Replacement head light bulbs

I just looked at pricing to replace the headlight bulbs on my 5th Gen VFR and Ron Ayers lists them at $26/bulb.... for a 12V 45/45. Oh, please - someone tell me I can go down to the auto parts store and buy a two pack for that price?? (or at least that I can get them at the auto parts store)... Is there an equivolent?

A standard h4 bulb will work, but you have to cut one of the 3 alignment tabs off to make it fit into the socket. It is a piece of cake to make the H4 work, I have used silverstars for a bit and am quite happy with them, others really like the PIAA's.

Just walk down to your auto zone and get some H4's. Running PIAA 55W bulbs in the 4th gen. As above, just bend one of the tabs back and you're good to go.

that's what I like to hear. :warranty:

any of you guys know if this 4th gen mod is valid for the 5th gens, also?

No idea, but I don't see why it would be necessary. Travis (y2kvfr) replaced his bulb at TMAC and didn't have any problems getting the bulb in as far as I know.

Yeah, this will only take 5 minutes....


Standard H4. Bend the two lower tabs 90� from horizontal.

I've used silverstars and regular ole NAPA bulbs. The nice thing is with H4 is you can go 55/55 instead of the 45/45 :)

Squeeze the wire loom, pull it out. Pull off the boot. Unhook the retaining wire doodad and the bulb will fall off in your hands. Reverse the order to put it back in.

It helps to have someone with small hands. Mine are just small/big enough to fit (I wear a large glove). You can do it with the top fairing in place, unless you can't get your hands in there.

Good luck,


-t

PS: Here's CornerCarver b1tching that he can't get to it, TinyMinds (with tiny hands) saved the day...

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Timmy complained that he couldn't get to them easy, also..

just was wondering about the mod because that site (NOT that I know first-hand... yet) makes it sound like bending the tabs puts the bulb slightly off-square enough to screw w/ the aim of the bulb. Not sure how that would happen, but that's what it implies...

Timmy complained that he couldn't get to them easy, also..

just was wondering about the mod because that site (NOT that I know first-hand... yet) makes it sound like bending the tabs puts the bulb slightly off-square enough to screw w/ the aim of the bulb. Not sure how that would happen, but that's what it implies...

They were talking about bending the tabs over a nail or coat hanger, and that doing so would throw them off. Just bending the tabs should be fine...

The aim did seem off when installing it on my 4th gen, but just played with it for a bit until it sat in properly. The retention tab helps hold it in proper place

Years ago I bought a set of Laser cut adapter rings. Just snip off the two lower tabs and slip the ring over the bulb. There is a tab on the bulb that fits into a notch on the ring to keep the alignment spot on. Only problem is it was so long ago (10 years?) I don't remember the brand or where I got them. Never tried it without the rings... I suppose it would be fine though.

... just played with it for a bit until it sat in properly

That's the key to proper aim

- snip the 2 bottom tabs with a pair of side cutters (its clean and won't distort the seating ring like bending the tabs may)
- make sure it's seated properly before you clip it in (yes it is tight quarters)
- re-assembly and enjoy :biggrin:

... just played with it for a bit until it sat in properly

That's the key to proper aim

- snip the 2 bottom tabs with a pair of side cutters (its clean and won't distort the seating ring like bending the tabs may)
- make sure it's seated properly before you clip it in (yes it is tight quarters)
- re-assembly and enjoy :fing02:

+1

man my ears are burning...................................

........but my left lamp is not:
[image: Posted Image]

speaking of lamps, iIcant believe that my dumbo lamps (cruddy Honda only bulb) have gone on forever without failure.

man my ears are burning...................................

........but my left lamp is not:
[image: Posted Image]

speaking of lamps, iIcant believe that my dumbo lamps (cruddy Honda only bulb) have gone on forever without failure.

My OEM headlamps worked for a VERY long time, as did my battery (got 10 years out of that!)

BTW: Timmy, that tire looks awful squared off ;)

BTW: Timmy, that tires looks awful squared off ;)

I was trying to make 'em round again. 60 miles of slab e-f-d. I refuse to go to work in a car. thank god for PR2s.

man my ears are burning...................................

........but my left lamp is not:
[image: Posted Image]

speaking of lamps, iIcant believe that my dumbo lamps (cruddy Honda only bulb) have gone on forever without failure.

Since I'm going to do both of mine at the same time and one side is fine (low on my left is out), we can pop the good one in yours when you're up.

That's the key to proper aim

- snip the 2 bottom tabs with a pair of side cutters (its clean and won't distort the seating ring like bending the tabs may)
- make sure it's seated properly before you clip it in (yes it is tight quarters)
- re-assembly and enjoy :fing02:

First, the Bob Peloquin H4 modification works perfectly and elegantly on a 3rd/4th-gen headlight, but the 5th-gen uses a different reflector that lacks the same molded-in bosses. As a result, whilst you might be able to rig up some sort of clip, it wouldn't be as easy as it is on the other type of reflector. The principle of dremeling the plastic to accomodate the different type of H4 would, of course, work.

Second, there is no "seating ring" on any type of H4 bulb. These bulbs are located by the tabs, and only by the tabs. If you cut two off, you will be relying on the non-spec features incorporated by the individual H4 manufacturers to locate the bulb filament in relation to the reflector. It might work okay, it might not. The problem with snipping the tabs is that this generally causes the H4 filament to be out of alignment by a millimeter or so. This is not a lot, but it is enough to distort the focus of the headlight unit as a whole. It is easy, though, so if free lunches are your thing, you've found your mod!

Third, the laser-cut H4 adapter rings (criticised by Bob P. on the Web page referred to above) do an excellent job addressing the rotational alignment issue, but because the entire bulb is spaced back in the housing by at least the thickness of the shim, they actually make other aspects worse. (They are available from places like California Sport Touring, if you really want them.)

I think you could actually do a better job with the "nail trick", or more successfully, using something bendable like piano wire. This is because you could achieve the same alignment as OEM if you took the time to adjust it and could measure it accurately.

OTOH, an H4 reflector headlamp unit is a mess of compromises anyway (two filaments, high and low beam patterns using the same reflector, etc.), so maybe it really doesn't matter very much in practice. I've done all these mods for many years and never noticed any ill-effects from even 100w H4s. But, throwing 3x the light at it from an arc only more-or-less located in the same place as the original filament (i.e., HID conversion kits) definitely results in all sorts of glare and flare and is, IMHO, a bad idea. (Yes, I've done this, too.)

Ciao,

Good info! :fing02:

I must be missing something here. It isn't hard. My Honda dealer quoted me $34 and change for ONE bulb!!! Went to the auto parts store down the street and got TWO for $8 and some change.

Snaked my hand in there, pulled out the old bulb, inserted the new bulb and it's worked fine for a couple of years now. The original bulb on the other side has worked for four years. So, no they don't need to be replaced in pairs. 3 cents...... :fing02:

Will this work?

http://www.canadiant...ml#.Un2wy_GgYak

Yes, that should work. I have had Silverstars (45/55 I think) in my 5th gen since the spring of this year. No problems thus far. I used a pair of needle nose pliers to bend the tab back and forth until it breaks off. Like them I do. They are bright light in the day time.

I bought those H4 adapters from an ebay store about 3 or 4 years ago because the bulbs I used seemed loose

 with out them; they wern't silver stars but the bulb is tri colored but made by sylvania.[image: head light.JPG]

Nice  but  those  blinkers  gotta  go  ......