I'll bet they are already 'e-codes'.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not so. "E-code" and "DOT" are mutually exclusive. No matter how good the quality of the lamp assembly, DOT lamps still put out a vague puddle of light. They have to.
E-code headlamps are an entirely other matter.
You should NOT use over-wattage bulbs in your stock NB headlamps! Not only could you melt the plastic lenses, but all you'll accomplish is to put out a whole bunch of poorly-aimed light.
Replacement bulbs: Use nothing but high quality "clear" halogen bulbs, from Osram, Sylvania, Bosch or another reputable manufacturer. Do NOT be suckered into any sort of "Xenon" bulbs! Do NOT purchase a bulb which has any sort of colored coating!
The biggest limitation on the light output of stock bulbs is the car's wiring. Manufacturers use the thinnest gauge wires they can get away with. They work okay when the car is brand new, but electrical connections inevitably develop some resistance, and the OEM connnections have no "extra capacity" to spare.
Do not, under any circumstances, spend the big bucks for an aftermarket HID setup! Headlamps have to be specially designed for HID bulbs. Sticking arc-discharge bulbs in your OEM lamps will result in dangerous glare; both to oncoming traffic and to YOU, when it rains. There is more to good headlight design than "brightness."
The best solution is to install true E-code headlamp assemblies, and to run over-wattage bulbs through heavy gauge wiring and relays. (The OEM wiring is only used to trigger the relays. The power comes directly from the battery.) I did this in my Jeep, and the difference is astounding! With stock DOT spec headlamps, you are technically over-driving your headlights, on high beam, at about 70 mph. You have maybe 4 or 5 seconds worth of visibility in front of you. With my Cibie E-code lamps and murderous 100 watt high beam filaments, driven through Bosch relays, I have a whopping TWELVE SECONDS of visibility in front of me at 80 mph!
You'll want to run stock wattage low beam filaments in your E-codes, but the headlamps are so much more efficient, and focus the light where it's actually needed so much better than DOT lamps, that it'll seem like the difference between night and day. And again, you'll be driving them through relays and fat wires, so they'll actually put out the whole light output they were designed to.
After the initial expense, you'll only be paying for standard halogen bulbs. No expensive gimmick bulbs. Even the over-wattage bulbs are only ten bucks or so.
Go to
http://lighting.mbz.org and educate yourself. Daniel Stern knows everything there is to know about automotive lighting. Once you're educated, he can hook you up with E-codes, bulbs and relays for your NB. I recommend standard 55 watt bulbs for low beams, at 100 watts for high beams.
-mickey