R3 Bulbs

[Alexpb2401]

Thinking of changing out the bulbs, the sidelights are a horrible yellowish light and the main beam is frankly atrocious.

Any decent suggests?

[Alexpb2401]

sidelights are W5W bulbs - lob some short LEDs in there and they will be much better.

Main beam wise, best upgraded bulbs I've ever found are these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/generation-bri ... h=1&psc=1

As a more labour intensive solution, you could open up the headlight and replace with a bi-xenon projector - this is the best solution, but it obviously is quite a lot more labour intensive...

[Alexpb2401]

Just change to a H9 6000K HID kit for the best light output also replace the dipped beam D2S bulb with a 6000K just gives a slight tinge of blue.

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Del.

[Dr. FrankenRex]

But note the above has a risk of failing the MOT

[Alexpb2401]

But note the above has a risk of failing the MOT

Ordered!

MOT is in a couple of weeks so I’ll hold off fitting until after then

(Enjoyed the autobahn btw)

[Delanor]

Mine has passed on an MOT with HID main beams for 8 years now probably because the car complies with headlight Auto levelling and washers.

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Del.

[warpc0il]

Hey Del, how quickly do your HIDs fire-up?

When I was working at Ford they were pushing Bosch to produce HIDs that would light fast enough to flash main-beam and to avoid having to have a cross-over circuit when going from dipped to main.

This was 10 years ago now but Bosch couldn't do it then and I'm not aware of any significant developments since, which is why there are so few production cars with bi-xenon headlights.

[Ryan Rotary Performance]

Something for you R3 owners coming up

R3_LED_Array_v1.png

[warpc0il]

Does that include a load resistor, so the flasher unit doesn't go mad?

Sent from my SM-G800F using Tapatalk

[Dr. FrankenRex]

Which is why there are so few production cars with bi-xenon headlights.

Wat?

Loads of cars have bi-xenon setups. They don't have separate projectors for the high beam, they have a solenoid controlled beam cut off plate.

You are maybe referring to having quad projectors, but most merc E class have them and most non-LED equipped BMWs have done for years...

[Dr. FrankenRex]

Something for you R3 owners coming up

R3_LED_Array_v1.png

Worth clarifying if that's main beam array of indicator/ sidelight?

That few LEDs may struggle for main beam?

[Delanor]

Hey Del, how quickly do your HIDs fire-up?

It is literally a few seconds before they power up fully using Bosch Ballast`s which might be a problem if the dipped beam extinguished when switching due to that slight pause but with the HID dipped beam on its not a problem.

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Del.

[Ryan Rotary Performance]

Worth clarifying if that's main beam array of indicator/ sidelight?

That few LEDs may struggle for main beam?

Does this help?

Screenshot_20200205-055018_Samsung Internet.jpg

R3_Indicator.jpg

[Ryan Rotary Performance]

Oh damn, son!

Add that to my basket now.

[Alexpb2401]

sidelights are W5W bulbs - lob some short LEDs in there and they will be much better.

Main beam wise, best upgraded bulbs I've ever found are these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/generation-bri ... h=1&psc=1


As a more labour intensive solution, you could open up the headlight and replace with a bi-xenon projector - this is the best solution, but it obviously is quite a lot more labour intensive...

So went to fit the H7 bulbs but discovered that mine are H9...? So can’t do a swap.....or am I being stupid..?

[Delanor]

Just change to a H9 6000K HID kit for the best light output also replace the dipped beam D2S bulb with a 6000K just gives a slight tinge of blue.

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Del.

H7 bulbs are only used for the dipped beam in the 190 car - Mains are H9.

I have tried most of the so called uprated "Xenon" type bulbs and LED`s and IMO HID mains still gives the best improvement.

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Del.

[Dr. FrankenRex]

sidelights are W5W bulbs - lob some short LEDs in there and they will be much better.

Main beam wise, best upgraded bulbs I've ever found are these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/generation-bri ... h=1&psc=1


As a more labour intensive solution, you could open up the headlight and replace with a bi-xenon projector - this is the best solution, but it obviously is quite a lot more labour intensive...

