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Anyone Have Experience With PIAA 525's

p-ten

Full Member
Joined
May 19, 2003
Messages
75
Location
Central, NJ
I believe these are new. They are listed on some vendor sites but not on PIAA's site. They are the same size as the 520's and 520SMRs. Does anyone have these or have seen them? I guess this is stretching it but does anyone have pics of these lit up with the LED. Has anyone evaluated the 520's vrs. the 520SMR vrs. 525's. They are all about 6" round. I definately want chrome driving lights. I am confused about what light the ion crystal vrs. a clear lens will throw. Is it really yellow?

Here's the description:
The 525 packs a multitude of features for today?s truck and SUV owner! Along with an H4 dual beam system, the 525 features PIAA?s highly effective SMR (Super Multi Surface Reflector) technology. The 525?s most unique feature is the incorporation of PIAA?s Multipurpose High Intensity LED technology that creates a glowing effect when the main bulb is switched off.

The 525 will give your truck or SUV an unparalleled professional look that is sure to turn heads!


Available In: Clear High and Plasma Ion Low beam with Blue Reflector or Plasma Ion High and Low beam
Bulb Type: 12V ? H4 60/55watt=110/100watt XTRA Twin beam or 12V ? H4 60/55watt=110/100watt XTRA Clear with yellow top, both have a 12V ? White LED
Description: Black plated stamped steel housing, and glass lens
Kit Includes: Two lamps, wiring harness, relay, switch, and two black mesh style lens covers
Cover Options: Chrome (PN 45250)
 
I have these:

520.jpg


which are the PIAA 520 Ion Crystal lights in Chrome (black option is also shown in the above picture), I have the "driving" (as opposed to fog) lenses. I do not have experiance with the 525s, but if they are "ion crystal" they will throw a yellow-tinted light, the 520's use an 85w halogen bulb. If you don't want yellow-tinted light don't get the ion crystal PIAAs, get their "clear" for instance.
 
I thought about buying the 525's, but I'm currently using a set of PIAA Pro XT's that I've had for years on other trucks. 525 is sort of a similar set up in that you can either use low beam, which throws a yellow light that is not as wide as a fog pattern, or a white driving light beam. Can't use both at the same time.

Main dfferences between this and the Pro XT's are: 1) 525's are round while the Pro XT's are rectangular; and 2) 525's use 1 H-4 bulb to accomplish its task, while the Pro XT's actually use two separate lamps; and 3) 525's are less expensive (I've been quoted around $325) than the Pro XT's and are a newer design.

Hope this helps.
 
I have the 525's and love them. I opted for the High/low beam in Plasma Ion. I have them mounted in the factory fog/DRL area. ?Next to the 525's I also have a set of Piaa 1400 fogs. ?Then in the grill I have the Piaa 940's which has a yellow fog and a Extreme White driving light. ?At night I do not even want to turn the 525's on. ?The 5 watt running light gives off a really cool glow. ?Although when I turn every Light on I light up the whole rode.

?I have each light switched seperatly than I have a FU switch. When I hit the factory fog switch all the lights turn on or I should say all the bulbs turn on.

? Yes they do give off a yellow light

? Who ever installs the lights for you have them control each bulb seperatly in case you want to turn both on at the same time. ?The Piaa switch does not give you that option.

? If I did not have the other sets of lights on my truck I would have gotton the High beam Extreme white and the low Plasma Ion for the different lighting patterns.

Where did you think you are going to mount them?

Good Luck with your decision
 
FWIW, The practice of using yellow for fog lights arises from a basic, though common, misunderstanding.
Yellow light scatters about 20% less than white light in fog. So you'd think they would be 20% better than the same wattage of white fog lights....
The problem is that the human eye is 40% less sensitive to yellow light than to white light. So at BEST on a foggy night, you would get 20% LESS usable light (20% - 40%). On a clear night you simple get 40% LESS usable light.
 
I will try and get some pics for you. I need to get hold of a digital camera or just break down and buy one.
 
Thanks for your posts.

Dungar, I two want to see them. Where in NJ are you. If your close maybe I could take the pictures and I am also interested in the wiring. I just got the truck two weeks ago. I ordered the gm grill so I was thinking if I got the 525's I would mount them on top like the attached photo. Or I would buy a set of 1100XX's and mount them in the hole in the grill guard like the other photo (next post).

I didn't even look at the factory fog as a location but since they fit I may consider that as an option. The factory fogs are useless.

I was also looking at the 520 SMR's and 540's. I like the 520 SMR's because they come in all chrome. I believe the 525's are a black housing with a chrome grill as an option. The chrome guards are about $25-30 each.





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I live in Hudson County North Bergen

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Dungar,

Pretty cool-looking set-up!! B/4 I bought my AV, I was trying to figure out how to replace the stock fog/DL with a set of PIAA's (I was thinking of using some 510's I have in place of the fogs), but I couldn't figure out how to secure the lights w/o creating a custom bracket.

Did you do this yourself or have a shop do it, and did they fashion a custom bracket to mount the 525's? Can you also tell us how much the 525 set-up cost you to install (minus the cost of the lights)?
 
I did have a shop do it for me. Unfortunatly I have no clue how they where mounted. I just told them what I wanted and they did it. As far as prcie I will try and find out for you. When I got the lights installed I was getting alot of other work done to my truck and I just wanted a grand total.
 
Dungar said:
I did have a shop do it for me. ?Unfortunatly I have no clue how they where mounted. ?I just told them what I wanted and they did it. ?As far as prcie I will try and find out for you. ?When I got the lights installed I was getting alot of other work done to my truck and I just wanted a grand total.
Dungar,

Do you have the name and number of the place that installed your 525's? I'd like to inquire whether they created a special bracket to mount your lights in place of the fog lamp/DRL's. It seems to me that a special mounting bracket is the only way to secure the 525's in this area, since the metal bumper etc. is too far to attach to and there's only plastic in this area. Thx. :)
 
Dungar said:
I did have a shop do it for me. ?Unfortunatly I have no clue how they where mounted. ?I just told them what I wanted and they did it.
Can you crawl under the front bumper and take a picture from behind? That might be enough to give us all an idea of how it was done.

It sure seems like there are a bunch of people who would like to see more.

-- SS
 
Yes I will get some pictures this weekend
Audio Desings in Fort Lee NJ
 
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