8th Generation Honda Civic Forum - View Single Post

ryker · 03-26-2009, 11:11 AM

Found some info on another site.

this guy had the same thought I had

Summary:
Can/should I replace my 9006 low beam bulbs with 9011 hi-beam HIR bulbs safely?

Details:
I just got my second accord (from a 1989 to a 1997) and I'm not impressed with the low beams at night, simply too dim for even normal conditions.

9006 replaced with a 9005 for brighter lo-beams:
You can cut/file the attachment fitting of a 9005 bulb (no cap, 1700 lumen, used as hi-beams' bulbs) to fit the lo-beams slot where there is current a 9006 (capped, 1000 lumen). This process is outlined here (CAMRY FAQ ***READ FIRST*** - Toyota Forums :: Toyota Nation) (search that thread for "More Light").

9005/9006 replaced with 9011/9012:
I have also read about HIR bulbs being used as replacements (HIR Headlights 9011 9012 bulbs) (use "select all" on that site to see the black text on black background):
9005 > 9011 (hi-beam)
9006 -> 9012 (low-beam)
They suggest replacing your 9005 and 9006 bulbs with 9011 and 9012 bulbs, respectively, by making a small alteration to the bulb fitting base. (see here also (TOSHIBA HIR 9011 & 9012 BULBS - Drive Accord Honda Forums))

9006 replaced with a 9011:
Combining the above modifications, it would be just as easy to cut the 9011 bulb fitting to match a 9006's fittings, thus it is possible to put the 9011 (MUCH brighter, no cap) in the 9006 lo-beam position. You would have the benefits of no cap (minimal) and the higher lumen rating (9005 are supposed to be 70% brighter than 9006, 9011 are supposed to be 75% brighter than 9005). The 9011 is rated at 2350 lumen, a 135% increase from the 1000 lumen 9006.

Clearly claims of "% brighter" must be taken with a fist full of salt, but even granting them half that increase would be substantial.

My question:
Is this a bad idea for some reason I am unaware of?
Is the brighter bulb going to melt the headlight? The wiring harness? Is the bulb going to have a very short life? (used on new Maximas so I assume it has acceptable bulb life in that application) Some refer to them as simply "over amped" indicating shortened bulb life. Something else (fire, melting, police attention, etc)? (Seems that if your lights are properly aimed the 9005 in 9006 mod does not attract attention, so this ought to be the same but I'm guessing)Also, if anyone knows where to get the 9011 bulbs for less than $29 on ebay ( eBay QQitemZ180289514673QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW), please let me know.

Thanks ahead of time for your feedback

-------------

NOTE: Apparently, if you are willing to do even more bulb modifications (i.e. not only modify the top tab, but also modify lower "channel"), you can actually put the HIR1/9011 bulb in the LOW beam socket of the CRX, giving you even brighter "low beams" than I got with my HIR2/9012 bulbs for the low beams (I did go with HIR1/9011 bulbs for the high beams though). However, it seemed to me that the HIR2 bulbs were already extremely bright compared to stock bulbs (my new HIR2 low beams seem to give me an OK view of the road for close to a full city block), so I didn't see any point to making them brighter still (by using the HIR1 in my low beams). And the HIR1 bulb (since it's designed to be a "high beam" bulb) does use a little more power than both the HIR2 bulb and the stock 9006 "low beam" bulb do (which does effect fuel economy a small amount, due to extra alternator drag on the engine). And finally, the HIR1 bulb (again because it is designed more as a "high beam" bulb) only has an expected bulb lifetime about 1/3 as long as the HIR2's (almost stock) expected bulb lighttime. Which is why I decided to go with the HIR2 for the low beams, but did go with the brighter (but higher wattage and shorter lasting) HIR1 for the high beams. As a result, both my low and high beams are still stock wattage, but they clearly are no longer stock light levels...

-----
My biggest concern so far is the run life - the 9011 may be 235 hours and the 9012 may be 1000 hours to 50% fail rate according to this (2004) thread at Candlepowerforums (HIR Automotive Bulbs - CandlePowerForums)

--------
easons against:
(1) Expensive - a pair of Philips Vision Plus bulbs from Aid-auto.com would have been $22 shipped, two 9012's were $55 shipped from Candlepower (HIR Bulbs - (HIR1) and (HIR2))
Further, the 9011 bulbs would have been the same price and significantly brighter, but at a substantial loss of run time (apparently about 33% of the run time relative to the 9012 according to the technical spec sheets and Dan Stern Lighting (Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply), a great resource).
(2) Only slightly brighter than the VisionPlus 9005:
VisionPlus 9005 - 1700 lumens
Toshiba 9012 - 1875 lumens

So is the longer run time and slightly higher lumen rating worth an extra $33? It's a tough call, but I think the safety, longevity, limited risk of damage to my wiring harness from over amp'age, and (less so) extra brightness are enough to justify the extra $33. I hope they last a long time though!

