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how to change a low beam light bulb 2011 honda coupe?

20K views 18 replies 13 participants last post by  blipco 
#1 ·
Trying to install HID low beams for my daughters Honda cpe. The headlight assembly are projector types. Any help would be appreciated.

Second question, how do change the fog light bulbs too?
Thanks
Todd
 
#11 ·
dude every topic u post on, you make useless smart ass comments.. why not help explain the guy how to do it properly then tell him to look that in the manual which doesn't help for shit...

oh and btw I dunno about the coupe but in the sedan i went in thru the wheel well and blindly did it by feeling where the old bulb is and pulling it out and putting in the new one, unless you want to do it the long way by removing the front bumper..
 
#4 ·
...which is exactly what i did this weekend to upgrade my lowbeams. crank the wheel all the way to the opposite side of the bulb you want to access. my forearms are all bruised up but overall the job took very little time to complete. the clips can be the biggest pain but you should be able to get by only removing three of them.
 
#5 ·
Danielc409 and DOOM, thank you, or rather my daughter thanks you. Four years ago, I had bought my daughter a 2003 Honda Ex V-6 for her 16th B-day and had many issues with it, including replacing the transmission. So when it hit 100K, I sold it and just bought her the new 2011 EX-L V6 with Nav and was surprised that HID were not included. Given the lights are projector types I didn't bother checking. Anyway, her 2003 had 6000KHID and was a huge improvement, so I would imagine with the projectors, the HID's will be even better.

Todd
 
#6 ·
You will find that the H9 bulb in place of the H11 low beam beam bulb will give better results than any HID kit. Several members of this very forum have dumped their HID kits in favour of H9s and have found more usable light. Why? Because HID kits just don't work well in projector or reflector halogen headlights. They generate a lot of glare for oncoming traffic and put too much light in front of the vehicle. This excessive light actually reduces your long distance night vision although it does give people a false impression of having better headlights.

Read this to understand why HID kits are anything but a good idea.
 
#7 ·
Markus

I would strongly disagree. I'd have to see evidence, i.e., an 8th generation projector light with one side H9 and the other, HID (not the inexpensive kits, but rather the Philips HID from Germany). I have several European sport cars, most of which I have upgraded the OEM bulb from 4300K to a higher output, which yields a better overall drivers view and I can tell you that having become use to driving cars with HID lights, I find it almost dangerous to drive behind the wheel of a car with halogen headlights. Three key items I'd like to point out;

First off, H.I.D. lights work better because they are much brighter compared to halogen lights. The average lumen (the amount of brightness that comes from a light source) of an H.I.D. light is about 4000 lumens. Compare this with a typical halogen light which is 1400 lumens, and you’ll see the point. I've read some articles where drivers react faster and more accurately to minor roadway mishaps when they are using H.I.D. headlamps rather than the halogen ones. The testers believe that the primary reason is due to clearer visibility when using H.I.D. lights, which speaks directly against your article.

Second, H.I.D. burners give off more light from less power than halogen lights. What this means is that power consumption is significantly reduced. What's more, reduced fuel consumption can consequently produce lesser CO2 emissions per vehicle. This leads to a much cleaner and greener environment which is the a hot topic nowadays.

Third, H.I.D. lights work better than halogen lamps because their average life span is 2000 hours, while a halogen lamp runs for about 450 to 1000 hours.

Having said that, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
Todd
 
#8 ·
Mark is a lighting engineer with multiple cars with factory HIDs. He's not against HIDs in general, just HIDs in halogen housing. The way your headlights work is about more than just pointing light out from the front of your car. The optics of the headlight system are complex and are designed for optimal performance around one light source. With HIDs the filament is not in the correct place and the foreground is too bright which reduces distance vision.

I have firsthand experience with this. I tested my HID kit back to back with H9s in my 8th gen coupe. With the HIDs the area right in front of the car was brighter. I also compared distance vision using reflective signs. Although it seemed like I could see better with the HIDs because of the bright foreground, I could see signs farther down the road with H9s. A road obstacle that pops up 25 feet in front of the car at night is something you probably won't be able to avoid regardless (45 MPH = 66 ft/sec). But something that you can see from 150 feet away can be avoided. I would rather sacrifice a small amount of very close visibility to see farther down the road more clearly.

Read the like that Mark posted, it's a good one.
 
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#13 ·
Thanks for the good info in this thread. I'm planning to change out my bulbs for Crystal Vision Ultra halogens this weekend. I wanted the pure white look without going to HID.

I've never done this before and am hesitant about going through the well. Hopefully I will be able to get the clips off & on without breaking them.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Yes, I used SEARCH. Was looking for a forum thread useful for replacing the headlight bulbs in my 2011 Accord.

Instead, I get a diatribe from an insignificant number of people (thankfully) who think red chinese "plug-and-play" crap HID kits from eBay are somehow "better."

Was just looking for any shorcuts to make life easier in replacing a halogen bulb on a 2011 LX.

So, I followed ilovelamp's guidance, and used the owner's manual. Damn, it IS quite useful! Jedi car maintenance powers multiplied.

Thank you, sir.

Now, I have a bunch of those fasteners (clips?) used to secure the fender sitting in a plastic box in my rollaway. I will probably need some of them for my son's 2012 Civic and my 2002 Odyssey, as well, if I ever perform any maintenance requiring removal of any plastic shielding. It's useful to have a mix of different types of these "clips" standing by, just in case.

Bulbs replaced, MUCH better lighting thrown down-the-road (with halogen, instead of sh1t HID re-based garbage from TRS (... ask me how I know), and a safer vehicle for night-time driving for my daughter.

OF and AM
 
#17 ·
Yes, I used SEARCH. Was looking for a forum thread useful for replacing the headlight bulbs in my 2011 Accord.

Instead, I get a diatribe from an insignificant number of people (thankfully) who think red chinese "plug-and-play" crap HID kits from eBay are somehow "better."

Was just looking for any shorcuts to make life easier in replacing a halogen bulb on a 2011 LX.

So, I followed ilovelamp's guidance, and used the owner's manual. Damn, it IS quite useful! Jedi car maintenance powers multiplied.

Thank you, sir.

Now, I have a bunch of those fasteners (clips?) used to secure the fender sitting in a plastic box in my rollaway. I will probably need some of them for my son's 2012 Civic and my 2002 Odyssey, as well, if I ever perform any maintenance requiring removal of any plastic shielding. It's useful to have a mix of different types of these "clips" standing by, just in case.

Bulbs replaced, MUCH better lighting thrown down-the-road (with halogen, instead of sh1t HID re-based garbage from TRS ... ask me how I know), and a safer vehicle for night-time driving for my daughter.

OF and AM
which h9’s did you end up going with? glad to hear it worked out!!
 
#19 ·
I need HELP here. 2008 coupe low beam h11.
I am at the point where all I need to do is reinsert the h11 into the back of the housing but for the life of me I cannot push and twist at the same time. The frame is in the way. I even lubed the rubber seals to make them slide better.
My hands are pretty decent size and strong but they’re not ham hocks. I am a very good mechanic and this is the first repair I’ve ever given up on.
Any and all suggestions appreciated.
 
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