Are 80w headlight bulbs street legal?

[FPGT24]

Looking into getting a set of aftermarket bulbs for my 1997 Explorer. I'm very interested in these http://www.ebay.com/itm/Intense-Sup...Parts_Accessories&hash=item27cd160e1b&vxp=mtr

Will these things just pop right in? Or does it need an HID kit? I dont want them to fry my wiring. And these are 80watt/100 watt bulbs, would i get pulled over by cops for these?

thanks for any advice in advance.

- FPGT

 

[FIND]

Yes, but you will need to run a relay harness otherwise you will end up going through multi-function switches and headlight switches. You won't burn out your factory wiring, though running it directly on the factory wiring will make the bulbs much dimmer and, like I said, you would end up burning out the switches.

 

[my98nnj]

Those blue bulbs are the worst thing you could put in your headlights.
It's nothing more then a filter and the reduced blue colored light does absolutely nothing in bad weather. Wet roads will become impossible to see.
If you want a whiter light, get a set of PIAA or Sylvania bulbs.
If you want more light output, convert to projector HID's.

 

[SoNic67]

I did see some of those in some other guy car. Worthless.
First of all they are labelled "not legal for street use".
Second, they might use 80W of electricity, sure is they don't make too much light from that, their efficiency is abysmal. Plus, the blue color is the worse, eye is the least sensitive to that light when is adapted to night vision.

Just get a pair of DOT-compliant Sylvania, Osram or Philips, from their higher output products. I like the Philips X-treme Power.

"Conversion to HID" is illegal also... installing ANYTHING into a vehicle that was not originally equipped with them from the factory is technically illegal. This includes aftermarket lights, exhaust, headers, and all types of modifications that the D.O.T did not test for.
You can be pulled over and get a ticket. Or not, since cops are busy mostly playing with their radar guns.
Sure the other traffic participants will hate you because of the glare in their eyes. Blinding others is rude.

 

[FIND]

Ah. Sorry, didn't look at the bulbs you linked first. Was just answering your question about using 80 watt bulbs. Yeah, don't use stuff with those blue coatings. Though they are drawing more electricity to produce more light, they are emitting a lot less light through that filter, and it is all very blue. It will make it more difficult to see and fatigue your eyes. Also, being very blue, they won't technically be legal.

 

[delexploder]

Go to Wally world and get some silverstars and either buff your headlights or get a set of clear chromes and you will be amazed

 

[Phil~]

Just installed a set of Sylvania Silverstars. Sure they are expensive at $50, but my headlights are white now, not tinged amber. If you want colored light, regulate that to your fog lights (the eye is very sensitive to yellow in the dark, even more so in snow) not your main headlights.

 

[masospaghetti]

Avoid any bulb with the blue-colored lense (this includes Sylvania Silverstars, etc that are technically legal).

Any bulb with a blue filter will either have 1) short life, 2) poor lumen output, or both.

 

[FPGT24]

thanks for the great responses!!

Ill just go with some Silverstar Ultras or GE Nighthawks. Anyone have any feedback on those? I want mostly a white light with a slight tint of blue to it.

 

[Lewa1200]

I have the 9007 SilverStar Ultras on my 2000 Mountaineer and although the lighting is an improvement from stock, I didn't think that it was necessarily $50 worth of improvement. They're much brighter and whiter, but you can still see the yellowish amber color in the light output.

I saw some $5 9006 foglights on eBay and decided that I had nothing to lose to try em out on the fogs and see what they look like. (link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/9006-55W-Pa...Parts_Accessories&hash=item257802906f&vxp=mtr)

I have been extremely satisfied with these bulbs--and the fact that they're only $5 blows my mind. I bought them exactly 3 months ago (make sure to get the 55W version) and they're still doing great. In my opinion, they give the perfect white light output with a slight tinge of blue.

I have no idea how the 9007 version of these bulbs will perform, but as foglights, they're amazing. Pretty good combo with the silverstars.


edit: I put PIAA Extreme White Plus bulbs in my Yamaha YZF600R motorcycle and although these bulbs are ridiculously priced ($62 for a pair of 9007), I think that their light output/color temp. is much better than the Sylvania Silverstar Ultras.

