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Old 03-15-2013, 10:56 AM   #301
WilR
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Quote:
Originally Posted by .HaVoK. View Post
I know but if you go through the thread isn't weird that a lot of the '12-'13 guys don't really see a difference? I dunno maybe its just me.
I don't have any data to prove my claim but I agree. I didn't see much difference at all and I think I will switch back to stock bulbs.

If anyone wants my phillips h9 and HIR bulbs let me know. I will give you a better deal than amazon and they are already made to fit.
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Old 03-15-2013, 02:19 PM   #302
MatthewB10
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I have a '12 WRX, although the difference isn't monumental, I have noticed a difference. I do believe they are slightly brighter. They say bulbs diminish over time. Maybe the older WRX's are noticing a huge difference going from a dimming H11 to a brand new already higher powered H9? Just my .02
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Old 03-17-2013, 10:33 AM   #303
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It most likely has to do with the fact that most of the people running 08-10 cars are replacing worn H11 bulbs for the H9. After 3-5 years of use, any new halogen, even a new H11, is going to look better than the old bulb.
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Old 03-17-2013, 12:14 PM   #304
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I noticed a difference in my '11 and I did it very soon after picking it up. It's not night and day but i didn't expect that from cheap DIY mod like this.

Even if I didn't notice the difference it makes me feel all warm inside knowing they are actually brighter. I mean... the numbers are there.
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Old 03-29-2013, 10:59 AM   #305
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Modifying the bulbs were easier than I though. I just used a utility knife and cut at it from each side, and it was mostly gone within 2 minutes. It doesn't have to be perfect, just enough gone so it will fit. I replaced the driver's side only so far because I want to see the difference between the two at night. Look forward to the results. Thanks for the DIY!
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Old 03-29-2013, 08:11 PM   #306
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Did this to my '13 that I picked up about a month ago and notice a big difference in the output.
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Old 04-10-2013, 09:58 PM   #307
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Alright this almost wasnt worth it. One guy said he used an exacto knife and i thought thats be fast...the plastic is harder than i thought...

switched to files... i dont know if the op is a file master or im a file noob but it took more than 10min a light to file it down and i couldnt even get the last little nub off at the bottom.

luckily you can leave like a 2mm stump at the bottom and still click the fastner over the back when you install the lights.

the lights also take a little finese to get the metal fins into the housing. it doesnt just fall in like the h11 does.

BUT i can confirm that it works and is noticably whiter and brighter.
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Old 04-11-2013, 03:43 PM   #308
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Quote:
Originally Posted by a3ng25 View Post
Alright this almost wasnt worth it. One guy said he used an exacto knife and i thought thats be fast...the plastic is harder than i thought...

switched to files... i dont know if the op is a file master or im a file noob but it took more than 10min a light to file it down and i couldnt even get the last little nub off at the bottom.

luckily you can leave like a 2mm stump at the bottom and still click the fastner over the back when you install the lights.

the lights also take a little finese to get the metal fins into the housing. it doesnt just fall in like the h11 does.

BUT i can confirm that it works and is noticably whiter and brighter.
If your exacto knife was sharp it should have cut right through it. I used a box blade and took it right off, then spent a few min with the file to get the rest
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Old 04-15-2013, 08:08 PM   #309
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So I finally got around to modding and installing my H9 bulbs today. I was actually surprised to see how much whiter and brighter these bulbs are compared to the H11's. I noticed it right away, even in full daylight, that the H9's were whiter when I did a side-by-side comparison.

Here's hoping that they last more than a few months and don't melt anything...
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Old 06-30-2013, 02:30 AM   #310
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veener79

Thanks for the original Post,

After driving the car a few nights over during the full moon I was seriously considering a retrofit HID setup. The color was a dim white with a lot of orange and the road illumination left a lot to be desired. After your post I was inspired and grabbed a pair or OSRAM H9s to replace my stock H11s. The mods were simple with a sharp chisel and a pair of cross cutters and the whole job took all of 10 minutes.

The Light output is much easier on the eyes, the beam pattern is smoother and the cut-off appears sharper, The field of view is slightly wider and the color is a more pleasant white.

