Anybody Change Their Reverse Lights?

[MrElussive]

Hey Everyone,

Call it the ricer in me, but just today I replaced my stock reverse lights (the white lights that go on and illuminate behind you when you put the car in reverse) with PIAA Xtreme White bulbs. I have a 15% tint on my rear windshield so backing up at night can be kind of difficult, and I figured the cheapest solution would be to just get brighter reverse lights.
After installing the PIAA bulbs I noticed that the bulbs are a much better blue/white color that looks a lot cooler, but as for the main issue: brightness, I can't really say as I have not had the chance to test them yet. The bulbs are 18 watts just like the stock bulbs and they LOOK brighter when illuminated, but the bulbs have that blue tint/coating all over them (whereas stock was just perfectly clear), which usually steals some illumination so I am still skeptical.
Anyways, I was just wondering if anybody has changed their reverse lights with intentions for better rear illumination at night and if they have any bulb recommendations. Also, I took a few pics during and after the installation of the bulbs for a nice comparison which I would happily post up, if anybody wants to see them.

Thanks,
MrElussive

 

[Kirby]

Hey Everyone,

Call it the ricer in me, but just today I replaced my stock reverse lights (the white lights that go on and illuminate behind you when you put the car in reverse) with PIAA Xtreme White bulbs.

Nah, that's not ricer. Let's see the pics.

Now, if you mounted Boeing 747 landing lights on there you just might be a ricer.....

 

[MrElussive]

First two pics compare stock to PIAA (stock on left, PIAA's on right). Second two pics show PIAA's fully installed and trunk back to normal. Also please note that the PIAA's really don't look as cool in person as they do in the pics, but it should give you a pretty good idea of the difference.
Here ya go...

Sorry for the dirty car, it has been raining real hard all day here in NJ/NYC.

 

[MyHarley]

I like the new lights.........anything that helps people to keep from rear ending is good in my book.......I would like a sign that pops up that says "GET OFF"

 

[paddyLV]

"... you're killin' me, Mr. 'E.'

That's one more thing I have to get for my 'ZHP.'

 

[MrElussive]

Paddy, it definitely looks better than stock, but the difference is marginal. I did some reversing around my driveway and the dead end of my street and I did NOT notice a significant difference in illumination, either. The bulbs were only $17 shipped, so money is not really the issue. I would only suggest "bothering" with this little mod if you can access your tail lights somewhat easily (and do not mind doing so). I am not familiar with how to access the reverse lights on the BMW 3-series (or any BMW for that matter), but as far as G35 Coupes go, I would say to definitely NOT bother with it.
To expand on the "look" of the bulbs from my original post, the bulbs are not as blue as the pictures show. They are more white than blue and they do not give off that cool "glowing" effect like in the pictures.

 

[Tweet227]

Well even if they don't give you the added brightness you were looking for, they look pretty cool in the pics!

 

[codex57]

If you add brightness, it's not really ricer. You change it for colors (like blue, green, whatever), then that's ricer.

 

[andreyiv]

Maybe I'm blind but to me the stock ones look just as bright as the PIAA ones. They are both 18W so that should have something to do with it. The only way they would be brighter with the same wattage is if they have a different gas inside. You now, like Halogen compared to Xenon and all that stuff. BTW on the e36, it's easy as pie to change any of the rear light bulbs. If everything goes fine it wouldn't take more than 1 minute to change one bulb.

 

[MrElussive]

Yeah, another forum member on G35Driver posted that the PIAA reverse bulbs were brighter, which is why I purchased them. But after having them for the second night, they are definitely not brighter. They look cooler, but I'm quite sure stock is brighter. The PIAA bulbs are the same voltage and wattage as stock (12V, 18W), but they have a blue coating all around them to make them illuminate blue/white, but this coating steals light.
I am now considering a pair of LED reverse lights, but the beam pattern of LED lights are typically very narrow, which isn't really good for this purpose.

 

[jonnyz16]

MrE, They look cooler but not brighter so its not a waste of money ..

 

[MrElussive]

MrE, They look cooler but not brighter so its not a waste of money ..

Hehe, thanks guys, they definitely do look cool.
But after having these bulbs for a few days now, I have concluded that do not illuminate nearly as well as the stock reverse bulbs...I guess I just got some really bad advice. I want to put the stock reverse bulbs back in, but it's so damn hard to access the tail lights, I'm not even in the mood. Maybe if I find a bulb company like Philips or Osram that makes a really bright reverse bulb, I will pick those up and give them a try...but for now, I'll just stick to my worthless-but-cool PIAA Xtreme White bulbs.

 

[eye ess]

on a completely different note i am proud to say that my 88 325is (stock) can outrun a 95 325i and with my shocking red metalic paint and 17" TSW evo wheels i can outhandle most so called modern sports sedans.oh i like the idea of having ultra bright back up lights,i have a neon tube around my rear liscence plate that brings out the writing on my personalized tags which reads the follwing "ANTI CIVIC"

 

[carcus]

I remember in the late 90's I had a VW Passat that had limo tint all around. Was almost impossible to see while backing up at night in dark parking lots and areas, I ended up replacing the stock reverse lights with heavy duty back up bulbs that they used to sell at auto parts stores. It worked really well, big difference. This was before the blue light craze became big. I have not seen them since. They were just plain clear bulbs. Can't remember wat the wattage was on them. All I remember was I hated rolling the windows down to see while backing up because it was almost impossible at night with the double limo on the rear. Needless to say, I never went with a tint that dark again. It was in Arizona though and the tint REALLY helped in the summer though