H11 rto H9 conversion: anyone done it?

[97tbird]

I was wondering if anyone has done an H11 to H9 conversion. I know that the H9 is 65W and H11 is 55W but people on auto forums have done it without any damage to wiring or sockets or housings.

Found on one of the following links:
Quote:
...(wiring/sockets) Won't melt...you would only be increasing the wattage by roughly 18%...
going from 55w to 65w. Equates to around .1 amp. The reason for swapping is the difference in lumen output. There are other threads that discuss in detail, but you end up getting roughly 50% more light output.


LINKS:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/4908934-post5.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4...tml#post1480265

I find the low beams on our Mazda6 is a bit lacking, and was wondering about this...

(I previously thought the LB bulb on this car was a 9006, which I could have easily swapped for a same wattage HIR2(9012) bulb, but the car has H11 for LB and not 9006)

 

[dmiko]

I did this conversion on our 2014 Accord. Had to get an extension harness to avoid trimming the plastic tab on the H9 bulbs. Also had to trim a part of the metal tab on the bulb, but that was easy. Much improved headlight brightness and visibility. Make sure you get the Phillips H9 bulb and not Osram/Sylvania as the latter doesn't last nearly as long.

The harness extension I got was this pair . It is easier to cut a ridge in it as opposed to trimming one on the bulb and you only have to do it once.

 

[97tbird]

Thanks! The harness is a great idea!

Bulb:
When I go to the link for the Philips H9, amazon tells me "There's a newer version of this item" and directs here:
(The number after H9 is a bit different on the packaging.. i wonder what else is different...)

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-12361B1-St...p_ob_title_auto

 

[6starprez]

I'm on my second set of H9 bulbs in my Impreza. In 2013, I had Phillips the first time and one of them lasted only 10 months so I put the original H11's back in. This past September I bought the Sylvania H9 just to try a different brand. Cutting out the tab is easy and you can definitely see the difference but brighter = shorter life.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I did the conversion for 2014 Accord with Philips H9, Osram/Sylvania isn't as bright.

I didn't use the extension harnesses, I bought a small cuter from Walmart for around $2-3 to cut the plastic tab.

 

[dmiko]

Not sure how the newer Phillips bulb is different. Looking at the package, I got the H9 B1, so the newer version. 400 hour rated life. The stock H11 bulb was supposedly about 1,100 hours, but after less than two years was just too dim to use. I suggest the newer B1 Phillips version.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I tried this in my 2011 Camry, but switched back to the H11. The Camry has pretty strong "squirrel spotters", or areas of light above the cutoff for illumination of road signs. With the H9s, I was getting too much reflection from road signs, and was glaring myself with my own headlamps!

This is the projector output pattern from a 2010-2011 Camry. That rectangle of light above the cutoff became pretty intense with the H9s.

The effectiveness of this modification will depend on the design of your headlamps and the pattern they produce. Our 2005 MDX's projectors are similar to the Camry's in that there's a relatively strong rectangle of light above the cutoff, so I haven't tried to swap H9s into them.

 

[97tbird]

Will check the H11 pattern on the Mazda doing the swap.
Thanks for reminding me to check that.

BTW, what's the best way to cut off the small plastic tab part of the H9 bulb base? sharp knife? dremel ?

 

[HTSS_TR]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
Will check the H11 pattern on the Mazda doing the swap.
Thanks for reminding me to check that.

BTW, what's the best way to cut off the small plastic tab part of the H9 bulb base? sharp knife? dremel ?

I tried a knife but it didn't work very well, I don't have dremel so I don't know.

I bought a small cutter(looks like a scissor) in either jewelry section or craft section at local Walmart. It worked very well, I cut off the tap in less than 3-5 seconds.

This is the one I bought from Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cousin-Flush-Cutter/17354459

 

[T-Bone]

I did the H9 conversion on our 2013 Ford Focus. It is noticeably brighter, but the cutoff remained the same.

I used a pocket knife to cut the tab on the connector. I used wire cutters to cut away a bit of the metal bulb base so it fit. Recommended!

 

[xxch4osxx]

I did this to the low beams on my Ram. It definitely made a difference with more light. I have some Philips 9011 HIR bulbs on the way for the high beams/DRL's.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: 97tbird
I was wondering if anyone has done an H11 to H9 conversion. I know that the H9 is 65W and H11 is 55W but people on auto forums have done it without any damage to wiring or sockets or housings.

Found on one of the following links:
Quote:
...(wiring/sockets) Won't melt...you would only be increasing the wattage by roughly 18%...
going from 55w to 65w. Equates to around .1 amp. The reason for swapping is the difference in lumen output. There are other threads that discuss in detail, but you end up getting roughly 50% more light output.


LINKS:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/4908934-post5.html

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4...tml#post1480265

I find the low beams on our Mazda6 is a bit lacking, and was wondering about this...

(I previously thought the LB bulb on this car was a 9006, which I could have easily swapped for a same wattage HIR2(9012) bulb, but the car has H11 for LB and not 9006)
An extra ten watts at 12 volts is going to require close to an AMP, not .1 amps.