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Old 05-07-2013, 10:38 PM   #526
prochucker
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Subaru Stars

Quote:
Originally Posted by Schlanseay View Post
I've been searching and can anyone point me in the direction on how to change the rear turn signal and back up light on a 13 hatch?
Have you looked in the Owners Manual? I checked the Service Manual and it says;
1) Remove the bulb inspection cover of the rear
gate trim.
2) Turn the socket and remove the bulb.
I assume it's right behind the backup light.

For the Turn signal bulb, there are 2 screws for the rear combination light assembly, accessible when you have the hatch open, these will allow you to remove the assembly and remove the bulb from the back.
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Old 08-05-2013, 10:56 PM   #527
WRX09MD
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Default Daniel Stern 09 WRX lights

This is some useful info I received from Daniel about upgrading lights on my 09 WRX. This will help on other models also.

Your low beams take a 1350-lumen H11 bulb. You can easily, safely, and effectively replace this with a 2100-lumen H9 bulb, which you ought to be able to find locally by seeking the high beam bulb for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Use a good brand (GE, Philips, Osram-Sylvania) and stick to colorless clear bulbs, not any kind of "whiter light" bulb such as the Sylvania Silver Star scam. Can also get them online .You may need to shave a small ridge of plastic off the H9 bulb's connector so that the H11 socket will snap on. Other than that, it's a direct swap. The only disadvantage is shorter low beam bulb life — the H11 is optimised for very long life with relatively modest light output, while the H9 is optimised for very high output with relatively short life. Note that the H9 swap is not universal; it works well in projector-type low beams but is not safe in most reflector-type low beams or in fog lamps of any type.

If you want to upgrade the high beams, go to your local Chevrolet dealer and pick up two part number 15094219. Can also get them online . That is a Philips 9011 bulb. They are not some tinted or overwattage version of 9005, but share the identical filament geometry and base architecture as well as the same power consumption.

Here's the comparison:

stock: 9005, 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours
new: 9011, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours

The 9011 bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is
to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases.
The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb
fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly
into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on. Please see
http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/HIRmod.html for details.


The best fog bulb is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480N154/ but Even good fog lamps, which are relatively rare, are of very limited use to most drivers. Fog lamps should be turned OFF most of the time. They are meant to be used in foggy (or rainy/snowy) weather to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car so s/he can safely make progress through foul weather at very low speeds. That is _all_ these lamps are designed, intended, and able to do -- and most of the ones available as factory or optional equipment or in the aftermarket aren't even capable of doing that. Leaving the fog lamps on at all times does not improve lighting safety performance, though many people do so in the mistaken belief that they can see better this way at normal road speeds in dry weather.
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Old 09-03-2013, 07:07 PM   #528
Whiteone23
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Anybody have trouble with HIDs always burning out?
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Old 09-03-2013, 09:48 PM   #529
97imprezagreen
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what means HID? i had to change a headlight bulb in my impreza recently. i bought one from autozone the guy handed it to me, i paid him 12.00 dollars, and it took me only a few minutes to install it. it works fine. i like simple.
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Old 09-03-2013, 10:02 PM   #530
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 97imprezagreen View Post
what means HID? i had to change a headlight bulb in my impreza recently. i bought one from autozone the guy handed it to me, i paid him 12.00 dollars, and it took me only a few minutes to install it. it works fine. i like simple.
YOu cannot buy HIDs at autozone for 12 bucks..

High Intensity Discharge..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-in...discharge_lamp
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Old 09-12-2013, 08:00 PM   #531
subigirl_amber
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Default switching my stock headlights to HID's

this was super helpful! I'm looking at switching out my stock headlights in my 2006 impreza 2.5i, to HID's. my light is an H3, looking at going with the xenon or possibly the HIR headlight bulbs since you recommended them. want something that'll last and look clean. what do you recommend? also, no hidden stories of the HID's setting fire like the old VW's, right??
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Old 09-13-2013, 02:01 AM   #532
Impreza_555_96
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Default Pre-Wired Fogs?

Can someone please post me a link to installing fogs (in place of the fog light covers; mine did not come factory installed)? I bought fog lights and the toggle switch; hooked everything in, hoping it was all plug-and-play, but the fogs won't turn on. any help would be greatly appreciated guys, thanks!
Simon
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Old 09-13-2013, 02:04 AM   #533
Impreza_555_96
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*Sorry, it's a 96 WRX STI 555 from Japan. Imported it myself last month.
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Old 09-17-2013, 12:57 AM   #534
MetalMatty
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If I have yellow tinted fog lights, should I replace the bulbs with yellow H3s or normal H3s? May sound dumb but I figured I would ask.
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Old 09-23-2013, 03:20 PM   #535
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Post

Quote:
Originally Posted by MetalMatty View Post
If I have yellow tinted fog lights, should I replace the bulbs with yellow H3s or normal H3s? May sound dumb but I figured I would ask.
Depends on the color you want. Personally, I've done tinted fog overlays with generic/stock bulbs, selective yellow bulbs with the same overlays, and just selective yellow bulbs and no overlays.

