Longing for better night-time lighting while driving the busy highways of Los Angeles? Don’t want to spend a ton of moolah on more than you need to light up your night? Look no further than the low beam H9 to H11 mod, which should only take about 20-30 minutes to complete (with the right tools).
The stock low-beam headlights are H11 bulbs, which have an average lifespan of 500 hours and an approximate 1,450 lumen output at 55W power draw. Most H9 bulbs have a slightly lower average lifespan of 400 hours and an approximate 2,100 lumen output at 65W power draw. That’s an 18% increase in power draw (~1A increase) for a 45% increase in lumen output!
You will need to purchase two H9 bulbs of your choosing. H9 bulbs are not a direct replacement for H11 bulbs. The H9 bulbs require trimming of a metal tab on the outside of the housing and a plastic tab within the connector housing. This is most easily done using micro side cutter instead of using diagonal pliers or a dremel. A few photos below show the areas that require trimming. Always handle halogen bulbs with either clean towels or latex/plastic gloves. Over time, oil from your fingers could cause the bulb’s glass integrity to degrade over time and cause the bulb to shatter as it heats up.
Once the new H9 bulbs are prepped, remove the existing H11 bulbs from the low beam housings. The driver’s side housing is more easily accessible of the battery is removed. The dust cap covers are tight and only require about a 1/8 counter-clockwise turn to unlock. They will not “pop” off once unlocked - you will need to pry them off gently (with fingernail or small screwdriver)… just make sure they are completely in the unlocked position.
After removing the dust covers, disconnect the electrical connector from the low-beam bulb’s housing. Then, twist the bulb housing counter-clockwise and pull out to remove. Install the modified H9 bulb and re-install the dust covers.
