Best H4/9003 for night?

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Nov 30, 2024
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Can anyone suggest a H4/9003 bulb to help with night time driving? I have no fog lights so all light comes from the 9003. I drive about 40 hours at night per month but only for dec/jan/feb until time changes again. I have to do state inspections so i don't think i can use LED. I had leds in another older car and they would not pass it so i had to buy overpriced bulbs right at the shop!

I hate the old yellowish bulbs but i don't have much of a choice since no one makes new led light assemblies for 3rd gen CR-V which i don't understand for my old 90s truck i bought brand new led light assemblies and that passed state inspection. I ended up buying new honda light assemblies as the dealer had a set that someone ordered but never picked up so i got a deal.

Been using the stock honda bulbs all these years.

I have deer running all over the place.
 
How quickly can you change them? I have LEDs in my 09 Camry but switch them in 60 seconds per side to incandescent when it snows so I get some snow-melting heat. We have inspections here but they half-bake the headlight part and look for "real money" in front end work, brakes, tires, etc. I know people that pass with aftermarket LEDs that are pointed pretty well.

I'd consider a set of cheezy aftermarket LED fog lights, they throw light off to the sides and will help with your deer.
 
How quickly can you change them? I have LEDs in my 09 Camry but switch them in 60 seconds per side to incandescent when it snows so I get some snow-melting heat. We have inspections here but they half-bake the headlight part and look for "real money" in front end work, brakes, tires, etc. I know people that pass with aftermarket LEDs that are pointed pretty well.

I'd consider a set of cheezy aftermarket LED fog lights, they throw light off to the sides and will help with your deer.

One side is easy the other is very tight.
 
Is winter snow/ice a concern?

Here is a thread on that exact thing https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2010-cr-v-needs-new-headlight-assembly-options.389885/post-7081101

Fog light help and should be considered but not cheap ones. Ones that actually work.

Search my posts I have multiple pictures for some fog lights.

When is inspection? I would rock an HID set or a possibly an LED set (aimed/aligned correctly) and then if a concern swap to your halogen the day before the inspection and right back afterward.

If lenses are not clear then that is first step or replacement as listed.
 
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So switch the easy side to an LED. You'll have the added benefit of having the incandescent melt any ice accretion on the headlight lens.
 
Is winter snow/ice a concern?

Here is a thread on that exact thing https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/2010-cr-v-needs-new-headlight-assembly-options.389885/post-7081101

Fog light help and should be considered but not cheap ones. Ones that actually work.

Search my posts I have multiple pictures for some fog lights.

When is inspection? I would rock an HID set or a possibly an LED set (aimed/aligned correctly) and then if a concern swap to your halogen the day before the inspection and right back afterward.

If lenses are not clear then that is first step or replacement as listed.

I just bought new OEM honda assembly. I will install them soon so it would be very easy to install any led/bulb when doing that. Just had inspection done so it's good for a year.

Adding fog lights looks like it would be a big job as there is no inside switch for it or anything. Would need to run a switch, power etc.

Besides i don't know what LEDs to try there are so many out there. If i did that i would want to do all the lights on the front end while i have it off.
 
I just bought new OEM honda assembly. I will install them soon so it would be very easy to install any led/bulb when doing that. Just had inspection done so it's good for a year.

Adding fog lights looks like it would be a big job as there is no inside switch for it or anything. Would need to run a switch, power etc.

Besides i don't know what LEDs to try there are so many out there. If i did that i would want to do all the lights on the front end while i have it off.
What year is the CRV? The pictures I linked to my daughters have Nineo LED's recommended by another user I trust that has multiples of them in his cars.

This would be the newer version of what I got Nineo H4 LED. The fan did make installation a bit more challenging on drivers side. I didn't remove the lights but did need to unbolt the fuse box.

For $31 for the set I would be very tempted to try these with no fan and easier to install. Nineo H4 No Fan LED

These with an internal fan Internal fan H4 or these AutoOne internal fan

My first choice but a bunch more money would be the H4 from TheRetrofitSource. H4 2Stroke 4.0 LED

My daughters fog lights were an aftermarket kit that came with wiring, relay, switch (mounts in bland on right side of her steering wheel in an '08). Lenses were broken when I got it and I got creative with mounting for the LED fogs using factory brackets. Depending if you get any and they are glass, get some headlight protection film.