You can fit:
HIR 9011→ 9005 High beams 1700lm→2350lm
HIR 9012→ 9006 Low beams 1000lm→1875lm

Modded high beams to fit into low beam location (less than half the lifespan)
9005 → 9006 1000lm → 1700lm
HIR 9011 → 9006 1000lm → 2350lm

03-26-2009, 11:11 AM	#90 (permalink)
ryker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 10,064	Found some info on another site. this guy had the same thought I had Summary: Can/should I replace my 9006 low beam bulbs with 9011 hi-beam HIR bulbs safely? Details: I just got my second accord (from a 1989 to a 1997) and I'm not impressed with the low beams at night, simply too dim for even normal conditions. 9006 replaced with a 9005 for brighter lo-beams: You can cut/file the attachment fitting of a 9005 bulb (no cap, 1700 lumen, used as hi-beams' bulbs) to fit the lo-beams slot where there is current a 9006 (capped, 1000 lumen). This process is outlined here (CAMRY FAQ *READ FIRST* - Toyota Forums :: Toyota Nation) (search that thread for "More Light"). 9005/9006 replaced with 9011/9012: I have also read about HIR bulbs being used as replacements (HIR Headlights 9011 9012 bulbs) (use "select all" on that site to see the black text on black background): 9005 > 9011 (hi-beam) 9006 -> 9012 (low-beam) They suggest replacing your 9005 and 9006 bulbs with 9011 and 9012 bulbs, respectively, by making a small alteration to the bulb fitting base. (see here also (TOSHIBA HIR 9011 & 9012 BULBS - Drive Accord Honda Forums)) 9006 replaced with a 9011: Combining the above modifications, it would be just as easy to cut the 9011 bulb fitting to match a 9006's fittings, thus it is possible to put the 9011 (MUCH brighter, no cap) in the 9006 lo-beam position. You would have the benefits of no cap (minimal) and the higher lumen rating (9005 are supposed to be 70% brighter than 9006, 9011 are supposed to be 75% brighter than 9005). The 9011 is rated at 2350 lumen, a 135% increase from the 1000 lumen 9006. Clearly claims of "% brighter" must be taken with a fist full of salt, but even granting them half that increase would be substantial. My question: Is this a bad idea for some reason I am unaware of? Is the brighter bulb going to melt the headlight? The wiring harness? Is the bulb going to have a very short life? (used on new Maximas so I assume it has acceptable bulb life in that application) Some refer to them as simply "over amped" indicating shortened bulb life. Something else (fire, melting, police attention, etc)? (Seems that if your lights are properly aimed the 9005 in 9006 mod does not attract attention, so this ought to be the same but I'm guessing)Also, if anyone knows where to get the 9011 bulbs for less than $29 on ebay ( eBay QQitemZ180289514673QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW), please let me know. Thanks ahead of time for your feedback ------------- NOTE: Apparently, if you are willing to do even more bulb modifications (i.e. not only modify the top tab, but also modify lower "channel"), you can actually put the HIR1/9011 bulb in the LOW beam socket of the CRX, giving you even brighter "low beams" than I got with my HIR2/9012 bulbs for the low beams (I did go with HIR1/9011 bulbs for the high beams though). However, it seemed to me that the HIR2 bulbs were already extremely bright compared to stock bulbs (my new HIR2 low beams seem to give me an OK view of the road for close to a full city block), so I didn't see any point to making them brighter still (by using the HIR1 in my low beams). And the HIR1 bulb (since it's designed to be a "high beam" bulb) does use a little more power than both the HIR2 bulb and the stock 9006 "low beam" bulb do (which does effect fuel economy a small amount, due to extra alternator drag on the engine). And finally, the HIR1 bulb (again because it is designed more as a "high beam" bulb) only has an expected bulb lifetime about 1/3 as long as the HIR2's (almost stock) expected bulb lighttime. Which is why I decided to go with the HIR2 for the low beams, but did go with the brighter (but higher wattage and shorter lasting) HIR1 for the high beams. As a result, both my low and high beams are still stock wattage, but they clearly are no longer stock light levels... ----- My biggest concern so far is the run life - the 9011 may be 235 hours and the 9012 may be 1000 hours to 50% fail rate according to this (2004) thread at Candlepowerforums (HIR Automotive Bulbs - CandlePowerForums) -------- easons against: (1) Expensive - a pair of Philips Vision Plus bulbs from Aid-auto.com would have been $22 shipped, two 9012's were $55 shipped from Candlepower (HIR Bulbs - (HIR1) and (HIR2)) Further, the 9011 bulbs would have been the same price and significantly brighter, but at a substantial loss of run time (apparently about 33% of the run time relative to the 9012 according to the technical spec sheets and Dan Stern Lighting (Daniel Stern Lighting Consultancy and Supply), a great resource). (2) Only slightly brighter than the VisionPlus 9005: VisionPlus 9005 - 1700 lumens Toshiba 9012 - 1875 lumens So is the longer run time and slightly higher lumen rating worth an extra $33? It's a tough call, but I think the safety, longevity, limited risk of damage to my wiring harness from over amp'age, and (less so) extra brightness are enough to justify the extra $33. I hope they last a long time though! You can fit: HIR 9011→ 9005 High beams 1700lm→2350lm HIR 9012→ 9006 Low beams 1000lm→1875lm Modded high beams to fit into low beam location (less than half the lifespan) 9005 → 9006 1000lm → 1700lm HIR 9011 → 9006 1000lm → 2350lm Last edited by ryker; 03-26-2009 at 12:07 PM.