1st Gen R50 Cooper PIAA H7 Night Tech

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by M1N1, Aug 17, 2016.

  1. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    Has anyone tried the PIAA H7 Night Tech bulbs?

    I currently work 2nd shift, and I'm usually driving home at between midnight and 1 am around farm country in NW Ohio. I'd kinda like to see Bambi before they use the Justa to end their days.
     
  2. RallyMini370

    RallyMini370 Well-Known Member

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  3. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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  4. ZippyNH

    ZippyNH Well-Known Member

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    In my experience, any new halogen bulb will be a good gain...the bulbs tend to get a bit dimmer as they age...I took out a set that actually looked BLACK when off...they still worked....and the new $5 rockauto pair was better....
    Do know somebody who swears by PIAA BULBS...know their wiper blades were great, but curios too see what the lifetime of the bulbs are...know "nighthawk" bulbs had about 25% the life of a std bulb....so bad you had to keep a spare, and there was a class action lawsuit....but more light from the same volts/watts usually means you have to go with a thinner filament that burns hotter, so a shorter life.....
     
  5. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    PIAA BULBS suck! I have used the before and they burn very hot and fail too often for the price.

    PIAA Wipers are awesome!
     
  6. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    #6 M1N1, Aug 19, 2016
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2016
    Got to agree on the blades. Love the PIAA wiper blades. Have the Super Silicone's fitted to the Justa.

    Going to try replacing the original, 10 year old bulbs with something like Philips H7's for now. Will see if that makes a difference.
     
  7. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    So, I decided to try the Osram H7 Night Breaker bulbs. They seem to have made a difference to the depth and intensity of the headlight beams, but I'm not sure that this is because the Osram's are awesome as much as it is that I've replaced 10 year old bulbs with new. Anyhoo, they were less than $40 for 4 so I'm not out much money.
     

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  8. Firebro17

    Firebro17 Dazed, but not Confused
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    I've liked my Piaa fog light bulbs just fine. Been in the sockets for at least four years and they're still burning strong. No experience in a headlight application.
     
  9. cristo

    cristo Well-Known Member

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    These are the ones to get:
    Very efficient 65W normal temp bulbs with lifespan similar to stock
    and 2100 lumens (c/w 1500 stock). H9 burner on an H7 base.
    [​IMG]
     
  10. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    Cristo, where did you find those?
     
  11. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Switch to HID fogs and never looked back.

    PIAA has very thin glass that is why they fail.

    Be careful of OSRAM bulbs as their are a lot of fakes on the Internet

    If you buy OSRAM make sure you buy them from The Retrofit Source. https://www.theretrofitsource.com/components.html
     
  12. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    Warning my .02 here.....

    The limiting factor with lights is the design of the reflector & lens. If the light is not good to begin with adding a brighter light source only results in a brighter light that isn't very good. It helps, but not much. R50/R53 MINI fog lights suck & exist only as automotive jewelry. The ones on the R56 perform better. Did I just say that?

    Adding those brighter H7 bulbs will help justa don't expect miracles. If you want light add a couple of Hella driving lights with 100 watt bulbs. Just make sure to wire them in with your high beams so you don't blind other folks.
     
  13. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    HID's in first gen fog lights work great as the cutoff line keeps them low so they don't blind other drivers. Also the fog housing are adjustable for light height and people tend to aim them incorrectly like they are headlights.

    I also agree the high beam / large fog wiring method with a nice size Hella lights. <- this is just not my style as I do not like the rally car look for a daily driver. It kills the look of the MINI for me.

    Some people think they need big rally lights but maybe they should slowdown when driving in the dark because they are driving too fast for how far they can see.
     
  14. M1N1

    M1N1 Well-Known Member

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    I could fit the Hella's, as I already have the factory fitted driving lights (worse than useless), but I have been thinking of deleting them to fit the Aero-style black trim.

    Has anyone fitted the Morimoto H7 Elite HID System?
     
  15. MCS02

    MCS02 Moderator
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    Slow down? Never!! Its a thrill hurtling through the darkness not knowing whats coming at you!

    I need my BIG Hellas, its defense agents all the big 4 wheelers that think they need huge light bars on all the time.

    I guess you could say I am over compensating!:lol::lol::lol:
     
  16. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    I have used the Morimoto sets before and the are very well made and good and bright. :Thumbsup:
     
  17. mrntd

    mrntd Well-Known Member
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    One of our local guys added this to his car. He lives down in SE Ohio and wants the extra light like you do. The outer LEDs give a wide light like fog lights and the center ones project farther ahead.

     

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  18. Dave.0

    Dave.0 Helix & RMW Powered
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    Those are nice for a Justa like above. I need the airflow for my car to keep it cool so I do not have anything blocking the upper or lower grills.

    Overheating is not a problem I want to deal with.
     
  19. Crashton

    Crashton Club Coordinator

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    This thread is the equivalent of "what oil is best how often to change it". :smilewinkgrin:
     

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