2019 Civic headlights upgrade?

just put these in my 2018 civic and they are best i have ever used
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HHMW29M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

BataviaJim said:

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rated the 2018 Civic headlights "Poor", their lowest rating. They haven't rated the 2019 Civic yet (as of 2/11/19).

Honda website describes them as "Projector-Beam Halogen Headlights with Auto-On/Off" for all trims except Sport Touring, which I wouldn't be getting.

Does anyone know if the Civic headlights were improved for 2019?

Thanks.

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I bought a 2019 Si in December, the headlights are old school. I would describe their output on low-beam as "poor" and high beam as "satisfactory"

87elco said:

I know the fogs are led now which is cool

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I have the 2019 Honda Civic Sport. Fog lights are not LED.

87elco said:

I know the fogs are led now which is cool

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They're an optional accessory, not standard.

I had a 2017 Hatchback EX-L and traded it for a 19 Touring Sedan. The headlights being waaaay better is the first thing I noticed driving it. The fog lights are still useless, though. I haven't checked, but they're probably the same bulbs as the hatchback had.

For about a year I had 11,000 lumen LED bulbs in the hatchback projectors. They looked nice but didn't have a hot spot at all. One of the ballasts started going out and I changed them out for Silverstars which throw much farther down the road. The Touring LEDs are even better throw and just as wide as the LED in the projector.

Dallasjhawk's solution worked perfectly for me. I got the Morimoto Elite system and it set me back only $150:

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h11-morimoto-elite.html

Select the following drop down options:

• Ballast: 35 W
• Wire Harness: HD Relay
• Bulbs: H11B (not A!), 5500K (best temp for distance plus match to existing peripheral LEDs)
• Optional Capacitor link: None

I can't say enough about how helpful TRS techs are on the phone. Low wait times, detailed and friendly service. I'm not a big do-it-yourself guy under the hood, but if I could do it, I suspect almost anyone can. I will admit I ran into a couple of snags along the way, and placed two or three separate calls in to RTS. They were very effective in helping me.

Coming off bi-xenon turn-adaptive lights on my previous car (A 2013 Mini Cooper S), the only real letdown on my 18 Civic Si were the lights. Fortunately, they were the most easily remedied/modified. So my perspectives are those of someone spoiled on top-notch lights, and I can tell you that the Morimoto HID Elites are the way to go. If I had juts a few more bucks and confidence in my under-the-hood finesse, I'd have gone full bi-xenon with new projectors - but the halogen highs work well with the xenon lows and I suspect the difference if I went whole-hog upgrade would be more incremental than dramatic.

A word about adjusting the beam upwards on the existing halogens - I don't think that is a good idea. It really is not about where the beam is aimed but about the throw from the light source. The lower-temp of the halogens generally have less distance. The sources I have researched indicate that around 5000K gives the best distance throw. And HIDs/xenons are better than halogens at distance. So changing those two factors will likely yield much better visibility than re-aiming the stocks - and you won't blind me when we drive in opposite directions on a country road, either.

Leef said:

Dallasjhawk's solution worked perfectly for me. I got the Morimoto Elite system and it set me back only $150:

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h11-morimoto-elite.html

Select the following drop down options:

• Ballast: 35 W
• Wire Harness: HD Relay
• Bulbs: H11B (not A!), 5500K (best temp for distance plus match to existing peripheral LEDs)
• Optional Capacitor link: None

I can't say enough about how helpful TRS techs are on the phone. Low wait times, detailed and friendly service. I'm not a big do-it-yourself guy under the hood, but if I could do it, I suspect almost anyone can. I will admit I ran into a couple of snags along the way, and placed two or three separate calls in to RTS. They were very effective in helping me.

Coming off bi-xenon turn-adaptive lights on my previous car (A 2013 Mini Cooper S), the only real letdown on my 18 Civic Si were the lights. Fortunately, they were the most easily remedied/modified. So my perspectives are those of someone spoiled on top-notch lights, and I can tell you that the Morimoto HID Elites are the way to go. If I had juts a few more bucks and confidence in my under-the-hood finesse, I'd have gone full bi-xenon with new projectors - but the halogen highs work well with the xenon lows and I suspect the difference if I went whole-hog upgrade would be more incremental than dramatic.

A word about adjusting the beam upwards on the existing halogens - I don't think that is a good idea. It really is not about where the beam is aimed but about the throw from the light source. The lower-temp of the halogens generally have less distance. The sources I have researched indicate that around 5000K gives the best distance throw. And HIDs/xenons are better than halogens at distance. So changing those two factors will likely yield much better visibility than re-aiming the stocks - and you won't blind me when we drive in opposite directions on a country road, either.

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I just bought these through Ebay (they are currently on sale for $130) and I will be looking forward to being able to see in the dark again XD. I currently have LEDs and they suck!

