Hella e-code bulb choices
 

I'm going to be upgrading my sealed beams to the hella e-code setup soon through rallylights and was wondering what bulbs all of you have tried and what seems to be the best lighting. What I don't understand is why they offer so many different brightnesses and such. Why would I go 60/55 if I can get a 100/55 bulb for a few bucks more? Why is the 100/55 more expensive than the 100/80? What is the catch with brighter lights?

-Kai

bump...

Anything, anyone?

i use Hella 80/100W bulbs, i'm thinking of trying 120W cool blue bulbs on the stock wires. its up to you what you want, 55W low beam or 80W low beam.

Do you want to be USA street legal? ... then go 55 watt low beam, 65 watt high beam (or less for either). any wattage bulb or headlight assembly which exceeds those values is not street legal as is any bulb / assembly which does not carry a D.O.T. mark.
When you get into mixing street legal with bright lights, the costs of the bulbs goes up according to the demand.

Even if the bulbs are legal, e-code housings aren't anyways so I don't really care. I guess I could get the vision plus DOT approved housings but I hear the e-codes have a much better pattern so I am leaning in that direction. Didn't know about the 55/65 limit though, good to know.

I run the 80/100w bulbs. Amazing light output! :D

all I was getting at is if you don't want to stand out, maybe a 55w low beam with whatever watt high beam is a good choice, and that's where the extra costs some people encounter come from.
personally, I don't care as long as you don't blind me. I've got enough high-beam to piss off the next person that flashes me. :D

I just ordered the parts for this upgrade to my '88 4Runner last week (doing Xmas shopping for myself :-)

a 4Crawler light harness
Hella H654 e-code lights with Premium Xenon blue 100/80 bulbs.

I chose those parts for these reasons that I read in reviews:

- The Premium Xenon Blue bulbs make a very natural white light.

- The only difference between e-code and DOT lights (besides legality) is that DOT lights 'leak" some light up above the horizon level, where as e-code do not. The reason is so that your lights would illuminate overhead signs in the US... where as in the EU, all signs are required to be self illuminated so the offending light is not needed.

- Since the e-code lights direct all of the light down, even at 80 watts the low beams don't offend oncoming traffic.


total was about $150 for all the parts and shipping.

I love my e-codes and 100/80 watts. I've been running them on stock wires for almost a year. It you live in an area without a lot of ambient light at night seeing traffic signs is a pain though.

here are my 100/80W Hella H4 bulbs

LOW BEAM:
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h.../Lights003.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h.../Lights001.jpg

HIGH BEAM
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h.../Lights004.jpg
http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h.../Lights002.jpg

I have been using Sylvania Silverstar H4s in my Hella Housings for over a year now, and love them! Great coverage and color, and decently priced at about $40 a pair. However, my friend had one go out when his car was sitting out for 3 months because moisture got into the housing.

http://www.sylvaniaautocatalog.com/s...%20ST,%20%20ST

I paid $7us for one Hella H4 100/80W bulb. i get them cheap here because there is a Hella factory in Mexico.

Here are my hella e-codes. Same 80/100w XEON blue bulbs you ordred :)

Lights un-aimed (needed to be aimed up and side to side)

Low beam:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...jpg?202121-297


High beam:

http://memimage.cardomain.com/member...jpg?202121-297

Thanks for the input guys, just ordered a pair with regular halogen 80/100s so they wouldnt attract too much attention from the authorities, can't wait till they get here. To take out the housing, you can just take out the two bottom screws holding in the ring and then bend the ring up and slide the light out, correct?

I have the same lights as Jay351. I have found that because of the angled cut-off of the E-codes, they illuminate signs much better than my old lights. It's nice when you pull up behind another vehicle, you can see the sharp cut-off. Instead of the two blotches I had before. The only problem with this mod is that I didn't do it as soon as I got the truck. :banger:

Jason

The headlight housings that i have do a fantastic job at illuminating everything, on highbeam i see double what i did with sylvania sealed beam. whats great about my lights is i paid only $64us for everything.

Bragging is not nice. Now if you want to send us a few sets to make it up to us we may forgive you.

Just installed the new lights (e-code housings and 100/80 halogen bulbs) and it rocks! I can see now! Plus, I found a rusty old socket that was rattling around between the light and the battery for ages! w00t!

I can arrange that, clear or blue housings, hella 80/100W or 90/120W H4 bulbs. $50us for the housings, $7us per bulb.

You can put the money in my paypal, and i can get them shipped to you two ways, one will cost more but get to you sooner or cheaper and may take longer.

I smile everytime I pull behind a truck and that happens :)

I don't know why the heck I waited so long to get these things! The only downside is since the light is so white, its not as good in the rain.

I want to rig up a set of small yellow driving lights to cover this...