Headlight Upgrade - LED, HID, Etc

[Fifty Fifty]

Has anyone updated their headlights lately? I have the original setup and would love to update the headlights to LED if possible. But as I have experienced, it is hard to find bulbs in conjunction with the metal locking ring. Is there a solution that anyone has employed recently. Do you have any LED bulbs that would work?

Thanks
Fifty Fifty

 

[jimminh]

HIKARI 2020, 9006 HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs, +150% Brightness, +100% Extra Night Visibility, TOP XHP50.2 LED 10000lm 6000K Cool White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XP1S91C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_utinEbP9ERRS3
I put these in last week, had an older version from them for a few years but started getting dim LEDs on half the bulb. Install is easier this time, the locking collar slides off making install of the lock simple. One note: you have to shave off one of the locking nubs on the bulb connector to get a good fit. Connector is asymmetrical to work with any polarity. Note that nsx 12v bulb power is on the black wire. Red in gnd. That fooled me for a while. I haven’t used the rubber dust seals for years now and drive in rain half the time in Seattle. Bulbs have cooling fans on heat sinks.

 

[Fifty Fifty]

Are the bulbs that you have uniform in color? (I saw someone complain about theirs being slight different colors after installed.

Did you do both the low and high beams?

What did you use to shave it down?

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

 

[Honcho]

HIKARI 2020, 9006 HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs, +150% Brightness, +100% Extra Night Visibility, TOP XHP50.2 LED 10000lm 6000K Cool White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XP1S91C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_utinEbP9ERRS3
I put these in last week, had an older version from them for a few years but started getting dim LEDs on half the bulb. Install is easier this time, the locking collar slides off making install of the lock simple. One note: you have to shave off one of the locking nubs on the bulb connector to get a good fit. Connector is asymmetrical to work with any polarity. Note that nsx 12v bulb power is on the black wire. Red in gnd. That fooled me for a while. I haven’t used the rubber dust seals for years now and drive in rain half the time in Seattle. Bulbs have cooling fans on heat sinks.

I'm looking at these for the low beams. I was thinking about running them without the rubber dust caps since they are waterproof/weatherproof and it would help with the heatsinks. Any issues there? I think you can also swap the pins in the connector so you don't have to shave the locking nub.

 

[I_M_Legend]

I'm looking at these for the low beams. I was thinking about running them without the rubber dust caps since they are waterproof/weatherproof and it would help with the heatsinks. Any issues there? I think you can also swap the pins in the connector so you don't have to shave the locking nub.

Seems like it would be ok according to jimminh:

HIKARI 2020, 9006 HB4 LED Headlight Bulbs, +150% Brightness, +100% Extra Night Visibility, TOP XHP50.2 LED 10000lm 6000K Cool White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XP1S91C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_utinEbP9ERRS3
I put these in last week, had an older version from them for a few years but started getting dim LEDs on half the bulb. Install is easier this time, the locking collar slides off making install of the lock simple. One note: you have to shave off one of the locking nubs on the bulb connector to get a good fit. Connector is asymmetrical to work with any polarity. Note that nsx 12v bulb power is on the black wire. Red in gnd. That fooled me for a while. I haven’t used the rubber dust seals for years now and drive in rain half the time in Seattle. Bulbs have cooling fans on heat sinks.

However, I'm not sold that the LED technology is there yet compared to HID. The listing alludes to the fact that the light output will dim if it gets hot.

 

[Honcho]

Well I took a shot on the Hikari 2020. Replacement dust caps are only 8 bucks, so I'm going to either run without it on the low beam, or drill ventilation holes in it and see if that helps with heat rejection while keeping the dust out.

 

[Fifty Fifty]

Installation was easy

Thank you to Jimminh. I order the Hikari 2020's in both 9005 and 9006. I started with the high beam on the drivers side and it was a pain in the arse getting the locking ring in. I was cussing and somewhat regretting the decision to take on the task. But then I did somemore digging on the forum and saw where someone had a link to the service manual and it showed how to take the headlight covers off. That was the key, because after that, the installation was easy peasy. I used a small flathead screwdriver from a computer toolkit to take off the covers for the screws on the outside of the headlight covers. Inside is simply just a Phillips head screw.After unscrewing all 4, 2 on the outside, 2 on the inside, the headlight cover will just lift up towards the front of the car. At that point, you have infinitely better ability to get your hands in to take out the locking ring. There was less slack on the low beams, so I had to detach the bulb from the plug and then I could get the lightbulb out.I don't know if it is common for all the LED headlights, but for these particular LEDs, the positioning ring (at least that's what I'm going to call it) slides down, and can come off, which will enable you to slide the silver locking ring from the NSX onto it. The silver locking ring from the NSX who should now be sandwiched in between the red locking ring from the LED bulb and the fan from the bulb.I did take the suggestion from Jimminh and shaved it down one of the nodules on the side of the bulb. I used a Dremel bit in my drill to grind it down. Connecting the plugs was a lot easier because of that.Then I locked the bulb in place with the silver locking ring, which again was super easy with the headlight cover removed. It is almost impossible when the headlight cover is on.I then screwed the headlight covers back in. Done!I've included some pictures of the lights both with highbeam and lowbeam, and then another set that will show off the color difference.I hope this helps some of you that are considering it.

