64lusso

Hi Folks,
I just bought my wife a XM receiver for Christmas but what I should have included on her shopping list was something to improve her headlights on her non-xenon equipped CS. I seem to remember someone recommending PIAA bulbs, where do you get them? I would be interested in hearing others attempts to improve the headlights on these cars.

ben in lj

make sure yours aren't fogging up - for which there is a TSB.

mudman2

I replaced the main and dip bulbs on my S with some I got from a BMW lighting site, work great, very white

alex911s

64LUSSO,

I use the PIAA Xtreme White Plus H7 for my headlights, the fog lights are fine so I didnt replaced them. Big improvement from the original Phillips bulb, hope this helps.. If you want to change the fog light bulb here's the link http://piaa.com/Bulbs/Bulbs-H3.html, there's an option there for the ION crystal for extreme fog condition. You'll see some original ones on ebay and some from wholesalers, the original cost around $49-60

64lusso

Thanks for the link Alex, The local dealer says he can have some in by Wednesday so I will give them a try.--Jay

64lusso

I put the new bulbs in last night and it is indeed a improvement over the stock bulbs. I should have gone out before I put the new Piaa bulbs in to A-B it so that I could judge just how much better they were but I guess I will just wait to see what the wife thinks next time she drives at night, that will be the true test. She has been lobbying to go to the xenon's and I am sure that would be an expensive upgrade.

SF CAYENNE S 05

anyone notice that the 05 cs non hid came with a blue tint bulb or was it just me through, looks like a super white, guess porsche is install aftermarket bulbs for us instead great save some money.

64lusso

After driving a handful of times at night with the new bulbs I have to say I am not that impressed. Yes they are a definite improvement over the stock bulbs but they just don't seem to go far enough up the road. Can the high beams be adjusted separate from the low beams? If not then I think the problem is in the lens/reflector design although I don't see too many other people talking about this so either very few of you have the stock lights or it must be OK to the majority.

mudman2

Good point I have not seen too many complaints. I think the build ratio's in the beginning at least for non special ordered cars were heavily in favor of lights and heavily against Air Suspension. But on the S's I think the stock should still be in the majority.

If all you have ever had is Bi-Xenon or equivelant then I think it would be an issue, but the same could be said when we all changed to halogen.

I went for the Air Suspension and so created my own problem and am very happy I did, the whiter lights are OK with me.

64lusso

Mudman,
We bought ours off the lot but a big part of the reason we picked it was because it had the air suspension. One of our dogs is a bit crippled and being able to get it down low the dog can now jump up in the back without my wife having to pick up a 85 lb dog. I don't like being up high, I wish it would drive in the loading height.
Both of my wife's prior cars had Xenon's as does our play car (BMW330 Conv) so that may well be why she complains about the lights in her S.
Jay

mudman2

Makes sense.

Unfortunately your options are a bit limited, I would not trade the air for lights after 24K so I guess its one of those things she will have to put up with. By the way you let her drive at night ? now I dont know about that :-)

mojojojo

http://www.powerbulbs.co.uk/product....hFor=&PT_ID=92

These are worth it. They are not DOT approved, but no one can tell. The lighting improvement is easilly noticable.

JeffES

The US DOT neither approves nor disapproves automotive lighting. This is a myth continued by those who sell aftermarket bulbs - it's the NHTSA that handles that field. Go to NHTSA.gov, and peruse FMVSS 108 for details.

For an excellent writeup, check out "daniel stern lighting" on the web.
J
PS - note that even powerbulbs sells different bulbs for the same vehicle USA vs ROW...

dlynch

Thanks for the suggestion to check out Daniel Stern's site.

Best
DaveL