Fiat 124 Spider Forum banner

Lighting upgrade: headlights, running lights and fogs

45K views 64 replies 31 participants last post by  mtnghost 
#1 ·
Greetings,

There are a lot of threads popping up around here about lighting upgrades to the OEM halogens found in the headlights and fog lights. I wanted to make sure there was good understanding of what it takes, what it looks like, and thoughts after the install. There was absolutley NO MODIFICATION to the car - all this stuff just drops into place.


Headlights:

The halogen low beam headlights use an H11 halogen bulb. I choose to replace them with a set of HIKARI "Eyes of Megatron" kit and have been very pleased.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077BT6M6Z/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts: install was easy, and the cutoff is great! In the pictures below you can see one where I have an LED and halogen installed and the cutoff is maintained. The light output is amazing at night too!

Left is LED - right is halogen


Both LED





Fog lights:

The halogen fog lights use an H11 bulb, just like the headlights. I ended up going with a set of yellow LED bulbs that were inexpensive but designed to go into halogen housings.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CTMT3S6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts: easy install, not quire as bright OEM lights, but i'm loving the look. Up to you if this is worth it.

Yellow fogs installed





Headlight DRL/"halo" bulb:

The bulb i'm talking about is the orange one that lights up the plastic ring surrounding the main low-beam projector hosing. This is a type 194 bulb, and can easily be replaced with a nice white LED bulb. Doing this really cleans up the look of the front by lighting up the halo with more "white" light vs the orange glow it gives from the factory.

Amazon link (these also work for the license plate lights): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0186P1MUW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thoughts: I really like these bulbs as they are compact and the same length (about 1mm shorter actually) than the factory bulbs - so they fit everywhere!

OEM bulb with orange color:


White LED + LED headlight bulbs + LED fog






Install:

All the bulbs described here are accessed through the front of the front wheel wells / fender liners.

You can jack up the car and take off the wheels, or you can turn the wheel (all the way right for the left-side install, and left for the right-side install) to access the bulbs as well.

Once jacked up or with the wheel turned begin to remove the fender liner clips. These have a central pin that is pulled back - the whole plug/fastener can then be removed.

You can see most of these fasteners, but there are a few you may have trouble seeing (like the one in the middle of the fender arch on the lip and the ones behind the suspension). You really don't need to take them all out, just keep removing them until you can bend back the plastic to gain access.

Make sure you test all the bulbs before you button everything back up!



Headlights: Unplug the factory bulb harness by pushing the plug further onto the bulb, you then press the release and pull away from the bulb. Then turn the bulb and it will come free. The install is the same but in reverse. You do want to make sure the LED bulb plug/harness is pointing straght down (6:00 position), otherwise the LEDs will not be properly aligned to maintain appropriate cutoff.

If you can't seem to align the bulb in the described position, remove it and you'll find that you can seperate the bulb from the mounting plate. I would recommend clocking them differently and then trying again. I use the little fastening prongs on the headlight to secure the LED ballast and wiring.


Fog lights: Unplug the factory bulb harness by pushing the plug further onto the bulb, you then press the release and pull away from the bulb. Then turn the bulb and it will come free. Insert the new bulb into the housing and connect the wiring harness. You do need to have these clocked correctly (LEDs aligned to point at 3:00 and 9:00). I installed mine once, noted how the installed bulb plug was clocked, and then pulled them out, adjusted them and reinstalled. This "adjustment" process took about 2 minutes per side.


DRL / halo lights: . These are installed in the upper left-hand (driver) and upper right-hand (passenger) side of the headlights if you have North America halogen lamps (I presume all LHD, but unsure). They're actually on a long piece of plastic than is rotated to remove. Once you have them out, put the new LED bulbs in and reinstall.


Overall, I'm very please with this upgrade! The visibility at night is great, and visually the car is a lot better!
 
See less See more
5
#2 ·
Now with bigger pictures :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: sharkcohen
#3 ·
Hmm... do the beams look that blue in person or only on camera? The Hikari bulbs I got are the whitest ones I’ve tested. I really hope the quality haven’t gone down since I bought them.

Also, photos in a well-lit environment don’t do justice to just how much better the Hikaris perform. Ambient light can easily drown out car lights since H11 car bulbs are only 55W. It’s when you’re on a pitch black road that you can really tell the difference between a good bulb and an ordinary bulb.

I’ll try to get some more comparison photos between halogen vs LED when I have time. For now this is all I have:
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Great writeup! I'm hoping since the fogs are down low, it won't take much to swap them out, compared to the headlight bulbs.
 
#5 ·
Any Fog Light bulbs that tou can reccomend that aren’t yellow color?

I’d like to upgrade but not a fan of the color personally, thanks.
 
#6 ·
You could use the same lights I used for the headlamp low beams. Really any h11 bulb will fit, although i did look for ones that performed well in halogen housings.
 
#7 ·
Putting LEDs in the fogs requires you to look at the size of the bulb compared to stock/standard bulb (unless you want to do surgery on the fog light housing). There’s a center shield which limits the length. A few people went with bulbs which fit precisely. I went the surgery route.
 
#9 ·
Some photos I took comparing OEM halogen vs. Hikari LEDs. My potato keeps auto-adjusting light exposure and white balance, thus making the halogens look whiter and brighter than they really are. Despite this, you can clearly tell that the LEDs perform far better. I can barely see 20 ft ahead of me with the halogens.

