| Consultant |
Coming from a 2000 Mountaineer Premier, the lights on my 2003 MDX Touring w/ Nav seem dim. I've read the many posts of using 9005 as low beams so I stopped by Kmart. They have the Philips 9005 HV's (claimed 30% more light) at only $10.39 so I bought a pair. Honda is very cheap with their wire harness; there is no slack to allow twisting the sockets. I installed only one of the 9005's on the low beam and pointed the MDX to my garage door. The 9005's beam was about 30 degrees lower than the stock 9006. I decided to put back the stock for now.
Has anyone actually driven with the 9005 blue bulbs as low beams without changing the alignment? How do they compare with 9006 (low beam) SilverStar's? I did get some info on the warranty (below)
"We do not have a written warranty, but do stand behind our products 100%. The estimated life span of the Silverstars is between one and two lighting seasons (one to two years). Depending on the use of the bulbs, the life could be at the short or long end of the life span. If you have experienced less than one year of life with Silverstars, please forward the defective bulbs to my attention at:
OSRAM Sylvania
Attn: Hannah
275 W. Main St., Hillsboro, NH 03244
I can offer you a replacement set or a refund. If a refund is requested, please include a copy of your receipt or a notation of what you paid.
Thank you,
Hannah" |
|
|
| m2pc |
I was just looking at the Philips Hivisibility as well as their Vision Plus. I originally wanted to get the Silverstars, but the life expectancy does not seem acceptable to me.
I can't seem to find anywhere online that sells the Vision Plus (claims 50% more light) so if your saying that the HVs are at Kmart, I may try it.
You stated that they point too low? I guess this is unacceptable since your re-installed your originals. So you would not recommend them? |
|
|
| Consultant |
| Since the last post, I installed the HV's as high beams. I also bought from Kmart four Bluevision 9005's (high beams) and installed them in the low beam and fog light positions. No change in alignment was needed. For the price, your not going get much better or brighter. Since NHTA sets limits on the brightness of the high and low beams, the bulb manufacturers can only play with the filament and its placement. That explains the HV's being off alignment in the low beam position. While the above setup is much brighter than the original, Honda should have installed xenon bulbs as they do on the cheaper Acura's. |
|
|
| m2pc |
| So the Blue visions needed no modifications? That's great. Do the Blue Visions have a blue tinge as their name implies? I would prefer just to have a clear white light. |
|
|
| DaleB |
quote:
Originally posted by m2pc
So the Blue visions needed no modifications? That's great. Do the Blue Visions have a blue tinge as their name implies? I would prefer just to have a clear white light.
I would use SilverStars if that's what you want. |
|
|
| Consultant |
| The Bluevisions produce a white light. Check some of the old posts on the SilverStars. I also thought on using them. However, those that installed the 9005 SilverStars on the low beam position had on-coming traffic flashing their lights. As I found with the HV's, the alignment changes Of course, you can use the actual low beams in their assigned position. However, the 9005's are about 70% brighter than allowed for the low beams. For about $12 at Kmart, buy one Bluevision 9005, install it as a low beam and compare with the factory stock. |
|
|
| m2pc |
quote:
Originally posted by DaleB
I would use SilverStars if that's what you want.
I thought about them, but hear that the lifespan is very short :(
Otherwise, it would be an easy choice |
|
|
| Consultant |
quote:
Originally posted by m2pc
I thought about them, but hear that the lifespan is very short :(
Otherwise, it would be an easy choice
Read my first post containing Sylvania's reply to me. |
|
|
| Consultant |
| What fits the MDX and what does it cost? You don't even list the MDX under Acura. |
|
|
| XenonDepot |
Hello,
I apologize for the site not being updated. We are actually in the process of updating the application charts. The MDX would require a 9006 conversion kit.
Please view this thread for more info:
http://www.acuramdx.org/forums/show...&threadid=10605
Regards,
Steve |
|
|
| need4spd |
If the new bulbs aim differently, you can adjust the aim quite easily. The easiest thing to do is start with your old bulbs, assuming they're aimed right. Shine the lights on your garage door and mark the positions with something that won't harm the finish (for example, you can put up plain typing paper with no-mar masking tape and mark the location on the paper with a pencil). Then replace the stock bulbs with the new ones. There are two adjusting screws, one for height and one for left-right; just turn them until you get the light pattern in the same place as the old ones.
9005 hi beams do put out more light. I seem to recall that it's nearly double. By law, all low beam bulbs, except xenons, are limited to the same amount (I seem to recall 1000 lumens, but I could be wrong; whatever it is, legal spec for high beams is nearly double, something like 1700 lumens if I've got the 1000 right for low beams).
Now, my question. You say you just put 9005 hi beam bulbs in the low beam socket? I thought there was an extra tab or slightly different tab positioning to prevent that. Are you saying that with the X, no modification is necessary? :confused: |
|
|
| Consultant |
| There have been many, many posts on this very subject, including photo's. You are correct, the 9006's are only 1,000 lumens so using the 9005's (at 1,700 lumens) as low beams and fog lights gives you at lot more light for the money. The plastic tabs inside the socket of the BlueVisions are easily broken with a needle nose plier. The BlueVisions are cheaper and last longer than the SilverStars. However, the xenon bulbs are still much brighter. |
|
|
|
