headlight bulb replacement

[Monkie]

headlight blub burned out and i called the dealer and he said it would cost ~$50 to replace...looked up h4/9003 on ebay and found a bunch for 50 cents.  problem is that the ebay ones are 100W.  oweners maunal says 55/60(?) watts...i read another thread about this but it wasnt followed up on so im wondering if anybody knows if there would be a problem installing the 100W ones...would it reult in a dead battery?  thanks in advance

[coll0412]

Check your local auto parts store, do you have a F or E, cuz if it is an E then you can also use a 9003.

[surlybruce]

There are many bulbs out there for around $20.00 . In my 05 F I run a GE  SUPERWHITE 55/100 W the high beem is great in the country but will blind the other vehicles. I purchased it at my local uap/napa auto parts store. Easy to install and draws no more power than stock.

[that_guy]

wal mart sells H4 bulbs that work great in the GS for 10 bucks a piece..

[xtalman]

I used Silvania SilverStars, like $15 at WalMart or the local auto parts store.

I thought I read somewhere that the 100 Watt ones had a nasty tendency to burn your wiring harness if left on all the time.  I use 55/100 in my car, and select hi-beam only occasionally.

Save yourself $35 and change it yourself, it's pretty simple.

[brembo]

It takes at most 5 minutes to change the headlight on an E. It uses a standard H4 car headlight globe. 55/60W is best as it won't put added strain on the electrics/wiring. The globe at most should cost $10-15.

[gsJack]

Last H4 I bought was $6-7 at the auto parts store, they are about $10-12 here from a bike parts/repair place.

[Straymonolith]

Speaking of which,
What's the word on those xenon bulbs?  I've been seeing some cheap ones at walmart.

[annguyen1981]

Speaking of which,
What's the word on those xenon bulbs?  I've been seeing some cheap ones at walmart.

They're jus ok.  Color from the bulb looks decent, but in reality, the light lumens is decreased a bit.

[average]

i myself cant tell the difference between a so called xenon bulb and a standard halogen bulb. They both have the not so white light as opposed to whiter bluish hue given off of superwhite bulbs.

[that_guy]

has anyone put an HOD conversion on their GS?  I have my F150 converted to HID's and im thinking about getting an H4 conversion for the GS..

[annguyen1981]

HID bulbs would not work that well on our small GS's.

They consume too much power.  That's why they're high-intensity 

[that_guy]

HID bulbs would not work that well on our small GS's.

They consume too much power.  That's why they're high-intensity 

they consume less power actually.

[aqxea2500]

^^^^^^Yeah what he said^^^^^^      HID's actually only run at around 35 watts I believe its getting them to ignite is what takes thousands of volts.

[that_guy]

^^^^^^Yeah what he said^^^^^^      HID's actually only run at around 35 watts I believe its getting them to ignite is what takes thousands of volts.

and actually most of the "ballasts" contain not only the necessary transformers but capacitors to fulfill the ignition voltages needed for HID's

[Straymonolith]

So are HID's a viable alternative?
Would they increase visible distance at night?

[Larry]

The best H4 bulb I have found is the European Silver Star H4 55 watt.  These are a top rated bulb, pure white light (no blue tint), high output and a very sharp low beam cut off.  These are hard to find in the states since they are not DOT approved.  I got mine from "Electrical Connection" 800-215-6168 www.electicalconnection.com, cost was$29.95 for a 2  pack last summer.

[that_guy]

So are HID's a viable alternative?
Would they increase visible distance at night?

yes.  HID's are IMO the best headlights possible for night driving.  They are also highly visible during the daytime too as well as the fact that they use less power, last much longer and are just much brighter..

Only downfall is that you would have to mount a ballas somewhere.  It would probably fit between the forks behind the headlight..

[pantablo]

I used Silvania SilverStars, like $15 at WalMart or the local auto parts store.

I thought I read somewhere that the 100 Watt ones had a nasty tendency to burn your wiring harness if left on all the time. I use 55/100 in my car, and select hi-beam only occasionally.

Save yourself $35 and change it yourself, it's pretty simple.

I used to rn 80/80W PIAA's and mine burned out in less than 4 months and simultaneously melted the plug a bit. stick to stock wattages.

[annguyen1981]

I used to rn 80/80W PIAA's and mine burned out in less than 4 months and simultaneously melted the plug a bit. stick to stock wattages.

THis is why I thought that HID used MORE power.  It is common that if you tried to put and HID bulb into a stock outlet on a car, the wiring would get fried, and the plug turns to a pile of something else.