i just bought a set of PIAA H4 headlamps for my MY02 RS but when i got them home, i realized the plugs don't match!
does anyone know what the proper model number for MY02 headlamps? in the manual, it says HB3 - is that the model number (sorry, beginners question)?

the 02s use 9007 for headlights

another person with owner's manual lost :p

my owner's manual says 9007

I believe... 9007 = HB5

I don't know how time have I posted this sentence. :D

Ok, I think, I think. Go double check to make sure.

thnx for the replies. the owner's manual does say "9007 (HB3)".
i suppose that is different from "H3"?

I believe that 9007 is H7 or H8...

Now this is getting very confusing, but I just checked it at PIAA's website.


Headlight Bulb Cross Reference
1) An H4 bulb is also referred to as a 9003 or an HB2.
2) A 9004 bulb is also referred to as a HB1.
3) A 9005 bulb is also referred to as a HB3.
4) A 9006 bulb is also referred to as a HB4.
5) A 9007 bulb is also referred to as a HB5.
6) H.I.D. bulbs are referred to as 9500, D2R, and D2S.
7) H1, H2, H3, and H7 bulbs are usually referred to as such

you gotta watch out
i heard the piaas didn't make any bulbs for 9007 yet?
so not many bulbs are availabe for the my02's

so many brands out there.. doesn't have to be PIAA
I would try Raybrig (just because they're plastered over the cool purple NSX) :D

no...PIAA does have 9007....but not H7....

has anyone tried the cool blues?

i went and exchanged my H4 for a set of PIAA 9007 Platinum Super White. the difference isn't THAT noticeable. it is a bit whiter, but not really brighter. i liked the colour on the H4 Plasma White better, but too bad that doesn't fit my car. :mad:

I wonder... Are they actually brighter than the stock bulbs??

no, but they look good :D

it MIGHT with piaa, cuz in my opnion they upped the wattage a little to cover the lumen(sp?) loss, that's probably why a lot of people have problems with PIAAs burning out.. even though from the looks of the quality, they're way better than those korean made ones

I wonder... Are they actually brighter than the stock bulbs??
NO!

If you think about it, anything that has blue paint on it is not as bright as before it was painted. Furthermore, PIAA aftermarket bulbs have a reliability rating that is maybe 1/10th that of OEM spec. As far as I'm concerned they are absolute junk. Same goes for Raybrig and all the other overpriced crap that just blinds other motorists on the road. Also, blue light is inherently less useful than yellow light: http://lighting.mbz.org/tech/info/bulbs/blue/bad/

There are 2 ways to increase the brightness of your headlights without replacing the cluster:
1. Use higher wattage bulbs (could toast your wiring and/or reflector -- have you SEEN the thin crap the factory gives us?)
2. Use an UNCOATED, OEM SPEC xenon filled bulb at the same wattage rating. Some mfr's say they are 30% brighter than the "ordinary" halogen bulbs, but of course that is BS. They are also not significantly different in colour. The most common OEM replacement is the "Sylvania/GE High Output" bulb (this is what I run in my car). OSRAM BILUX is sold in Europe and also an excellent bulb.

http://www.choberi.com/impreza/headlights.jpeg

Headlight bulbs should last you a year or more under OEM specs. Don't buy anything with a life of 2-6 months, as most of the PIAA's seem to have.

PIAA makes good aftermarket lamp assemblies for competition use. Their street stuff is just garbage, and I hate to see people wasting their money on that stuff.

I have to agree and disagree with Necro on that one. Agree with everything except for the life of Piaas. I think it really depends on how you install them, and your luck. So far I've been having excellent life with my Piaas.

They're truly a cosmetic upgrade...people ask me why I haven't swapped my driving lights (or fog lights...whatever they are) to superwhites or whatnots....I tell them it's because I still need to see when I go mountain fighting. They make a world of difference...oem yellow and superwhites...the yellows light up the road a heck of a lot better, I'm able to distinguish things a lot easier.

Headlight bulbs should last you a year or more under OEM specs.

Only?? They seem to last at least 3 years and more.. My bro got his civic in 95 and the bulb still works and it is always on with the DRL. I have noticed that after I put my plasma blue in they seem to reflect off any reflective surfaces better. (little reflectors on the roads, signs, etc.) But other wise I think the beam pattern is still the same with about the same amount of light as the OEM one.

In fair weather, dry roads, yea the aftermarket bulbs do work alright.

But if you compare them to the oem halogens in bad weather...there's a world of difference.

damn, i guess i should have asked u guys about aftermarket lights before i went out and got them. now i feel kinda jipped. oh well. :(

Errr, you're right Keiho, I forgot to mention the cosmetic aspect. :D

Avenger -- the brighter reflections are caused by the fact that blue light scatters more in the water vapor in the air. So any bright object will have a "halo" around it that causes it to appear bigger. Which of course isn't good for one's night vision, but that would explain the effect you're noticing. :)

Reliability. True, for instance brucelee has run overwattage PIAA's for more than a year now, but the average lifespan seems to be quite low. I guess there could be two reasons:
1. The blue paint absorbs some heat (infrared) and causes the bulb to run hotter.
2. The bulb is made with a thinner filament in order to produce a brighter light that compensates for the light removed by the blue paint.

It's all good.

Necromancer: you are right about point 2.. I've read somewhere that the filament was of a different size compaired to OEM thus making it glow more but also creating more heat, which burns them out more often.