Headlights

[lexfourcam]

Well guys i'm tired of the weak headlights of the first generation ls and i was wondering if i can upgrade to these silverstars or these other brand of headlights. I dont want to get HID's i know they will not work with the stock headlight's, and i dont' want to buy a whole new assembly. TIA

[Just hanging on]

Well guys i'm tired of the weak headlights of the first generation ls and i was wondering if i can upgrade to these silverstars or these other brand of headlights. I dont want to get HID's i know they will not work with the stock headlight's, and i dont' want to buy a whole new assembly. TIA

You might try e-bay, I just did an internet search and was sent to an e-bay site that has xenon HID lamps for 1st gen Lexus ls 400.

Good luck

Just hanging out

[1990LS400]

I tried an incredible number of supposedly brighter bulbs years ago on the gen 1 LS400 I had for 13 1/2 years -- none of them did much good since the poor light output is caused by the beam pattern inscribed on the lenses. I sure got fast at installing headlight bulbs during all that experimenting. The main reason I sold the 90 was the poor headlights.

I would have killed for a set of Eagle Eyes headlights like Python and others have installed on their gen 1 LS400's -- I think they are only about $225 for a pair from seller Sabersport on ebay. Here one of several past threads about them: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...83&hl=eagle

[lexfourcam]

So unless i get HID's the car's lights wont improve? the stock headlamps are that bad? well i guess that will be my next upgrade for this car because i don't have the best vision at night.

[1990LS400]

So unless i get HID's the car's lights wont improve? the stock headlamps are that bad? well i guess that will be my next upgrade for this car because i don't have the best vision at night.

Yes, the gen 1 LS400 stock headlights are that bad but the ones on your 94 LS should be slightly better than the ones on the 90-92 LS since they use 60/55 watt 9003/HB2/H4 bulbs instead of the pathetic 65/45 watt 9004 bulbs that were used on the 90-92 LS like I had.

The reason an HID conversion kit won't work very well is that the beam pattern is cast into the glass light lenses of your 94 LS and the beam pattern is diffused instead of being highly defined with a sharp cutoff. OK, it's more complicated than that but you can read about the other issues on various websites.

I suggest you consider the success others have had with the Eagle Eyes headlights from eBay seller "sabersport". The complete 6-piece set is only $226.75 including shipping -- I just now checked. Your 94 LS already uses 9003/HB2/H4 bulbs so the Eagle Eyes headlights would be pretty easy to install -- easier to install than on a 90-92 LS.

[cduluk]

If you're going to replace the bulbs, go with Toshiba HIR bulbs. Direct replacement to the factory ones.

not HID.... HIR. I have them as my DRL/High beams in my 400h. After a few minutes of being on, the special glass somehow reflects the radiation back towards the filament making them burn hotter and brighter. They're awesome!

[1990LS400]

If you're going to replace the bulbs, go with Toshiba HIR bulbs. Direct replacement to the factory ones.

not HID.... HIR. I have them as my DRL/High beams in my 400h. After a few minutes of being on, the special glass somehow reflects the radiation back towards the filament making them burn hotter and brighter. They're awesome!

Neither an HIR 9011 or HIR 9012 bulb can be modified to fit in a 94 LS400 headlight unit which uses a dual filament 9003/HB2/H4 bulb. cduluk, have other HIR bulb types been introduced?

Here is a thread where I posted which bulb types are compatible with HIR bulbs and how to modify HIR bulbs to replace 9005 and 9006 bulbs: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=55274

[python]

what year is your car lexfourcam? if u have a 90-92 i have a set of hids i am not using, i can ship them to u free of charge, u only pay shipping. if u like them and want to keep them then u can have them for 50 dollars. i have paypal

[pauljcl]

If you're going to replace the bulbs, go with Toshiba HIR bulbs. Direct replacement to the factory ones.

not HID.... HIR. I have them as my DRL/High beams in my 400h. After a few minutes of being on, the special glass somehow reflects the radiation back towards the filament making them burn hotter and brighter. They're awesome!

Neither an HIR 9011 or HIR 9012 bulb can be modified to fit in a 94 LS400 headlight unit which uses a dual filament 9003/HB2/H4 bulb. cduluk, have other HIR bulb types been introduced?

Here is a thread where I posted which bulb types are compatible with HIR bulbs and how to modify HIR bulbs to replace 9005 and 9006 bulbs: http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...showtopic=55274

I agree with 1990LS400. I had replaced 9005/6 with 9011/12, and they were great (on a RX300). But I do not believe other types of bulbs in HIR are available. The place I ordered my bulbs from was:

http://www.finemotoring.com/

and they do not offer any additional types.

[lexfourcam]

I have a 94 ls400 but is there a big difference between the two? I thought only minor changes were made. In order to run these HID's I'm gonna have to buy a set of eagle eyes first. Are the HIR's worh the price? How long is the life of the bulb? i don't want to have to buy a new set every year.

[1990LS400]

I have a 94 ls400 but is there a big difference between the two? I thought only minor changes were made. In order to run these HID's I'm gonna have to buy a set of eagle eyes first. Are the HIR's worh the price? How long is the life of the bulb? i don't want to have to buy a new set every year.