I'm quite picky about headlights and their performance, so here's my two cents on it:

The biggest problem with putting HIDs in the standard halogen projectors is that the width on them is absolutely terrible. The distance is much improved, but the width is only good for two or maybe three freeway lanes, but not much more than that. A proper HID retrofit would cure that right up.

The most cost-effective solution to better light that I've found (and can be done with a low amount of mechanical skill as long as you're handy with a craft blade and nippers) is to put H9 bulbs in the stock low beam projectors in place of the awful H11s and 9011 (HIR1) bulbs in the high beam reflectors in place of the mediocre 9005s. You get probably 3/4 the performance of HID, at least in our stock lights, for under $30 if you shop around for the bulbs. I drive Lyft on the side ~20 hours a week in all conditions, chiefly at night, and the halogen bulb swap was the best bang for the buck under $100, imho.

The general consensus is that the stock LEDs are trash and the aftermarket ones aren't too much better. The TRS ones might be an improvement based on reviews, but they're hella expensive. It's theoretically possible to retrofit a set of Acura Jewel Eyes into our stock housing, but that's something that's very complicated and I would leave that to the serious professionals like Lightwerkz.

Fog lights aren't designed to be used on clear roads or in good conditions, only lower-speed, lower-visibility situations, so the overall brightness and throw isn't terribly important in relation to width. You need the width to illuminate the fog lines on the side of the lane to help guide you. Using fogs in normal conditions will only hurt your distance vision at night due to the pool of light now at your foreground. It's a similar thing with LED PnP bulbs - they tend to have way too much foreground so overall vision is lost.

My LX doesn't have fogs at the moment, but I had a loaner EX-T with halogen fogs for a week and the width was actually fantastic.

LED fogs are great, but I would get them in the warmest color temp possible (or stick with normal halogen), as cooler color temps can actually interfere with their intended purpose. This is *not* due to Rayleigh scattering as most think (fog droplets are not small enough for that), but simply because our eyes are far more sensitive to cooler color temps and process them differently than warmer ones - the light that will invariably be reflected by the fog is less blinding. This is one of the reasons a lot of people swear by yellow fogs. You don't necessarily have to go that extreme, but I personally wouldn't go beyond 4300k for fogs or 6000k for normal lights. Not only is it easier on your eyes, but above 4300k, apparent light output from an HID capsule tends to drop off slowly and then rapidly falls above ~6500k or so. Some purists would argue that 4300k is the ideal color temp for maximum light output, but I know there are many of us like I who prefer the greater contrast afforded by ~5000k-6000k lights.

Once I don't have to work two jobs, I'll be putting together a very detailed how-to and maybe even a service to retrofit proper HID/LED projectors into our halogen housings for those not so DIY inclined. If there is enough demand, I may 3D print adapter brackets. Would anyone be interested in joining me on this project?

mcbacon said:

The biggest problem with putting HIDs in the standard halogen projectors is that the width on them is absolutely terrible. The distance is much improved, but the width is only good for two or maybe three freeway lanes, but not much more than that. A proper HID retrofit would cure that right up.

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Interesting. I will look for that on my next night drive (most of my driving is on 2-lane country roads). Is it really important to light up 3 freeways lanes next to you when you are looking straight ahead? I find on the deer-filled country roads here that the Elite HID's are quite adequate for the periphery. At least for me.

The most cost-effective solution to better light that I've found (and can be done with a low amount of mechanical skill as long as you're handy with a craft blade and nippers) is to put H9 bulbs in the stock low beam projectors in place of the awful H11s and 9011 (HIR1) bulbs in the high beam reflectors in place of the mediocre 9005s. You get probably 3/4 the performance of HID, at least in our stock lights, for under $30 if you shop around for the bulbs. I drive Lyft on the side ~20 hours a week in all conditions, chiefly at night, and the halogen bulb swap was the best bang for the buck under $100, imho.

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So to be clear, these are halogen-to-halogen swaps and no HIDs? Without going full bi-xenon, I wouldn't mind an extra kick in intensity and kelvin temp color on my halogen high beams. Would I get that by swapping my 9005's with halogen 9011's? Does that swap require craft blades & nippers - or upgrading the harness?

The general consensus is that the stock LEDs are trash and the aftermarket ones aren't too much better. The TRS ones might be an improvement based on reviews, but they're hella expensive.

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The biggest issue I have heard about LEDs is performance in precipitation. I'm still looking for objective material that backs up the consensus, but I notice it camping. I have a halogen/LED headlamp and if it's raining, the LED is useless while the halogen cuts through the precipitation.

Fog lights aren't designed to be used on clear roads or in good conditions, only lower-speed, lower-visibility situations, so the overall brightness and throw isn't terribly important in relation to width. You need the width to illuminate the fog lines on the side of the lane to help guide you. Using fogs in normal conditions will only hurt your distance vision at night due to the pool of light now at your foreground.

