Philips Xtreme Power Light Bulbs (test drive)

[Taka]

Here it is.

They are $79.95 from Autobarn. Cheaper if you have a 20% voucher of course. eBay are selling similar prices $60 + postage in one place, as I am kind of a guy that either get up and do it now or never do it at all. So I went a detour to Autobarn before going home instead.

One thing about Toyota is that they never change their headlight design... I meant I used to own a MY99 Camry, which is 2 generations of Camry ago, and they are using the same H4 light bulb casing.

To remove them, no need any fancy illustrations. Just...

1. unplug the socket (which is heavily greased on mine),

2. remove the plastic that cover the bulb,

3. undo the clip of that secure the globe (if you are facing the engine, the clips are on the left hand side for both lights).

4. then take the bulb out

Reverse the procedure to install

Warnings: Since the socket is heavily greased, please be careful NOT to touch the glass bit of the globe anywhere. This is to prevent premature failure of the globe. They just blown easily if there is hand grease on them. Use an alcohol wipe to clean them if it really happens.

It only take 5 mins (or as much time as my kids to take a bath ). The result is amazing. The angle is much wider and the light is more intense and possibly further away. The stock globe is not even as strong as the fog lights, and now you can just able to tell the difference when the fog lights are on. That is the easiest way to explain how bright it is now.

They are just VERY MUCH SLIGHTLY whiter than the parker lights and the fog lights, so it is just SLIGHTLY whiter than the stockie. But I am not after colour here.

I also took some before and after photos

Inside

BEFORE (Stockie)

AFTER (PHILIPS Xtreme Power); and I just check the shutter speed, ISO and aperture are the same

Outside (which is harder to tell)

BEFORE (Stockie)

AFTER (PHILIPS Xtreme Power)

Someone YouTube on the move. I vouch for that experience

Edited May 7, 2008 by Taka

[Scott_C]

Taka, excellent post man, thanks. :)

Do you need to adjust the lights down at all due to them being extra bright now? (They dont seem to point any higher in the photos at least)

[Taka]

No the car was stationary between the 2 photos and the garage in front is about 6 meters away. So there is no increase in height (I don't brother). I don't know how to anyway :)

[Cookie]

Thanks Taka, I'll be off to get a set :D

[J e r e M y]

me like ur headlamps :P colour is so nice!

Edited May 5, 2008 by J e r e M y

[1rocky]

I have the Extreme power . They are excellent much brighter than the stockies I got them for $70 from my auto electrician whio then installed them for me.

[boleh]

Taka

DId i also see a white E36 beside ur garage?

[mrbishi]

I just bought a pair on eBay. Now I cant wait to get them.

[Taka]

Taka

DId i also see a white E36 beside ur garage?

Not my garage on photo. It is neighbour's car, always park there. Welcome to do anything with it .

For the record I have a sporty RX-8 in my garage and going to buy a small car to travel so the 8 can be a track prep car with stripped interior and road cage, turboed, track spine breaking suspension, etc etc.

I just bought a pair on eBay. Now I cant wait to get them.

You will like them. Make sure you don't touch the globe part in any circumstances, even if you are wearing gloves.

Edited May 6, 2008 by Taka

[boleh]

For the record I have a sporty RX-8 in my garage and going to buy a small car to travel so the 8 can be a track prep car with stripped interior and road cage, turboed, track spine breaking suspension, etc etc.

relax..

the 318 E36 can also be a good sport

Edited May 8, 2008 by boleh

[rzkman]

Thanks Taka for the instructions and pics.

Anybody have any advice on removing/replacing the position lights (the wedge based globes above the headlights?

I want try and get a whiter globe to match the headlights..looks crap when one is white and one is yellow..

[mrbishi]

Has anyone started getting flashed because youre lights are too bright/glary with the eXtremes.

tnx

[Taka]

ehhhh ... that will not because of the bright lights.

[PC XT]

ehhhh ... that will not because of the bright lights.

I think you may be wrong, check both photos carefully the new super duper Philip's Halogens do what HID's do as-well, check out the top panels of the garage door and above the house with the stockies you will see what I mean.

Edited May 21, 2008 by PC XT

[dsp26]

I have the x-tremes.. best thing before HIDs.. i can't believe the range and visibility ont hese...

however the below shots are OSRAM Nightbreaker +90% (LEFT) vs Philips X-Treme +80% (RIGHT) if anyones interested...

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2139371&page=1

Bulb

Low Beam

High Beam

[mrbishi]

ehhhh ... that will not because of the bright lights.

I think you may be wrong, check both photos carefully the new super duper Philip's Halogens do what HID's do as-well, check out the top panels of the garage door and above the house with the stockies you will see what I mean.

Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing. But I was thinking it may have been the extra light relecting off the driveway rather than directly from the headlights?.

Anyway I bought a pair as well and have installed them and they are noticibly brigher than the stockies especially up close to the car. It fills that void up that you normally have to turn the bottom driving lights on to fill. However I wouldnt say I was astonished with the improvement.

I think they provide good low beam coverage but Im still not impressed with high beam performance, spotties are still a must for dark highways.

[PC XT]

ehhhh ... that will not because of the bright lights.

I think you may be wrong, check both photos carefully the new super duper Philip's Halogens do what HID's do as-well, check out the top panels of the garage door and above the house with the stockies you will see what I mean.

Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing. But I was thinking it may have been the extra light reflecting off the driveway rather than directly from the headlights?.

Anyway I bought a pair as well and have installed them and they are noticeably brighter than the stockies especially up close to the car. It fills that void up that you normally have to turn the bottom driving lights on to fill. However I wouldn't say I was astonished with the improvement.

I think they provide good low beam coverage but I'm still not impressed with high beam performance, spotties are still a must for dark highways.

Yep I agree and your mod is fully legal too, the head lights are very average in stock form thats why I did my mod and also installed HID spot lights so I'm fully covered for any situation at night. For those who don't want to use the spot lights or don't have a nudge bar etc could also mod the lower near useless fog lights to HID which I did on my Subaru with great results with 6 HID's in total it looks totally stock until you hit the High Beam

[Taka]

ehhhh ... that will not because of the bright lights.

I think you may be wrong, check both photos carefully the new super duper Philip's Halogens do what HID's do as-well, check out the top panels of the garage door and above the house with the stockies you will see what I mean.

You may be right, but I was kindly suggesting that my erratic driving prob the main causes of people's flashes

And I think extra spot lights aiming at the ground is quite useful.

I still remember the days that I have a 100W spot lights in my Civic ... and that was so illegally bright!

[Taka]

The fog outside is very thick tonight ... so I took some photos with my mobile

Just parker light, low beam off.

Low beam on, fog light on

Low beam on, fog light off

EDIT: It is important to note the car in front... because it is the limit of the light and the first sign of the reflector from the back of the car comes into view for me.

So it is about a block and a half ;)

ALSO: Personally I don't think the fog lights are doing much, it lights up around the car and the road immediately in front of you very well, but it does nothing to far away road ... 5m max, that is it.

Edited June 1, 2008 by Taka

[Blackkluger]

Since they have barred driving with fog lights, i think it stupid. Yes there are lots of commodores with upgraded lights which are blinding, but how about the AU ford? I can guess the oncoming car is the AU just based on how dazzling their lights are.

how did this ever be allowed on the road? Its worse than any fog lights ive seen.

[Taka]

May I ask what is your point? I don't seem to understand.

It is simply a light bulb change and the mechanic of the beam has not been modified, although the ampitude/intensity of the beam increased. Therefore, it is not, in my opinion, glaring or I don't think it is blinding ANY car in the opposite direction, coz the beam is not directing to the car in the other direction to start with. It is still not as bright and as efficient as ANY stock xenon lights from ANY make. The low beam in all BMW is far brighter and far more efficient than this bulb can do, yet you see them passing ADR.

Converting to xenon light to halogen case will cause glare because the design and the direction of light beam changes! THAT... is the difference. That is why I don't brother with xenon conversion to get more lights.

[PaulG]

Got mine on ebay from Scotland for $40, less than a week from payment to installation. Gotta love that!

[Hado]

I'm considering upgrading headlight bulbs as well.

I was researching the Philips Xtreme Power bulbs and found this comparison of after market bulbs from 'Autosalon':

What it shows is the the less yellow (more white/blue or higher colour temperature) light you want to have is often sacrificed for brightness.

The Philips CrystalVision seem like the best compromise, but for value for money have a look at the results for the $25 Calibre Super Cheap Auto bulbs. :o

[whofan]

I've had some trouble changing the bulbs for the parking lights, what does Toyota call them.... ummm front position lights.

Anyway after fiddling about for a while getting frustrated I decided I should probably consult the owner's manual

Back to the Kluger and well had the lights out in a minute or less.

My problem is that when I take the old bulbs out and put the new ones in they don't seem to fit snuggly or feel secure, in fact they quite easily fall out.

Suggestions?

Has anyone used any additional material added to the "housing" to make the connection between bulb and housing tighter?

I will freely admit I'm replacing the standard incandescent bulbs with LED but they are the right size, I've had the key in the ignition turned to accessories and tested the LEDs they work fine, just have trouble keeping them in and worry they will fall out whilst driving.

Edited April 12, 2010 by whofan

[whofan]

I couldn't wait for a response any longer so I had a crack....

The result was quite disasterous.... when re-fitting the globes into the socket they fell out and were lying (floating) inside the housing like a fish in a tank with no water

I tried poking a long screwdriver into the socket and wiggling it about, sure it moved the bulbs but they were not coming out...

I then tried magnetising the screwdriver but the globes were not showing any attraction to that...

hmmm then I got some double sided tape and wrapped that around the screwdriver and poked that in.... stuck the globe but it was too awkward to reverse back out of the hole with globe still attached, sheesh!

Then a brainstorm I got a straw, one of those bendy ones that seem to impress the kids with the ability to drink around corners. I threaded some cotton up through the straw and taped it to the top leaving a little loop at the top and a length poking out the bottom of the straw.

Poke straw in, nudge globe, twist straw, retract cotton, remove straw with globe attached you little beauty.

I had saved some face... yes I know, still very embarrassing.

When attaching the new LED globes to the housing I used black electrical tape, two winds.

I did a 100km round trip today and they're still in there :)

I thought I'd share this so that anyone else who's planning this knows to take a little extra care.

There was one stage during this ordeal that I thought I'd need to make a trip to the dealership, local garage etc... that would have made a $4 x 2 globe replacement turn into an expensive mistake.

Edited March 21, 2010 by whofan