change them both in about 30 minutes.

eazy

iTrader: (8)

If it isn't HID you won't be satisified with the color. I know cause I went with Mtec bulb's before I decided to get a HID kit.

MIKEYDRED

I installed the Luminics 9005 Ultra Whites on my high beams and are waiting for another nice day to do the fogs. The high beam was a bitch especially on the drivers side had to force the bulb in there. When the DRL are running the light output from the Lumincs are useless but when high beam is activated big differance, the color temp is 5100k so it is a little whiter than the HID low, but overall I am satisfied. I agree with other posters the Lumincs are also perfect for fogs as they use the same wattage. The high is 65 watts as oppose to 60 watt stock, not a big deal I guess since everwhere seems to have 65 watts as a replcement bulb. The stock is a hb3 which is probally the 5 percent or whatever it is of Japan content on the TL.

kingjoker

thx guys, that's good information i can keep in mind, beside luminics how about the brand mtec? i saw that in some local stores around $50 CAD and about $30 on ebay, checked online and the rating is not that bad too. personally i thought maybe japanese brand is better?!( with around the same price to luminics)

What do you guys think?