I have read opinions that range the gamut on these guys. So what does BITOG members think of these bulbs? They are way mor expensive than any other halogen bulbs but are they worth it? I am very interested because my daughters Ford Fiesta has the [censored] headlights I have ever seen and they are H11B bulbs! Very few options for upgrade. But PIAA has some, made in Germany. They want almost $90 for them shipped but I would pay all of that and a whole lot more if it helps my daughter to drive more safely. So are these real? High quality? Best in Class? Or are these sucker bulbs and I should keep on looking?
PIAA Good? Bad? Ugly?
- Thread starter k1rod
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I have PIAA NightTech in my BMW. Too soon to answer on longevity, and that is what concerns me with PIAA. Performance of headlights and foglights is great and worth the cost. They have seen -10F and worked same as 40F. So far that's my temp range to report on.
I would suggest something like the Osram Night Breaker Unlimited, which you can pickup online for around $50. I had very good results with the previous generation Night Breakers in H4 fitment and they are consistently rated very highly in bulb tests.
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The phillips silver star series are very good as well.
Jeff
Jeff
I use them exclusively in my motorcycles.
Check Daniel Stern lighting website, all the tech. You can modify a H9 to fit in the H11 socket, you will have a more focused beam and more light.
JHZR2
Staff member
OT: Havent used their bulbs, but I swear by their silicone wipers.
If the bulbs are as good and long lasting as the wipers, then they are a good buy.
If the bulbs are as good and long lasting as the wipers, then they are a good buy.
You're pretty much screwed with lack of choices with H11B.
You can find PIAA H11B on amazon with free shipping
There is Eiko PowerVision Pro, which its advertised performance would make it compete with Osram Silverstar or Philips VisionPlus
http://www.amazon.com/EiKO-H11BPVP-BP-Po...p;keywords=h11b
PS:
http://www.gencoupe.com/diy-do-yourself/96522-diy-h11b-h11-conversion.html
Then you may be able to do the H9 conversion
You can find PIAA H11B on amazon with free shipping
There is Eiko PowerVision Pro, which its advertised performance would make it compete with Osram Silverstar or Philips VisionPlus
http://www.amazon.com/EiKO-H11BPVP-BP-Po...p;keywords=h11b
PS:
http://www.gencoupe.com/diy-do-yourself/96522-diy-h11b-h11-conversion.html
Then you may be able to do the H9 conversion
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What year Fiesta and are there any other factory options (like projector on a higher model)? maybe a European option? Is it high beam or low beam that is the issue or both? I never had any issue with PIAA's except the price. I also never really noticed any major difference over other bulbs (except they had the yellow/ion coating option for fogs). I read way back one or two things on the PIAA advertising of 50=80W thing. Basically it was where the filament was and exactly where the light meter was placed basically a bunch of [censored]. I bought some Osram Silverstars (German version not Sylvania) and they seemed brighter. The only problem with brighter is if the pattern is garbage all you get is slightly brighter garbage. You could throw a HID PNP kit in them and get really bright garbage with a lot of glare.
More expensive option, read some stuff at HIDplanet.com and check out retrofitsource.com. Pick up a spare set of lights from ebay or junkyard and either do it yourself or have somebody do a true bi-xenon projector upgrade.
Is there room to go aftermarket and add a good set of driving lights (mounted and aimed correctly)?
More expensive option, read some stuff at HIDplanet.com and check out retrofitsource.com. Pick up a spare set of lights from ebay or junkyard and either do it yourself or have somebody do a true bi-xenon projector upgrade.
Is there room to go aftermarket and add a good set of driving lights (mounted and aimed correctly)?
Direct answer to the OP: PIAA bulbs range from absolute junk to very good. (hahahaha, that's not a very specific answer, is it? )
The coated, PIAA 55W=110W bulbs do not have any higher lumen output than the other quality bulbs, often they have less.
The 80W PIAA H3, water clear bulbs are excellent performers, if you can still find them. As are the 80/80 H4 bulbs.
Don't believe any PIAA hype. If you can't find an actual lumen specification, then you can be assured they are no brighter than any other quality bulb. And often times much worse. Especially the colored bulbs.
The coated, PIAA 55W=110W bulbs do not have any higher lumen output than the other quality bulbs, often they have less.
The 80W PIAA H3, water clear bulbs are excellent performers, if you can still find them. As are the 80/80 H4 bulbs.
Don't believe any PIAA hype. If you can't find an actual lumen specification, then you can be assured they are no brighter than any other quality bulb. And often times much worse. Especially the colored bulbs.
Most PIAA bulbs are over-priced for its performance, I avoided PIAA mostly because of the advertisement 55W=110W.
For headlight bulbs I tend to stay with Philips and Osram, they are more reliable, reasonable priced and perform as advertised.
For headlight bulbs I tend to stay with Philips and Osram, they are more reliable, reasonable priced and perform as advertised.
I bought a pair of PIAA "Night Tech" bulbs last year. The typset on the base, which says "Made in Germany," looks very much like the text on the Philips bulbs I replaced - also, made in Germany. The light color is about perfect - white without blue tint and not yellow. Since the streets are pretty well lighted around here I can't say that they do a better job, but the color is what I was after. For the $40 I spent I am satisfied.
I was a huge fan of their "Super Graphite" wiper inserts. I used them in the OEM Honda blades on my old Accord. They were the only blades that really worked well on the pitted 300K mile windshield in that car. Alas, they no longer make them.
I was a huge fan of their "Super Graphite" wiper inserts. I used them in the OEM Honda blades on my old Accord. They were the only blades that really worked well on the pitted 300K mile windshield in that car. Alas, they no longer make them.
I've owned a few of their lamp housings. their products are ...odd. Usually solid metal, nice glass lens, and then either just plain ignorant optics or a decent stab at good optics in a really poor shape, for a maybe-ok, half-baked result. Nice paint finish... good gaskets... Just odd. Results vary from product to product.
I suspect their bulbs are overpriced, over marketed. I would rather buy the base sylvania/philips offerings....
I suspect their bulbs are overpriced, over marketed. I would rather buy the base sylvania/philips offerings....
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