GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Even though this bulb is not made for a 9003 hookup, only 9006 and 9005 I thought I would at least show you folks the brightness. It was created to produce 80% of the output of a HID system, but use the same wattage and lifespan as a standard halogen.A low beam 9012=9006 HIR puts out around 1750 Lumens. A standard low beam halogen puts out 800-1000. In comparison your standard high beam is rated at 1800 Lumens. An HIR high beam is 2050.Lighting is rated by Lumens, not by temperature or Kelvin. So the 6000K 5000K, etc. is simply a designation of color of the light. Not the brightness or output of the bulb. So when you see aftermarket bulbs that claim HID likeness and say they are 6000K light. They are just colored. Moving along here are the pics.This was taken with my 2 megapixel camera phone. The light disappears ahead cause it was taken at the beach and the shorline drops off there. Note: yellow fog lamps were created by using vinyl overlays courtesy of Ycart on Matrixowners.comJust fog lampsJust HIR low beamsHIR and fog lamps

Not bad. They do look better than the SS. But since going to HID, I dont think I would ever go back.

They are expensive at $24.00 ea. but the 9012 would make our 9006 foglights a little more useful. Apparently some minor modifications need to be made for the 9012 to plug into a 9006 socket according to Daniel Stern, the Guru of car lighting.http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html

Where are the HIR bulbs found? Are they at our local car shops? or do they need to be ordered?what does HIR stand for? High intensity retard?

Quote, originally posted by Kamikaze »Where are the HIR bulbs found? Are they at our local car shops? or do they need to be ordered?what does HIR stand for? High intensity retard? HIR bulbs are either found in one of two places. You contact your local John Deere service/dealer and order them through parts. Or you can get them on Ebay, only one person sells them. The sole manufacturer of the bulb is Toshiba who makes them for the John Deere 9000 series tractors (big *** farm tractor).HIR stands for Halogen Infra-Red. The bulb has a bulbous shape in comparison to a cylinder style. Around this shape there is a reflective coating that is barely visible. It looks kinda like a irridescent raindbowish. That is the IR coating. The filament burns at the stock 50-55W but when the invisible IR light is shed, it is reflected off the coated glass back onto the filament, making it burn brighter, but not produce any excess heat or power usage. Standard BulbHIRYou can see the coating here more clearlyThe only thing that is needed to convert a 9012 to a 9006 is to cut one of the tabs slightly so it fits in the housing. Here is a before and after of the procedure. Takes two seconds.BeforeAfterI did a comparison a few months back when I got mine in from the John Deere dealer near me.HIR is on the left, standard is on the right, notice the light intesity differenceHIR on the drivers side, right in pictureMore info at http://www.HIRheadlights.com

Quote, originally posted by Raven »They are expensive at $24.00 ea.That's pretty much the same price as a SilverStar or SS Ultra, and you get longer life and more lumens out of an HIR. A silverstar is a coated bulb, so you actually decrease light output, but it gives it a whiter hue so it appears to be brighter.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »That's pretty much the same price as a SilverStar or SS Ultra, and you get longer life and more lumens out of an HIR. A silverstar is a coated bulb, so you actually decrease light output, but it gives it a whiter hue so it appears to be brighter. Yeah, that's the killer on SS bulbs (and similar bulbs), they just don't have much in the way of longevity. How long will the HIR's last in comparison?

Comparable to a standard halogen, approximately 1000 hours. A SS bulb was rated at 300 hours I read somewhere, so if you drive at night a lot like I do, then they are crap. I blew them out every 3 months like clockwork.

So are these only good for the fog lights on the Vibe since our headlights are a dual high/low bulb?

They only make them in 9012 which can be adapted to 9006 and 9011 which can be adapted to 9005. Like you said the 9003 is a dual element bulb.

well ill get them for the fogs...but lame on the 9003....lame

So,we can use the 9012's?

Quote, originally posted by kevera »So,we can use the 9012's?Yes, for the fogs. http://store.candlepower.com/hirlighting.html

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »Comparable to a standard halogen, approximately 1000 hours. A SS bulb was rated at 300 hours I read somewhere, so if you drive at night a lot like I do, then they are crap. I blew them out every 3 months like clockwork.I gave up on changing those SS bulbs so often, went back to regular halogen. Thanks for the info on the HIR's Whelan.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan » The filament burns at the stock 50-55W but when the invisible IR light is shed, it is reflected off the coated glass back onto the filament, making it burn brighter, but not produce any excess heat or power usage. Sorry but this is a inaccurate statement. The IR energy is reflected back onto the coil thus heating it up more producing more light and increasing the color temperature. When you heat the coil to produce the add light output it increases the temperature of the bulb. It does increase the effiecency because you get more light out for the same wattage, but it does make the capsule run hotter.