For anyone else who isn't satisfied with their factory low beams this H9 conversion really picks up the slack. This increases the light output considerably and at a fraction of the cost of a HID retrofit they provide the more effective light output so many drivers desire.
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Old 06-30-2013, 10:07 AM   #311
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Quote:
Originally Posted by a3ng25 View Post
Alright this almost wasnt worth it. One guy said he used an exacto knife and i thought thats be fast...the plastic is harder than i thought...

switched to files... i dont know if the op is a file master or im a file noob but it took more than 10min a light to file it down and i couldnt even get the last little nub off at the bottom.

luckily you can leave like a 2mm stump at the bottom and still click the fastner over the back when you install the lights.

the lights also take a little finese to get the metal fins into the housing. it doesnt just fall in like the h11 does.

BUT i can confirm that it works and is noticably whiter and brighter.
Just outta curiosity what brand of bulbs did you get? The ones I purchased all I did was jam a screwdriver down there and popped the tabs right off. Took 2 seconds. I don't have the packaging right here with me, but I can look if anyones interested.
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Old 08-05-2013, 02:28 AM   #312
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Did this mod 2 hours ago. Using sylvania H9s oems from autozone.
First Photo:
Top - Before with H11
Middle - H9 on left / H11 on right. You can tell the the H9 coverage is much larger.
Bottom - H9 on both


H9s on the street. Should have taken a before pic but I do notice that output is further away.
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Old 08-06-2013, 09:45 PM   #313
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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 08-07-2013, 01:28 PM   #314
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Im guessing the H9s would be safe to use in an OEM replacement housing? I bought TYC 08-11 housings because I hated the chrome lights of the 13. I dont think H9s would matter much in the different housings, but maybe someone can shed some light. (no pun intended)

And thanks WRX09MD for the above post. Quite informative.
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Old 08-07-2013, 07:40 PM   #315
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hendo741 View Post
Im guessing the H9s would be safe to use in an OEM replacement housing? I bought TYC 08-11 housings because I hated the chrome lights of the 13. I dont think H9s would matter much in the different housings, but maybe someone can shed some light. (no pun intended)

And thanks WRX09MD for the above post. Quite informative.
No problem for the info. I went ahead and did what I posted in the previous post with my lights tonight. From beginning to end took about 35 minutes. Very easy to dremel what you need to do. Ill put them to the test tomorrow morning.
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Old 08-23-2013, 01:15 AM   #316
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I just did this DIY today and I noticed a huge improvement. I bought some 65W h9 bulbs from ebay (around $15 w/shipping) just to test the mod before I spend some money on a quality set of bulbs. Also I currently own a 13' wrx. Sorry in advance for the poor quality cell phone pics. The install took about 20 minutes, def a must do DIY.



Another shot (you can tell the difference by looking at the OEM fog bulb):


Also here is a shot of some yellow DRL bulbs I also installed. I def love the yellow look:
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Old 10-22-2013, 01:03 PM   #317
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Can anyone recommend a set of super high performance Low Beam H9's that I can directly swap into my 2012 WRX Premium without having to worry about heat issues? Also, same goes for the High Beam 9005's. Do they make HID's for the High Beams? Or are these going to be halogens?
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Old 10-22-2013, 01:18 PM   #318
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In regards to my previous post^^^^^^

Doesn't mine come with HID's stock? I have the power adjustment and everything (if that matters). I have read through this thread but no one makes it clear if they are upgrading their bulbs from a base model WRX or from a Premium WRX (with the oem HID's). If my WRX Premium does in fact come with H11's, would switching them to H9's make a huge difference? Thanks
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Old 10-22-2013, 01:36 PM   #319
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Originally Posted by kyporter903 View Post
In regards to my previous post^^^^^^

Doesn't mine come with HID's stock? I have the power adjustment and everything (if that matters). I have read through this thread but no one makes it clear if they are upgrading their bulbs from a base model WRX or from a Premium WRX (with the oem HID's). If my WRX Premium does in fact come with H11's, would switching them to H9's make a huge difference? Thanks
The premium model comes with halogen projectors. So no, you don't have Hids. Not sure what you are calling a power adjustment.

Nobody in this thread has hids. This mod is only for halogen projectors.

