Headlights--anyone know what type of bulb the low beams are..???

[Maverick1]

I have read many posts regarding the headlights and I would like to source some HID replacements. Many people have posted that the standard low beam headlights are very dull and not very good.
Can someone please check out their owners manual and let me know what type of bulb it is.
Cheers

[YvoTuk]

Yep.. I know

They're H1 bulbs, conversion kit available here: www.elise-shop.com

[Maverick1]

I was wondering if you have seen Elises with the HID conversion and if it makes a big difference in light output. Do you know if the conversion is a simple plug and play job or is there more to it. I know you have to find a place to mount the ballasts.
I was told about that company, however I wanted to source a distributer in the U.S.. Also, the price from "Elise-shop" is really pricy. I found sites in the U.S. for a Philips HID for around $299-$499 depending on the bulb you choose-4500 or 6000 or 8000.
I e-mailed their sites and all they needed was the type of bulb.
Thanks again.
Cheers

[Racer X]

Maverick1,

YvoTuk is elise-shop.com, so it would be "I was told about "your" company", not "that" company. Are the other kits designed and/or tested with the Elise 111R projector reflector and lense?

Perhaps YvoTuk has tested his kits and knows that they work in the Elise 111R. Do they have the same quality parts?

You would think any kit designed to replace the H1 bulb would work, but perhaps not.

I think I will try to reaim my lights and replace the bulbs with brighter whiter bulbs first, before I go the HID route.

Greg

[mact3333]

Originally posted by Maverick1
I was wondering if you have seen Elises with the HID conversion and if it makes a big difference in light output. Do you know if the conversion is a simple plug and play job or is there more to it. I know you have to find a place to mount the ballasts.
I was told about that company, however I wanted to source a distributer in the U.S.. Also, the price from "Elise-shop" is really pricy. I found sites in the U.S. for a Philips HID for around $299-$499 depending on the bulb you choose-4500 or 6000 or 8000.
I e-mailed their sites and all they needed was the type of bulb.
Thanks again.
Cheers

true, you can buy quality kits in US for 400.00 or so...dont go higher than 6000K(make sure it is true Philips ultinons though or dont buy) and you will lose luminal output...anything 7000K and above look very blue to purple and the luminal intesnity is lessened....just the like the kit at Elise-shop, the ballasts are pretty much the same(stick with Hella or Philips) ...now true HID capsules are all P32d(either philips or osram) based(they are round like BMW and Audi) and they have to be rebased to fit bases such as H1, 9006 and etc...in the past, there were co's who didnt know what they were doing but now, the quality has gone up alot...stick with Philips bulbs ...you can try different bulbs but I think that is waste of time ...people who put in Silverstars say it is much better than stock, but HID's put out 2-3 times the light as Silverstars or stock bulbs...night and day difference IMO.

[carreracaballo]

My car is a Lotus Exige 260 Model Year 2009!

Can anyone tell me what type of bulbs are fitted in the following:

High Beam (H7 ?)
Low Beam (H1 ?)
Driving Lights (H3 ?)
Side Lights (W5W ?)

I am not intending to fit HIDs,
I just want to upgrade to Philips Nightbreaker Bulbs, MTEC Super White Bulbs, or OSRAM Cool Blue Bulbs!

Thx in advance,

Joseph

[TheViper]

This for a 2005 model Light Bulb Conversions
Osram Silverstars seems to be highly recommended Discount source for Osram SilverStar bulbs - LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community
Cheers,
Michael

Originally Posted by carreracaballo

My car is a Lotus Exige 260 Model Year 2009!

Can anyone tell me what type of bulbs are fitted in the following:

High Beam (H7 ?)
Low Beam (H1 ?)
Driving Lights (H3 ?)
Side Lights (W5W ?)

I am not intending to fit HIDs,
I just want to upgrade to Philips Nightbreaker Bulbs, MTEC Super White Bulbs, or OSRAM Cool Blue Bulbs!

Thx in advance,

Joseph

[kestrel74]

!

[carreracaballo]

@TheViper

Thank you for your help

@kestrel74

I have this factory fitted

[usurbrain]

Your's is probably the same as mine. I have a 08 S240 and the low beam is a H7. The H1 low beam bulb was in the earlier cars. I have a HID kit from DDMtuning.com The light output is much better.

Hsin

Originally Posted by carreracaballo

My car is a Lotus Exige 260 Model Year 2009!

Can anyone tell me what type of bulbs are fitted in the following:

High Beam (H7 ?)
Low Beam (H1 ?)
Driving Lights (H3 ?)
Side Lights (W5W ?)

I am not intending to fit HIDs,
I just want to upgrade to Philips Nightbreaker Bulbs, MTEC Super White Bulbs, or OSRAM Cool Blue Bulbs!

Thx in advance,

Joseph

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by carreracaballo

I just want to upgrade to Philips Nightbreaker Bulbs, MTEC Super White Bulbs, or OSRAM Cool Blue Bulbs!

You mean DOWNGRADING to "blue" (or "super white") bulbs. Any bulb that has any type of blue tint produces less light than a "regular" clear bulb. The light may appear to be brighter when you look at the light, but it doesn't work that way when you are looking at the light that is reflected from the surfaces that the light shines on.

Get a +50 type of light bulb (such as the Osram SilverStars)- clear of course - they put out the maximum LEGAL amount of light and are a big improvement over "regular" bulbs. Note that Silvania SilverStars are blue tinted and are not the same as Osram SilverStars - Sylvania's are more of a "cool blue" type of garbage bulb.

Going to a higher wattage bulb may put out more light, but the bulb will not last nearly as long, and the extra current may damage the wiring (you don't want a fire in the Elise).

[carreracaballo]

@TimMullen

So what I understand from your Post is that the Osram Silverstars will not cause any damage to my wiring?!

What about the Driving Lights Bulb Type?

[TimMullen]

Originally Posted by carreracaballo

@TimMullen

So what I understand from your Post is that the Osram Silverstars will not cause any damage to my wiring?!

What about the Driving Lights Bulb Type?

Correct. The +50 is just marketing talk. In reality, there is a range of brightness that a 55W bulb is allowed to produce. The typical bulb is in the low side to the middle of that range. The +50 bulbs just push the high side of the allowable range (and can be 50% brighter than the low side). They do this, not by drawing more power, but by being made of better components that they can more tightly control the quality. The Osram SilverStars (and there are others), for example just make the biggest amount of light from the normal 55 watts of power. Same for any of the bulbs types - avoid the "blues" and get the +50s (or what ever they are called).

As for the Lotus Driving Lights, they are plenty bright as they come from the factory. Mine (in combination with the Osram SilverStar high beams) turn the road ahead into daylight. I've never even considered upgrading my driving lights.

[carreracaballo]

@ The Best Lotus Forum

Thank you for your help,
now I know what I need