Quote, originally posted by NUBlackshirts »Thanks for the info on the HIR's Whelan. Ditto.. and Two

Quote, originally posted by Gonzo »Sorry but this is a inaccurate statement. The IR energy is reflected back onto the coil thus heating it up more producing more light and increasing the color temperature. When you heat the coil to produce the add light output it increases the temperature of the bulb. It does increase the effiecency because you get more light out for the same wattage, but it does make the capsule run hotter.The excess heat is not enough to do any damage to the plastic surrounding the lamp. As in some lamps with high wattage bulbs can literally melt. It happened to me on my Saturn with a hyper white 194 sidemarker, melted right through the clear signal marker. Yes it was slightly inaccurate but I put it the wrong way. It does not produce and damaging excess heat.

Quote, originally posted by Kamikaze »...what does HIR stand for? High intensity retard? hahah1 dude you're killin me!!!!but good question. i was wondering the same thing earliergreat info whelan. thanx!

Halogen Infra-RedHere is a chart comparing the OEM low and hi vs. a HIR low/hi

vibe owners need to find the next best bulb then..piaa? we need to get some numbers in a comparison so we can have some nice lighting other than hid.

Quote, originally posted by northvibe »vibe owners need to find the next best bulb then..piaa? we need to get some numbers in a comparison so we can have some nice lighting other than hid.Yes. What is the next best NON-HID option for our combo high/low bulbs that give the brightest light and have the longest life? Besides Silverstars.

I would have to say PIAAs but they are expensive ranging from $65 to over $80 a pair. That is a lot of money for one set of regular bulbs and at that point I would look to HID instead of the $80 for those. Bu that is a personal opinion.

According to: http://www.danielsternlighting.com/home.html The best bulbs are:Osram SuperSylvania XtravisionPhilips Vision PlusOsram SilverStar

Let it be known that Osram is now owned by Sylvania. Osram makes a silverstar bulb that is much more reliable then what we get here. A lot of people get their bulbs from Osram direct shipped overseas cause they are better. So again, Osram is owned by Sylvania, but they are more based in Europe if you want the good stuff, get it from overseas shipped.You forgot to mention GE Nighthawk bulbs which are just as bright as Sylvania XtraVision.

I have the European Osram Silverstars running in my Vibe headlights. They do seem brighter and whiter than the original halogen bulbs. H4 is a direct fit. The high beams are especially impressive. I ordered them from: http://www.powerbulbs.com/prod...od=91Shipping is included in the price. It took less than a week to get them shipped from England. I'm glad I got them.Bob

The Osram ones from overseas are the better choice, people seem to like them.You can also check out the GE Nighthawk which is another very good bulb.

Quote, originally posted by Whelan »The Osram ones from overseas are the better choice, people seem to like them.You can also check out the GE Nighthawk which is another very good bulb.I had the GE NightHawks and I liked them. They lasted almost 2 years before one went out.As I have been looking around to find answers on the best non-hid bulb that ballances Brightness, Longevity and low Cost.I did find this info from GE lighting:http://www.gelighting.com/na/h...typesQuote »What's the difference between Super Blue, high output (HO), and extra long life (XL) car headlights? Do Super Blue headlights produce blue light?GE makes a variety of premium car replacement headlights for you to choose from, including Nighthawk™, SUV, Super Blue, Extra Long life, and High Output automotive lights.Nighthawk is GE's brightest headlight. The exclusive design produces ultra bright light. This lamp is highly recommended when seeking the maximum light on the road. SUV (Sport Utility) is a custom-designed product for the SUV, truck or van owner seeking a refined light. Super Blue headlights produce a whiter light than regular headlights. (They don't produce blue light. They're called Super Blue because the whiter light they produce falls in towards the blue section of the color spectrum.) Extra ("Xtra") Long Life (XL) headlights are designed to last up to 2-1/2 times longer than regular headlights. High Output (HO) headlights are produced to provide a brighter light than the standard product and can last up to 2 times the life of standard lamps.

here is a link to Sylvania's Data sheet for Headlight bulbs:http://www.sylvaniaautocatalog...33843The last page mentions the 9003 bulbsBulb life:SS = 150 (Silver Star)XV = 150 (Xtra Vision)CB = 150 (Cool Blue)LL = 800 (Long Life)

whelan can you fix those picture links?I think my car uses fogs and high beams that these HIR's work for!!