 

[I_M_Legend]

^

your dash lights are pretty bright. did you change the bulbs or something?

 

[Fifty Fifty]

^

your dash lights are pretty bright. did you change the bulbs or something?

Never switched them out. I think the camera made it look that way. I would love for the dash to be brighter.

Sent from my GM1917 using Tapatalk

 

[Honcho]

Thank you to Jimminh. I order the Hikari 2020's in both 9005 and 9006. I started with the high beam on the drivers side and it was a pain in the arse getting the locking ring in. I was cussing and somewhat regretting the decision to take on the task. But then I did somemore digging on the forum and saw where someone had a link to the service manual and it showed how to take the headlight covers off. That was the key, because after that, the installation was easy peasy. I used a small flathead screwdriver from a computer toolkit to take off the covers for the screws on the outside of the headlight covers. Inside is simply just a Phillips head screw.After unscrewing all 4, 2 on the outside, 2 on the inside, the headlight cover will just lift up towards the front of the car. At that point, you have infinitely better ability to get your hands in to take out the locking ring. There was less slack on the low beams, so I had to detach the bulb from the plug and then I could get the lightbulb out.I don't know if it is common for all the LED headlights, but for these particular LEDs, the positioning ring (at least that's what I'm going to call it) slides down, and can come off, which will enable you to slide the silver locking ring from the NSX onto it. The silver locking ring from the NSX who should now be sandwiched in between the red locking ring from the LED bulb and the fan from the bulb.I did take the suggestion from Jimminh and shaved it down one of the nodules on the side of the bulb. I used a Dremel bit in my drill to grind it down. Connecting the plugs was a lot easier because of that.Then I locked the bulb in place with the silver locking ring, which again was super easy with the headlight cover removed. It is almost impossible when the headlight cover is on.I then screwed the headlight covers back in. Done!I've included some pictures of the lights both with highbeam and lowbeam, and then another set that will show off the color difference.I hope this helps some of you that are considering it.

Thank you for these pictures! I ordered the same bulbs for my low beams. Did you end up putting the dust cap back on, or are you running without it?

 

[Fifty Fifty]

Thank you for these pictures! I ordered the same bulbs for my low beams. Did you end up putting the dust cap back on, or are you running without it?

Running without them for the time being.

 

[Onsoku]

Happy New Year!

What are folks running with success in 2023?

 

[Superhatch]

I ordered these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08BF4FJ7P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Had a friend print out these cups in the largest size: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4885847 courtesy of @Russ

And then did this to install them: https://www.nsxprime.com/threads/nsx-led-headlights.204618/post-2043184

A great upgrade and turned a nighttime hesitation in driving to actually being able to see.

Since that post there are some other options and designs in LED tech but all have a built in fan which means the original sealed dust cap might cause heating issues. https://www.diodedynamics.com/low-beam-led-headlight-for-1991-2001-acura-nsx.html

I've had mine in for a full year and have had no issues so far.

 

[docjohn]

I still have Steve's Kit and works great after 12 years..

 

[Superhatch]

I still have Steve's Kit and works great after 12 years..

Is he still making them? I've read nothing but good things about his kits. @whiteNSXs

 

[docjohn]

no I think he got out of the nsx Hobby game...

 

[Onsoku]

no I think he got out of the nsx Hobby game...

Sadly, he never made a 55w variant...

 

[Wild Turkey]

Modern LED's are way better than the old HID kits. Boslla's B1 LEDs are easy and not much more than no-name bulbs on Amazon, multiple threads on them. Plug and play and the improvement in night vision is astounding. Don't just do the low beams, even though that's probaby all you'll mostly use - the high beam LED's really pop for getting people's attention with a flash. My last HID kit lasted 12 years. Even if the LED's need changing every few years, I wouldn't go back.

