Talk to me about lighting options for the MS3

[fourthmeal]

I've got a long roadtrip planned in just a few weeks, and I'm concerned about lighting. I've always run PIAA fogs and quality headlamps on all my previous cars, and I favor a nice, bright light for all my lights.

I did search as any non-newb should on the forum, but I'm getting scattered info.

I can't strain my charging system too much, due to my sound system taxing the stock alternator as it is, so I don't think I can go with over-wattage bulb setups.

I know we use:

Lowbeam : H7
Highbeam : 9005
Fog : 9006

I have a co-worker who has good connections for bulbs and such at cost, but I need to know what to look for so I can order from him. I think all brands are fair game. I've been playing on the 'net looking for these things, and I think I want a yellow fog light, and white-type light for the lows and highs.

What success has anybody had with various bulb brands and models? Any particular setup considered "ideal"? I like the concept of the Yellow-Ion fogs myself.

Give me an idea (and pics perhaps) of some setups that seem to work well, if you don't mind. Thanks!

 

[BHOUST528]

try this site www.automotivelightingusa.com i got some nokya headlights and nokya fogs both have a blue hugh to them like HIDS even though i dont have them they are nothing more than a xenon bulb im changind to yellow fogs as soon as my fogs burn out...As far as my low beams go i think i need to get more of a whiter light they tend to put one hell of a glare on the road when it rains and then i can hardly see s*** ! lol...But check out that site they have some nice choices and prices are resonable shipping is fast too Good luck.. Brian

 

[fourthmeal]

My connection should provide the best price, but those are the brands I've been seeing. I notice they say they draw 55W, but output 100+...gimmick??! Watts are watts...

Anybody else? Ideas?

 

[fourthmeal]

bump...come on guys, you know I help you if I can, I need your help in this one. I'll find out tomorrow exactly what brands I can get, and I need to order ASAP.

 

[Haltech]

I've got a long roadtrip planned in just a few weeks, and I'm concerned about lighting. I've always run PIAA fogs and quality headlamps on all my previous cars, and I favor a nice, bright light for all my lights.

I did search as any non-newb should on the forum, but I'm getting scattered info.

I can't strain my charging system too much, due to my sound system taxing the stock alternator as it is, so I don't think I can go with over-wattage bulb setups.

I know we use:

Lowbeam : H7
Highbeam : 9005
Fog : 9006

I have a co-worker who has good connections for bulbs and such at cost, but I need to know what to look for so I can order from him. I think all brands are fair game. I've been playing on the 'net looking for these things, and I think I want a yellow fog light, and white-type light for the lows and highs.

What success has anybody had with various bulb brands and models? Any particular setup considered "ideal"? I like the concept of the Yellow-Ion fogs myself.

Give me an idea (and pics perhaps) of some setups that seem to work well, if you don't mind. Thanks!

Why not pop HID's in your headlights? They are setup from the factory with the correct projector head. I can direct you a low cost vendor ive used for years on ebay. I also run HID fogs... Those are your true options and they use less power than those BS bulbs people buy.

 

[TheMAN]

"correct projector head"? :wtf:
a projector headlight is not a projector headlight! the H7 projectors on the 3 are NOT the same as the D2S HID projectors in the 3! there's a reason for that! the lighting beam pattern and focal points are different! there's a big thread about it, so there is nothing to argue about... not to mention retrofitting is ILLEGAL!

as far as good bulbs go just get osram silverstars and you'll be happy... for the fog lights get some selective yellow narva bulbs

 

[fourthmeal]

Oh geez, I don't want to turn this thread into an HID war.

Let me say that I prefer to run HID's only if they are stock on the car, or if they can be properly fitted as an assembly.

Any pics of what to expect? Fog's and Lowbeam especially? Not HID's mind you (keep in mind it is a budget thing, too.)

 

[northmiler89]

a buddy of mines website: www.sharphid.com

Great warranty and SICK customer service. tell him brandon with the mazda refered you.

 

[Falconx84]

I've got aftermarket HID lights and love them.... I even tested them out on roadways both following a friend and with a friend driving past me in the other lane. They were amazed at the brightness of the light and it did not blind them either way. I asked a local police officer (highly respected, also a personal friend) who specialized in traffic violations. To give you an idea, he can spot someone speeding and give you their speed +/- 2 mph of actual before hitting his radar for the legal "kill" --

"are aftermarket HIDs legal"
"What the hell are you talking about? what's an HID??"

anyway, I'm very very satisfied with mine... just wish I went the extra step and did the high beams as well

 

[02MP5iiZM]

Okay. Think about this. $125 + $25 for Apexcone HIDs orrrrr about $1000ish for the stealership to put them in and "not make them illegal"... I rather pay just $150 thats the equipment and lifetime warranty [free shipping] for 5000k H7s, 35 Watts. HID bulb has an average life span of 8 YEARRS! I've had more bulbs blow on me then I've changed my oil in the past year, no problems outta these HIDs.
About the retrofitting in Vegas I don't know how harsh cops are there, but in Tennessee they are pretty lean.

