Hey guys

So far, 3 days and I love my Countryman S - but I must admit I miss the xenons I had on my Clubman S - so what are the alternatives?

Forgive me, I know there are a few threads in electronics but some are quite long and I just want to cut to the chase and Find what I can use for my high/low beams and fogs

Thanks a ton

 

bump

 

My 2012 CMS did not come with HID headlights (disappointing, but not a deal breaker). When I flipped on the Halogen headlights on the first night drive, I was underwhelmed by the dull, yellow illumination.

Swapped the stock bulbs for Sylvania Silverstar Ultras (H13 SU) yesterday and the difference is dramatic. Much brighter, whiter light (not blue at all!), and an improved pattern (longer reach).

Two bulbs: $50 at Pep Boys with the bonus of a $15 mail-in rebate! Installation took about 10 minutes; easy to do.

Ten months later, the replacement bulbs are still shining bright. It's an easy fix for those of us without Xenons.

 

Now I'm going to ahve to look at my lights... didn't really notice a yellow but wonder if they put a different bulb in the 2012s. my wifes xenons are def brighter, but if there are better bulbs for mine then I'm going to look into them as mine work fine, but I'll always take better if available for that price and easy swap.

 

Very cool thank you. Got pictures by chance?

 

Do you think there might be too much glare for oncoming drivers? It seems like it can be an issue when simply converting bulbs.

I think a photo of the cutoff (lights shining on a wall at night) should be a good indicator.

aaron

 

Sorry, I did not take B/A pics of the bulb swap, but the biggest differences were as I said...Sylvania bulbs are whiter and appear to reach farther. I was concerned that the new bulbs would cast a blue light (like a lot of the cheapo headlight mod kits do), but these are a nice, clean white.

Regarding the "too much glare for oncoming drivers" - the replacement halogen bulbs are still not as bright as the MINI Xenons. You shouldn't bother oncoming drivers at all.

 

Changing bulbs does not affect the cutoff or direction of the light.

I don't think they mean that the bulb is yellow in comparison to any other halogen bulb. I think they are comparing it to the crisp white of the HIDs. Its all what you are used to. When I drive my car with HIDs for a while and then switch to the halogen car, the light appears yellower than it is until I get used to it. On the contrary, when I go the opposite direction the HIDs seem very unnatural and fluorescent (though you can't beat the light output.)
I highly recommend the silverstars for those with halogens. They are great. By nature though, they do burn out much faster than normal halogens, so be prepared for that additional cost/replacement.

 

The stock MINI halogen bulbs burn at about 3200K (Kelvin), putting them in the high-end of the yellow spectrum, so they do in fact look kind of yellow-ish.
The Sylvania Silverstar halogens burn at 4000K, which is right in the pure white spectrum. Anything higher than 6000K starts getting really blue.
I would guess the MINI Xenons are somewhere in the 5000-6000K range. They're super bright compared to almost any halogen bulb.

 

What is the bulb type, such as H7 or H11?
Here is a good site for bulbs:
http://store.candlepower.com/houpbuthno.html

My 2003 MCS had HID but my 2006 MCS had Halogen H7 bulbs so I understand your frustration with the lower light output. For my 2006 with H7 bulbs, I switched to the Osram Rallye 65W bulbs for low and high beams. I have been very satisified with the light output and the bulbs have lasted well (longer than Sylvania Ultras). Technically, 65W is illegal but I have not had any issues.

 

Stock halogen blubs in my 2012 Countryman were Sylvania H13.
FYI - Osram and Sylvania are the same company (Osram Sylvania).

 

So yours were bright from the beginning? Guess you got lucky

 

Hmm, just checked those out on Amazon and they said they wouldn't fit my 2012 Countryman.

Instead these were suggested:
I, too, am used to xenons and have had them with all my other MINIs, so to me the standard halogens do seem not just yellow but too dim. Granted my aging eyes probably are part of the equation - I love xenons.

I've never changed a bulb before - hope it's easy.

 

Those Amazon bulbs will be super BLUE. Probably not what you're looking for.
Go to the Sylvania site:
http://www.sylvania.com/en-us/applic...s/lrgmain.aspx
plug in your car's info, and it'll tell you exactly which replacement bulbs will fit your MINI.

As far as changing the bulbs yourself...the procedure is illustrated in your manual. You won't even need any tools, but being a bit of a contortionist might help.

 

Don't forget that when changing halogen bulbs, DO NOT TOUCH the bulbs with your bare fingers. Use a tissue or gloves. The oils on your fingers will make the bulbs fail prematurely.

 

My favorite bulbs: Philips VisionPlus

 

Anybody used PIAA Night Tech bulbs?

 

This is awesome thank you all. I ordered the sylvanias from ebay for $25.00 with free shipping - ETA monday.

Once I get these in, will have to do the HID Swap for the fogs (per the other amazing post) and that should hopefully satisfy me :-)

 

Thank you, Leader and Royson G - much appreciated! I hate those blue bulbs - don't we all? And thank you for that website, as well, Leader. And yours, too, Royson. Also for the warnings about not touching the bulbs.

This from the Osram/Sylvania lamp replacement guide:
Not quite sure what these qualifiers mean?

tattedXB, looking forward to your report.

 

Cars with halogen bulbs would be "w/Composite."
Cars with Xenons would be "w/HID." (HID = high intensity discharge)
Since you're trying to find replacement halogen bulbs, check off "w/Composite."

 

Thanks, Leader. I figured that but wanted to be extra sure.

 

Lets get some pics posted when we have installs complete.

Aaron

 

+1 for these bulbs....I have Xenon's on my ride, but have installed the Silverstars on a few other cars in the past, it's a good, bright light!

 

Brighter bulbs like silver stars will just burn out faster. Here's what you really need.

Here's a guide. http://board.accordtuner.com/showthr...-PICS-inside**

Cutoff...

 

Looks great. We now need a Guinea Pig!

aaron