I think the previous posts in this thread will answer most of your questions.

The 90-92 LS and the 93-94 LS use different headlight bulbs -- see above.

Python's HID kit will not fit your 94 LS headlights or the Eagle Eyes headlights because his HID kit is for a 90-92 LS.

There are no HIR bulbs for either the 90-92 LS, 93-94 LS or the Eagle Eyes headlights for the gen 1 LS.

I have no idea how well an HID kit would work in the Eagle Eyes headlights -- it seems to be a "crap shoot" when plugging these kits into headlight units not made for HID.

The Eagle Eyes headlights might be a good platform for modifying and adding HID projectors since the Eagle Eyes have clear lenses -- seems to be the most dependable way to get HID into older cars with clear headlight lenses. But doing that won't give you autoleveling for the headlights like OEM HID headlights have -- especially a problem an a gen 1 LS which is more sensitive to passenger and trunk load weight that 95-up LS400s unless your 94 LS400 has functioning self leveling air suspension.

[python]

i heard hids arent that effective when u have reflective type assemblies such as the eagle eyes which is why i havent put hids in my car. but...when i factor in the fogs when driving it makes for a very nice lighting system that lights up the sides of the roadways and doesnt blind anyone in front of you. hids are not needed when using the eagle eyes and they look great as well

[cduluk]

Hmm, not aware of any new sizes for HIR :( You could modify them yourself you just might lose the high beam function.

[1990LS400]

Hmm, not aware of any new sizes for HIR :( You could modify them yourself you just might lose the high beam function.

I know some people are inventive and cduluk is waaaay better than fitting round pegs into square holes than most of us, but I think it would be a reach stretch to modify an HIR bulb to replace an H4 bulb. In the attached photo, an HIR bulb is on the left and an H4 bulb is on the right -- the bulbs are approximately the same size ... I just grabbed the images off the Internet.

[Bruno Molly]

I have been down this road a thousand times and almost Handcuffed for standing up for what I believed in. I have a Volvo 850 R Modified from the Hood to the Tail lights. The Eagle Eye equivalent for Volvo 850's are called "Jewels". I have a set in my car. worked 50% better than the Stock headlights, and IMO, better than the "E" Coded (Euro) Lenses where the light is spread out and somewhat Amplified in my opinion. But....You kno man is never happy with what he has without testing the envelope.

Bought an HID kit for the Jewels. D2S Bulbs at 1st. 8000k. Dremel tooled them to death and rebased them with 9006 rings. Whoa Nelly!!!!! Was like Driving in the Daytime on lonely Dark roads at night. Until I met a Sheriff who dipped his beams, so I cut mine out until he passed me since my only other choice was my HIgh Beams.. So he Flips a U-ey and bluelights me. LSS, I stated that I bought the car like that and that it came from Germany (I lied) and I know nothing about HID headlights, so the argument about me Blinding him, and me turning my lights out and driving unsafely was de-escalated and I was warned to get them AIMED. after much Research, I find the BEST possible way to control this Intense light is to concentrate it like you do when you take a magnifying glass when you burn stuff from the sun... PROJECTORS! D2S bulbs belong in projectors. The bulb is Clear around the entire body except for the Electrode wire that runs the length.

D2R bulbs are designed for Reflective housings but the Facets on the reflective background are made for HID D2R Bulbs and positioned precisely in accordance with the "Arc" (Which D2R Bulbs have a Shield coating or Visor on the bulb to create a "Horizon" or cuttoff line) to reflect the light ONTO the road. The Design is to place the light where it should be and not in oncoming traffic's Faces or up in trees and Mailbox letters. You can have a bulb bright enough to MELT asphalt as long as it doesn't Blind oncoming cars and it puts the light on the Road where it belongs. The thing is our eyes are used to incandescent light on a daily basis since we were born...now we have 8000k -15000k (K=Kelvin) http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/yhst-692686...olor-kelvin.jpg and we sometime have to squint like looking into the sun at night...

Keyword is "FOCUS" proper aiming and focusing the beam (Arc) in the proper housing to get what you want is what needs to be done. My beams lit up the road like h3LL but still had hot spots in trees, the side of the road, and in Sheriff's faces but not one time have I been Dipped by oncomers since I have used Shielded bulbs and replaced the D2S Bulbs with factory made 9006 HID based bulbs. HID bulbs in FLUTED lenses looks stupid and Throws light everywhere except where it should be. It Saturates . Great for Combat Tanks, but not people driving towards you.

If you get Eagles, Shield your bulb and Focus the Beam by shimming with plastic rings that fit the bulb base. Concentrate your beam on a garage door. Make sure you have a horizon cutoff line above the beam.

Look up at the Street lights and how they project light in parking lots. Look at the Beam spot on the ground in a parking lot...thats exactly what Fluted glass does to an HID bulb.

[lexfourcam]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yes i do want to see better at night but i dont wanna get a ticket. I've already gotten a ticket for my exhaust which I still havent changed. I'll ask a fellow officer up at my store they usually chill out at, about it. I think as long as they are angled right with the right lenses they should be fine. I guess my next upgrade will be my headlights. At least the brakelights work now....