Top: OEM halogens
Bottom: Hikari LEDs




It's a 2-pack. Almost all car bulbs are sold as 2-packs.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Adjusted white balance using my dashboard as reference. Now this is way closer to what you would see in person.


 

Attachments

#19 ·
I am not sure but based on the odometer reading of these pictures, one was taken at 59831 miles with the standard halogens and 59775 with the led upgrades? did he change out the bulbs back to the halogens for a before and after picture. because if not the latter of the pictures (highest mileage) should have been the upgraded bulbs which appear to be dimmer...
 
#12 ·
Yes - the Hikari bulbs are a two pack.
 
#22 ·
I didn’t have to make any modifications - I guess I lucked out with my bulb size on the fogs.

I’m interested in the surgery to remove that small metal piece though.
 
#23 ·
These are the ones I received, I’ll be asking the dealer to install them, they shouldn’t have to make any modifications right?
 

Attachments

#25 ·
From the previous image, the length looks good. The front head diameter looks like it just might fit, but they do look larger than a stock bulb. Just have to try. Why not have a go at it yourself? I don't think the dealer will do any modifications; if it doesn't fit, they most likely will just say 'it doesn't fit'.
 
  • Like
Reactions: NOOB SAIBOT and HaZ
#27 ·
This looks nice but I don't think the halo LEDs are the DRLs. I have the halogens and from what I gather the DRLs are actually the high beams (dual filament??) And the halo rings are lit by the position lights. In the UK these are actually normal coloured and not orange.

I am tempted to change everything but I'd need to change the high beams for LEDs as these are the DRLs as well...this isn't as easy.
 
#28 ·
You are indeed correct sir. With the stock halogen lights, the bulb that is used for the high beam, is also the bulb that performs the function of daytime running lights. One bulb with two output levels. The halos are just that... halos. My assessment is that the halos are purely cosmetic.
 
#29 ·
Thanks for response!

So after some testing, in my EU Lusso with halogens, the halos ARE the sidelights.

Lights off = halo ON, DRL (high beam) ON
Lights position 1 = halo ON only
Lights positio 2 = low beam ON, halo ON

So I put some Nightbreakers in the H11 and led T10s in the halos. Not touching the high beam for now as finding H15 LEDs that will work isn't easy.
 
#31 ·
Thanks for response!

So after some testing, in my EU Lusso with halogens, the halos ARE the sidelights.

Lights off = halo ON, DRL (high beam) ON
Lights position 1 = halo ON only
Lights positio 2 = low beam ON, halo ON

So I put some Nightbreakers in the H11 and led T10s in the halos. Not touching the high beam for now as finding H15 LEDs that will work isn't easy.
Where did you find that description? The owners manual makes no reference to the halos, at least as far as I can see. We know they're on the car, but I can't find any documentation that actually talks about them.
 
#34 ·
I have not, but am considering it. I think I’d probably go with the same version as the low beams to ensure the color matches.
 
#39 ·
It does, and its probably worth it. Aftermarket LED bulbs to replace halogens doen't really compare with a factory LED / HID setup. Not getting LEDs or Brembos are the two minor regrets I have from my purchase.
 
#45 ·
hey guys
I know this thread is a little old
but those hikari LED lights, do you still think they are good or should I consider somethign else?
and they are plug and play or will i need to drill and add a grommet?
 
#46 ·
hey guys
I know this thread is a little old
but those hikari LED lights, do you still think they are good or should I consider somethign else?
and they are plug and play or will i need to drill and add a grommet?
I've tested several brands of LED bulbs and the Hikari's are my favorite. They're not perfect but pretty close. The only thing that could've been better in my opinion is if they were 5000K color temp instead of 6000K. 6000K bulbs have a blueish tint that don't look right with cars that have retro styling cues; they make them look slightly rice. That said, the Hikari's have the most subtle blue tint of all 6000K LED bulbs I've tried. There are 5000K LED bulbs out there but the majority of them are crap in terms of light output.

Another one I would recommend are XenonDepot HIDs https://www.xenondepot.com/H11-HID-Kit-Xtreme-HID-p/xt-h11.htm
For these you have the option of getting 5000K bulbs which look gorgeous on the 124. The downside with these is that they provide slightly less visibility than the Hikari's and being HIDs they need a few seconds to warm up. However, they are brighter than the crappy 5000K LEDs I mentioned.

Almost all LEDs and HIDs for the low beam are plug and play, but for LEDs you do have to rotate them to the correct angle or you'll end up with a halo around your beam.
 
#51 ·
I used the same Sylvania LED Fog bulbs to replace my halogen fog light bulbs. You can buy them for $100 at your local auto store like Autozone. The hefty price gets you a 5-year replacement warranty, and it fits perfectly without having to remove the dome covering from inside the housing. The bulbs orient to 10 & 4 (instead of 9&3) because of the dome covering, but the light itself looks great and matches the LED headlamps well. You do see more light directly in front of the car and to the outside, but I would rate this more of a cosmetic improvement over function. This was an easy swap. I didn't want to have to remove the dome with the little wiggle room offered by the fender liner. FWIW, you need the tip of the bulb to the plastic base (the plastic flange where the gasket sits) to be 2 inches or less.

And I know this thread is old, but the post is relevant to the topic which appears using the Search function.[/QUOTE]
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top