Okay I'm looking for the brightest superwhite highbeams I can get... I normally get out of work/secret activities around 11pm-1am and drive on forested/country roads with no traffic, so I use my brights alot. I have a certain look I'm going for in my MINI and it doesn't include driving lights yet, so they are out of the picture.

Where can I get these, isn't there like "K" ratings or something? Which is the most?

How do I install these things on a facelifted '05? The indicator and fogs were easy, but I don't want to mess up the Xenons or the ballasts.

"I'm looking fo somethin' dat make da nightime shine like da daytime."

Mikey

 

There is no such thing. Changing the light color will do nothing to make it bright. All that PIAA advertising is a myth. Once again, go read daniel stern, particularly all the articles here http://www.danielsternlighting.com/t...lbs/bulbs.html

There is only one way to get a bright bulb and that is through more power. You cannot change the laws of physics. Your highs are H7s, you can get (from stern)

The H7 +50 bulbs from the big four reputable European bulb makers (Philips VisionPlus, Osram SilverStar, Narva RangePower+50, Tungsram Megalicht) are functionally identical.

They are NOT anymore powerful but ensure you get the best bulbs out of a batch made. For example, I bought some Phillips VisionPlus. About $40 for a pair.

There are some 65 watt H7s around but that is about it.

You will see virtually NO difference between the +50 or the 65 watt bulbs vice 55. Bottom line, they are not worth the money.

Interesting how some ppl want light for bling. You want more light but not the lamps. Sorry, physics dont work that way.

You want more light, get some driving lights

 

Or change the color.

Ive been running a 3000k Yellow light for about 2 months now, and its ALOT better than any white light ive tried on the car before.

You can see further down the road due to the fact that it doesnt really reflect off of much besides some signs.

For about $100 bucks, i got a set of H7's and H11's for my car.

 

Geeze Chows calm down. I guess I shouldn't have included that in the description, I just want really bright light coming from the brights it really doesn't matter what color they are... My stock ones I feel aren't that bright, and seem to be getting dimmer.

Mikey

 

add some driving lamps

 

I am also running a set of amber colored PIAA Ion-Crystal bulbs. I can't say that they throw out more light, but the amber color is much more soothing to the eyes and minimizes glare. They are the best high beams I have had on any car.

I don't buy into PIAA's claims that these 55w bulbs actually produce 100w of light, but they are better for me than anything else I have ever used.

Not cheap though. I got there here: http://www.autothing.com/catalog/pia...bs_1395090.htm

 

I know you said you didn't want driving lights, but that's the best answer for more light. As far as PIAA ion crystal bulbs go, I've used them before in a set of driving lights & liked them a lot. To me it was easier on my eyes & I believe contrast was improved. Worth a shot running some in your high beams, but don't expect miracles.

Edit >> I don't believe they are going to make much difference in a set of factory high beams. The limiting factor is the lens & reflector design. Brighter bulbs can't change that. I run a set of the European Philip's Vision plus bulbs & really don't think it was money well spent.

 

Mikey, the bottom line is that the answer is no. You can't.

Sorry, didnt mean to come across as a lecture ... not my intention. Try some phillips vision plus or the European Osrams (not the Osrams sold in US by Sylvania). They still aren't going to help much.

 

Bulbs do tend to wear out over time and chaning them will help brighten things back up. You don't have to wait for one to burn out. When I lived in the country, I changed ours every two years just to keep things bright.

Chaning color temp and all the hype that chows talked about is dead on. You can get better bulbs that might not dim for a longer period of time, but there is a ton of hype over HID like bulbs that is simply not true. I did a comparison on them for my wife (who was adament about getting them) just to prove it to her.

 

I had an e-mail exchange recently with Daniel Stern about bulb upgrades for MINI. This is what he said for high beams:He also noted that the 65w as high beams would be too bright to use in daytime running light mode.

 

nicer bulbs can certainly produce more lumens/watt, compared to stock, a 10-15% improvement in light output is possible (at least on typical cars, obviously depends on the quality of bulb used stock). Also, color temperature CAN make a difference in how far the light carries, usually a lower color temp will carry further (bluer light disipates the quickest). It won't be a drastic improvement, but it can make a difference. I have Sylivania Silverstars on my Mazda3, they almost match the color of my HID's (4300k) and they provide excellent light output, and weren't TOO expensive (got them for $30 at Autozone)

 

You can get some 100W bulbs to suit the high beams, quite a few people running them with no adverse results.

