2007 Honda fit

[Ninety]

4 or 5 years ago I researched headlights for my yj jeep wrangler and purchased some cibie h4 rectangular lamp and upgraded the wiring harness. All I can say is wow! I had the osram 65/75w bulbs and they were wonderful but life really was bad at something like 3 months. So I have been using sylvania/osram xtravision for 6 months of life. I drive 8 hours a week with brights on in one of the most rural indiana counties and see a dozen deer each night(I imagine that the higher voltage and stiff suspension/vibration causes shorter life). The cibies haves such an even pattern and I can identify deer 150+yards away and further if they are looking at me(eye reflection). I love how they light up the ditches.


Any way my wife's car is a honda fit has comparatively terrible lights. We have a 14 month old and another on the way so the jeep has to go. She doesn't drive but rarely at night but I will be using the Fit as a commuter car so something has to change. I have aimed them with the Daniel stern method and has the xtravision bulbs as well. I have kept the uv yellowing at bay on the lenses with no us plastic polish.


So question 1. Should I attempt to update the wiring and are Hondas negative switched?


2. any bulbs out there I should consider that don't have a 3 month life span?


3. I have though (but not thrilled with) fiberglassing a bucket to replace the headlamp and mount some cibie 7" headlamps or the 90mm hella bi halogen dot units as a last resort.


Please help!

 

[-Virgil-]

If you're having to polish the headlamps, they're dead and need replacement with new genuine Honda ones. With some effort you could probably figure out the correct part numbers for the European-specs headlamps (remember, it's called "Honda Jazz" outside North America). This is a body-color keyed part, so unless you're into mix-n-match (or want to go with basic black) you'd need to match up your paint code, too. If you like the Cibies, you would find the Jazz European headlamps produce a similar patttern -- however, it sounds like you are greatly overeestimating your seeing distance; even on high beam, realistic seeing distance for non-reflective items doesn't approach 150 yards.

The Honda will be ground-switched. I'm not for sure on whether I'd upgrade the harness; it depends on how much trouble it would be to avoid making new problems (with lamp outage indicators, etc.). After a careful voltage drop test, I would probably put in Osram 70/65w bulbs.

 

[mcnair55]

Little tip for all,using cheap bulbs leads to the headlamp unit taking on that yellow colour.

 

[Ninety]

I am pretty sure the telephone poles here are 125' spacing but I will get the land wheel out this weekend and measure as I could be wrong. I know that objects stop being easily to identify at four poles away but I can normally catch movement at this distance. I can actually count out six poles but they are old and a very light gray so sort of reflective. I do have better than 20-10 vision and when on patrol in the marine corps could see at night better than most(without flash lights)

i spent some time looking up German jazz headlights and it's a no go. The euro and JDM jazz' have a different radiator support, hood, front bumper, and a long list of small parts that would add up to 2000$ by the time I was done. Some are doing the JDM on fit freak.com which means they are using dangerous left hand lights.

Mcnair55. I am going to imagine that most yellowing comes from the suns uv light. Most doge mini vans of 2003 vintage have extremely hazed lenses yet my mothers is always garage at home or work and still has stock bulbs! And is crystal clear. Our fit sets outside however and has seen the inside of a building only on occasions of maintenance being performed.

Scheinwerfermann, do you have an opinion on the bi halogen 90mm hella dot units high beam light pattern??? Rally lights has the units for 116 a side, less than half the price of new is oem lamp housings(will of course need hardware and to make fiberglass fairings to cover the units main body. (Not covering the lenses)

 

[Qship1996]

Little tip for all,using cheap bulbs leads to the headlamp unit taking on that yellow colour.

That big, giant thing called the Sun causes the majority of the plastic yellowing/hazing.

 

[-Virgil-]

Little tip for all,using cheap bulbs leads to the headlamp unit taking on that yellow colour.

Actually, mostly it's caused by UV from the sun.

 

[-Virgil-]

I do have better than 20-10 vision

You are quite fortunate! Enjoy that while it lasts.

