Does anyone make replacement bulbs with a higher output/wattage, such as an 80/100? I drive at night quite a lot and would like to have better lighting. Would higher output bulbs put too much load on the original wiring? I own an '01 XLT. Thanks,

PS I am not sure if my truck has the wiring in place for foglamps, but if it does, I suppose I could use driving lights for improved lighting at night along highways. Does anyone have the part number for correct interior switch that is compatiable with fog/driving light harness? Thanks,

 

Try Sylvania's silverstars. Many of us on this site use them. I use them in my head lights. They are much brighter then stock. They are the correct wattage and shouldn't damage your wiring. If you go to a higher wattage bulb then you can pull too much current and damage the wires and possibly cause a fire.

I just added fog lights to my truck but I ended up with the wrong switch. I am also looking for the part number. Let me know if you find it.

P.S. They also make the silverstars for the foglights.

SG

 

There are alot of companies out there that make aftermarket lights for our trucks, just look at ebay and you can find a ton of them. They are pretty cheap and alot brighter than stock, until your wiring melts. I would say go with the silverstars also. I believe the 01 has a 9007 bulb in it. I know the 03 and 04 Heritage use em, as did my 00 stang.

 

There are many after market bulbs availible from most auto parts and discount stores for your truck.

The "Blue" bulbs made by either Sylvania or GE produce a much brighter and whiter light on the road than stock bulbs.

But be forwarned, even when your on low beam, on coming cars will flash you because they think your brights are on.

Doug

 

thanks for the input! What suggestions do you have for aftermarket driving lights that would fit in the lower valance next to license plate? Or, behind grill, like police trucks are outfitted?

 

Thanks Mike, I think I will order those for starters, 9007ST! I also want to find a good aftermarket accessory driving light for even better illumination of fence lines. We have some long dark highways down here in Texas!

 

Sorry but I have Silverstars in my F150 and I'm definitly NOT impressed for U$40. The SS aren't any brighter than the cheapo stock bulbs and only a little whiter. Not worth the money in my opinion.
The best bulbs I found are Eurolight Fusion from Ebay. About U$10 a pair shipped. More light and a pure white with no blue in it.

Fritz

 

Silverstars in the headlights (hi-lo), fogs and front turn signals (orange when lit) because my turn housings are clear. The've been in there for about 16 months now with no problems. Couldn't be happier.

 

I will say that the Eurolight Fusion is a bright bulb, I had a friend of mine that got them for his mustang headlights. He had them in the car for a year and a half. It was really fun replacing his headlight wiring since the wires weren't big enough to handle the current that the bulb was pulling on a constant basis. That is why I personally like the SS bulbs over the Eurolight Fusion.

Basically the Eurolight Fusion was brighter, but has a very high damage risk.

Personally, I would rather buy a bulb for extra money than a really bright one and have to spend money to replace wiring.

BTW I had the eurolight for my fogs and had the same problem with wiring, it was just a heck of alot cheaper and easier to replace.

 

I was looking for a noticeably brighter headlight replacement bulb for my ’01 F150 SCrew. Knowing PIAA’s reputation in aftermarket lighting, I had no concerns with buying one of their “Platinum Brilliant H.I.D. color 65/55w 9007 – Super White” bulbs. I had bought a pair and have since found out they offer 2. One is in the 3800k range, which are the ones I got and then they have a brighter one that is in the 4000k range.

When I went to replace my stock, working bulbs, I found it was a piece of cake to replace 1, but a bit of a pain to replace the driver’s side. So, I just replaced 1 and that way I could see if there was a difference. Well, let me just share, there was a difference. The PIAA’s were definitely more white than the stock… but not by much. They were not worth the $40ish or so I paid for them. I would not purchase another pair just because again.

I don’t know how the PIAA’s compare to the Sylvania SS, but I would assume it would be similar. So, if you NEED a replacement bulb cause yours burnt out, then I might recommend buying a better bulb if you can find a deal on them. But, I would NOT recommend replacing working bulbs with brighter ones just because. I did not find it worth it.

 

MikeF150, thanx for the link to Sylvania and the discount. I can get the Xenarc HID X2010 Headlight upgrade kit for $299.25. Or their Aux Low Beam Kit, the Xenarc HID X1010 for $224.99 + tax and S&H. I think those are great deals for true HID lights. If I got into a front end collision where my existing lights broke, I would definately go that route! But, I think for the money, I'd rather invest the money to improve performance...

Or, maybe buy PIAA's front air dam, #30530 for about $200 shipped and mount 2 pairs of their aftermarket lights and get a whole new look for the front of my truck.

Damn! I wish I would get into a minor front end collision so I could do some upgrading with the help of someone's insurance company.

 

I've played just about every card one can with lighting. I used to have 80/100 watt headlight (9007) bulbs with the HD aftermarket harness to prevent frying the stock one. Not bad, but too much work. I finally settled on 9007 Silverstars (without the HD harness) in the headlight slots, 9005 Silverstars in the fog lights, and a pair of Hella 550 driving lights behind the grill with 130 watt bulbs - wired with a relay to come on with the high beams. Now, we're talking LIGHT! Drop me an e-mail if you want pictures.

 

The Eurolite FUsions have the same wattage rating (55w/65w) as the stock 9007 bulbs. Therefore they will draw the same amperage. Which by the way is 55w/13volts = 4.23 amps per bulb low and 5 amps on high.
The price you pay is reduced longevity. Fusions don't last much beyond 12 months. I have them in now for 3+ years and the stock wiring harness is just fine. You do have to realign the headlights after installing them.

Fritz

 

I noticed that too after I put set of Silverstars on my 2003 F150 crew. I took them out and put the stock ones back in so I could see again driving. The stock bulbs lighted the streets better. Did I get a bad set ? I'll keep looking for some better lighting and check out the Eurolight Fusion lights.

 

For those of you that asked, here is the part # for the factory headlight/ foglight switch for a 2001 Supercrew - I am assuming it is the same for all other models: YL3Z-11654-DAD