 

besides being illegal in the US, the risk of fire is present. Is it worth the risk ... thats a personal choice.

 

I tried the silverstar ( osram and sylvania) and philips blue vision and they all very similar that its hard to tell which is best but i feel that its brighter & a little whiter than the stock. If you drive in the dark roads alot i would suggest that you get the yellow 2500/3000k color bulb in higher wattage than the stock but it should be less than 80w, for safety. Sure its illegal but it not like you gonna turn the high beam on constantly or when there are other cars around. Yellow color pierce darkness better than white color light, blue is the worse.

 

He said that driving lights were out of the question.

 

I replaced my hi-beams with the Osram Silverstars 65W from www.danielsternlighting.com . I sent him several emails asking questions about what is best/necessary and he replied with interesting detailed explanations. He is extremely smart and doesn´t push you into buying unnecessary products. He only sells top notch products and thats why you dont see any PIAA lighting on his site.

The install took less than 2 minutes and the difference is only slightly noticable when driving. When looking at the car at night, the hi-beams are now a perfect white color that match the xenons, which was my main concern. The other night I tried to take some pictures of the beams with my Canon Powershot SD700, but its not a digital SLR so they arent that accurate in depicting the color and intensity of the light.

I don´t think you can get much brighter than my current setup without aux. lighting. I went for a ride in BattleCattles Mini with 8 rally lights at MOTD 2006 and it was incredible. Unfortunately he totalled his Mini on the dragon a couple of weeks ago and is buying an Evo 8 instead.

 

I agree....I also run the 65W H7's from DanielStern in the high beams...they are brighter than the stock, but just barely....glad I got them tho since they are somewhat brighter, but when they burn out, I'm going to put the stock ones back in.

I would love to try the 100W's but I am afraid of burning out some of the MINI's delicate electronics...there've been a few posts about dealers saying that running the puny lil extra brakelght bulbs that are part of the famous 'Brake Light Mod' that many of us have done have burnt out an EXPENSIVE module...not to mention that it is illegal for street use....that being said, in my old 78 Ford Fiesta I ran 100w's in the high beams....amazing and would attract every moth withing 50 miles

 

Just put a few small lights on

 

4 black magic's, now thats hawt!

Could always get yellow alta's too

 

From Dan Stern's website:

stock H7 (55W) - 1500 lumens (had these)
Euro H7 +50% (55W) - 1640 lumens (have these, very slightly brighter)
H9's in H7 base (65W) - 2100 lumens (just ordered these)

D2R (stock Xenons) (35W)- 2800 lumens

as an aside, for my wife's high beams (2001 VW Cabrio)

stock 9005 (65W) - 1700 lumens (have these)
9005 +30% (55W) - 1870 lumens
9011 HIR1 (65W) - 2350 lumens (can trim a mounting tab slightly and they
pop right in to a 9005 socket). (just ordered these)

None of these are "blue light" or "HID-look" bulbs, (which typically have
even less actual light output and shorter lifespan than stock bulbs).

He can also get you brighter turn signal, parking light, and back-up light
bulbs, just email him and ask.
I don't think he has brighter fog light bulbs for the MINIs that have H11 bulbs
though.....

 

Just installed the H9/H7 hybrid bulbs in the MINI, and my Gossen light meter
confirms that they're a half-stop brighter (about 40% brighter).

Also got 35W Halogen 796 bulbs that replace the 21W regular 7506 backup light bulb,
and they're a full stop brighter (twice the light, or 100% brighter).

Way off topic (VW), but relating to the above post.....
I went to put the 9011's in my wife's 2001 VW Cabrio high beams,
and found out it uses H7's for the high beams and low beams too.
This is despite 3 sources (Bentley, and two internet application guides)
listing 9005's for that car's high beam bulbs.
I guess this is because it's kind of a bastard car (mostly Golf III guts and
mostly Golf IV trim) and everyone gets the odd parts confused.

I'll bet the same kind of mixups will be common when the 2007 and 2008
MINI Cooper convertibles are around (convertibles will be MINI mk I chassis/engine
while the hardtops will be MINI mk II's).