High-beam change
07-10-2005, 12:42 PM
#1
High-beam change
I didn't see a how to on this simple modification so I thought I'd contribute one.
The HID projector bulbs on the Z are plenty bright enough but I found the conventional 55 W Halgen hi beams to be a bit yellow compared to the HID's and a bit under powered. After shopping around I picked up a set of SuperBeam EX 4500K lamps that run 100 Watts from autohalogen.com for $34.75 a pair. The bulb is an H7 and the total change out takes about as much time as changing a tire plus a few more minutes.
Here's a picture showing the difference beween the two lamps.
And a close up.
Now how to do the procedure. First remove the tire to expose the front plastic liner. You'll need to remove three plastic clips using a small flat blade screw driver. You simply pry out the center pin and pull the whole assemble out. There is only one screw that you'll need to remove. I removed two more now at the bottom of the liner to get better pictures. Note: I've got the rear splash panel off to install some sound deadening materal, you do not have to remove this panel for the headlight work.
Pulling the liner down and out of the way you'll expose the head lights - the projector and hi beam are under the light gray plastic disk.
Rotate this cup clockwise about 1 inch and the disk should come lose. A rubber "O" ring protects the lamps from water thrown from the wheel.
With the gray plastic disk removed you can get to the hi beam lamp. It's held in place with a spring clip that has one leg sticking out. Push this leg down and then rotate it upwards a bit to unlatch it from it's keeper. At this time I put clean cotton gloves on to protect both the old and new bulbs.
Here's the stock and superbeam bulb side-by-side along with the work gloves and the inside of the gray plastic dish showing the "O" ring. I'm keeping the old bulbs as a spare in case I blow one of the replacements.
The blue of the light is a bit different and looks good on my super black and would probably work on a Daytona blue as well.
The 100W lights are a bit brighter and they cast a cleaner whiter light than the stock ones.
Paul
The HID projector bulbs on the Z are plenty bright enough but I found the conventional 55 W Halgen hi beams to be a bit yellow compared to the HID's and a bit under powered. After shopping around I picked up a set of SuperBeam EX 4500K lamps that run 100 Watts from autohalogen.com for $34.75 a pair. The bulb is an H7 and the total change out takes about as much time as changing a tire plus a few more minutes.
Here's a picture showing the difference beween the two lamps.
And a close up.
Now how to do the procedure. First remove the tire to expose the front plastic liner. You'll need to remove three plastic clips using a small flat blade screw driver. You simply pry out the center pin and pull the whole assemble out. There is only one screw that you'll need to remove. I removed two more now at the bottom of the liner to get better pictures. Note: I've got the rear splash panel off to install some sound deadening materal, you do not have to remove this panel for the headlight work.
Pulling the liner down and out of the way you'll expose the head lights - the projector and hi beam are under the light gray plastic disk.
Rotate this cup clockwise about 1 inch and the disk should come lose. A rubber "O" ring protects the lamps from water thrown from the wheel.
With the gray plastic disk removed you can get to the hi beam lamp. It's held in place with a spring clip that has one leg sticking out. Push this leg down and then rotate it upwards a bit to unlatch it from it's keeper. At this time I put clean cotton gloves on to protect both the old and new bulbs.
Here's the stock and superbeam bulb side-by-side along with the work gloves and the inside of the gray plastic dish showing the "O" ring. I'm keeping the old bulbs as a spare in case I blow one of the replacements.
The blue of the light is a bit different and looks good on my super black and would probably work on a Daytona blue as well.
The 100W lights are a bit brighter and they cast a cleaner whiter light than the stock ones.
Paul
02-10-2007, 09:38 AM
#5
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yeah I've been wondering about doing this also...ever since i did my HID conversion i've wondered if other Z's had the ugly *** halogen high beams. Let us know how these things hold up over some time. Was there anything available under 100W...say around 75?
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