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This is perhaps the only thing I would add a caveat to. I call my fogs my "pot hole" lights. That extra pool of light does wonders in helping me avoid them (at slower speeds, obviously). Some of the roads in PA, NJ and NY have a nasty habit of surprising you with holes to slam into, and I wouldn't dare drive those roads at night without that extra flood of lower, closer lighting.

Once I don't have to work two jobs, I'll be putting together a very detailed how-to and maybe even a service to retrofit proper HID/LED projectors into our halogen housings for those not so DIY inclined. If there is enough demand, I may 3D print adapter brackets. Would anyone be interested in joining me on this project?

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I don't know that I have the time or talent to join, but I'll certainly look forward to seeing it!

Davsonamission said:

I just bought these through Ebay (they are currently on sale for $130) and I will be looking forward to being able to see in the dark again XD. I currently have LEDs and they suck!

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Actually, I remember that was about what I paid as well. I applied a coupon code to the purchase but cannot remember what it was, although a Google search will likely serve others on finding it (and is how I found it). I don't know if the eBay store was TRS, but if it was a choice between spending a little more with them vs another vendor, I would suggest that for newbies to these projects like me, it's money well-spent. They were awesome on the phone and knowing they were there to help was certainly worth something.

Leef said:

Actually, I remember that was about what I paid as well. I applied a coupon code to the purchase but cannot remember what it was, although a Google search will likely serve others on finding it (and is how I found it). I don't know if the eBay store was TRS, but if it was a choice between spending a little more with them vs another vendor, I would suggest that for newbies to these projects like me, it's money well-spent. They were awesome on the phone and knowing they were there to help was certainly worth something.

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They were sold by HID ILLUSIONZ they have a website as well (I checked) the install seems pretty straight forward so I'm not to worried about that part.

Donuyen18 said:

Do you have your driver side foglight pointed up?

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No, that is a picture from a lighting website showing what a hid light does in a reflector compared to the normal halogen bulb on the left side.

Leef said:

Dallasjhawk's solution worked perfectly for me. I got the Morimoto Elite system and it set me back only $150:

https://www.theretrofitsource.com/h11-morimoto-elite.html

Select the following drop down options:

• Ballast: 35 W
• Wire Harness: HD Relay
• Bulbs: H11B (not A!), 5500K (best temp for distance plus match to existing peripheral LEDs)
• Optional Capacitor link: None

I can't say enough about how helpful TRS techs are on the phone. Low wait times, detailed and friendly service. I'm not a big do-it-yourself guy under the hood, but if I could do it, I suspect almost anyone can. I will admit I ran into a couple of snags along the way, and placed two or three separate calls in to RTS. They were very effective in helping me.

Coming off bi-xenon turn-adaptive lights on my previous car (A 2013 Mini Cooper S), the only real letdown on my 18 Civic Si were the lights. Fortunately, they were the most easily remedied/modified. So my perspectives are those of someone spoiled on top-notch lights, and I can tell you that the Morimoto HID Elites are the way to go. If I had juts a few more bucks and confidence in my under-the-hood finesse, I'd have gone full bi-xenon with new projectors - but the halogen highs work well with the xenon lows and I suspect the difference if I went whole-hog upgrade would be more incremental than dramatic.

A word about adjusting the beam upwards on the existing halogens - I don't think that is a good idea. It really is not about where the beam is aimed but about the throw from the light source. The lower-temp of the halogens generally have less distance. The sources I have researched indicate that around 5000K gives the best distance throw. And HIDs/xenons are better than halogens at distance. So changing those two factors will likely yield much better visibility than re-aiming the stocks - and you won't blind me when we drive in opposite directions on a country road, either.

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Very glad you are happy with the purchase. After having LEDs for 3 days in the rain after I bought the car, I installed the morimoto kit before I even had my permanent plates. Was the best thing ever really.

mcbacon said:

The biggest problem with putting HIDs in the standard halogen projectors is that the width on them is absolutely terrible. The distance is much improved, but the width is only good for two or maybe three freeway lanes, but not much more than that. A proper HID retrofit would cure that right up.

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the h9 h11 swap is really good for what it costs. Ill say this on width, the width is better than leds in them and the same as the halogen bulb was so you aren't going backwards in putting hids in like you are with leds. and you are correct, a proper retrofit is the best way to go but most wont want to go through either the process of retro fitting or the cost of paying someone to do it. So the Morimoto kit is a good go between.

NCMattJ said:

I have the 2019 Honda Civic Sport. Fog lights are not LED.

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They're possible addons

Dis4Damion said:

They're an optional accessory, not standard.

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Yeah i kmow i woukdve gotten them though they're only a 100 on Honda's parts website

2019 Civic Sport, black on black... I just change out the high and low beam with Hikari 12000..... wow. BIG difference.