So went to fit the H7 bulbs but discovered that mine are H9...? So can’t do a swap.....or am I being stupid..?

No, twas I being stupid - sorry for the wrong info! DOH!

I have tried most of the so called uprated "Xenon" type bulbs and LED`s and IMO HID mains still gives the best improvement.

As a car lighting nut it REALLY annoys me when people put HIDs in reflector housings. They are simply not designed for it and you will cause additional glare, heat in places it isn't designed to have it and should fail an MOT. Not to mention HIDs (mainly aftermarket kits) take longer to warm up than OEM ballasts.

To each their own, but my attitude is that if you're going to do it you may as well do it properly rather than lobbing a square peg in to a round hole just because it seems to work OK for now...

/rant

[geofftl1000r]

Pet peeve of mine too.

[Delanor]

I have tried most of the so called uprated "Xenon" type bulbs and LED`s and IMO HID mains still gives the best improvement.

As a car lighting nut it REALLY annoys me when people put HIDs in reflector housings. They are simply not designed for it and you will cause additional glare, heat in places it isn't designed to have it and should fail an MOT. Not to mention HIDs (mainly aftermarket kits) take longer to warm up than OEM ballasts.

To each their own, but my attitude is that if you're going to do it you may as well do it properly rather than lobbing a square peg in to a round hole just because it seems to work OK for now...

/rant

I couldn`t agree more but the RX-8 uses projector lense technology for the HID DS2 and H7 Halogen bulb so light scatter is not a problem unlike the reflector type where the reflector defines the shape of the light beam, open reflectors can cause light scatter with HID bulbs but for some time now a H7R shorter bulb is available that aligns the focal point correctly so there is no light scatter but that is not a problem with main beams as the whole reflector is used for the light beam with no cut off pattern required.

Never had a problem with MOT`s from 2 local MOT testers in 8 years with H9 HID main beams, in my experience an after market Ballast (A good quality version not a cheap Chinese example) has the same switching time to full intensity as OE, quick start Ballasts have also been available for some time now so no 2 or 3 second warm up you get with older type ballasts (Including OE) which in any case itself is not a problem with the RX-8 as dipped beam remains on when switching to main beam.

I also use shorter H7R HID`s in my 911 which has reflector headlights no problem with MOT`s as the beam passes the necessary cut off light pattern and shows no light scatter it also has headlight washers and auto adjustment.

In fact my MOT tester reckons some of the so called uprated replacement Halogen bulbs cause more problems with misaligned light patterns even some cheapy OE type Halogen bulbs do it, if you have a problem with glare etc from cars you think are running HID`s in a reflector headlight I would suggest they are using a standard H7 HID headlight bulb which is usually the case and that will not pass an MOT!

I find some high end HID equipped vehicles REALLY annoying such as Range Rovers and the new BMW Laserlight system – which improves high-beam output by two, meaning you can see twice as far down the road and the technology creates light that’s 10 times brighter and more intense than traditional Xenon or LED headlamps the glare is incredible from these when coming towards you but that is technology moving on!

I find the idiots REALLY annoying that drive with front fog lights on in rain - any rain! and drivers that have lost the ability to use a parking brake so they sit in front of you with their foot on the brake with LED brake lights glaring at you and drivers that park facing the direction of traffic at night with headlights on especially when they have poor quality so called uprated halogen bulbs that blind you.

I have noticed my Karoq with adaptive LED headlights seems to cause some reaction from other motorists that are not accustomed to seeing them on the road yet as they are amazingly bright they flash as they think you are on main beams!

If I thought my RX-8 lights were causing problems for other motorists I am not out to REALLY annoy other drivers so I wouldn`t be using them and I have owned 4 RX8`s over 16 years including a 190 car fitted with HID`s, I have never experienced any additional heat problems and if they caused problems in that area again I wouldn`t be using them but MOT testers pass them and I have never had any reaction from other drivers...


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Del.