headlight bulb

jayfresh · 07-02-2003, 12:51 AM

ok...I got a problem with my left headlight bulb output. Sometimes it would go off and come on. One time when it was off I touch the wires of the light socket and it turn back on...like a loose wire. So I believe it is the light socket that needs replacment. Ya'll think so? Also. When the light IS functionin properly, it comes out dimmer and more amber lookin than the other bulb. I also want to replace the bulbs with brighter and whiter bulbs like HID look. Any suggestions on bulbs that are BRIGHT, WHITE, and STREET LEGAL?
My bulb is 9004. Peace.

Charles Bisel · 07-02-2003, 02:07 AM

Well, you might have some kind of wiring problem, our cars are known for their electrical issues. I'd also check your voltage gauge, make sure it's reading between 12-14 volts. If the alternator is outputting too much it could wreak havoc on your electrical systems, especially the lighting.

The best bulbs out there are PIAA's, however they are the most expensive. Just don't get those cheap colored bulbs that make the light look blue, those actually put out less light because of the coloring. Also, if you do get a set of bulbs that are of a higher wattage, you'll also have to upgrade the wiring harnesses, otherwise you'll melt them and then your lights will go out while your driving (and won't come back on till you replace the wiring).

Oh, and PIAA's are the only ones that I know of that are street legal that have that kind of brightness, most of the other bright ones aren't. From what I heard, PIAA's are allowed to be legal because the police use them in their cars.

-C-

*GundamWZero* · 07-02-2003, 09:41 AM

The connection to your headlight is worn. It should be burning up the plastic to both your wiring harness and your lights. I had the same problem with mines when I installed Hyperwhites into my car. Turns out that when you hook up your lighting harness to your headlights, they don't connect fully. After awhile, it tends to loosen and will start arching, melting the plastic connections surrounding it. Take a look inside the plastic part of your light bulb ad see if it is corroded or burnted. If it is, you will have to either replace the harness, or splice in a connecter from the junk yard (that is what I did). There are aftermarket kits designed to prevent the connectors from melting, I think they were for the hyperwhites, or other lights that requires a bit more power than usual or they get really hot.

*maximase86* · 07-02-2003, 09:58 AM

It either the bulb getting ready to go out, or a loose wire/socket. As far as bulbs. I highly recommend PIAA's. They are very white, and pretty damn bright and SAE DOT approved. I'm currently running the PIAA Xtreme Whites 9004. What is nice about those bulbs is the tip glows blue, giving you a really nice HID effect when looking from different angles. The other cheaper option is PIAA Superwhites, which don't have the blue tip, but they are pretty decent bulbs.

S

blackmaxima88 · 07-03-2003, 06:01 PM

I had to replace both headlight harnesses cos they got burned up with hyperwhite headlights. they both melted from the heat and the plastic was charred. it must be a universal problem. replacement harnesses are cheap, you can get them at auto zone or most anywhere else....

*maximase86* · 07-03-2003, 06:22 PM

What a lot people don't know about most hyperwhite bulbs, is to achieve the brightness they have, they need higher wattage. That is usually why people have problems with the harness melting. They put more current than the harness can handle. Samething happens with standard halogen bulbs if your not paying attention because some bulbs come in a higher wattage. The factory wattage bulbs for these cars are 45/55. Also the ambering effect you get from a bulb is an indication the bulb is going to burn out soon. It will get more and more amber until it just fails. Also when bumping the harness that can cause the filament to vibrate and it gets contact again to light back up.

S