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Replacement Halogens for fog lights and low beams

13K views 52 replies 14 participants last post by  Marcandr3 
#1 ·
Hi all,


I know the whole headlight thing has been kicked around in several threads so my apologies for starting another. I'm looking for some specific information.


I have an SL with halogens. I'd like to upgrade both my low beams and my fog lights to a whiter halogen to closer match the whiteness of the DRLs.


From poking around on line, the Sylvania zXe bulbs look like they might do the trick. I was wondering if anyone has done a halogen upgrade and how it worked out. looking for some recommendations from my fellow Murano owners.
 
#3 ·
Everything online says H11. There seem to be many halogen upgrade bulbs available and even LED conversions. I'm just trying to find out if anyone has tried any of the halogen upgrades and how well they match the DRLs. I'm in the printing industry so color temperature of lighting has always been something that I'm far too aware of. I don't want something that's blue but white enough to be in the same range as the DRLs. So far what I have found that look promising are the fore mentioned Sylvania zXe and the Phillips Diamond Vision H11 Halogen HID Super White 5000K.
 
#4 ·
I'd even consider going with LED as they probably cost less in the long run as high end halogen only last for a year or two tops.
 
#5 ·
I am not an expert on this but I think most "white" halogen bulbs put out white light due to their increased wattage and modification to the gas and element inside, which normally adversely affects its longevity. Even H11 to H9 modification suffers from this (H9 I believe is 5 watts more). I did this modification on my current car (not a Murano) and bulb lasted only a couple of years.

You can try LED but you have to be careful to get one that is designed for a halogen assembly or light output will not be optimal, and perhaps even illegal.
 
#14 ·
I am in the same boat. I ordered Philips Crystal Vision H11 bulbs. Chose these over the Sylvania zXe, based on some reviews on Amazon...I hope the upgrade will worth it...I also looked into the GTR LED bulbs but those are certainly illegal (not DOT/SAE certified) (Which Bulbs Fit the 2015 Nissan Altima SV? | Better Automotive Lighting Blog), however they do look very nice


If I'm not mistaken, I believe adding any LED or HID headlights to a car that didn't come with them from the factory is illegal. The fact that certain models of the Murano do have them certainly works in our favor. Not like driving around in a 1970 Dodge Dart with LEDS
 
#7 ·
I've been looking at a. boat load of LED replacement bulbs for halogens and as much as I'd like to do it, I just don't trust the LEDS. Most of the reviews are obviously written by the company in China. Somehow I don't think "Brittany" would write "very enlightened with the snow". I think I'll go with Phillips Diamond Visions as Sylvania bulbs have a rep for short lifespans. I'll probably order a set for my fogs as well. Too bad we can't order a set of LED bulbs from Nissan.
 
#8 ·
Yes, I agree that you have to be careful with LEDs. Having said that GTR lighting seems to be a decent US company and they replied honestly to my email (their product is not legal in a Murano headlight). The best choice for a whiter/brighter headlight now is getting those Philips bulbs...unless you want to go into the retrofit business/buying a HID-ready version (Platinum edition) and go with HID
 
#9 ·
LEDs on the way!

I just pulled the trigger on ordering a set of LED low beams and another set of LEDs for the fog lights. Once I get them and install them, I'll post a review for all since even those of you with Platinums may want to upgrade your fogs to match your factory LEDs.


After reading a boatload of reviews on just about every offering on Amazon, there are many different variables to consider. Wattage, fan cooled or not, beam pattern, color temp, etc, etc.


Stay tuned...
 
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#11 ·
You betcha. I'll do before and after at night, halogen low beam vs aftermarket led and the same for the fogs. What's ordered is my best guess at what will work best but I'm fully prepared to return these if they don't work well and already have a plan b option.
 
#12 ·
Initially I have ordered AGT H11 LEDs for the low beams. I'm not bothering with the high beams at this time since I seldom use them. The AGT were reasonably priced at about $59. I went with these as they feature a fan-less design. Almost all LED headlights have small built in fans inside of the heat sink to assist in keeping the led cool. I wanted to try one without a fan for 2 reasons: some reviewers complained about the noise coming from the fans and if the fans fail, the led will probably fail as well. There seems to be plenty of room behind the headlight housing for the fan or heat sink assembly as it protrudes about 1.5 to 2 inches. The fact that there isn't a dust cap on the low beam on the SL is a plus as well.


LEDs for the fog lamps is another whole issue. Here's what I'm trying for fogs. H11 22w Projection Output Cree SMD Fog Light LED by Sirius LED. There are plenty that will look nice but I want to try to find some that look nice and really function as fog lights and not just accent lights. To really serve as fog lights, they need to project a low and wide beam on the road in front of the car. If you turn on both your headlights and the fogs at night and then, standing outside the drivers door, turn off the fogs, you'll see how they fill in the gap from the front of the vehicle to where the low beams start to hit the road. I'm looking for the same thing in a LED fog.


As I post my results I'll provide links to any products that look promising.


I can't wait to get these and start messing with them.
 
#17 ·
I've got the SL so no LEDs for me. That's why I'm looking into aftermarket upgrades from halogen to LED. What I've heard from owners of Platinum models with the factory leds, they are awesome. Worst case, if I can't find a good led replacement, I'll probably go with an upgraded halogen like the Phillips Diamond Vision. I read mixed reviews on the distance that you can get from the aftermarket leds. Some of that can simply be headlight aim. Everyone says they are way brighter and the color temp matches the drls nicely but I don't really want to give up any light beam distance. I'll do my own testing and see how it goes. Lighting is such a subjective item.
 