Scheinwerfermann, do you have an opinion on the bi halogen 90mm hella dot units high beam light pattern?

It's rather good. Keep spare H9 bulbs on hand, they don't have a very long lifespan. Also, the factory headlamp assembly also provides the front position (parking) lamp, front side marker lamp, front turn signal lamp, and front side marker reflector functions. All of these will need to be provided by appropriate (and appropriately located) stand-alone devices if you remove the factory assemblies.

 

[mcnair55]

Actually, mostly it's caused by UV from the sun.

As someone who sells quality automotive bulbs to the motor trade all our sales training work shops mentions that each and every time about cheap bulbs is also a contributing factor.The same can be said for cheap screen wash being used on headlights with washer system.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

As someone who sells quality automotive bulbs to the motor trade all our sales training work shops mentions that each and every time about cheap bulbs is also a contributing factor.The same can be said for cheap screen wash being used on headlights with washer system.

Lemme guess-- they'll sell you EXACTLY the bulbs and washer fluid you need, too!

 

[mcnair55]

Lemme guess-- they'll sell you EXACTLY the bulbs and washer fluid you need, too!

As leaders in our field our name is associated with quality and used by professional users.You will note i am not trying to sell you anything but something i picked up on a sales work shop.I am not in the least bothered if you believe it or not but others maybe and we all know the Chinese do not throw things away.

 

[Hamilton Felix]

With regard to making those expensive lenses and reflectors last: Some years ago, I developed the habit of "pre-burning" new bulbs if possible. I'd hook up a new halogen bulb to a car battery that was floating on a charger at 13½ volts or more. Set up in calm air, I'd carefully shade my eyes and look just past the top of the bulb. I would often see a bit of smoke rising from the new bulb. I don't know if it was a bit of oil on the metal parts, but I know I don't want that smoke rising to coat the upper portion of my lens or reflector.

 

[Alaric Darconville]

I would often see a bit of smoke rising from the new bulb. I don't know if it was a bit of oil on the metal parts, but I know I don't want that smoke rising to coat the upper portion of my lens or reflector.

Clean 'em with alcohol. This way, you don't pre-burn and pre-COOK something onto the envelope itself.

 

[Ninety]

You are quite fortunate! Enjoy that while it lasts.



It's rather good. Keep spare H9 bulbs on hand, they don't have a very long lifespan. Also, the factory headlamp assembly also provides the front position (parking) lamp, front side marker lamp, front turn signal lamp, and front side marker reflector functions. All of these will need to be provided by appropriate (and appropriately located) stand-alone devices if you remove the factory assemblies.

i took a Dot physical last month and I did notice it took longer to focus on the bottom line than years past so I imagine I am already on the downhill slide!


Am I correct that the parking lamp and front turn signals are able to be combined??
What about the side reflector, can it be combined with a lamp on the side of the fender( like the German cars have done for years) or do they have to be separate? Is there a measurement to how far back they can be? I now the regulations pretty well on trailers as I have had to rewire/repair dozens of them for my fathers truck fleet but not so much on the front side.

 

[-Virgil-]

The front position ("parking") lamp, front turn signal, front side marker lamp, and front side marker reflector functions can all be combined into one device, but while that's possible at the OE design level, it's effectively much closer to impossible in the field. There are too many angle-of-visibility requirements that pretty much definitely call for application-specific engineering and make it very unlikely that an existing multifunction lamp plucked off some other application or off the shelf would satisfy.

What about the side reflector, can it be combined with a lamp on the side of the fender

The side marker light and reflector functions can be combined, and there are off-the-shelf parts that can be installed. The requirement is "as close to the front of the car as practicable" without any numerically specific dimension requirements. Don't confuse the location of a side turn signal repeater (front fender above or behind the front wheel) with the appropriate location of a front side marker (ahead of the front wheel). Also pay careful attention to mounting so the reflector is not "steered" too far inward or outward, defeating the side reflector function. OE reflectors sometimes have extreme angles, but they are specifically engineered to function correctly despite.