Concerning actual light output and seeing, I like just the selective yellow bulbs and no overlays. This gives the best colored yellow light IMO. It's more of a dull color yellow.. lighter, not as rich. I was using Nokya 2500k bulbs for $16 shipped. The downside is they look stock when the lights are off.

Second, I liked just the fog tint and regular bulbs. This produced about the same color, although still a bit richer. I used generic eBay tint. Positives are the tint obviously shows as yellow when the lights are off.

Lastly, I thought the color was way too overpowering and rich with both the selective yellow bulbs and tint. It was wayyyy overly yellow and overpowered my headlights in terms of color. If you read a little into how your eyes perceive the light spectrum, this actually really decreases your distance visibility... basically, you focus up front too much.

It seems like you want them to appear tinted when off, so I'd advise white/regular bulbs in this case.
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Old 10-21-2013, 11:34 AM   #536
kyporter903
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What's the best H11 to H9 (low beam) and 9005 to 9011 (high beam) setup? If you could, which bulbs would you buy and where would you order them from?
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Old 10-21-2013, 05:56 PM   #537
BWX
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Stock H9 for low beam from Osram at Autozone works great.
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...&postcount=438


High beams.. did you read a few posts up?
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...&postcount=527
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Old 10-24-2013, 07:23 AM   #538
seven4ka
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I already did the H11 to H9 conversion on my '10 WRX and am very satisfied... Now it's time to look at the HIR conversion...

But I have a quick question... how does the 08+ DRLs work? Seems to me that it's the same bulb that do both DRLs and High Beam... If the stock 9005s are replaced with the 9011 HIR bulbs, will the DRLs still work? Since the 9005 is not a dual filament bulb, how does it get switched to High beam?
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Old 10-24-2013, 11:15 AM   #539
subienoobie2029
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seven4ka View Post
I already did the H11 to H9 conversion on my '10 WRX and am very satisfied... Now it's time to look at the HIR conversion...

But I have a quick question... how does the 08+ DRLs work? Seems to me that it's the same bulb that do both DRLs and High Beam... If the stock 9005s are replaced with the 9011 HIR bulbs, will the DRLs still work? Since the 9005 is not a dual filament bulb, how does it get switched to High beam?
I just a quick search on the forums, and can confirm that our DRL is the same as our high beam. Apparently it had a resistor to run the light at a much lower power for DRL. I'm not sure about the 9011 HIR swap though. But try using the search option, you might find the information you seek
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Old 10-24-2013, 01:15 PM   #540
BWX
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Yeah it just runs the high beams at lower power. It has nothing to do with dual filaments or whatever. You can disconnect the DTRL if you want.. It is a connection under the air filter box.
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Old 10-24-2013, 02:23 PM   #541
seven4ka
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I would not ask if I had not made some research... What makes no sense to me with the "lower input power" answer is the fact you can clearly see a height difference in the light beam when you trigger the highs... Its not only brighter... The light pattern is also higher. Anyone able to explain that?
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Old 10-24-2013, 02:33 PM   #542
BWX
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seven4ka View Post
I would not ask if I had not made some research... What makes no sense to me with the "lower input power" answer is the fact you can clearly see a height difference in the light beam when you trigger the highs... Its not only brighter... The light pattern is also higher. Anyone able to explain that?
No it isn't. It's the same bulb, but dimmer. Not sure what you're looking at. Take out the bulb and look at it.
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Old 10-24-2013, 02:35 PM   #543
seven4ka
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I'll post a pic tonight. If you aim at the wall, the pattern is different. The hi beam is higher (which is a logic thing since they are high beams)
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Old 10-24-2013, 09:50 PM   #544
jasons73
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The high beam is higher because it is putting out full power. When using the DRL it is going to be lower because it is less powerful.

There is only a single bulb that has a resister to dim the light.
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Old 10-24-2013, 11:41 PM   #545
aquariaguy
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I'm a newb when it comes to this, but I have a 2012 Subaru Impreza Hatch. I do a lot of night driving now, and would like some options to make the roads a lot brighter/clearer without blinding people. I've been reading, and so far I understand it is bad to put HID retrofit into my car. Better to do a projector retrofit, if I understand correctly?

What about those HIR or Osram silverstars? Are those a direct swap of lightbulbs? Thanks.
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Old 10-25-2013, 02:57 AM   #546
BWX
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I have the Osram Silverstars in the high beams and I like them. Just the Silverstar- not Ultra- is what I have.
https://www.sylvania.com/en-us/appli...l=1107&make=89

Some people don't like the cool white color. For high beams I do like that.. It is no where near bling bling ricer blue.. Just more cool white than regular halogen. They are a little on the expensive side though and only last two or three years (while putting low mileage on car). At least that is my experience. Never tried HIR but people say they are great too.

