# Compare Headlight Bulb Brightness **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 10, 2024, 12:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562 "2024-10-10T12:56:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 9:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/41 "2024-10-28T09:01:09Z")
Menards S&H $7 and up. Just sayin’. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 11:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/42 "2024-10-28T11:45:57Z")
I doubt that Eagle Eye makes their own bulbs. Is there a manufacturer name on the bulb? It might be just a difference in manufacturing quality. ---
**Author:** ![Saint-Louis-Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Saint-Louis-Guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Saint-Louis-Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/43 "2024-10-28T14:57:57Z")
Never thought to check that. Eagle Eye assembly bulbs say Au-lite, HB4. Seems to be Taiwanese. When I Google Au-lite, a guy has a post on another auto forum saying he bought a high end Philips bulb and put it in on one side to compare to the Au-lite bulb on the other side b.c. he didn’t trust the Au-lites lol. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/44 "2024-10-28T15:08:00Z")
[Ignore: Have you checked that the lenses and reflectors are in perfect shape? A 2004 can easily have problems in either place.] Even though they’ve been working on them for decades, plenty of relatively recent cars don’t have great headlights. NHTSA now tests them, here’s what they say: [Headlights](https://www.iihs.org/topics/headlights) Finally, I’ve looked at your photos several times, and see zero difference in brightness between the sides. If the headlights are in great shape and correctly aimed, that may just be the best they can do. Are you having problems with them, or just worried about what somebody said? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/45 "2024-10-28T15:43:30Z")
OP replaced the headlight assemblies one year ago. These Eagle Eye assemblies have AU-lite bulbs. He’s comparing one AU-lite bulb to a new Philips bulb. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/46 "2024-10-28T15:45:08Z")
Good to hear, I missed that. So now it’s down to aim, those bulbs/assemblies look identical, brightness-wise. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/47 "2024-10-28T16:05:09Z")
I just stop by there. Never ordered anything, but the point was there may be a difference in th3 quality of the bulb if one is half the price of the other. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/48 "2024-10-28T18:54:36Z")
Problem is Menards is in the Midwest down to Kentucky. When I first ride looking for a different item from Menards the S&H to FL were very high. Whereas other online stores may have free shipping. Me, I’m okay with Sylvania from Wally World. Someday I will have to pull the bulbs on my truck, find out the brand. Eleven years old, OEM bulbs, still going strong. Back to the OP, to determine brightness really needs a light meter. But I don’t know how many foot candles or lux is required for headlights. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/49 "2024-10-28T21:02:20Z")
I only meant it as a price comparison that might suggest the silverstars are better. They work fine for me. I think state regs here have a max of 55 watts for headlights but no idea about candle power. I can’t believe those ford truck lights with two glaring driving lights are ok. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562/50 "2024-10-29T02:57:00Z")
> [@texases](#): > > plenty of relatively recent cars don’t have great headlights. A lot of the 3rd gen (16-23) Tacoma guys are swapping out the low beam H11 (55W) to a H9 (65W) for added brightness, I will probably wait to one fails before I swap mine out… I did however change out all the very dim and almost useless interior lights to LED’s and WOW what a difference it made… I already have the LED back up lights, just need to install them… [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/compare-headlight-bulb-brightness/197562.md?page=2)