Headlights!

[5PADZAM]

I was recently informed that the sedan headlights are better than the P5's so they might be a good option for you. Maybe njaremka has something to add about the sharpness of the sedan's cutoff and how it compares with the P5's.

From what I have read, the p5 has the better lighting system. I read that in another forum. Having never compared them myself, I can't say. But my p5 headlights work exceptionally well. I have Osram Silverstars installed.

There may not be as sharp of a cut-off as HID's, but there is a definite cut-off line in my p5's light beam. No other vehicle I have owned has had the same cut-off.

 

[njaremka]

From what I have read, the p5 has the better lighting system. I read that in another forum. Having never compared them myself, I can't say. But my p5 headlights work exceptionally well. I have Osram Silverstars installed.

There may not be as sharp of a cut-off as HID's, but there is a definite cut-off line in my p5's light beam. No other vehicle I have owned has had the same cut-off.

the protege5 might have some good headlights, but the sedan's are better designed.

 

[Kansei]

the protege5 might have some good headlights, but the sedan's are better designed.

They have a sharper cutoff, but nothing other than that is "better". Dual filament high/low beam designs suck for the most part. It's not like the P5 cutoff is bad, the sedan headlights just have a very sharp one. Familias with HIDs came with the P5 headlight housing style, so I'm guessing with some modification to the cap thing that sits in front of the bulb you could get a nice sharp cutoff.

edit: and when talking light output stock for stock, no car outperforms the lighting distance of the P5 without excessive glare. I read a huge roundup of basically half halogen cars and half HID, and they said that the light output and low glare of the P5 headlights was remarkable. It output light farther than any other car tested if I recall correctly. I haven't seen the article in years though so I'm not sure where it was.

 

[5PADZAM]

the protege5 might have some good headlights, but the sedan's are better designed.

Not to be argumentative, but do you have any data to back that claim up? I have always been curious as to why the p5's have different headlights than the sedans.

edit: and when talking light output stock for stock, no car outperforms the lighting distance of the P5 without excessive glare. I read a huge roundup of basically half halogen cars and half HID, and they said that the light output and low glare of the P5 headlights was remarkable. It output light farther than any other car tested if I recall correctly. I haven't seen the article in years though so I'm not sure where it was.

That sounds like the same information I had read about a few months ago.

 

[Salmon_Rob]

my cut off. the car is pointed to the right, which is why it looks like it slants down

 

[njaremka]

do you have HID's? or are those "stock" halogens?

 

[Salmon_Rob]

do you have HID's? or are those "stock" halogens?

silverstars

 

[Kansei]

silverstars

if sylvania, then that's even less light output than stock.. by a little.

 

[Salmon_Rob]

if sylvania, then that's even less light output than stock.. by a little.

*kapunch* you know they arent sylvania

 

[JoshP5]

Dual filament high/low beam designs suck for the most part.

Let's also not forget about high beams. When you trigger the highs in a P5, the lows stay on, giving you 230watts total lighting power--you won't get that with the sedan's H4s.

 

[AzteCypher]

subbing, this is interesting, especially since I just came across some P5 lights for my sedan

 

[MarkTM86]

OKay, but I have silverstar's in my P5 and they light up perfectly (no cut off like i want, but very nice lightage) but when i turn my brights on it's up in the trees.

 

[njaremka]

Let's also not forget about high beams. When you trigger the highs in a P5, the lows stay on, giving you 230watts total lighting power--you won't get that with the sedan's H4s.

thatsw the first i've heard that one. it would also be the first car i've ever heard of that did that.

give me about an hour, and i'll post my sedan beam pattern / cut-off.

 

[Kansei]

OKay, but I have silverstar's in my P5 and they light up perfectly (no cut off like i want, but very nice lightage) but when i turn my brights on it's up in the trees.

yeah because they're designed to throw light aLL OVER (though primarily really far out in front of the car), hence being the "high beams".

I'm still going to attempt some sort of modification to get a better cutoff with the P5 headlights because losing the p5 high beams and light output would blow... plus I'd have to get new HID bulbs

 

[njaremka]

for COMPARISON purposes, here are pictures of my sedan headlight pattern.

#1 - low beams, about 20ft away from the garage door. this picture really shows how good the cut-off is on the sedan lights. it also shows really good how the beam pattern throws to the right to light up road signs and such.

#2 - low beams about 15ft from a snow bank.
#3 - high beams, same distance as the picture listed above. these two pictures show the light housings ability to provide a good pattern for both high and low beams.

 

[Kansei]

the only thing I don't really like about the H4 bulb light pattern in the sedan headlights is how focused a majority of the light is.

 

[njaremka]

the only thing I don't really like about the H4 bulb light pattern in the sedan headlights is how focused a majority of the light is.

thats a good thing when you're going down a dark road, and if you don't want to blind the guy coming at you. when i'm driving downa side road that has no street lights, i can see the beam cut-off out ahead of me on the road, and not much beyond that. then, when i hit the high beams, its like daylight out there, and the majority of the light goes down the road right where you want it.

 

[Kansei]

I'm talking about how right below that hot spot there's barely any light.

 

[MarkTM86]

do you think going from the P5 headlights to the sedan headlights (like the ones on Ebay) would be a hard change?

 

[njaremka]

I'm talking about how right below that hot spot there's barely any light.

can't tell at all when you're on the road, and the fog lights fill that in when the low beams are on. with the high beams, you're looking way down the road, so you don't really need the front of the car lit up.

do you think going from the P5 headlights to the sedan headlights (like the ones on Ebay) would be a hard change?

only the wiring part. the housing will bolt right up.