I've been doing some shopping for the Philips H13 9008 Extreme's and although you can still get them, Amazon show them as discontinued. Philips don't have them either, in fact they don't show any 9008/H13 bulbs.

What gives?

 

This.

The factory MINI projectors are excellent. Projectors in general are MUCH better overall in terms of visibility. Instead of scattering light like more reflector housings, the projectors focus the light on the road where it belongs.

So even if you upgrade your current halogen bulb with some other crappy "white" halogen bulb, you still aren't going to get the look you most likely are trying to achieve. You can opt for an aftermarket HID kit, but still. There is nothing good about scattered light. Period.

For $500, the factory bi-xenon headlamps are WELL worth it. I bought my MINI used without the bi-xenon headlamps. However, I will actually be doing the retrofit this weekend with the actual OEM shrouds and factory ballasts. Nothing beats a good projector.

 

The driving light above the fog is just a little T10 bulb. You can pick them up anywhere for under $5 each. Any more than that is a waste. The fog light can use an HID, BUT I have heard of some horror stories with the fog glass cracking due to the heat and cold weather. There are high-powered LED's available for our fog light housings that are pretty AH-MAZING if you want that xenon white light without the hassle of an HID Kit. You can get them for around $40 for the pair, nothing additional required. They literally just replace the existing bulbs.

 

My understanding was that $500 was what MINI charged as an option upgrade for HID's. To retrofit I thought the OEM Xenon's were $500-$600 EACH to buy?

Anyway, $500 or $1,000 is academic it's out of my price range. All I want is a 'decent' Halogen bulb (and no, not one of the stupid 'ricey' blue-white ones).

 

 

They certainly aren't xenons with the "focused" pattern but they are pretty damn bright over stock and a HUGE difference on the road. 2 min DIY under $30.

 

I totally hear you. Retrofitting is the more expensive option for folks like myself who bought used and want the OEM bi-xenons. However, my response was to the OP who said he is considering not re-ordering the bixenons with his new MINI.

My philosophy is, if you want a certain look, it's best to do it right the first time - order the car with the bi-xenons if that's the type of light you want. There are nothing but pro's when going with the factory bixenons vs the halogens.

When you buy a new MINI, you do get the option for the factory HID's. They are not blue, they are around a 4300k which is close to a pure white. If you're ordering a brand new MINI, $500 over the period of however long you are financing for, is cake.

 

Best money I spent besides my rear sway bar for my MINI. I love my retrofit projectors!

 

If you can get a DOT approved retro-fit for $500, that is a good deal. I paid that for a DOT HID set for my Suburban, and that was on sale because they were discontinued.

 

I guess it's all comes down to what we're used to. I have the stock halogens in my car and think they are pretty good the way it came from the factory.

 

howzuh - what is the product # of that Philips? thanks...


steven

 

The factory bixenons are around $500 for the option, I believe (haven't checked the MINI site in a while). An actual OEM retrofit is much more expensive than $500. BUT, I love projectors and have always had them in my cars from the factory, so I figured "why not" add the feature to my MINI!? In addition to the OEM projectors, OEM shrouds, and DOT approved ballasts, I'm also painting the inner housings gloss black - which was also an option offered from the factory. I think that will complete my project. I'll post photos when its finished .. should be done this week!

 

I tore that part of the package off but tey are H13's. 55/60w.

 

Source and part number for the high-powered LED's, please.
Presumably they are H7 replacements.
Thanks.

 

Our fog lights are H8/H11 bulbs, not H7.
It's going to be an H11 6W LED.

I know they also make the high-powered 6W LED's in 5202 and 9005, so they are definitely already very common for fog light use. Especially since not all fog light housings can withstand the heat of an HID (Chevy for one). The MINI fogs can definitely tolerate the heat, but some people opt for the LED to avoid cracked housings. I've never had it happen and I have HID's in mine.

I'm sure if you look around online, you can find a good deal on them. The place I got all my lighting done though, and who's doing my current project (OEM retrofit & vehicle wrap) sells them for $40 per pair with a 2 year replacement warranty. They don't have an online store but www.hidpro.com.

 

The "H7" was a typo, or maybe think-o.

I look at eBay and find 80 or so items for "h8 yellow led". Another 100 or more for "h11 yellow led". Unfortunately many of the sellers quote "equivalent wattage" not real power. That is why I was asking for part numbers.

Internet research shows that one mounting tab on an H11 bulb is slightly wider than the tab on an H8 bulb. Will it need to be filed down, or is there enough tolerance in the socket of the MINI fog lamp?

Since most of the bulbs seem to come with sockets attached, maybe the socket assemblies are interchangeable in the fog lamp housing.

 

As for "wattage" vs "real power," I suppose the biggest thing to consider is function vs aesthetics. If you use fogs for the manufacturer's intended purpose, an LED may not be the best option - it won't offer the range of light that you may consider sufficient enough. In terms of brightness, every brand is different and if "real power" is something you need to know, there's only one way to find out - plug them into a power meter.

Otherwise, a 6W high-powered LED would still be preferred by me over a halogen bulb. I have an H11 HID kit in my fogs now, and everything plugged in just fine.

 

ordered...thanks howzuh!!

steven