Piaa headlight replacement bulb
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Joined: Mar 2007
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From: NJ
Piaa headlight replacement bulb
i recently replaced my headlight housing with lightning style housings. i was now thinking of replacing the bulbs, looking at PIAA X-tra technology, anyone ever use these before?
these were the ones i was thinking of getting, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PIAA-...spagenameZWDVW
they claim to boost the light output to 120/110 watt, but does the bulb actually draw that much or just produce light eqaul to one that draws that?
will factory wires handle that much draw?
any other suggestions for new bulbs? i don't want any of that colored crap, it looks too ricey.
these were the ones i was thinking of getting, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PIAA-...spagenameZWDVW
they claim to boost the light output to 120/110 watt, but does the bulb actually draw that much or just produce light eqaul to one that draws that?
will factory wires handle that much draw?
any other suggestions for new bulbs? i don't want any of that colored crap, it looks too ricey.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 10,511
Likes: 10
From: Under the flightpath of old ORD 22R
Piaa does that to try to convey the light output ( lumen ).
The 520's I had on my '01 were 85W "output" from a 55W bulb, and the bulb only had a 5 A draw each.
I could see how this would work when they made the reflector as well as the bulb, but to make this claim when they have no control over the reflector I don't know how that works.
If you can find them try the Sylvania 9007SU Silverstar ULTRA bulbs.
I think these are the Osram bulbs from Europe, and if they are anything like the EU SS H4 bulbs in my motorcycle, they are worth finding.
I took the stock halogen bulb out, and used a US H4 bulb, which was light output increase. Amp draw was .3 A more then factory.
I got a set of H4 Osram Silverstar bulbs from Europe, and the light output was more then the US Silverstar, and the Amp draw was .4 A less then the US Silverstar bulb ( that is .1 A less then the factory bulb ).
You are lucky enough to be able to not have the new "restricted" bulb guidelines that the '04+ MY have, might as well make use of it with an EU legal bulb that I would think would blow away the Piaa bulbs.
Not that Piaa makes bad stuff, same bike with the EU H4 SS bulb, I have a set of Piaa 1400 fog lamps on, along with a Trail Tech HID light, and I had Piaa 520s, and 510s in a Piaa airdam on my '01 truck.
Just an opinion, another member might come along with a reference for the Piaa bulb, and that will give you another data point to make your decision from.
Just stay away from actual high watt bulbs, those might cause problems in the long run. That is a maybe, not a for sure.
If you do go higher wattage bulbs, just get a harness upgrade. This is one example :
http://www.puredieselpower.com/catal...ade-p-111.html
Good luck
The 520's I had on my '01 were 85W "output" from a 55W bulb, and the bulb only had a 5 A draw each.
I could see how this would work when they made the reflector as well as the bulb, but to make this claim when they have no control over the reflector I don't know how that works.
If you can find them try the Sylvania 9007SU Silverstar ULTRA bulbs.
I think these are the Osram bulbs from Europe, and if they are anything like the EU SS H4 bulbs in my motorcycle, they are worth finding.
I took the stock halogen bulb out, and used a US H4 bulb, which was light output increase. Amp draw was .3 A more then factory.
I got a set of H4 Osram Silverstar bulbs from Europe, and the light output was more then the US Silverstar, and the Amp draw was .4 A less then the US Silverstar bulb ( that is .1 A less then the factory bulb ).
You are lucky enough to be able to not have the new "restricted" bulb guidelines that the '04+ MY have, might as well make use of it with an EU legal bulb that I would think would blow away the Piaa bulbs.
Not that Piaa makes bad stuff, same bike with the EU H4 SS bulb, I have a set of Piaa 1400 fog lamps on, along with a Trail Tech HID light, and I had Piaa 520s, and 510s in a Piaa airdam on my '01 truck.
Just an opinion, another member might come along with a reference for the Piaa bulb, and that will give you another data point to make your decision from.
Just stay away from actual high watt bulbs, those might cause problems in the long run. That is a maybe, not a for sure.
If you do go higher wattage bulbs, just get a harness upgrade. This is one example :
http://www.puredieselpower.com/catal...ade-p-111.html
Good luck