Has anybody tried removing the paint (?) on the tip of the 9006 low-beam bulbs? Can I just use some alcohol or paint thinner and then scrape it off?
The reason I'm asking is because, I'd like to use 80W 9006 low-beam bulbs in place of 65W 9005 high-beam bulbs in my car (a 95 Mitsubishi Eclipse). Other than the differences in the bulb bases, the 9006 bulbs all have the "tip" portion painted, probably to reduce glare. This is, of course, not necessary in a high-beam application.
The 100W 9005 bulbs are probably too hot, so I thought a 80W 9006 bulb (modified) may be a good compromise. What do you all think? I just recently finished retrofitting my Eclipse with Audi S4 DOT projectors, and next to the HID low beams, the 65W high beams look positively PATHETIC in terms of brightness....
The electrical connectors are different as well. Look at the difference in the splines in the base of the bulb, and the tabs on the outside base of the bulb may also be different.
Thanks for the responses. I'm aware of the bulb base key differences between the 9005 and 9006 bulbs, so I'll have to make some modifications if I go this route.
Since the factory wiring uses a thick +12V wire (I think it's at least 14AWG) and has separately switched grounds for low-beam and high-beam, and since my HID retrofit uses a separate wiring harness for the HID ballasts, I wonder if it's okay to just leave the factory wiring alone (maybe get a beefier relay)? (I know all about using new wiring harnesses for bulb upgrades, etc., but, just wondering....)
All of the other 80W 9005 bulbs out there seem to be those stupid blue-tinted bulbs.... Oh well, I guess if there are no cheaper alternatives....
Oops, I wasn't thinking right when I typed my earlier comment about wiring harness. Since the stock relay switches the GND, it is still passing higher amount of current, so an aftermarket harness is still needed....
Its not paint but a ceramic coating that is usually heat fused to the glass capsule. It can be accidentially scraped off, but you would probably scratch the capsule if you tried to get is all off. On first use, it would probably burst.