 

[Haltech]

"correct projector head"? :wtf:
a projector headlight is not a projector headlight! the H7 projectors on the 3 are NOT the same as the D2S HID projectors in the 3! there's a reason for that! the lighting beam pattern and focal points are different! there's a big thread about it, so there is nothing to argue about... not to mention retrofitting is ILLEGAL!

as far as good bulbs go just get osram silverstars and you'll be happy... for the fog lights get some selective yellow narva bulbs

Depends on which HIDs you go with. They are not all created equal, especially if the arch is modified to match the 9006,9007,9005,9004 or H4 Halogen pattern.


Are you the official HID police? Please provide me proof that the Mazda's halogen projector will cause glare and arch scatter?

I will tell you that Mercedes from the factory come with halogen lighting. When a customer wants HID as an upgrade option, they plug those in with the ballast and never change the projector...(lick)

 

[fourthmeal]

No, I'm not worried about legality as far as cops.

But price is a factor. I need to keep it on the low-cost side for now. HID's run $100's, and bulbs run $10's. Simple funds issue at the moment.

I need quality bulbs that surpass factory brightness for the low, high, and fog beams, and the fog I want to go with a golden hue to enhance details.

 

[BHOUST528]

Hey fourthmeal, did you check out the link that i provide for you above? I wish i had pics of mine "non hid" lights. mine are just bulds like you are askin for i totally understand where you are coming from i would love some HIDS as well but money is a factor so went with the bulbs the mtecs i know of are not bad bulds that is actually what im running now but my next set im gonna go with a lower 5 rating these are kinda high and it seems there is more color to them than light output the the higher the kilon rating you have the more color the less you have the more light...

 

[fourthmeal]

yep, I saw the link. But I'm not after where to buy them, I've got that figured out (a friend of mine is in the business of aftermarket parts, not a problem.) What I'm after here is what brands to use, and bulbs to use within those brands. A lot of brands are more hype then output, and I want to make the best decision I can with opinions gathered on the issue.

 

[Falconx84]

if you are definitely not going HID, I never had a problem with good ole silverstars

though I really do recommend at least low beam with HID

 

[fourthmeal]

I ended up doing a lot of research and price lookups, and I really appreciate everyone's help so far. The day of the trip is drawing very near (it starts on the 17th of Nov.), and I need to make a purchase decision.

My "hookup" is possibly falling through, due to the right person being out of town (out of country??), so I may be forced to go through typical means.

That said, thanks to you, BHOUST528 for the suggestion on where to buy. I looked them up, as well as MANY others. In fact, I made a spreadsheet with this information all recorded regarding what bulbs are priced where, and what is available out there.

Here's where I'm stumped, and I'd love some opinions so I can finalize my decision. So, I've got a few questions:

First, I found a lot of websites out there regarding lights, and I wanted to know if any of you have had dealings with any of these, and what was the result.
www.velocityfactor.com www.rallylights.com www.intakeone.com www.autobarn.com www.automotivelightingusa.com www.luminicsusa.com


Next, while perusing these vendors, I found a variety of brands. In the search, I found a common set of companies that tend to have this market cornered, and also some relative unknowns (at least to me, but I'm rusty on this side of the market.) I found -
Luks Halo PIAA Nokya Hella Luminics Eurolite MTEC Raybrig
Are any of these brands something you'd stay away from? Any company you've learned "the hard way" that they aren't worth dealing with?

So far, I've developed a nice wish list to choose the lights for each bulb type in the car, and I'd like to share those with you...pretty much in the order that I feel I'd like them

H7 (lowbeam)
1. Hella Xenon Blue 55W (but pretty much they are white I've heard)
2. Luminics Krypton Titanium White 55W
3. Luminics Krypton Ultra White 55W
4. Nokya Arctic White 70W (worried about melting something!)
5. Nokya Cosmic White 80W (REALLY worried about melting!)

