Can I Use 100W Halogen Bulbs In My Car?

[murni]

I have 55w halogen bulbs at the moment but for some reason they are now very dim. My husband isn't sure if 100w will be okay. It is a 12yr old Hyundai

Accent. Can't ask the dealer as staff do not speak much English.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Jitar]

You can but there will probably be more work than just swapping the bulbs. The more powerful lights will probably need new relay, wiring and fuse. This is a fairly straight forward job on older cars and can be done by a decent Auto electrician.

I did the same thing on a Ford Escape a few years ago and it gave a reasonable improvement. Xenon lights can also be retro fitted and are better but cost a lot more.

[seedy]

100 watt on the low beam side will for sure blind other drivers - much too bright.

OK to use on the high beam side - just be careful with oncoming cars.

If the 55w are dim - check voltage as 12 year old wire in a hot climate can be hard on wires. Pay particular attention to the ground, as this is where high resistance will most likely appear. Rust and corrosion build up which makes the ground less effective.

If you are somewhat mechanically inclined - as said above - new wire used thru a relay and fuse or fusible link will most likley get the 55w bulbs bright again.

[Woodsie888]

Check the condition of your reflectors, which become very dull and also your headlamp lenses which become very yellow in this climate. I suspect both of these items will be quite substandard to their original state.

The previous advice is quite correct regarding bulb upgrades. If you do both headlamp and bulb upgrades, you'll be amazed at the difference. Correct headlamp alignment is also critical in order to achieve maximum benefit and to stop irritating oncoming drivers.

[anon210]

And so, we will have another blinding car at night with their extra powerful headlights!

[VocalNeal]

Murni,

If the car starts OK etc. then it is not a low voltage problem caused by a failing charging system. If the lights are dim at idle but brighter when you rev the engine it is a battery problem.

Auto headlight bulbs don't usually fail suddenly like household ones they just get dimmer, so you can simply replace the existing ones.

OR

You can easily change to 65/55 Xenon bulbs like below with no modification to the car. Available from any good auto parts store. Get good ones like Sylvania , or Bosch etc..They simply plug in. They use the same amount of energy so do not put any addition stress on the cars electrical system, but give more light.

[Jitar]

And so, we will have another blinding car at night with their extra powerful headlights!

Not really, there is more to it than the 100W rating. 100W halogen lights are not as bright as Xenon lights used on many new cars. The 100W rating is also usually high beam, not low beam.

As Woodsie said, most older cars reflectors deteriorate, making the lights less efficient. (Some reflectors are very expensive to replace).

Any decent head lights will dazzle others if not aligned correctly or not used on low beam when appropriate.

[IMHO]

You can but there will probably be more work than just swapping the bulbs. The more powerful lights will probably need new relay, wiring and fuse. This is a fairly straight forward job on older cars and can be done by a decent Auto electrician.

I did the same thing on a Ford Escape a few years ago and it gave a reasonable improvement. Xenon lights can also be retro fitted and are better but cost a lot more.

What Jitar said plus:

100W bulbs might get so hot they damage the headlamp housing/lens, and going substantially brighter can sometimes also saturate the beam pattern, sending light in directions it's not meant to go.

Suggest stepping up to a bulb that's in the range of <= 50% brighter to begin with and see how that goes. Many in this range that are not higher in wattage, so can be simply plugged in.

[BSJ]

Before everyone starts replacing one thing and another wouldn't it be best to test the circuit?

[wprime]

If 55W bulbs are too dim it's probably because the casing around it is dirty. Therefore putting in 100W bulbs should solve your problem and aren't likely to be too bright.

[IMHO]

If 55W bulbs are too dim it's probably because the casing around it is dirty. Therefore putting in 100W bulbs should solve your problem and aren't likely to be too bright.

...or, the front windscreen is tinted...

[wprime]

If 55W bulbs are too dim it's probably because the casing around it is dirty. Therefore putting in 100W bulbs should solve your problem and aren't likely to be too bright.

...or, the front windscreen is tinted...

In which case it wouldn't matter if your bulbs were too bright as people wouldn't be able to see your face anyway.

[transam]

My ride has he factory bulbs, near 6 years on and there is noooooooooooooooooo problem with visibility. Can't see why folk have a problem. If you have stuck stuff on the windscreen then you will have a problem.

[jocko]

I dont know if you can get these in Thailand but they are very good bulbs.

Osram Night Breaker Plus they cost about £15 for two in the UK