best way to improve night time visibility

[SkAsphalt]

Originally Posted by Takumi788

I do some spirited driving on some twisty roads at night here is my experience.

Yellow fog lights for wider view and close up. Our eyes see yellow better than white.
6k HIDs for low beams. 6K is the best temperature for visibility. Also, the contrast between the yellow fogs and pure white low beams is optimal.
Sylvania silverstar ultra halogens for the high beam. I suggest halogens bc their power is almost instantly on as opposed to HIDs which take a few seconds. Nothing worse than switching to high beam and having to wait for the light to warm up. lol

Aaaand you're wrong.

[SkAsphalt]

Also going to a proper projector and shroud for your HID will make the biggest difference. The projectors in the FRS are not the top quality. Going with a retrofit kit would be the most ideal (or buying GT86/monogram/BRZ headlights)

[Boofneenee]

Originally Posted by SkAsphalt

Also going to a proper projector and shroud for your HID will make the biggest difference. The projectors in the FRS are not the top quality. Going with a retrofit kit would be the most ideal (or buying GT86/monogram/BRZ headlights)

Are you saying the headlight casing itself has reflective light properties that play a factor in casting the HID? I can believe that. Goddamn it, now I feel I need to get HId headlights and yellow foglights.

[weederr33]

Building on what some have said, the lower the K, the better. I had switched between 6000k and 5000k lights, after driving each for a week, and yeah, I felt the visibility is better.

Physiologically it's interesting... but then again, I'm a science major so.... yeah haha.

[Poodles]

A proper retrofit of the stock FRS headlights (or replacing with Euro LHD spec GT86, or Monogram, or BRZ headlights) is going to be far better than dropping an HID kit in the factory halogen projectors.


4300K (though technically D4S is supposed to be 4500K) is best for visability unless you're buying CBI's or Ultinons. Anything over 5000K is going to be projecting less light.


On foglights, well, let's face it, the factory fog lights are crap Well, at least the BRZ's are with that 24w bulb that can't be seen with the HID headlights anyway. The LED replacement assemblies (The Retrofit Source has them as well as a few others) is near HID brightness, as wide as the HID headlights beam, and it's a flat well controlled beam that really adds a ton of light.


For the high beams, as the stock bulb is a 9005, you can modify the locking lugs on a 9011 HIR bulb and it will plug right in. The bulbs aren't cheap, but because of how they work, they're far FAR brighter than a normal halogen and consume the same wattage as stock.

[Boofneenee]

Lots of helpful ideas in here. Anyone care to link me some good deals that will give me what I'm looking for ? Function over appearance. Nothing to serious I'm not going off road but enough of a difference that its worth my time and money.

[gramicci101]

I'd try to see about snagging a pair of BRZ headlights off a wrecked vehicle. You know they're a direct fit and they shouldn't have too many problems going in. Plus they're OEM construction instead of an aftermarket retrofit.


For fog lights, I got an LED pair from Diode Dynamics here). I got the 6000K, and they are whiter than my HIDs. In retrospect, maybe I should have gone with the 4000K to be closer to the 4300K HIDs.

[Poodles]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

I'd try to see about snagging a pair of BRZ headlights off a wrecked vehicle. You know they're a direct fit and they shouldn't have too many problems going in. Plus they're OEM construction instead of an aftermarket retrofit.


For fog lights, I got an LED pair from Diode Dynamics here). I got the 6000K, and they are whiter than my HIDs. In retrospect, maybe I should have gone with the 4000K to be closer to the 4300K HIDs.

Those fogs aren't going to be anywhere near the brightness of these: http://www.theretrofitsource.com/com...l#.VSWwXot0yUk


LED bulbs in fog lights are more for looks and not for output. Never seen one yet that wasn't dimmer than a stock halogen.

[ryoma]

Get the BRZ headlights. Do not get a PnP HID kit for your halogen housing as most of them are not good quality and does not perform as well as a proper projector (not to mention your halogen setup is not meant for HID even though it's a type of projector). The BRZ headlights have the RX350 projectors in them, which is arguably the best projector on the market. Good bulbs also go a long way with a proper projector. A lot of people swear by the Osram Xenarc CBI's (BRZ bulb type is D4S) and I'll be getting them after I replace my fresneled lens with an STI-R clear lens. Don't forget to properly aim your headlights as well.

Repinning and fitting the BRZ headlights to your FRS would probably be the best way to go. I personally like the look of 5000k bulbs rather than the yellowish 4300k with a little performance hit. Anything above 6000k is really not that great and will affect the total lumen output. 6000k is really pushing it and it looks pretty ricey tbh.

As for fogs, if anything, it will probably reduce your night vision if they're super bright. The brighter the light closer to your vehicle, the less you will be able to see further away due to the way your eyes perceive the light. It might seem brighter, but you will have less vision further down the road due to the extra light directly in front of you. That's why most projectors have a foreground limiter on them.

[jeepmor]

Okay, I have read several threads (old) and haven't found the answer I am looking for. This is my goal. I just want a replacement bulb that will improve my low beam performance.

I drive a rural route in the PNW and it's the switch to and fro the high beams that is my issue. I want a bit brighter low beams to see more during oncoming traffic.

My apologies if this is a hijack. I've read some h9 bulbs may be possible as exampled in the WRX, but have not been able to confirm.

Any knowledge gems here would be great.

[MuseChaser]

Originally Posted by azian_advanced

fog lights are pretty useless unless you're in a situation where there is dense fog and you're travelling < 50 km/h (31 mph).

Ummm... isn't that kind of like saying fishing lures are kind of useless unless you have some fishing line and are near a body of water with fish in it? Fog lights are for fog, and when I'm driving in dense fog, I'm usually not going for any speed records. Fog lights have saved my bacon MANY times on particularly nasty late night commutes through valleys on the way home from a gig. I wouldn't be without them; nothing helps you see the fog lines and lane markers better.

Barry

[aegisdrgn]

well, well, well.

Snap it up?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/3115...2129333584957/

[xFury]

So I can use the BRZ headlights and fit it on the 2016 FRS no problem? Will it sit properly tho? I keep hearing mixed info about it. Some say it won't fit, do to the shape of it being different from the FRS, or it leaves gaps, etc.

[continuecrushing]

what is with all the horrible suggestions in this thread? @gramicci101 had the best comment, and it was over run by random hid kits and color discussion lol

Retrofit+good fogs are the ONLY way to go if you're serious about light output.

The Retrofit Source makes a drop in kit, I run it on my own car. No cutting/weird mods etc.
TRS Scion Retro-Quik

AND @Diode Dynamics makes an AMAZING led fog light setup for our car. Next time I pull the bumper off my car, this is the kit thats going on. Also, if you are going to run hid's in stock headlights, at least pick up a quality kit, like the one offered by Diode Dynamics-and it has a REAL warranty. What is a REAL warranty? One that you can actually get replaced. Try and warranty ebay hid kits.
Diode Dynamics Kick-ass fog light-Choose the LUXEON option in drop downs
Already have fogs? Buy the Luxeon Housings only

The most expensive and lamest bang-for-your-buck would be buying brz headlights.



The gif below is NOT an frs, but a Ford Fiesta ST...however, the final light output is the SAME.