9005 (highbeam)
1. Eurolite Fusion Xenon 65W (not sure about the brand, but heard good stuff)
2. Hella Xenon Blue 65W
3. Luminics Krypton Ultra White 65W
4. Nokya Arctic White 65W

9006 (fog..I want yellow!)
1. Eurolite JDM Yellow 55W
2. Hella Optilux Extreme Yellow 55W
3. Luminics Ultra Golden 55W
4. Luminics JDM Yellow
5. Nokya Hyper Yellow 70W (again worried about melting)

I had to remove Raybrig, PIAA, and Halo from my list because of pricing...all were way up there in the $60 a set range, and thus too rich for my blood.

Sylvania Silverstars, and the new Ultra Silverstars, are strangely much less expensive at my local Autozone / Pepboys options, at about $38 a set, compared to where I can find them on the web! Really, where do they sit in relation to the rest of these options?

Guys, sorry to have so many questions, but with a deeper understanding, I figure I'll be able to make a smarter decision and get what I should be purchasing ordered ASAP.

Thanks again!

 

[fourthmeal]

Wow...

The help just didn't happen this time around...

I ended up researching each brand and what it can do quality wise vs. durability, and I ended up with the general consensus that most of these brands aren't as good as stock, with exception to the (rare) Philips Xtreme +80 bulbs, and the Sylvania Silverstar ULTRA. So, I trotted down to the local Checker's, and picked up a set of the ULTRA's in H7 (lowbeam) for $50. All my research showed that the local parts stores are cheaper or at least equal to this price, so it was cost-effective to just buy them this way, and have zero waiting.

Installation was a LOT harder then I thought it would be! I'm going to cover the installation in case someone follows in my steps:

(For the H7 Lowbeam on an MS3)
1. Pop open the hood
2. Pull the connectors to the lights
3. Take the rubber seal off of the housing, set it aside
4. There is a metal clip that approximates a large paperclip in diameter, but is much stronger. This little clip can be a serious PITA. The instructions contained within the owner's manual (section 8 I think) doesn't really break it down as to precisely what to do, so I'll try to do better. This clip is spring-loaded against the bulb socket housing. You must push IN, then UP, to clear a small "catch" built out of metal, and at that point the spring will lose its grip on the bulb, and you'll need to catch it. As the clip spring pops free, it will hinge on the opposite side of the housing, and you can swing it free. You also need to not let the bulb crash to the bottom of your car, at the same time!
5. When the bulb and its socket housing are pulled free, you need to pull the socket housing free from the bulb itself. The socket housing is the black plastic thing that has a death-grip on the bulb. Remove the socket housing from the bulb with gentle prying. I used a soft clean cloth and jammed my finger in between and rocked it loose. YMMV!
6. Take new bulb and install it in the socket housing, and slide the bulb into the housing. Take note that the housing is keyed to fit the bulb in a certain direction, so adjust accordingly.
7. Now, the hard part! That silly metal spring clip needs to be pushed back against the socket housing, and pushed IN, UP, and IN, and then DOWN so the spring clip's tubular metal catches on the metal latch built into the opposite side. It takes a little time, and a good visual of what is going on. I recommend a small mirror so you can see where the clip lands. BEWARE that my driver's side clip somehow was longer then my passenger side, and as such the edge of the metal clip got stuck on the plastic housing of the headlight. I had to use some super-tiny needle nose crimps to yank the metal clip, and shove it past the plastic housing, and then into the catch. While it took only a few seconds to type how to do that, it took FOREVER to get it to work.
8. Stick back on the rubber seal that you pulled off
9. Plug the connector back in
10. Light up the road!

Oh, and in case people are wondering, the ULTRAS are friggin bright and clean. They aren't blue, and they aren't H.I.D.'ish, but they are very luminous, and that is what I want. The next step for me is to find some decent fog bulbs. I've scoured the local places and all I've found are clear and "blue" lights, no sign of amber or yellow. I've got to go internet for them. I'm going to go with HELLA's, I think.

 

[TheMAN]

Depends on which HIDs you go with. They are not all created equal, especially if the arch is modified to match the 9006,9007,9005,9004 or H4 Halogen pattern.


Are you the official HID police? Please provide me proof that the Mazda's halogen projector will cause glare and arch scatter?

I will tell you that Mercedes from the factory come with halogen lighting. When a customer wants HID as an upgrade option, they plug those in with the ballast and never change the projector...(lick)

there's nothing to prove... you can't argue with physics
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123631466

 

[fourthmeal]

the HID battle was NOT why I started this thread. I started this one because I needed a little guidance as to what bulbs to use to get a good amount of light on the road for a road trip coming up.

In other news:
My Hella Optilux Yellow 9006 fog bulbs are on their way. Woo Hoo!

 

[Haltech]

there's nothing to prove... you can't argue with physics
http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123631466

Talking to the wrong person about your hatred towards HIDs (blah)