 

[FPGT24]

I have the 9007 SilverStar Ultras on my 2000 Mountaineer and although the lighting is an improvement from stock, I didn't think that it was necessarily $50 worth of improvement. They're much brighter and whiter, but you can still see the yellowish amber color in the light output.

I saw some $5 9006 foglights on eBay and decided that I had nothing to lose to try em out on the fogs and see what they look like. (link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/9006-55W-Pa...Parts_Accessories&hash=item257802906f&vxp=mtr)

I have been extremely satisfied with these bulbs--and the fact that they're only $5 blows my mind. I bought them exactly 3 months ago (make sure to get the 55W version) and they're still doing great. In my opinion, they give the perfect white light output with a slight tinge of blue.

I have no idea how the 9007 version of these bulbs will perform, but as foglights, they're amazing. Pretty good combo with the silverstars.


edit: I put PIAA Extreme White Plus bulbs in my Yamaha YZF600R motorcycle and although these bulbs are ridiculously priced ($62 for a pair of 9007), I think that their light output/color temp. is much better than the Sylvania Silverstar Ultras.

My Ex is a 97, not a 99-01, so those bulbs you sent me the link to wont work

 

[masospaghetti]

I have the 9007 SilverStar Ultras on my 2000 Mountaineer...They're much brighter and whiter...

I have no idea how the 9007 version of these bulbs will perform, but as foglights, they're amazing...

In my opinion, they give the perfect white light output with a slight tinge of blue.

Silverstar Ultras have approximately the same lumen output as a standard, non high output bulb with no color filter. The "brighter" effect is a visual trick because of the color temperature and will not help you see at night, despite increasing your confidence in having the ability to see. Lifespan is also short.

The original, non-ultra Silverstars actually had less lumen output than a standard bulb.

Foglights are intended to be yellowish by design. That's why some vehicles have foglights tinted yellow - yellow doesn't scatter as readily as blue light does and it performs far better in bad weather. It might look good, but IMO lights are meant to provide illumination first, and for cosmetic purposes second - not the other way around.

In addition to the above, since blue light is difficult for the human eye to focus on, you're doing other drivers on the road no favors by tinting your lights. (next time you see a blue light at night, try focusing on it and you'll see what I mean.)

 

[FIND]

Actually.... the real benefit of yellower light is that as a person's vision shifts more towards night vision, colors like red and yellow are easier to see than blue, and blue light causes your vision to shift back towards daylight vision, which makes it harder to see in the dark. The fact that mesoscopic vision sees those colors easier is what makes contrasting easier, that, and against snow, fog or other types of weather, blue or white is closer to the color of the snow or fog so it tends to blend in more. This is especially important in fog or inclement weather, where much of the light you are emitting is reflected back towards you, and therefore you are not casting a lot of forward light. Fog lights that make a low wide beam don't scatter as much back directly toward you, but they still don't project far forward, therefore it is beneficial for your eyes to stay in mesoscopic vision, instead of shifting back into photopic vision due to the bright light closer to the blue side of the spectrum.

 

[66427]

Nicely explained FIND!
A few things I will add...
Many people think that red is the easiest color to see, hence the reason it is used in submarines. It is not, but red does not stimulate the rods in your eyes and destroy night vision. But detail his hard to discern in red light.
Green is actually the easiest for your eyes to focus on quickly, hence the reason many dashboards are illuminated in green.
Blue is the most stimulating or distracting (what pretty lights Occifer...) and consequently the most night vision destroying.
White is best for headlights because the light that you see is acyually what is reflected back at you and allows more natual colors of objects to be seen and therefore discenable detail. Except in bad weather when the scatter effect of fog/snow/rain favors the better scatter effects of yellow.

 

[toypaseo]

Just get a pair of DOT-compliant Sylvania, Osram or Philips, from their higher output products. I like the Philips X-treme Power.

I'll recommend these anytime. I have them in my Paseo. I have a pair awating installation in my Explorer, along with new OEM headlights, when I get unlazy.