Have a look at this summary, which is pretty much step-by-step pictures. Check if your adjusters are going and need replacement as you probably want to do it at the same time if your NSX is pre-1997:

LED Headlight Install with optional Headlight Adjuster Replacement

LED Headlight Install +/- New Headlight Adjusters Boslla Bullet B1 LED bulbs are great! www.boslla.com When I installed my LED's, I read every thread I could find. After doing it, I made these instructions with pictures Google doc Instructions...

www.nsxprime.com

Note that vented caps are not needed according both VLeds and Boslla. If water ever gets up those vents, it could wind up on the back side of the reflector inside the headlight assembly, risking a crack with how hot the front side of the reflector gets. My 60 minute test with unvented caps revealed the cooling fins didn't get unreasonably hot.

And don't remove the entire retractor assembly as shown in some threads - a subframe comes out with 4 easy bolts as shown in my thread referenced.

 

[DRIFTER]

Do the LED go instant on. I did a high and low HID a while ago and while they are 10x brighter the high beam takes a few seconds to hit its full brightness when activated. I have basically a WhiteNSX kit I built myself with better components. It’s been trouble free for 10+ years. I’m just curious how hard the LED swaps are. You’re saying they are plug and play. I might swap them out on my daily to then.

I dislike the tail lights and makers light LED look but if the headlights perform better I might switch out my dual HID kits.

 

[Superhatch]

Do the LED go instant on. I did a high and low HID a while ago and while they are 10x brighter the high beam takes a few seconds to hit its full brightness when activated. I have basically a WhiteNSX kit I built myself with better components. It’s been trouble free for 10+ years. I’m just curious how hard the LED swaps are. You’re saying they are plug and play. I might swap them out on my daily to then.

I dislike the tail lights and makers light LED look but if the headlights perform better I might switch out my dual HID kits.

For me the only real hard part was re-aligning the headlight cover/assembly. I used the largest style 3D printed dust caps and just had to do a little trimming on them, but over they fit nicely and allowed for all the extra wiring to be inside the cap. If you follow my instructions or TT's instructions it should take about 3h total taking your time.

If you use a shorter cap it looks like you can do it without removing your assembly (noted further down in the thread I listed above) so you could save time and effort that way too.

 

[I_M_Legend]

Do the LED go instant on. I did a high and low HID a while ago and while they are 10x brighter the high beam takes a few seconds to hit its full brightness when activated. I have basically a WhiteNSX kit I built myself with better components. It’s been trouble free for 10+ years. I’m just curious how hard the LED swaps are. You’re saying they are plug and play. I might swap them out on my daily to then.

I dislike the tail lights and makers light LED look but if the headlights perform better I might switch out my dual HID kits.

Yes, the LEDs are instant on and off. Great for High Beams.

 

[Wild Turkey]

Do the LED go instant on. I did a high and low HID a while ago and while they are 10x brighter the high beam takes a few seconds to hit its full brightness when activated. I have basically a WhiteNSX kit I built myself with better components. It’s been trouble free for 10+ years. I’m just curious how hard the LED swaps are. You’re saying they are plug and play. I might swap them out on my daily to then.

I dislike the tail lights and makers light LED look but if the headlights perform better I might switch out my dual HID kits.

Definitely instant on, as @I_M_Legend said. High beam flashing is a totally different experience.

I was about to comment on our shared love for the look of incandescent running and brake lights vs. the safety factor of faster illumination, but I decided to start a new thread to keep it a separate topic.

Can we justify not upgrading to LED brake light bulbs any more?

Question: Is it reasonable not to upgrade the stock brake bulbs to LED's any more??? Update from this thread 2 years ago since the technology has really become easy, cheap, and mainstream...

www.nsxprime.com

 

[MotorMouth93]

The warmup time is the reason you never see HIDs in dedicated high beams on OEM setups, that and HIDs do not tolerate being turned on and off over and over as you tend to do with high beams. Factory HID high beams are always in a bi-xenon configuration where the low beam has a cutoff shield that flips out of the way when the high beams are activated so its nearly instant like LEDs. Bi-LED projectors with a combined high and low beam work the same way.

The NSX pop ups use a projector assembly on the high beam that actually works extremely well even with old incandescent bulbs. The combination of bi-xenon projectors on the low beam and the factory high beams puts most modern cars to shame.

 

[DRIFTER]

My dual HID setup is great. The instant on initially is still brighter than the standard bulbs. It gradually gets brighter especially when cold I would say 3seconds to hit its max brightness. If it was just turned off then back on, say passing a car it don’t do this. It’s only if they are off for a bit then turned back on (allowed to cool). The bulbs and ballast have lasted longer than the standard bulbs. I use to drive a lot at night too.

 

[Wild Turkey]

The NSX pop ups use a projector assembly on the high beam that actually works extremely well even with old incandescent bulbs. The combination of bi-xenon projectors on the low beam and the factory high beams puts most modern cars to shame.

I find the high beam projector works well, but the improvement with the Boslla LED bulbs was like night and day, literally. And they come on instantly for passing "flashes".