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Old 01-18-2018, 01:50 PM   #1
Lansonfloyd
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Default 2018 WRX base - planning out lighting improvements/changes (HID, etc)

First question I wasn't able to resolve in searching, does the 2018 WRX need canbus or any other sort of error correction for HID? My gut says no because there's no auto-light feature unlike my cars in the past.

Second, say under $100 or so, what's the best HID kit to upfit the stock projector halogens with ~4500-5000k light in 35W? The stock halogens are abysmal, damn near dangerous.

Third, I want to figure out the fog light situation. I don't have any, so I'll need to get an all-in solution with panels, and fog lights themselves. I want to avoid a pure-OEM solution because the factory fog light is a dim H16 option. I am huge into yellow-output fog beams, as it really helps my vision at night. I've always installed Osram Fog Breaker import bulbs in all my other cars, but they aren't made in a size I can use on the WRX, so I need to start thinking outside of that. Maybe an LED solution w/ a yellow overlay? Hmmm...

Fourth, is there a way to disable the drl lights?

Thoughts?
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Last edited by Lansonfloyd; 01-18-2018 at 01:58 PM.
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Old 01-18-2018, 01:58 PM   #2
scooby24
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being unable to speak to the canbus requirements, I can say with confidence that for under 100, one of the best options you could go with is a pairing of Hyluxtek ballasts with CNLight bulbs. These kits are available from suppliers on ebay. TRS has them as well but are charging 90 for the ballasts alone.

Their ballasts have options for both canbus and non-canbus ballasts. 2A88 vs. A2088
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Old 01-18-2018, 05:14 PM   #3
wrbrexx
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Nokya yellow h11 bulbs are what you are looking for. Perfect, pure yellow output and only like 20 bucks on amazon. Leds in the fogs are generally a no-no. Morimoto makes an hid kit, but it would be better if you retrofitted projectors (like mini h1 or mini d2s, there are kits for our cars). Theres no canbus error stuff.
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Old 01-19-2018, 12:00 PM   #4
Lansonfloyd
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Wrbrexx,
As I understand it, H11's will melt the factory housings, and quickly. They are H16's if I go with OEM original or repro fog stuff, not H11. H11's will fit, but they are too hot. I think HID will also melt the housing, which would definitely not be good long-term. REALLY hard to find a non-green type "yellow" HID kit I've learned. I gave up on HID for yellow a while back, after 3 fails in a row.

BTW, as a fellow yellow light enthusiast, I encourage you to find and use the Osram Fog Breaker series. I order mine from nigel-jdm. I've run the Nokya, PIAA, Hella Optilux, Hoen, and finally the Fog Breaker throughout my hunt for the perfect yellow fog, and let me tell you there's just nothing like the Fog Breakers (for standard bulbs.)

Here's some shots to share with the Fog Breakers in.





I wonder if I can find a housing that is H11-ready, and either cut the panels I have OR buy new ones with the mount already in it. I guess my search continues for that.


I'll need to keep searching about the canbus thing before I snap up a kit.

Thanks for the help so far!
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Old 01-19-2018, 12:52 PM   #5
wrbrexx
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Wow those fog breakers are really really pure yellow. I forgot to mention that I have an h11 fog lamp (winjet kit), not the oem h16. It’s a glass housing and it can handle the heat. I want to try those Osram bulbs now
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Old 01-19-2018, 01:34 PM   #6
Lansonfloyd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wrbrexx View Post
Wow those fog breakers are really really pure yellow. I forgot to mention that I have an h11 fog lamp (winjet kit), not the oem h16. It's a glass housing and it can handle the heat. I want to try those Osram bulbs now
Yeah here's where I order them. It will take some time for this Nigel site to get them, so when you order, expect 2-4 weeks or so.
http://www.nigel-jdmparts.com/index....product_id=487

I will look at the Winjet kit, does it fit 2018's? I'll start looking. (edit, just checked, no 2018, its a different shape)

My other idea was to use the new Philips 2700k fog LED , which seem damn bright. I've only begun to dabble with LED, mostly in a Colorado truck I lifted and modified to the 9's for my father. They are about 3x the cost of the Fog Breakers though.
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Old 01-19-2018, 04:42 PM   #7
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Old 01-19-2018, 05:14 PM   #8
Lansonfloyd
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I think I may have located a good place for the HID's. Prolightz sells Hylux / CN setups as well as Morimoto, and they are a tick over $100 all in.

And for fog light bezels, I found some on eBay for about $22-25 each, so I'll probably just get those, and then "roll my own" setup. I'm 100% OK with splicing and soldering and all that, so I just need to think about the right type of housing to mount the H11, probably see what works. (edit) Import Image Racing sells some OLM projector things that fit in the OEM location, and seem pretty robust. That could then house the Philips LED or my trusty Fog Breakers in H11. I bet that'd do it.