In my opinion h11 to h9 is a waste of time compared to a proper retrofit to hid.
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Old 10-22-2013, 01:52 PM   #320
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WilR View Post
The premium model comes with halogen projectors. So no, you don't have Hids. Not sure what you are calling a power adjustment.

Nobody in this thread has hids. This mod is only for halogen projectors.

In my opinion h11 to h9 is a waste of time compared to a proper retrofit to hid.
When I look my model (2012 WRX Premium) up on Subaru's website, it is indicated that I have High-intensity discharge (HID) low-beam and multireflector halogen high-beam headlights. By "power adjustment" I mean that I have an in-cabin control that allows me to adjust the height of my low beams.

I don't understand why Subaru's website indicates I have HID low beams, if in fact I do not.
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Old 10-22-2013, 01:58 PM   #321
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-snip
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Old 10-22-2013, 02:26 PM   #322
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyporter903 View Post
When I look my model (2012 WRX Premium) up on Subaru's website, it is indicated that I have High-intensity discharge (HID) low-beam and multireflector halogen high-beam headlights. By "power adjustment" I mean that I have an in-cabin control that allows me to adjust the height of my low beams.

I don't understand why Subaru's website indicates I have HID low beams, if in fact I do not.

The premium model did not come with OEM HID lights

My reference: http://www.subaru.com/content/downlo..._WRX_specs.pdf

Did you buy the car used? Maybe the previous owner installed HID's.

If you have a functional leveling switch/motor than you are probably right, you have HIDs. But then that means either your car is not a premium model or... somebody else installed them before you owned the car. Check your vin against the lemons

On the plus side, if you already have the HIDs then you don't to waste your time on the h11 to h9. Which btw is not as spectacular as people here make it seem.

If you look at your vin #. What is the 7th digit? You should be able to figure out exactly what model it is with this decoder. Maybe the dealer thought they sold you premium.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin2013.html
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Old 10-22-2013, 03:00 PM   #323
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The Limited model comes with HIDs.

Not the premium.
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Old 10-22-2013, 03:20 PM   #324
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WilR View Post
The premium model did not come with OEM HID lights

My reference: http://www.subaru.com/content/downlo..._WRX_specs.pdf

Did you buy the car used? Maybe the previous owner installed HID's.

If you have a functional leveling switch/motor than you are probably right, you have HIDs. But then that means either your car is not a premium model or... somebody else installed them before you owned the car. Check your vin against the lemons

On the plus side, if you already have the HIDs then you don't to waste your time on the h11 to h9. Which btw is not as spectacular as people here make it seem.

If you look at your vin #. What is the 7th digit? You should be able to figure out exactly what model it is with this decoder. Maybe the dealer thought they sold you premium.
http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin2013.html
^^^^^Bada** post, thanks.

I bought my car used, from a Subaru dealership. According to my VIN#, my WRX is in fact a premium. However, I have leather seats, headlight leveling, and I swear my headlights (lowbeams) are HID. Could the previous owner bought my car as a premium, but then has the dealer install the three aforementioned?

Once I get off work I will pull them and check for sure. I mean, they (lowbeams) are very white in comparison to other headlights (lowbeams) from the premium models I have googled. Hmmmmmm.....I will report back shortly.
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Old 10-22-2013, 04:11 PM   #325
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyporter903 View Post
^^^^^Bada** post, thanks.

I bought my car used, from a Subaru dealership. According to my VIN#, my WRX is in fact a premium. However, I have leather seats, headlight leveling, and I swear my headlights (lowbeams) are HID. Could the previous owner bought my car as a premium, but then has the dealer install the three aforementioned?

Once I get off work I will pull them and check for sure. I mean, they (lowbeams) are very white in comparison to other headlights (lowbeams) from the premium models I have googled. Hmmmmmm.....I will report back shortly.
The leveling motor cannot be used on the OEM halogen housing. If you have the leveling motor and it works then you definitely have HID's. Its possible the previous owner did it himself (sounds like a pretty good job of it) or he paid the dealer a ton to do it. Either way you have a REALLY nice upgrade that the dealer probably was not aware of.

These may not be exact, but this is typically what an HID bulb will look like.
And a halogen bulb will look similar to this.
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