LED's for the parking lights are nice but no real need as they are amber anyway. The turn signals may need resistors then also to prevent hyper flash.

My actual preference would be an H4 HID set but more mounting for ballasts etc. The LED's are very simple as long as a decent set and aimed/aligned correctly.

Fog lights- if no factory openings or fit concerns I would have no issue doing like we did on my son's Forte. Lower grill area, mounted to solid metal bumper. These are Diode Dynamics SS3 Sport in yellow. We tapped a parking light lead so they come on with parking lights. Wire harness is light duty as they do not draw much power only about 1amps for each light (2.2A combined). We mounted his while we had front off for doing other stuff. I used a relay but do for all my foglights.
fortefog4.webp

Forte fog.webp
fortefog1.webp


where we put his switch.
usb forte.webp



If the holes/brackets were not in hers already the lights would probably have been in that lower grill by license plate just like Forte.
fog5.webp


Not as stable but easy mount also. I added extra screws into metal bumper on the Forte and my Accord as we use this temporary for nighttime TSD rally a couple times per year. Lights on mine are for different patterns/purpose and what I have had for many years. You could mount light on top or flip and mount under license plate. And for those for comments on blinding for rally ones. Triggered by high beams and only on back roads with no other traffic.
Desan Front Bumper light bracket
Forte Rally.webp

IMG_9071.webp
 
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I've used Phillips Extreme and Osram Nightbreaker. The bulbs with no blue coating work best IMO. Some of them have the blue bands by the filaments they seem to work good as the main output to reflector is still unblocked.

Add these as an option.
https://www.rallylights.com/hella-7145-series-external-fitting-auxiliary-h4-ece-headlamp-w-city-light-hl95138.html

Hella glass lens H4 headlights (make sure to get headlight film). 2 wire harness's with relays triggered from low beam (or parking if you want) and the other high beam with switches to keep them off if needed. Your choice of Halogen, LED, HID bulb just aim the lights correctly. I can attest from my experience using the H4 Hella lights in 4x6 and 5x7 that they were a huge improvement over the old school DOT versions in many of our vehicles. Some also got them as 90/100W bulbs back then (no LED or HID at that time).

Something like this below the bumper for when you have really crappy headlights and can't do much because brighter bulbs just enhance a the poor pattern and control.
explorer.webp
 
Can anyone suggest a H4/9003 bulb to help with night time driving? I have no fog lights so all light comes from the 9003. I drive about 40 hours at night per month but only for dec/jan/feb until time changes again. I have to do state inspections so i don't think i can use LED. I had leds in another older car and they would not pass it so i had to buy overpriced bulbs right at the shop!

I hate the old yellowish bulbs but i don't have much of a choice since no one makes new led light assemblies for 3rd gen CR-V which i don't understand for my old 90s truck i bought brand new led light assemblies and that passed state inspection. I ended up buying new honda light assemblies as the dealer had a set that someone ordered but never picked up so i got a deal.

Been using the stock honda bulbs all these years.

I have deer running all over the place.
Philips Xtreme Vision is the best, especially on rainy nights. IMO & IME

It's consistently been the bulb of choice for European Car and Driver Magazine year after year. European, and some Asian, countries have much higher standards for headlights.

Philips is a European company based in Holland or Netherlands or Germany. One of those anyway. Philips genuine parts are manufactuted in various Euro nations and China. Philips is good stuff if you buy a genuine Philips product. However, beware of counterfeits from China that are sold online.
 
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Not sure if I am interpreting this correctly but appears the low beam life is stated as 400hrs average?
I've used these in other sizes and the life seemed okay (H3 and H1).

  • B3 Life (97% Survival) H/L 250/400 hr
  • Tc Life (67% Failure) H/L 500/900 hr

Cost is low, output is good (similar lumens to the Philip product listed above) and life seems decent. Pretty balanced product.
 
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