Last edited by Lansonfloyd; 01-19-2018 at 05:57 PM.
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Old 01-19-2018, 08:05 PM   #9
n2oiroc
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just do the h9 swap if you want to dramatically increase light output for under $100. the stock housings and projectors dont do well with a hid kit, they throw off some weird glare and scatter the light around. some stock projectors work well with hid kits, but not these. if you insist on hid's, you need to swap projectors like a d2s 4.0 or something that actually has a good pattern.
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Old 01-21-2018, 01:14 PM   #10
Lansonfloyd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by n2oiroc View Post
just do the h9 swap if you want to dramatically increase light output for under $100. the stock housings and projectors dont do well with a hid kit, they throw off some weird glare and scatter the light around. some stock projectors work well with hid kits, but not these. if you insist on hid's, you need to swap projectors like a d2s 4.0 or something that actually has a good pattern.

Wait, the stock projectors have an issue with h11 A and B both? That's hard to fathom. Any links to threads that can help me see this?

I'm not the type to retrofit stock stuff when it's lighting related. I've tried and failed enough times to learn what I'm not good at.
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Old 01-21-2018, 03:54 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lansonfloyd View Post
Wait, the stock projectors have an issue with h11 A and B both? That's hard to fathom. Any links to threads that can help me see this?

I'm not the type to retrofit stock stuff when it's lighting related. I've tried and failed enough times to learn what I'm not good at.
no link, i tried it and the chrome part of the housing next to the projector glared like crazy and the projectors just didnt focus the light well. the h11 based hid bulbs have a longer filament so the pattern totally changes vs. halogen bulbs. i pulled them out and tossed h9's in until i get a chance to swap to d2s 4.0's.
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Old 10-12-2018, 11:32 PM   #12
Lansonfloyd
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Hey revisiting my own thread here, with some info. The stock projectors do just fine with with HID's. I went with the all-in-one units from Subispeed just recently. I absolutely love the minimalist nature of these. I was able to install them just by moving the battery a bit on the driver's side, and the passenger side required a quick airbox removal. But I just literally plugged them in and fired them up. I also installed the OEM/OLM combo kit (factory fog light panels) with the yellow lenses, and I added my beloved Osram Fog Breaker H11's and they are fantastic.

Anyway, the factory projectors look great with the HID's. No extra glare, no weird output, no issues with anything, actually.

Just fyi.
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Old 10-19-2018, 12:44 AM   #13
Lansonfloyd
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Just wanted to update with pics. I went with Philips T10 parking light bulbs (damn bright, really nice), and as I mentioned prior, H11 Osram fog breakers for the fog lights. But I also went with 9005 Fog Breakers (yeah, yellow high beams) which I want to comment on in just a minute.

So, here's the low beam + fog lights on (those parking lights are lit up here too)
"auto" settings on camera


"min brightness" settings on camera


"min brightness", crouched down more in-line with the lights. Note, you can see the yellow 9005's peeking out in the reflectors in this shot


"auto brightness" with the DRL's on


"min brightness" DRL's on



You can probably tell I am a fan of selective yellow. I've actually been an enthusiast of using it for lighting since the late 90's, when I first strapped some boss PIAAs to my MkIII Supra (a car known for **** lights) and I could SEE! Anyway, I've noticed that especially after my LASIK surgery, a bright selective yellow light really helps me see things that would otherwise be hard to discern / focus on, stuff I'd otherwise miss while driving. Even prior to my surgery, my eyes seemed to do better with selective yellow fog lights. I've gone through dozens of bulbs to find the best. I've gone through Hoen, Hella Optilux, PIAA's newer stuff, Nokya, lots of HID kits, some LED setups, etc. Sometimes HID can be OK, but the greenish hue of yellow you can sometimes get is awful. Anyway, I came across Osram Fog Breakers years ago and I've stuck with them since, on all my cars. They last a long time, they are bright, and yep, yellow!

Now, why go with selective yellow for DRL / High beam? I wanted to give it a shot, knowing that my eyes are good with it for fogs. I noticed that in the case of the WRX, the low beams stay on when the high beams (doesn't always happen), so with the extremely nicely bright HID's running, hitting the high beam produces a MASSIVE glow of selective yellow which lights up the whole darn neighborhood while the HID's are still laying tons of light down the road, and I think that will do fantastically on the highway (but we'll have to see, I'll go on a test drive out in the desert soon.) Having the soft yellow going for the day time should be good too.
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Old 05-09-2021, 11:07 PM   #14
GoFrogs
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lansonfloyd View Post
...I noticed that in the case of the WRX, the low beams stay on when the high beams (doesn't always happen), so with the extremely nicely bright HID's running, hitting the high beam produces a MASSIVE glow of selective yellow which lights up the whole darn neighborhood while the HID's are still laying tons of light down the road, and I think that will do fantastically on the highway (but we'll have to see, I'll go on a test drive out in the desert soon.) Having the soft yellow going for the day time should be good too.
Apologies for the bump...but to the OP...any issues with longevity using the 9005 Fog Breakers in the factory DRL position?

I'm guessing they will perform similar to a standard/basic 9005 high beam bulb, yes?

Or, are the fog breakers a slightly over-driven bulb, similar to a Silverstar/Silverstar Ultra?
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