Headlight bulb option

Ladies and Gents

While in the local Canadian Tire, looking for a headlight bulb for my 2009 Aveo, I noticed that bulbs for snowmobiles etc were in the next aisle. Being a gearhead, I picked up the correct bulb, and took a look at the bulbs in the other section. I found that some of the bulbs in the section are exactly the same outside dimensions, etc. The only difference is the output...80/100w. This compared to our standard lights seems alot brighter. I'd love to try it for fun, as I drive alot at night on back roads, but am worried about melting my light housing. Just an observation that might work in a pinch.

You might be able to use that bulb even though its exceeds the stock wattage if you install a heavy duty headlight harness so it won't melt the stock wires.

you'll melt the housings eventually. those bulbs are probably in snow mobile section as "off road only" ie, use at your own risk.

i had 4 100w headlights in my gti.. it was so bright you could see through solid objects, but eve with glass lenses, new relayed harnesses, etc, they ran so hot.

another thing to consider, the alternator will be even more worked. the headlights stock dim at idle.

maybe there is a reason they don't sell that wattage for cars....like blinding other drivers? and besides the fact that your factory harness isn't rated to pull the amps to make the watts and you might just start a fire, the bulbs will burn out quicker too.

Doesnt electrical grease offer some degree of cooling in the plug itself?

it seals connections from failure, not really a heat sink like computer chip grease.

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Originally Posted by petrified.rabbit

it seals connections from failure, not really a heat sink like computer chip grease.

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Computer chip grease just assists in heat transfer, it is not directly for cooling purposes.

I ran some xenon bulbs without an hd kit that I found on ebay once. they were very bright, but worked fine in the car I had at the time. One of them burnt out within a year though. I did get flashed a lot by oncoming drivers who thought my brights were on.