If you want to increase the output of your fog lights while maintaining proper light distribution, swap the H11 bulbs with H9*. The H9 is a high luminous efficacy bulb (more light per watt) and has a tighter-wound filament than the H11, which increases beam focus. The H11 has different base keys than the H9, but the differences are insufficient, so it's easy to install an H9 bulb in place of an H11. These two bulb types are physically identical; the only difference is wattage.

• #H11 (55-watt) = 1,350 lumens
• #H9 (65-watt) = 2,100 lumens

Slight bulb modification is necessary so that the H9 will (a) clip into the electrical connector for the H11 and (b) fit into the H11 fog light housing (a dremel works great and only takes a couple minutes to complete) . Since you're only modifying the bulb, you can always go back to stock H11 bulbs in the future. Follow these step-by-step instructions. One downside of using the H9 is that the bulb doesn't have a glare cap and neither does the Outlander fog light assembly. Without it these bulbs can cause dangerous glare. I highly suggest buying high-temperature paint and coating the tips just like the H11's.

 

Is the 796 a direct replacement for the 1156 or does anything need to be done to it? Any risk of cokking the housing or anything?

Thanks for the info!.

 

Don't use a 796, it'll cook the connector!

 

I've just installed 1156 hybrid (Cree in the middle, SMDs on the sides) LED lights in my DRLs.
Looks pretty nice, almost the same color as factory HID. Pics to follow.

By the way with more powerfull halogen or Cree bulbs in the DRL segment you are getting a AFS-like corner lighting (though always on regrdless steering wheel angle, but still).





LED+HID. LED is a bit more blueish than I'd like but still acceptable:

 

In my previous vehicle I tried a lot of those LED conversion bulbs from different manufacturers (V-LEDS, LEDIllumination, PIAA, LEDLights, etc.). I was most impressed with the high-watt LEDs like the ones you have. Sadly, none of them lasted very long; They all eventually started flickering and burning out.

Unfortunately (nearly*) all LED retrofit bulbs are innately unreliable - their lifespan is very short because they are typically built with cheap Chinese diodes (at least yours are CREE), plus the inability to manage heat when sealed inside of a light housing designed for an incandescent bulb.

An incandescent bulb is essentially a heating element that just happens to produce light. For incandescent bulbs, increased heat = increased light, so lighting designers working with small incandescent bulbs put little thought into heat concerns. LEDs are the opposite; increased heat = decreased light (and decreased lifespan). LEDs are also much less forgiving to voltage fluctuations; You can fry the little guys with seemingly small voltage fluctuations (typical in automotive DC systems).

Even though I liked the light output (and I am a huge geek for LEDs), I'll never use non-brand LED drop-ins again for this reason: When they burned out in my last SUV, they permanently fogged up the headlights and fog lights! LED retrofit bulbs are just diodes soldered onto simple circuit boards. When they overheat, they can actually liquify the solder holding them in place. If you've ever soldered something, you know that solder puts off a tiny puff of smoke when it liquifies. Not a big deal when it happens in well-ventilated areas. But when it happens inside of a sealed light housing, the smoke has no where to dissipate and eventually the dark particles settle on everything inside the assembly, most notably the reflector and lens. This leaves a foggy, greasy, dark residue that is impossible to clean. What a nightmare!

Vadimus, do your DRLs reduce intensity at night (like the Sport)? If not you should disable them at night or find a way to lower their output. I know you mean well but using DRLs at night is very, very unsafe (and for that matter, illegal). By design, Daytime Running Lights are aimed into the eyes of oncoming traffic to increase the vehicle's conspicuity during daytime use. It's essentially controlled-glare, and the contrast ratio of light intensity from DRLs compared to daylight is enough to be attention-grabbing while not overwhelming to the eyes of others. At night though, DRLs blind other drivers (like a deer in headlights). Because the Outlander DRL uses the same optics as the halogen-based high beams, this is the equivalent of driving with your high-beams on at all times. You might think this makes you safer, but studies show that drivers who become dazzled by bright lights tend to steer in the direction of them, which can cause head-on collisions. I'm not trying to be the e-police, but you need to be aware of the risk you're taking with your life, your family's lives and the other innocent lives you pass on the road. Not a sermon my friend, just a thought.

*EDIT: Philips has finally made a legitimate (ie, SAE and ECE compliant) LED replacement for common automotive incandescent bulbs. If you really want an LED retrofit for your #1156 bulb, check out these: Philips 1156 P21W White X-tremeVision LED. That said, I still recommend putting #3497's in the DRLs -- they're more intense than any compliant #1156 (LED or incandescent) is legally permitted to be, have a lower color temperature that increases daytime conspicuity, and are 75% cheaper than the LEDs -- but to each his own.

 

Well, as my DRL segment is being used as a AFS on non-NA market, with much more powerfull 50W halogen bulb, I guess safety conditions are met. Otherwise anyone with AFS could easily blind incoming traffic. AFS/DRL segment incorporates special screen and is longitudinally aimed outside relatively to main headlights.
For 2010+ Outlanders it has nothing to do with high beams.

So despite my DRL do not dim at night I guess I won't bring any safety issues to opposing traffic.

But anyway, the safety concerns are indeed very important, so thank you McPatty for bringing this up. I wish to see here all those crazy tow-truck and civic racers suspended for blinding everyone with their weird aftermarket crap HIDs, like some countries do.

 

Got another bulb upgrade for everyone! The DRL with the 1156 bulb is pretty dim; inconspicuous in sunlight. Although there are a lot of bayonet-based bulbs that will 'fit' into the lamp housing, using higher wattage bulbs will melt the plastic connector! So instead, you can use good quality #3497 bulbs! Each #3497 bulb uses the same wattage but has a higher efficacy than a #1156. They're impossible to buy in the aftermarket any more (you can only get junk). However, you can buy genuine Stanley-made bulbs directly from Honda.
Here's the breakdown:

• #1156 (27-watt) = 32 candlepower
• #2396 (28-watt) = 40 cp (for comparison)
• #3497 (27-watt) = 45 cp

Honda part number for the 3497 bulb is 34903-SF1-A01. The local Honda dealer didn't have any in stock, so I ordered them from HondaAutomotiveParts (sold individually, so order 2 for under $8). I popped them in today and they're definitely brighter; much more perceptible during the brightest part of the day. Hope this helps!

 

Thanks!!

Same bulb here I think:

#3497 MINIATURE BULB BA15S BASE,T6 SC BAY 12.8V 45CP, #3497, 3497, #3497 BULB, #3497 MINIATURE, #3497 LAMP, #3497 MINIATURE LAMP, #3497 MINIATURE LAMPS, #3497 INDICATOR, EIKO# 40645

 

Not quite. Like I said, there's a lot of junk bulbs out there. For example, the bulb you found has a plain brass base, unlike the Stanley bulb from Honda that has a nickel-plated base. Even if the bulb was equal in every other way, you'd have to apply silicone dielectric grease to the brass-based bulb before installing the bulb in the socket to avoid corrosion.

The cost of those bulbs plus the grease is nearly equivalent to genuine Stanley bulbs sold by Honda. My 2 cents, spend your money on the real thing!

 

Wow, never saw this thread before.

This is amazing because H9 and H11 bulbs are also used on my Pontiac GTO (H9 is high beam and H11 is regular headlight).

And I have done the "upgrade" by shaving off the plastic tab with a utility knife in the H9 bulb's base and plugging it into the H11 socket.