#19 ·
Ok so last night I popped in one of the LED low beams that I received. The color looked really nice and matched the drls perfectly. Unfortunately the down the road distance was a good bit less than the stock halogen in the other lamp. The down the road distance seems to be a common complaint with all aftermarket leds. They are plenty bright but the beam isn't the same as a halogen and doesn't have the distance even in a projector.


Another note was that sucker got scorching hot really fast! The side of the front fender was hot to the touch after about 10 minutes. I went with a fan-less design to avoid any potential fan failure issues along with fan noise as reported by some reviewers. My next thought was to try a lamp with a fan to get better cooling but my concern there was what if the fan fails? Then I'd have a major heat issue until the led eventually failed.


This test has made me re-think my approach to the lighting. I'm not really comfortable dropping an aftermarket led made in China with no regard for what it may do to my 40k plus vehicle. I think I'm going to go with the best name brand halogen I can get and stay within the specs of the vehicle. Right now I'm leaning towards the Phillips Crystal Vision Ultra. This seems to be a good combination of a whiter than oe halogen but without the drastically shortened lifespan that super white bulbs tend to have. Also, from what I have read, the higher the color temp, the less light output you get. As much as I want low beams and fogs that match my drls, I don't want to give up any lighting distance.


The Phillips Diamond Vision boasts near 5000k levels but it does this by coating the entire bulb with a blue tint which drastically reduces light output - not good.


I'll let you know what I end up ordering and how they work.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for the review, that confirms I don't want to put LEDs in my Low-beams.

Now that being said, what if you try HIDs?

Here's the combo I'm looking to do shortly ;

Low beam ; Morimoto Elite HID System H11 - HID Systems - HID

Fog Lights ; Morimoto XB LED Fogs (Type Nissan)


I know the owner of this shop ( Will ) and he says those HIDs are really good quality, 5yrs warranty, and the output is 200% more than stocks bulbs.

Those fogs are LEDs, which is the same I had on my 2015 WRX, and they are GREAT! The temp is about 5500K and the output is amazing!

Yes this is kinda expensive, but it will last long and I know this is good quality. Like you said ,you dont want to put cheap chinese quality on a 40k SUV... I feel the same.
 
#21 ·
I have a SL with tech and I replaced my low beams with Kensun 6000k HID bulbs and they are great. Coming from cars that had bi-xenons stock I was disappointed to see the murano only came with halogens in the S,SV and SL models. I live in an area with low light and a high deer population so the increase in visibility from the HIDs are perfect for me. Also, since there is already a projector housing, I don't have to worry about blinding other drivers.
 
#23 ·
I would just stay within the manufacturer's specs...both for legal and technical reasons...I already went through this with my previous car...when I sold it to someone in MA and he failed his first inspection I had to go and replace the aftermarket projector headlights with HIDs to the OEM ones...that involved a couple hours of work, removing the front bumper, headlights, HIDs with ballasts, etc...in MA where there is a yearly state inspection it is not worth it...interestingly in RI the same car passed without a glitch...so it depends on your luck...but after that the police may still pull you over...I doubt that the light pattern and lighting distance is the same as OEM if you just put in a HID bulb into an SL headlight...
 
#24 ·
Good thing I'm in Canada, officers don't bother about lights, but don't even think about putting a muffler on your car..!

I've had HIDs in my '08 WRX ( Car had halogen projectors ) and the light output was amazing.

I'm just waiting on that 2000$ check from Subaru ( Cancelled Extended warranty ) to buy this kit... It's been 2 long weeks now...
 
#26 ·
Ok I just installed Philips Crystal Vision Ultra Halogens in my low beams and my fogs. While they aren't a dead on match to the drls, they are substantially whiter than the oem bulbs. These bulbs had a good rating of actually increasing visibility over stock while being a whiter light. I'd say they are just above 4000k. Philips makes a Diamond Vision that is supposedly rated at 5000k but most reviews mentioned a lower viewing distance and reduced brightness due to the heavy full blue tint on the bulb. I thought the Crystal was a good compromise between looking better without affecting the light output plus, I'm still legal and within factory specs. They were about $32 a pair on Amazon. If you order them, make sure you get the latest version as they updated them within the last year or so which is when I believe they got the "Ultra" designation. This was clearly spelled out on Amazon.
 
#27 ·
$64 for your low-beam and fogs is a good deal compared to $450 for HIDs and LED fogs.

That is a good alternative. I like how the price for US Amazon is $32, but Canadian Amazon is $64.

Yesterday I went to Canadian Tires ( It's like an Autozone) and their was some bulbs on the display ( Silverstar ), but damn 60$ for a pair.. :eek:
 
#28 ·
From what I've read and my own experience, the Sylvania bulbs are prone to short lifespans. That being said, the Silverstar Ultra is a very white bulb. Again, the whiter and brighter the bulb, the less light distance but to each his own. The Sylvania bulbs are much easier to find in stores. The Sylvania zXe is supposed to be the whitest halogen bulb out there but again, bad lifespan and output. Sucks that you get whacked for them up north.


The good news is that Hockey is back!
 
#33 ·
Well I would have changed the name to the Brooklyn Brawlers. But hey Long Islands loss is our gain. Been a fan since early 70's and never lived on the island. Took a lot of abuse from Ranger fans growing up but winning 4 cups in a row kinda shut them up:D
 
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