Poor headlights

[BoonvilleExpyGuy]

My 2012 puts out half the light of my '03 (seriously like turning on a second sun!). I've seen a ton of postings about poor headlights, but haven't seen much in terms of aftermarket projector replacement housings. Anyone tried Spyder, Anzo, et al?

 

[gixer2000]

My 2012 puts out half the light of my '03 (seriously like turning on a second sun!). I've seen a ton of postings about poor headlights, but haven't seen much in terms of aftermarket projector replacement housings. Anyone tried Spyder, Anzo, et al?

Poor quality aftermarket housing still stink. Add hids and they'll be better but not by much.

If your serious about better lighting look into a retrofit.
Theretrofitsource.com
Lightwerkz.net

 

[1955moose]

Ok I'm going to play dumb here, I thought all cars and trucks after say 2008 had high intensity lights. Our 2008 Lincoln Town car had em. They were great, especially the high beam. Are the lights just weak, or maybe you have something going on with your wiring/ grounds. How bright are you looking for? Off roaders use super bright beams or bulbs, but that makes sense. A standard road vehicle shouldn't need anything like landing lights on a 747. Are the factory bulbs that weak?

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[gixer2000]

Ok I'm going to play dumb here, I thought all cars and trucks after say 2008 had high intensity lights. Our 2008 Lincoln Town car had em. They were great, especially the high beam. Are the lights just weak, or maybe you have something going on with your wiring/ grounds. How bright are you looking for? Off roaders use super bright beams or bulbs, but that makes sense. A standard road vehicle shouldn't need anything like landing lights on a 747. Are the factory bulbs that weak?

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Stock is a halogen bulb in a reflector so yeah they stink. Thats why I did a projector retrofit with hids.

 

[BoonvilleExpyGuy]

The wiring is good, but even with Philips x-tremes, the light is not as focused as with my '03, or my Freestyle. I also have an '11 Outback with projector headlights, and they all seem to cut through the dark better than this Expedition - particularly noticeable in the rain .

I don't want to blind anyone, but these lights are disappointing .

 

[1955moose]

Well obviously you know your next step then.

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[BoonvilleExpyGuy]

Retrofit looks great. Do you remember what brand? Any issues with non-DOT lights (tickets)?

 

[gixer2000]

Retrofit looks great. Do you remember what brand? Any issues with non-DOT lights (tickets)?

These are Morimoto Mini H1 7.0. They can be found at theretrofitsource.com or Lightwerkz.net

I'm From Massachusetts and we have a pretty strict vehicle inspection and I've passed 3 years with the projectors. No tickets, not blinding people. Everyone just assumes its the oem headlights.

 

[08T1]

So to play Devils Advocate. I had a 04. The headlights were amazing. Why are my 08 so horrible? Not trying to derail the OP. Just trying to keep this thread alive.

 

[gixer2000]

So to play Devils Advocate. I had a 04. The headlights were amazing. Why are my 08 so horrible? Not trying to derail the OP. Just trying to keep this thread alive.

Could be as simple as a reflector design. 04 was a round reflector and 07-14 was a square/rectangle reflector. Even though the reflector angles are designed to put light in front of you, the wider bucket (07-14)would force more width which is less light directly in front of you.

 

[JExpedition07]

Maybe they are aimed wrong? If you think your 2012 is bad try driving a 15-17, they are awful. Headlights on my 07’ are pretty good IMO, never felt they were lacking. These are mine completely stock, fogs and low beams.

 

[Magaliasram]

Had an 06 Navigator with HID problem I had was the HID was low beam only. When switched to high beams it was a Halogen bulb go figure. Now own a 2000 Expedition Eddie Bauer best riding car/truck I have owned. It had really poor head lights and no DRLs so I ordered new black out housings with LED DRLs and put LED bulbs in for headlights also replaced the parking/turn signal with blck out LEDs.

 

[1955moose]

On my 2000 I raised up the 2 lower fog lights. I pulled about 15 feet back from a clean white wall, and raised them both up. I forget what size the bolt was, as I did this over 3 1/2 years back. Huge difference. My low beams along with the fog lights are as bright as the high beams, without blinding on coming cars.

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[chuck s]

I fitted brighter halogens and found minor improvements. I checked the aim against my garage door (instructions in the owners manual) and found them to be factory "aimed" about as low as they could go. Some quick measurements and a Phillips head screwdriver and they're much "brighter." Not the lighting I'd like but a step up.

High beams are what I need/want. I noted that one of the new high beam bulbs projected to about 15 feet on the pavement in front of the truck! Bulb needed another 1/4 or so turn to be fully seated in the housing and the beam was fine. Good demonstration why filament placement in the reflector is paramount and why few, if any, LEDs work well.

-- Chuck

 

[1111ExpyEL1111]

HID's in the stock housings and take time to properly aim them.

BIG difference!

 

[BoonvilleExpyGuy]

After double checking the allignment, I found that my passenger side headlight wasn't locked into the guides properly. I've lined them up again, and they are better than they were, but still no where as bright as the Gen2. I'm seriously considering a projector retrofit.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[gixer2000]

HID's in the stock housings and take time to properly aim them.

BIG difference!

Fyi you can't aim them "properly" if the bulb doesn't belong in that particular housing. Its just doesn't work

 

[gixer2000]

After double checking the allignment, I found that my passenger side headlight wasn't locked into the guides properly. I've lined them up again, and they are better than they were, but still no where as bright as the Gen2. I'm seriously considering a projector retrofit.

Thanks for all your help.

Its night and day! I'm working on my second retro with all oem equipment so its a pain.

A projector with a threaded mounting shaft can be done in a few hours

 

[chuck s]

Discussions with a local installer indicates they can source an HID bulb that fits my '17 reflector low beam housing as well as a LED they claim will be very good in the high beams. Will check them out. They note great progress has been made in filament placement on these bulbs. Ain't cheap though.

-- Chuck

 

[AllBoostNoEco]

Discussions with a local installer indicates they can source an HID bulb that fits my '17 reflector low beam housing as well as a LED they claim will be very good in the high beams. Will check them out. They note great progress has been made in filament placement on these bulbs. Ain't cheap though.

-- Chuck

The HIDs are going to have the same problem all HID bulbs in reflector housings have, they scatter light all over the place. The light isn’t concentrated in the proper place, so there’s no focus to it. They “look” brighter due to the color while actually decreasing the amount of light where you need it.
You’d be better off with HIR halogen bulbs and adding a relay harness with larger gauge, high-conductor-count wiring to increase current flow to the bulbs. Philips, Wagner, and Vosla HIR bulbs all have good reviews.
LEDs encounter the same problem, and as noted in other threads, there’s basically only 2 LED bulbs on the market that have done serious research and actually make a legitimate attempt at replicating a halogen filament in an LED, the Diode Dynamics SL1 and the Morimoto 2-Stroke. Unless something new has popped up, every other option out there is just a bunch of marketing bull to sell bulbs. Even those two options vary widely in success depending on the vehicle they’re being installed in; and personal opinion of course.
I’d seriously see if your installer will let you test them prior to buying if you decide to go through with it. Find a blank wall and compare the actual output at 25 feet to see how the beam pattern looks between the halogen and other options.