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1157A seems to be the correct part# for the front, but which bulbs do I use for the rear?
For those of you w/ clears, which bulbs do you prefer? Does anyone use Silver bulbs?
As far as I understand, you re-use the stock housings for the front and rear, correct?
What are your thoughts on the aftermarket clear front corner lights (turn signal lights) on eBay? These sell for ~$18 per pair, versus about 4 X that price for OEM at BMA. How much difference is there, really?
you only need the silverstars for the front. i think i used the new housing for the back and used the same ones for the front.
I just bought the silver ones off EBAY - 10 bucks a pair from a guy in germany - the silver one looks cleaner, not the 'fried egg' look. It also lights up more orange - the orange one had been in for a few years and it always seemed too white, when I removed it I found the orange coating on the bulb had cracked/melted and was largely ineffective it allowed the white light to escape and the result was it gave a orange tint to a white light whereas the silver coated bulb lights up the entire reflector orange ... if that makes any sense.
One down side is that the silver bulb appears dimmer then the orange one - this may just be a factor of the orange coating wearing off and allowing more light out I'm not sure - still plenty of light on the silver one to be noticed as a signal though.
My son broke a bulb - the bulb has orange glass with a silver reflective coating.
I received 1156 rear bulbs - I need to order some front ones - I think he has them in stock too - only took about a week - if you can't find it on ebay, need his email or if you want some pics - drop me a line (I'm only intermittently checking the board). Right now the car has one orange bulb and one silver one so it may give you an idea if you are interested
regards
jeff
91 535ia
From what I have read the OEM ones are a better quality with respect to fit and finish, sealing against water, and that the gaskets are better formed - hence better fit YMMV
HTH
Jeff
Check your email. Do you remember if you used the same housings for the front/rear? How about the part# for the bulbs? I can't locate that Ebay Auction.
Thanks!
I know its rice. But I have osram diadem bulbs in the fronts and if I had rear clears I would do that also. I think it gives it a nice classy touch
The rear bulb holders insert and twist into the lens/lens assembly. The front bulb holder has two clips that you press to remove from the lens - the front bulb holder also has wires attached, whereas the back the wiring is through the lens assembly.
Did I answer the Question?
jeff
The holders, did you use the same ones, or do the new assemblies come with their own? Also, do you know what the part numbers are for the bulbs? Is it 1157 for the front and 1156 for the rear? I'm going to order Silver Vision bulbs online.
I used the clear front indicators from Ebay (cost me £20) and bought some Phillips Silvervision bulbs to go with them. They are a little dimmer than the orange variety but still bright enough for safety - they also look much better than the 'fried egg'. The indicators came with new bulb holders which had a different pin setup (offset pins) but luckily the old holder inserts were a straight swap with the new ones and were a breeze to fit.
I am now in the process of tinting my rear lenses (going for the full drug dealer look :D ) and I am concerned that the tint will reduce the light output too much for safety. Does anyone know if you can buy uprated (higher wattage) bulbs for this sort of situation?