rpandresen
Ready to race!
So now that I finally had a free weekend I was able to knock out the install of the H7rc bulbs and both sets of H15 bulbs (5800K and 7000K). Pics are below and the DIY will be in another post.
I want to make this clear before the review. I paid for the H7rc bulbs. I did NOT pay for the adapters or the H15 bulbs. This will be a very honest review.
I would like to start out with a review of DeAutoKey. My experiences have been mixed. I own their Cree fogs, Cree reverse lights, and their LED rear blinkers. On both this purchase (H7rc) and the previous purchase of the Cree LED fogs they failed to include the 3M tape. Both times they sent it out immediately upon me alerting them. The quality of all products has been exceptional, but forgetting the 3M tape TWO separate times is something I feel needs to be mentioned.
The Good:
The Mediocre: The H15 bulbs are standard halogen bulbs of different temps. They DO NOT appear significantly brighter than OEM Halogens, simply a different color. They fit perfectly. I feel that any brand of H15 halogen DRL/High Beam bulbs will be perfectly sufficient in this function.
The Bad:
Summary: I would buy again and be happy with the H7rc bulbs and installation. The light output makes the install difficulties well worth the money for halogen housings. The build quality is good, but you will not mistake it for OEM.
PICTURE GALLERY (Description above pic)
The harness and connections compared to OEM bulb and bracket (very straightforward connections)
The no-tap brackets attach to the bulb harness via these connections
Size of no-tap bracket compared to OEM bulb bracket (reach inside your housings and feel how much of the bracket you can touch, this will give you an idea of how the install will go)
This is why I think the brackets fit worse than OEM. The metal contact points are larger than OEM which makes for a MUCH tighter fit.
Non-OEM build quality. Large plastic burr at top. Unsure if it hurt fitment, but I shaved it off just in case.
How the components fit into engine bay
H7RC W/O Fog Lights
H7RC WITH Fog Lights and High Beams
Mazda CX-5 with HID (compare cutoff)
H7rc cutoff
These picture compare the Cree LED fog light to the H15 bulbs. I put the 5800K bulb in my passenger side and the 7000K bulb in the driver side so I could test quicker. The pics don't show the color difference well. It is my opinion that 7000K matches the Cree LED Fog lights the best, but are too blue. I believe a 6500K would be best.
H15 5800K (left side of pic) and Cree Fog (right side of pic)
H15 7000K (right side of pic) and Cree Fog (left side of pic)
If you have any questions please ask below. I will give you any info that I have.
I want to make this clear before the review. I paid for the H7rc bulbs. I did NOT pay for the adapters or the H15 bulbs. This will be a very honest review.
I would like to start out with a review of DeAutoKey. My experiences have been mixed. I own their Cree fogs, Cree reverse lights, and their LED rear blinkers. On both this purchase (H7rc) and the previous purchase of the Cree LED fogs they failed to include the 3M tape. Both times they sent it out immediately upon me alerting them. The quality of all products has been exceptional, but forgetting the 3M tape TWO separate times is something I feel needs to be mentioned.
The Good:
- The light output is intense...renders the high beams irrelevant (in a good way)
- The color is pure white and has a very good pattern (pics below)
- The no-tap adapters require no wire cutting and no tapping into the harness
- The 5000K color matches the Cree LED fogs from DeAutoKey color
- Able to install without removal of bumper
- Haven't been "flashed" by anyone yet
The Mediocre: The H15 bulbs are standard halogen bulbs of different temps. They DO NOT appear significantly brighter than OEM Halogens, simply a different color. They fit perfectly. I feel that any brand of H15 halogen DRL/High Beam bulbs will be perfectly sufficient in this function.
The Bad:
- The no-tap adapters do not fit as well into the bulb socket as OEM bulbs do. I did have to provide significant force.
- The build quality of the adapter is not OEM (pics below)
- The bulbs simply rests in the bracket so you have to hold tight to the wire and the bracket, which complicates installation.
Summary: I would buy again and be happy with the H7rc bulbs and installation. The light output makes the install difficulties well worth the money for halogen housings. The build quality is good, but you will not mistake it for OEM.
PICTURE GALLERY (Description above pic)
The harness and connections compared to OEM bulb and bracket (very straightforward connections)
The no-tap brackets attach to the bulb harness via these connections
Size of no-tap bracket compared to OEM bulb bracket (reach inside your housings and feel how much of the bracket you can touch, this will give you an idea of how the install will go)
This is why I think the brackets fit worse than OEM. The metal contact points are larger than OEM which makes for a MUCH tighter fit.
Non-OEM build quality. Large plastic burr at top. Unsure if it hurt fitment, but I shaved it off just in case.
How the components fit into engine bay
H7RC W/O Fog Lights
H7RC WITH Fog Lights and High Beams
Mazda CX-5 with HID (compare cutoff)
H7rc cutoff
These picture compare the Cree LED fog light to the H15 bulbs. I put the 5800K bulb in my passenger side and the 7000K bulb in the driver side so I could test quicker. The pics don't show the color difference well. It is my opinion that 7000K matches the Cree LED Fog lights the best, but are too blue. I believe a 6500K would be best.
H15 5800K (left side of pic) and Cree Fog (right side of pic)
H15 7000K (right side of pic) and Cree Fog (left side of pic)
If you have any questions please ask below. I will give you any info that I have.
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