Next I will probably just go with the 9011 upgrade for highs and get a regular color beam for the most lumen output..

The H9 Osrams you get a Autozone are great for low beam conversion and they are cheap.. It puts out a lot more light, actual light- more lumens, not just a different cooler tinted beam. It is a 65 watt instead of 55 watt putting out more actual lumens and the color is still the neutral halogen regular color, so for me, it is great for a low beam.

My bro who has a new TL and a '12 Mazda Speed 3 with HIDS commented on how nice my headlights were the last time he was in my car at night- and I didn't say jack to him about upgraded bulbs before that.. He was surprised. It probably has as much to do with perfect aim as the upgrades bulbs though. Stock low beams are such crap though.. Stock highs weren't horrible, but not great.. Stock aim is terrible, at least mine was, it was way too low. I never get beamed by other drivers and adjusted it up quite a bit. That helped a ton. Go up as far as you can without shining in people's faces. it is easy to tell with out car's beam pattern. itr has a pretty good cut-off.

Last edited by BWX; 10-25-2013 at 03:02 AM.
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Old 10-25-2013, 06:07 AM   #547
seven4ka
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WRX09MD View Post
This is some useful info I received from Daniel about upgrading lights on my 09 WRX. This will help on other models also. Your low beams take a 1350-lumen H11 bulb. You can easily, safely, and effectively replace this with a 2100-lumen H9 bulb, which you ought to be able to find locally by seeking the high beam bulb for a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. Use a good brand (GE, Philips, Osram-Sylvania) and stick to colorless clear bulbs, not any kind of "whiter light" bulb such as the Sylvania Silver Star scam. Can also get them online .You may need to shave a small ridge of plastic off the H9 bulb's connector so that the H11 socket will snap on. Other than that, it's a direct swap. The only disadvantage is shorter low beam bulb life ***151; the H11 is optimised for very long life with relatively modest light output, while the H9 is optimised for very high output with relatively short life. Note that the H9 swap is not universal; it works well in projector-type low beams but is not safe in most reflector-type low beams or in fog lamps of any type. If you want to upgrade the high beams, go to your local Chevrolet dealer and pick up two part number 15094219. Can also get them online . That is a Philips 9011 bulb. They are not some tinted or overwattage version of 9005, but share the identical filament geometry and base architecture as well as the same power consumption. Here's the comparison: stock: 9005, 12.8V, 65W, 1700 lumens, 320 hours new: 9011, 12.8V, 65W, 2530 lumens, 320 hours The 9011 bulbs have a double-wide top ear on the plastic bulb base, this is to comply with the law requiring different bulbs to have different bases. The extra-wide plastic top ear is easily trimmed or filed to make the bulb fit your headlamp's bulb receptacle. Once that's done, they go directly into the headlamp, and the existing sockets snap on. Please see http://dastern.torque.net/Mods/HIRmod.html for details. The best fog bulb is http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00480N154/ but Even good fog lamps, which are relatively rare, are of very limited use to most drivers. Fog lamps should be turned OFF most of the time. They are meant to be used in foggy (or rainy/snowy) weather to help the driver see the edges of the road close to the car so s/he can safely make progress through foul weather at very low speeds. That is _all_ these lamps are designed, intended, and able to do -- and most of the ones available as factory or optional equipment or in the aftermarket aren't even capable of doing that. Leaving the fog lamps on at all times does not improve lighting safety performance, though many people do so in the mistaken belief that they can see better this way at normal road speeds in dry weather.
'Nuff said.
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Old 10-25-2013, 07:22 AM   #548
seven4ka
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seven4ka View Post
I'll post a pic tonight. If you aim at the wall, the pattern is different. The hi beam is higher (which is a logic thing since they are high beams)
nevermind the pics I don't need to post them... I actually thought the DRLs had their cutoff line at the same level as the regular lights... Which is not true... Basically, they go higher which means the Highs also go higher (duh).

This makes perfect sense since the DRLs (dimmed) run during daytime. Basically, who cares if the DRLs go higher. Can't really blind someone in full daylight.



Soooooo... back to the HIRs.

Will switch the bulbs for HIRs mean we loose DRLs or will those bulb still light up even with the resistance?
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Old 10-28-2013, 07:10 PM   #549
cincysubie
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I read the full write up here and sitll have some questions.

Can someone suggest the best and brightest low beam bulbs that fit stock into my 2002 subaru impreza wrx?

I was thinking +50 or whatever else the author suggested.

But I was thinking about HIR too. Are HIRs only meant for high beams?
What would you suggest?
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Old 11-01-2013, 06:15 PM   #550
cincysubie
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Input? Pm me.
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