When I first purchased my GXP I couldn’t believe how well the high beam headlamps performed. Compared with my 2002 SE, the GXP lit up the road far better with just two bulbs than all four on my SE. It is really quite impressive. For those of you who aren’t aware, when the high beams are turned on in the GXP the low beam lamps turn off. I have always been disappointed in how poorly the low beams perform. I’ve tried a number of different bulbs and nothing seems great.
I would have liked to provide all kinds of technical data and statistics but I just don’t have the equipment. I also won’t quote information such as lumens unless I get the data directly from the manufacturer. I don’t have a fancy light meter or other expensive test equipment. What I can tell you is that the photos below were all shot:
1. With the same camera on the same night (Canon 8.1 Megapixel).
2. In a short span of time with no apparent change in ambient moonlight.
3. On a tripod at the same distance in each photo.
4. With the same ISO, exposure time and f stop (not that I’m a photographer but I understand these can change the appearance of a photo).
5. Other observations were with my good old eyeballs to see the differences just not apparent in a photo.
OEM 9006 Bulbs:
At times these seem like nothing more than a dim glow. I know it’s not that bad, it just seems like it some nights.
Sylvania SilverStar Bulbs:
I was happier in some respects with these over the OEM bulbs but all things considered, they are a marginal improvement overall. I never get more than 3 or 4 months out of each bulb and I don’t even spend a lot of time on the road anymore. I am however on the highway frequently at night. They are about $25-$26 each (here in Canada), which I wouldn’t mind if I felt I was getting good results and bulb life for the price.
GE NightHawk Bulbs:
I thought I’d give these a try but again, I wasn’t very impressed. I almost immediately re-installed the SilverStar bulbs. I don’t have a picture here for comparison because at the time of this write-up I no longer had the NightHawks.
Toshiba HIR 2 Bulbs:
I haven’t completely formed an opinion yet. I’m going to need to run with these for a few months to decide but right now I am impressed. These seem to generate quite a reasonable amount of light. It doesn’t appear to be any whiter than the standard halogen, just more of it. There are two immediate problems with these. First is the cost. At about $60 CAN per bulb, they are definitely NOT cheap. The second problem is a “rumour” that production has stopped or will stop soon. It has been suggested that when current supply dries up there will be no more. We’ll have to wait and see I guess.
A little about HIR technology:
I preface this information with the statement that what I’ve written here has been gathered from researching various internet sites. Much of it has been very consistent from one site to another which leads me to believe there is likely some truth to it.
HIR is an acronym for Halogen Infrared Reflecting. These bulbs (both the HIR 1 and HIR 2) utilize their shape, along with a special coating on the glass to achieve their higher light output. The near invisible coating on the glass reflects some of the infrared light produced back at the element. This has the effect of making it burn brighter and generating more visible light. The advantage is that these bulbs don’t require any more power to operate. Reportedly, the element does operate at a higher temperature but the bulb itself does not get hotter. It is the shape of the glass that helps to effectively reflect some of the IR light back onto the element.
The element has the same orientation as that of the 9006. Also, because it’s position relative to the base is the same it is not supposed to change the light pattern from that of the 9006. Other than having to trim part of a tab on the base it makes for an ideal (otherwise direct) replacement of the 9006. The HIR 2 lamp (also known as a 9012) is a 55 Watt bulb. It is the stock low beam bulb used in the Nissan Maxima from 2004-07 in cars without HID lighting. I understand there are other vehicles that use this bulb but I don’t have a list to provide.
The modification process:
First of all, since these are halogen bulbs they are under pressure, not vacuum! Handle with care and be sure never to touch the glass with your fingers. The oil that is on your skin can cause the bulb to break when it heats up. Be sure not to scratch the glass as this can have similar effects. Always wear safety glasses and whenever possible hand protection when working with halogen lamps.
This is really very straight forward. The electrical connector plugs into the bulb with no modification required. All that is needed is to trim the top tab on the base to be the same as that of the 9006. In stock configuration it is much larger and won’t fit into the headlamp housing.
I used a transparency to create a template. I placed this over the bulb and used a black marker to indicate where the tab needs to be trimmed. I originally used a stock 9006 to make the template.
Here you can see where I’ve marked the bulb. Any area marked with black ink (when looking straight on at the bulb) must be removed. The material used to manufacture the base tends to be very brittle. I used my Dremel tool with a cutting disc. This was very fast and easy. Just make sure to hold the bulb firmly as the disc may “grab” the base and pull it from your hand. Dropping it is a very costly error.
With the tab trimmed, the bulb is ready to be installed. At this point the process is no different that replacing the stock bulbs.
' bulbs this afternoon with both the HIR 1 and HIR 2 Toshibas from MAXLumens .. 
