Time correct all this nonsense about hid systems...
motion sickness wrote:
Ok gentlemen, a slight update on the project. Just did the lighting this past weekend. Got the HIDs installed......8000K series. The 6000K was too white and the 10000K is too blue. They look great I think or at least I'm happy with it. Most cars, Bimmer, Benz, Acura etc... run that series. Its white with a bluish look. Also added Silver star to the fogs. Will post pics soon.
Wrong... OEM hid are from 4100k to 4300k and possibly 5000k and 6000k for reflector types. Nothing more, nothing less.
motion sickness wrote:
I think you are wrong, they are 8000k stock. Anything below 6000k is like having halogen bulbs. 6000K is like super white. They are really bright. The higher you go the dimmer the lighting. 10000K is much dimmer than 6000k or 8000k etc.
Anything below 6000k is like having halogens aye? I imagine you have never seen 4300k hid's with projectors in person? I don't even think this car is using projectors with its hid setup...
And does bluer = whiter for you? 6000k is not "super white".
motion sickness wrote:
Did some checking to verify my facts and the Lexus LS, IS, GS, Benz S430, 500, Acura TSX, TL, CL, RL, S2K, to name a few, all carry 8K. More specifically the 8Ks emmit a white beam w/purple hue. Best example is on the TSX.
Also, the reason you're hit with HID glear is due to the fact that alot of folks put retro-fit HID systems on cars which their headlights are not design for them and where originally made to accommodate and maximize poorer lighting that came with halogen bulbs. Thats why most cars today with HIDs have projectors in their headlight housing.
OKAY OKAY! You have no facts! First! All of those cars you have listed, except for the older s430's, older ls430's, and CL's, have projectors and ALL of them come with 4100-4300k bulbs. You really really need to check your sources good because they are dead wrong. I could even list the name and type of projector, bulbs, and ballast each car has if you want.
Second! That 8000k you claim to be looking at is not from the bulb but from the projector itself. The light is refracting off of the lens and giving that colorful cutoff line(that is the blue/purple/green/yellow/red flickering you see when they are approaching)(btw, the lens is not what creates the cutoff line). That thick bluish line is what you see flickering and what not..
Retro-fitting an HID system... In the car world, that means taking an oem setup (projector's, bulbs, and ballast) and modifying their car to fit it. Retro fitting an HID system is not getting a plug and play kit which is what you are talking about. And by the way, if anyone is wondering why hid plug and play systems give a lot of glare in most oem halogen reflector and projector is because the light is being emitted in a different part of the housing than intended; not at the focus point. Some regular halogen bulbs (the ones with the high and low together) have 2 filaments placed in different areas. These are very specific areas since the halogen light housing is designed around them to reduce glare for the low beam and maximize the output for the high beam.
b20swap wrote:
i don't know about the rest of the cars but i know for the Lex IS.....my brother has a HID kit from an IS on his ES and the ballast says bulb says 5000K on the side of it.
huh? the ballast shouldn't say any kelvin rating on it.. unless your talking about the bulb?
motion sickness wrote:
Older model cars generally came with lower kelvin HID systems, due to the fact that its harder to control the focus of the light. So, in that respect, B20, you're right.
Anyhow, I am still very happy with my choice as well as on coming traffic. No one has flashed me yet in the GS. In the TSX they have on several occasions.
Where are you getting your info from??? older model cars generally came with high kelvin HID systems. Have you seen the old bmw 7's, s-classes, and Lincolns? all of those HID headlights are pretty bluish.
check out these sites if you want to learn more...
http://www.hidplanet.com
http://www.theretrofitsource.com/hid.html
Here are some examples of retro fits vs plug and play systems
same bulb, one without a projector and one with a projector.
What a nice retro fit looks like:
Its probably much better to keep your stock halogens than to use a plug and play system, especially when you are going above the 6000k color temperature..
