20VT90q

Same here, I think I'm at like 2.5 yrs though.

austinado16

Sent an email to Mr. Stern, asking what he'd recommend and sell me. Here's what he wrote back:

"There are 9005 and 9006 +50 bulbs, but they
offer only a minor improvement. The bulbs you want are the 9011-9012
items.

The new bulbs are not some tinted or overwattage version of 9005 and 9006,
but rather employ a relatively new technology called HIR, Halogen
Infrared. The mechanical dimensions of the bulb are all virtually
identical to the 9005 and 9006 bulbs, but the bulb glass is spherical
instead of tubular, with the sphere centered around the filament. There is
a "Durable IR Reflective" coating on the spherical glass. Infrared = heat,
so the coating causes heat to be reflected back to the filament at the
center of the sphere. This causes the filament to become much hotter
(producing more light) than it can by passing electricity through it,
*without* the shorter life or greater heat production that comes with
overwattage bulbs (to say nothing of overwattage bulbs' incompatibility
with stock wiring.)

Here's the comparison:

Low beam stock: 9006, 12.8V, 55W, 1000 lumens, 875 hours
Low beam compare: 9006+50, 12.8V, 55W, 1090 lumens, 300 hours
Low beam new: HIR2, 12.8V, 55W, 1875 lumens, 875 hours

High beam stock: 9005, 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours
Low beam compare: 9005+50, 12.8V, 55W, 1830 lumens, 175 hours
High beam new: HIR1, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours

So you're looking at nearly 88 percent more light from the low beams and a
grand total of 137% more light (49% of which from the high beam units, 88%
of which from the low beams, which may be wired to remain on with the high
beams) on high beam. The beam pattern will not change, but there will be
considerably more light within the beam pattern.

These bulbs are spendy - $27/ea - but their cost is worth considering in
context: Any number of companies will charge you more than this for a
tarted-up 9005 or 9006 with blue colored glass (PIAA and Sylvania
Silverstar come to mind) that doesn't produce more light and has a very
short lifespan.

The HIR bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is
to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases.
The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb
fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly
into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on.

Can also make your brake and front / rear turn signal lamps 40% brighter
for $6.10/bulb, your reversing (backup) lamps 100% brighter for
$7.20/bulb, and your fog lamps considerably more effective for $13.50/ea."<ul><li><a href="http://www.danielsternlighting.com">Daniel Stern Lighting</a></li></ul>

20VT90q

fog. Muahahaha. I'm going to install an H1 HID kit in the low, 100w H1 for the high and either the standard 55w fog or somewhere in between 55w and 100w, I think the 100w might blind someone. Then I'll swap the wire from the parking light on the turns and hook it up to the parking light in the headlight so it will be like the lights in Europe. Maybe I'll jumper the fogs so I can have all three on at once. I gotta get the wiring for the adjucters and the switch. I'm a little afraid you might drool in the car after that though.

All I know is that these things are going to be hid real well so they don't dissapear;-)

You should search the "S" forum for the Hong Kong HID kit, it fits the 9005 or 9006 (not sure) low beam on your headlights and only costs $200. I guess everyone over there has good stuff to say about it.

The_Hamster

i'm curious what brand etc these "+50" bulbs are? i am interested in getting some for both my VAG cars, as i have them both running e-code lenses with H4 bulbs.

The_Hamster

retrofitting HID bulbs into regular lenses also seems somewhat iffy. I have seem some resuits from pictures on the web (beam patterns on wall etc) and soem are quite frightening.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/bulbs/Hid/conversions/conversions.html

20VT90q

have on the S4/S6 forum with great results. Dan Stern is trying to sell a product, therefore I really don't care what he says. Also, I am using 100w bulbs in the high beam as they are a better fit than the HIDs.

kday

But the projectors on the S4/A6/S6 are an exception. HIDs in reflector lamps would be awful though...

The_Hamster

most people respond that way. "He hasn't seen MY lights, and MY lights are super special. -therefore he's wrong".

But if your happy then that's cool I suppose.

20VT90q

the "S" forum.

The_Hamster

"Dan Stern is trying to sell a product, therefore I really don't care what he says."

if you think he's just saying that to make money your not making much sense. If he thought they were worthwhile he'd say "these are the bomb" and sell them. But since they are not worthwhile, he does neither.