One thing that has been a mite disappointing about my new Coupe is the brightness and "reach" of the headlights. (I have just the stock lights.) Despite Consumer Reports saying that some of the super-duper fancy lamps, such as the Sylvania SilverStar, don't really add much reach, a made a small investment in these: . They got generally good reviews on Amazon and were "only" $30 for the pair. I figured it was worth a try.

When I took my Coupe in for its scheduled dealer service, I asked if they could install the new bulbs while there were doing the work. The service attendant said that these bulbs run hot in their housing and could cause problems. So I didn't have them installed.

So what I'm wondering is: Was the service rep feeding me a load of hooey, or would installing these put my warranty or my Coupe at risk?

 

There are many threads here about H13 aftermarket lights. I have read about others installing similar bulbs like Silverstars with success. Its important to have the same wattage as what's in the car. It does say what the wattage is in the ad though. It's the degree kelvin that changes the intensity from yellow to white to blue.

 

How small is the print and where is it that would allow me to compare wattage? Is it reasonable to trust Amazon's assertions that the specific product is right for the specific car, like it alleges when you search?

 

Do not trust. I see ads where they post h11, h8 etc saying that they fit Mini's. Second gen's for example are h13. The posts on Amazon don't always list wattage. I'd stay away from those ...personally speaking. Amazon's "will it fit my car" doesn't always work either.

 

H8 is 35w and h11 is 55w. They're essentially the same bulb with slightly different mounting points so people don't mix them up. They are practically interchangeable as long as the h11 won't be too hot for the housing.