New lights for 2001 Acura CL

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Old 07-18-2017, 02:13 AM
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New lights for 2001 Acura CL

Hello all, been stalking these forums for over a year now ever since I got my 2001 Cl. Never gotten around to changing the bulbs for the headlights but they've always been two different colors and the road lamps (fog) are a joke.

Amazon Amazon
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Been thinking of getting all these to upgrade the lights so I can finally get my headlights restored professionally since they're all faded and nasty. Are these the correct sizes and what is the difference between 35w and 55w for this car (can it handle 55w)?
Thanks in advance y'all
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Old 07-18-2017, 02:56 AM
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Low beams - D2R
Hi beams - HB3
Road lamps - 6CP (5W)

I wouldn't use those blue bulbs for your road lamps. Instead use the Philips 921 LED. Requires minor mod to the housing. Basically enlarge the opening by 1/16" so the 921 bulbs can pass through the housing.

I upgraded my road lamps to DRL by using the 921 bulbs and rewiring them.
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Old 07-18-2017, 12:30 PM
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Why not the blue ones, they give off a white light apparently. How difficult is it to mod the opening so that it'll take the 921 and is it around the 6000k range because that's the strength of the lights I want all around (should I have the highs and lows the same strength actually?). Also assuming the 921 is easy to install, like just dropping it into the housing and putting it back in?
Old 07-18-2017, 12:54 PM
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921 are 6k LED but a lot brighter than those blue bulbs.

Doesn't matter if hi/low are same or not.

35w HIDs are legal, 55w is not. 55w will be brighter but not sure how much brighter.

See my Posts at the end of the link below about road lamps modding.

https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...-light-785989/
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Old 07-18-2017, 03:21 PM
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It seems that the highs are reflector and the lows/regular driving lights are projector, which means I can't use the high beam HIDs, was this the case for you? The m6 looks like plug and play, is that the case for the 921 as well? I am not really interested in DRL (seems like a lot of work and I'd do it if it was easier to understand (The only auto experience I have is adding my own audio system alone) what use could they have in Illinois?) but can I just widen the hole and drop the 921 in there no problem? Besides that, thanks for all the information so far!

Is it worth it to tint the headlights once I upgrade it all? I want my car to look real good and get a real paint job (not this factory paint I got) to make it stand out from others.

This is a general idea on how I want my car to look


Old 07-18-2017, 03:34 PM
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Stick with 35W .
Old 07-18-2017, 04:23 PM
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The 921 bulbs are plug n play. They have the same base. Just use a miniture round file to enlarge the opening a little to allow the 921 bulbs to slide in... 5/10 minutes per side.

I didn't do anything to my hi beams so not sure if HIDs will fit or not.

I wouldn't tint the lights.

The tinted windows look great but illegal.
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Old 07-18-2017, 04:30 PM
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I'd go here for the HID kits instead of crappy Kensun from Amazon though


https://www.theretrofitsource.com/
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Old 07-18-2017, 08:30 PM
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The cl headlamps are reflector style. The HIDs will fit in the hi beam.
Old 07-19-2017, 02:25 PM
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Considering the Morimoto's now but still going to be stuck with my crap headlights for a while now. $150 is a lot to spend on lights but quality not quantity, right? (Serving is not a good way to make money imho) The reflectors have anti-glare caps which means HIDS are fine in them apparently so going to go with the HIDS in there as well as the highs. Just wish this car was more praised and more people had it, always reading about the 2nd gen TL but never CL, they don't even make custom headlight housings or anything really for the CL which is just sad.

After this upgrade gotta start saving some big bucks to get a paint job and redo/get new rims (I want new rims but I just really like the acura symbol that stock has.

Thanks for everything guys!
Old 07-20-2017, 12:03 AM
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restore your head lights yourself its really not that hard.. my first first set I prepped them myself and took em to a body shop to spray a couple of coats of clearcoat for 100 bucks... the second set I re did myself when I had them apart for retrofitting...

use this thread as a rough guide... https://acurazine.com/forums/second-...-maybe-784053/

yes I know photobucket sucks... but to view the photobucket thumbnail right click it and open in a new tab..
Old 08-15-2017, 03:09 PM
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Ok, I finally have enough spare cash to buy all the bulbs guys. Morimoto does not have ballasts or HID kits for the d2r, they just sell the bulb. Can I use it with the factory ballast or should I get an aftermarket one, and if so which would be the best brand? Also been thinking of retrofitting and making the entire housing into projector typing but that is another project for another day.
Old 08-15-2017, 06:51 PM
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921 LED driving lights, yellow vinyl on housing. Took apart headlights, blacked trim and added rgb halo rings with a remote. Also cleared the corners and used an amber LED. About 120$ CAD and a half day work. Thats includes the 60 for headlights from JY.
Old 12-06-2017, 06:18 PM
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Question New lights for 2001 Acura CL

Originally Posted by 01acls
The cl headlamps are reflector style. The HIDs will fit in the hi beam.
I have an '03. Noted the different power choices for the D2R's. Use the lower? Does that affect brightness/blueness? Is the transformer/booster still necessary for the Sylvania's? Thanks.
Old 12-06-2017, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by 03cl_08rdx
I have an '03. Noted the different power choices for the D2R's. Use the lower? Does that affect brightness/blueness? Is the transformer/booster still necessary for the Sylvania's? Thanks.
35W / 43k Kelvin is stock HID. 50W HID is brighter but not illegal for street use.

Color is rated in Kelvins. Higher the Kelvin the bluer the light. 34k-43k are most OEM HIDs. I would recommend that you use 5k-6k color temperatures. 4k-5k has the best light out put in terms of lumens. However, 5k-6k lights up luminous street signs better than 4k-5k. It's a personal preference.

All HID lamps require a ballast and ignitor or an inverter (ballast/ignitor), regardless of brand.




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